Cape Malay Home Cooking made easy. The Muslim community has also had a large influence on the cooking of South Africa. Cape Malay cuisine is delicious. It usually consists of a combination of fruit, spices, vegetables and meat.
Using my cooking know how to inspire everyone to cook the food they love. Here you will find tried and tested simple and delicious recipes for relaxed home cooking that go far beyond baking. From easy soups and roasts to delicious breads, deserts, stews, etc…
All the recipes seen here are prepared in my kitchen with photos taken by my family and me. So please don’t expect professional photography or styling, it’s just the way we have our meals on a normal day!
My motto is:
"Give a man a plate of food and you've fed him for the day. Teach a man to cook and you feed him for a lifetime" - Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
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Challenging as the past year was, it also gave us a chance to take stock and make the most of where we were. Many of us took on a new hobby, for instance, my husband and I started a vegetable garden. We were always keen gardeners but never grew our own vegetables besides a few herb plants. I have to admit its so satisfying to see how the vegetables grew. We will continue with our vegetable garden trying to live consciously and in gratitude.
Due to popular demand I’ve made my cookbooks available as Ebooks. You can now get your copies which can be downloaded to be used with your mobile, laptop or tablet.
Join me, Salwaa, on the 29th August 2020 at 1:30pm to 3:30pm.
I’ll be hosting a live online zoom workshop on “how to make samosas from scratch”
Learn to make the purr, traditional mince meat filling, prawn filling as well as jalapeño chicken filling. I’ll be sharing with you all my hints and tips.
Tickets to join costs R100 per person, which will include a copy of my Sweet & Savoury Ebook.
You can choose to cook along with me, list of ingredients will be shared nearer the time, or observe to try at your own pace.
Please email enquiries@capemalaycookingdelights.com or send a WhatsApp to +27719249583 should you require more information.
The link to join will be send nearer the date to all those who have booked a spot.
Presenting my Akhni cooking sauce! After extensive research, trials and error I’ve perfected my cooking sauces. In my cooking sauce range you will find Akhni Pre-Mix, Curry Pre-Mix as well as our ever popular Butter Chicken Pre-Mix. Watch the full video tutorial above, for instructions on how to use my cooking sauce.
No more peeling, chopping, measuring we’ve done it all for you. This is a great way of trying new recipes without having buy lots of spices. Perfect for the beginner cook or even the more experience cook. Each recipe is usually about 20 – 60 minutes, depending if you use chicken, lamb, mutton or beef.
Chicken Akhni
Akhni made with Salwaa’s Akni Pre-Mix and Fragrant Rice From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Ingredients: 1 jar Salwaa’s Akhni Pre-Mix 4 cups fragrant rice 750g lamb, mutton or chicken pieces 3 potatoes Fresh dhanya for garnish Butter as needed
Method: Soak 4 cups fragrant rice in boiling water to cover. Empty the contents of one Salwaa’s Akhni Pre-Mix in a deep pot with one jar of water. (Use the jar, at the same time get all the contents out of the jar) Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the clean chicken or meat pieces and stir well to combine. Cover & simmer for 15 to 35 minutes depending on the type of meat used. Add water if required. After the meat has cooked for 15-35 minutes add three medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters (optional)
Cook for 5 minutes. Rinse the soak rice until the water run clear and add into the pot. Cover with 2 cups hot water or enough to just cover the rice. Add 1 tsp salt, a handful of freshly chopped coriander/ dhanya and butter dotted on top of the water. Cook on high until the rice start boiling, turn the heat to its lowest setting. Steam until the rice is cooked and most of the water has evaporated. Turn the heat off, cover with foil and leave to rest for about 10 minutes.
Before serving stir gently with a fork to fluff / separate the rice. Serve with dhai, onion & tomato sambal or atchar.
Here’s a versatile carrot cake recipe which is perfect for everyday baking and occasions. You will love this incredibly moist and easy carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting. This cake is quick and easy to make, versatile and utterly delicious.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Ingredients:
2 cups cake or plain flour
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 cup soft brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup oil
Zest of 1 orange
Zest of 1 lemon
200g carrots, finely grated
150g walnuts, chopped (optional)
For The Cream Cheese Frosting
125g unsalted butter at room temperature
50g icing sugar
250g cream cheese
Method:
• Pre-heat the oven to 170°C.
• Line a 20cm deep cake tin, 2 loaf tins or a Bundt tin.
• Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together and stir in the sugar.
• Beat the eggs with the oil and citrus zests.
• Stir in the carrots and fold everything into the flour mixture.
• Fold in the walnuts if using. Spoon the mixture into the tin/s.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
• The cake in the loaf tins will bake quicker as it’s not as deep as the round tin.
• Cool cake before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat the butter and icing sugar together until soft and then beat in the cream cheese. Chill the mixture until it’s thick but spreadable. Spread a thick layer on top of the cake, making sure the side of the icing is flat and continues upwards from the side of the cake. Decorate with walnuts (optional)
Here I share with you my homemade bread recipe. Traditionally homemade bread was made every Sunday in most households for a light supper in the evening. I serve my bread with corned beef, polony, cheese or left over Sunday roast.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Trust you are are all well and keeping safe during the Covid-19 lockdown. Here at Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights we are trying to keep positive and engage with our followers on different levels and by a variety of means.
I have started making more video tutorials as many have requested it. So this has been very well received. All my tutorials are available on the following social media platforms. Please subscribe and “like” my videos. It will help tremendously if you would do this 🙂
I’m also planning on having live cooking demos from next week, do let me know if you would like to join.
Also, please feel free if you have any requests for video tutorials you would like me to do.
I have also made my cookbooks available as downloadable Ebooks, which you can purchase for a fraction of the normal price and enjoy making the recipes with your family. The following Ebooks are available for purchasing:
Just an update regarding our frozen produce and spice ranges. We are currently not in production due to the lockdown. Our operations will resume once the Covid-19 lockdown has been fully lifted and it is safe for my staff and me to continue with our work.
Lastly I would love to thank you all for your continuous support throughout the 9 years we have been in existence.
Stepping Stones Into The Cooking World Launched October 2019
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Slow Cooked Lamb Shanked
This recipe is so convenient to make. All you need to do is prepare the vegetables, pop it in the oven and forget about it for two hours. Best of all it’s made in one pan which is a plus, gives you time to spend some extra time with your family or catch up on your TV serial!
Ingredients: 2 lamb shanks Salt and pepper to taste 1 small onion sliced into quarters 3 – 4 medium size potatoes 3 carrots 1-2 jalapeño peppers slit in half ( optional) 3 cloves of garlic, I left the peels on 3 bay leaves A few sprigs of rosemary 3/4 cup vegetable stock
One-pan Wonder
Method: Add all the ingredients in an oven proof pan or dish. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Pour the vegetable stock over and cover with foil. Slow cook at 170°C for 2 hours. Remove foil and grill further for 15 minutes.
Here’s an easy recipe for you to try out with your kids today.
Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Ingredients: 225g soft butter/margarine 1 cup castor sugar 4 extra-large eggs 2 cups self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ cup cocoa powder 1/4 cup milk or as needed
Method: Line 2 muffin / cupcake tins with cupcake cases. Add all the ingredients, except the milk, into a large bowl. Using an electric hand whisk, beat together until just smooth. Add a little milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency, the mixture shouldn’t be runny.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases. #capemalaycooking Bake the cupcakes in a preheated oven, 170°C for 15-20 minutes or until well risen and firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
To make the topping, put the butter in a bowl and beat until fluffy and creamy. Sift in the icing sugar and cocoa powder, beat until smooth and creamy. Add a drop of milk if the mixture is too stiff.
Chocolate Cupcakes
When the cupcakes are cold, spread or pipe frosting on top of each cupcake, and decorate according to your choice.
Alternatively, mix chocolate mousse according the packet instruction and pipe using a spiralling motion onto the cupcakes in a large swirl.
Make tandoori chicken on your grill! Chicken legs marinated in lemon juice, yogurt, and aromatic spices. Tandoori chicken gets its name from the bell-shaped tandoor clay oven which is also used to make naan, or Indian flatbread. The dish originated from the Indian subcontinent and is popular in many other parts of the world.
Tandoori Chicken
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
4 chicken quarters, skinned
½ cup plain yoghurt, low-fat or full-fat
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp fresh ginger
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 ½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp borrie / turmeric
1 tsp koljana / coriander
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp oil
Rinse and pat dry the chicken.
Make 2 deep slits in the chicken quarters, place in an oven proof dish.
In a bowl mix together the yoghurt and the rest of the ingredients.
Stir until well combined.
Spread the spice mixture over the chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Bake in a preheated oven at 240°C for 30 minutes or until the chicken are evenly browned on top and cooked through.
This absolutely delicious Spiced Fruit Loaf not only tastes amazing but the aroma, gently wafting from the oven, makes the whole house smell incredible. Cinnamon and bread filled with tasty dried fruit, baking together.
Who needs air freshener when you can bake this wonderful Spiced Fruit Loaf.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Spiced Fruit Loaf Served With Pickled Fish
In a large mixing bowl add the following:
3/4 cup lukewarm milk
2 eggs
3 TBSP of soft butter
1/2 tsp salt
3 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1TBSP finely grated orange peel
1 TBSP finely grated lemon peel
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup raisins
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 packet yeast
Spiced Fruit Loaf
Method:
Mix together to form a dough.
Knead for about 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise until double in size.
When it is risen knock down lightly and decide into 10 equal balls.
Grease a large loaf tin with butter.
Put the balls of dough into the baking tin and leave to rise again for about 30 minutes.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for about 20 – 25 minutes.
For the glaze
Boil together juice of one orange and 3 TBSP of honey / golden syrup until sticky. Brush over warm loaf as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Ingredients: 2 cups long grain rice 2-3 tins of tuna 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables 1 cup vegetable oil 3 potatoes 2 large onions, sliced thinly sliced 1 tomato, chopped ¼ cup buttermilk 1 – 2 green chillies, chopped 1 ½ tsp jeera / cumin 3 cloves 3 allspice 3 cardamoms 2 stick cinnamons 1 tsp salt 2 Tbsp butter 2 tsp fish masala 2 tsp garlic, minced 1 tsp salt ½ – 1 tsp chilli powder Juice of 2 lemons 1/2 tsp turmeric / borrie
Method: Boil the rice in water until half done. Drain, rinse and set aside. Peel the potatoes, cut into slices. Heat the oil in saucepan, fry the potatoes until lightly browned and semi soft, set aside. Drain excess oil from the saucepan, add the chopped onions, fry until golden brown. Add the chopped tomato, buttermilk, green chillies, jeera, cloves, allspice, cardamoms, stick cinnamon and salt. Simmer over low to medium heat for 10 minutes or until onions are soft.
Meanwhile, combine all the spices with the lemon juice in a small bowl, stir to combine. Pour over tuna. Arrange the potato slices at the bottom of a large heavy based pot / saucepan. Add half of the rice on top of the potatoes, spreading it evenly.
Arrange the tuna with the masala on top of the rice on top of the rice, then the onion mixture, then the mixed vegetables ending with the remaining rice. Dot the butter on top of the rice add 1 cup of hot water.
Cover and steam to complete over low to medium heat for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving with lemon atchar or blatjang.
Soft garlic and herb enriched rolls, topped with olive oil, served with a whole Camembert. Tear pieces of rolls, dip in the melted cheese and enjoy.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Ingredients:
4 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 packet instant yeast
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
50g butter
1 Camembert
1 large garlic clove
2 green chillies
Few sprigs rosemary
Olive oil
Method:
Combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and mix until a dough forms. Knead on a clean flour-dusted surface for 10 minutes, or until smooth and springy. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and prove in a warm place for 2 hours.
Grease an oven proof dish or baking tray with the butter. Cut the rind of the top of the Camembert. Peel and finely chop the garlic and chillies. Poke a few holes in the cheese, stuff a little of the garlic and chillies with a sprig of rosemary. Place the cheese in the centre of the tray.
Divide the dough into small balls, arrange the dough balls around the cheese, leaving a bit of a space between in ball. Scatter the remainder of the garlic, chillies and rosemary over the rolls. Brush lightly with olive oil. Cover loosely with plastic and leave for to rise again for about an hour.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for about 25 minutes or until the rolls are brown and the Camembert has fully melted. Using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter over the rolls. Serve immediately.
Kebabs or burgers can be made weeks before the time, pre-baked and frozen. Homemade, no preservatives. You’ll get approximately 15 burgers from a kilogram of chicken mince. You may substitute the chicken mince with steak/beef/lamb mince. Make chicken mince by shredding fillets in a food processor.
My recipe for kebabs or burgers
Ingredients:
1kg fresh chicken or steak mince
3 large onions, finely grated
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 Tbsp. minced green chillies or to taste
1 heaped Tbsp. jeera/cumin powder
2 tsp salt or to taste
1 bunch dhanya, finely chopped
Chicken Kebabs
Method:
Mix all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight for the flavours to develop. Next day shape the mixture into burgers or use a burger shaper. Separate the burgers with round pieces of greaseproof paper, big enough to cover the whole burger. Freeze until needed. This mixture can also be used to make chicken kebabs. Pre-bake for about 6 minutes in the oven to hold the shape (can be frozen at this point) before putting the kebabs on the grill. Cook from frozen. Serve with naan bread and a healthy salad for a scrumptious meal.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
It is summertime and we are blessed with the best and juiciest fruit. Naturally sweet and full of flavour, fruit makes the perfect addition to cakes and desserts.
Ingredients:
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp milk, boiled and cooled down
3 Tbsp cooking oil
1 cup cake flour
3 tsp baking powder
Butter and extra flour for greasing the tins
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
Grease 2 small or 1 large flan tin with butter and sprinkle flour over the butter for easy removal of the flan,
In a dry and clean mixing bowl beat the eggs white till stiff.
In a separate mixing bowl mix together the egg yolks and sugar.
Mix until creamy and the sugar has dissolved.
Add the oil to the milk and stir into the egg mixture.
Sift in the flour and baking powder, mix well.
Fold in the egg whites.
Divide into the 2 small greased flan tins or 1 large flan tin.
Bake for 10 minutes in the pre-heated oven.
Cool slightly in the tin before removing.
Leave to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before decorating.
Fill with thick home made custard, whipped cream or caramel. Top with fresh fruit.
Serve immediately.
All photos found on this website are the property of Cape Malay Cooking & Other delights and Salwaa Smith.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Check jam roll this is a quintessential Cape Malay recipe. One that adorned every cake table at a wedding, hujaaj, on the Eid/labarang table or any other social gathering. Check jam roll is also known as Battenberg Cake in England. This striking checkerboard cake is a favourite for afternoon tea in England. Legend has it that the cake was created in honour of the marriage of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter Victoria to Prince Louis of Battenberg in the 1880s. (The coloured squares inside are thought to represent the four princes of Battenberg) It’s quite possible that the English brought the recipe to South Africa and we’ve adapted the recipe to represent our colourful personalities as the original recipe was only yellow and pink in colour and covered with marzipan.
From what I can remember my sister in law making this cake, she used to finish it off in chocolate flavour as well as a plain icing sugar. This cake can be made in advance and keeps well for up to a week if wrapped and stored properly. Slices of this cake was often used as a centre piece in a cake plate at wedding and other such gatherings.
Assembling the cake requires some precision, but it’s easier than it looks. The batter is thick enough that you can fairly neatly spoon two colours next to each other without them bleeding together; you might have to trim a bit off each half to cut away any combined bits. Or you can create a divider to keep them separate. I’ve wrapped a thin piece of cardboard, such as from a tissue box, in aluminium foil to good effect. My recipe makes 2 cakes.
Ingredients:
6 large eggs
1½ cups castor sugar
½ cup hot water
2 tsp cooking oil
2 cups self-raising flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 heaped tablespoon cocoa powder
½ tsp vanilla essence
½ tsp red food colouring
½ tsp rosewater (optional)
½ tsp green food colouring
½ tsp peppermint essence (optional)
½ cup smooth apricot jam
1 tbsp hot water
2 cups icing sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder (omit if finishing off the cake plain)
Enough water to make a paste
Desiccated coconut
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Lightly grease two Swiss roll tins and line it with greaseproof paper. Cut a strip of cardboard to fit the length of the tins. It should fit snug. Cover the cardboard with foil. Lightly grease the foil and wedge into place.
In a large bowl beat eggs and castor sugar until light and creamy. Mix in vanilla essence, oil & hot water. Fold in the self-raising flour and baking powder.
Divide the mixture evenly into 4 bowls. Mix the red food colouring and the rosewater (if you’re using it) in one bowl. In the 2nd bowl mix the green food colouring and peppermint essence (if you’re using it). In the 3rd bowl mix the cocoa powder and in the 4th bowl the vanilla essence.
Turn the pink mixture (the red will have turned pink) into one side of the prepared tins. Turn the green mixture into the other half of the tin. Turn the chocolate and vanilla batter into the second prepared tin. Smooth the batter gently into the corners.
Bake for 20 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Leave to stand for 5 minutes in the tin. Slide a knife between the cake, tin and foil strip. Turn onto a wire cooling rack lined with greaseproof paper. Remove greaseproof paper attached to the bottom of the cakes. Leave to cool completely.
Trim the cake so that each half measures approximately 28x9cm. Cut each slab in half lengthways so that there are eight equal pieces.
Mix the jam and hot water to thin the jam slightly. To assemble the cake, brush the top of each cake strip with the jam and press a pink strip on top of a vanilla strip, do the same with the chocolate and green strips. Press the pink/vanilla strip together with the chocolate/green strip to create a chequerboard effect. Make sure to brush all the inside strips with jam to help it sticking together.
Mix the icing sugar and cocoa powder together with a bit of water to make a thick paste. Brush the cocoa paste all around the outside of the cake and roll desiccated coconut all over the cocoa paste. Wrap the cake firmly in greaseproof paper and leave to set for a couple of hours. Cut a very thin slice off each end of the cake for a neat edge.
Salwaa’s Chocolate Brioche Pudding
Made with chocolate brioche rather than a standard loaf, this is a lovely alternative to the classic bread pudding.
Chocolate Brioche Pudding
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Ingredients:
6 large slices of chocolate brioche
½ litre milk
3 large eggs
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons custard powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 tablespoons butter
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C.
Grease a one litre oven proof dish with the butter.
Cut the brioche into slices. Arrange the brioche in the buttered dish.
Using an electric mixer, mix the eggs, custard powder, vanilla essence and sugar together until the sugar has dissolved.
Whisk the milk into the egg mixture.
Gently pour the egg and milk mixture over the brioche.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 45 minutes, or until firm.
Cool slightly before serving.
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I really enjoy experimenting with new recipes and ideas. More than often when I develop a recipe I will make it more than once to ensure its perfect before sharing the recipe. This Egg Free Lemon & Granadilla Cake is no exception, it took me a couple of attempts before I was happy with it. The result is a super moist cake which can be made in sandwich tins or in a Bundt tin like I did here.
This cake recipe is so simple and easy to make, in addition to being delicious, it has actually become the base for many other flavour combinations I’ve made and it’s always a hit! It is so moist and tasty and stays fresh a good couple of days.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Ingredients:
125g soft butter
1 cup castor sugar
2 cups cake flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
Rind and juice of 1 lemon
115g granadilla pulp
Extra butter for greasing the cake tin
150ml fresh cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 170°C.
Grease a Bundt tin with the extra butter.
Use an electric mixture, whisk the butter and sugar until creamy.
Sift the flour and baking powder together, mix into the butter mixture.
Fold in the buttermilk, half of the granadilla pulp, rind and juice of one lemon.
Pour the batter into the greased tin.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 40 – 45 minutes, mine baked for 43 minutes.
Insert a skewer into the centre of the cake to check if the cake is done.
Leave the cake for about 5 minutes in the tin before turning out on a cooling rack.
Cool completely, in the meantime whip the fresh cream with the icing sugar.
Stir half of the remaining granadilla pulp into the cream.
When the cake is completely cool, spread the cream frosting all over the cake.
Pour the remaining granadilla pulp over the cake.
Cook’s Note:
To make buttermilk at home pour one cup of milk into a jug add one tablespoon of vinegar.
Leave aside for about 10 minutes for the milk to curdle before using in the recipe.
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Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive
On our recent trip to Istanbul we had this delicious bean stew called Fasulye served with a buttery rice. It’s very popular amongst the Turks and widely eaten in the country. It’s such a cheap and easy dish to make, it’s filling and really warms you up too. This is my version and a must try dish.
Ingredients:
2 chopped onions
2 ripe chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 small chopped green pepper
2-3 finely chopped chillies
1 tbsp grated garlic
Salt to taste
2 tins of cannellini beans drained
Method:
Braised finely chopped onion in a little oil for about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, chillies, tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Add cannellini beans and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add water as desired.
The result is a delicious, hearty bean stew. I served it with a plate of Pilav (rice)
Turkish Pilav (rice)
Fasulya with Pilav
Ingredients
2 cups of basmati or fragrant rice
3 tablespoons butter (real butter gives the flavour, margarine is not a substitute)
5 cloves
2 cups of water or stock (chicken stock works particularly well, and helps create the authentic taste)
1 – 2 teaspoons salt, use less salt of you are using chicken stock
Method:
Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water. Place the rice in a bowl and cover with hot salted water. Let this stand for about 30 minutes. Wash again thoroughly in cold water (the water should run clear) and drain well.
Melt the butter, with the cloves, in a saucepan until it just starts to sizzle, before it turns brown. Add the rice and sauté for 2-3 minutes stirring continuously.
Pour the stock or water into the pan, bring to the boil, then turn down to simmer on a low heat. Don’t stir the pilav whilst cooking! Cook until the rice has absorbed all the water (10-15 minutes). Add salt to taste.
Take the pan off the heat, and remove the lid. Place a clean kitchen towel over the pot, and then replace the lid. Leave to “rest” for 5-10 minutes. Stir the rice with a fork to fluff it up before serving with the fasulya beans.
Enjoy a taste from Turkey
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Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1/2 cup softened butter
1 tbsp milk
Pinch of salt
1 tsp fine cinnamon
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease a loaf tin with oil.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas with the eggs.
Add the butter, milk and sugar and mix with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved. Add salt and cinnamon. Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
Mix until combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into prepared tin.
Put in the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean and the loaf is nicely browned.
Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then remove the loaf and cool completely on a cooling rack.
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A simple yet tasty recipe for green beans stew or bredie as we know it in Cape Town. Easy to make, a great idea for a healthy and nutritious meal. Here I used trimmed fine beans. Best of all 3 heaped tablespoons green beans equals one of your 5 a day.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
600g lamb pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1½ tsp salt
2 – 3 green chillies, chopped
1 Tbsp spoon sugar, optional
3 cloves
3 all spice
1kg green beans, sliced diagonally
3 large potatoes, quartered
Green Bean Stew served with basmati rice and atchar
Method:
Wash and drain the meat. Heat the oil in a large pot and braise the onions until deep golden brown.
Add the lamb pieces and garlic and cook until nearly tender about 40 minutes adding water as necessary.
Add the salt, chillies, cloves, allspice and green beans as well as the potatoes.
Cook until the potatoes are soft and tender adding water for thinner gravy.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Osso bucco in Italian means bone with a hole. This classic braised veal from northern Italy is the world’s best make-ahead dish —it tastes amazing on the second day. Traditionally the osso buco is made with veal shanks braised with vegetables, stock and wine. It’s served with saffron infused Risotto.
My husband bought this piece of meat the other day. I was looking for inspiration from my Facebook followers as to what cook with this cut of meat. I had suggestions from stew to soup to curry to Nihari curry and quite a few people suggested osso bucco. The name of the dish intrigued me as I have never heard of it. So, I decided to go with a recipe that Marley Roos shared with me. I’ve made a few adaptions so I’ll add the original recipe below.
All the recipes called for wine as one of the key ingredients. Well, that is clearly a NO for me, so I just decided to omit the wine and the end results were just as good, in my opinion. I also used homemade stock. I’ll share my recipe for homemade stock in a different post. This recipe is a perfect winter dish and definitely a keeper, to be repeated many times!
I started with preparing the vegetables. Chopped onions, celery sticks, garlic and carrots.
Heat 2 Tbsps butter and 2 Tbsps in a pan. Add the peeled and chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
Stir fry until the onions are golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer into a large ovenproof dish.
Heat the remaining butter and oil in a large pan.
In a bowl, season the flour with salt and pepper to taste. Coat the shanks with the flour.
Add the shanks, don’t overcrowd the pan, brown well on both sides.
Continue until all the meat is browned.
Place the browned shanks on top of the vegetables.
Empty the two cans of tomatoes into the same pan you used to brown the meat in.
Add the stock, bayleaves, thyme and lemon rind.
Simmer for about 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the shanks. Cover the dish. Bake in a preheated oven.
Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius for about 11⁄2 hours or until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally.
I served mine with boiled basmati rice.
Heres the full recipe:
Osso Buco, Cape Malay Style
Ingredients:
800g beef shank with marrow bone
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large carrots
3 celery sticks
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup cake flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1/2 litre beef stock
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
3 bayleaves
Grated rind of one lemon
Chopped parsley for garnish
Method:
Heat 2 Tbsps butter and 2 Tbsps in a pan. Add the peeled and chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
Stir fry until hte onions are golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer into a large ovenproof dish.
In a bowl, season the flour with salt and pepper to taste. Coat the shanks with the flour.
Heat the remaining butter and oil in a large pan.
Add the shanks, don’t overcrowd the pan, brown well on both sides.
Continue until all the meat is browned.
Place the browned shanks on top of the vegetables.
Empty the two cans of tomatoes into the same pan you used to brown the meat in.
Add the stock, bayleaves, thyme and lemon rind. Bring the sauce to the boil, season with salt and pepper if needed. At this point you could add a tablespoon or two sugar according to taste, this is totally optional. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the shanks. Cover the dish.
Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius for about 11⁄2 hours or until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally.
To serve garnish with chopped parsley and grated lemon rind (I forgot to do so 😊)
I served mine with boiled basmati rice.
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Chicken and Corn Quiche – Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
With Ramadaan fast approaching I thought I’d share with you my quick and easy quiche recipe. Mini quiches can be made in advance and stored for up to 3 months in the freezer. My mini quiche recipe is a brilliant and tasty way of using left over cooked chicken. Use polony, fish or shredded meat as an alternative.
Mini Quiche
Makes one large quiche or 24 mini quiches
Ingredients: 3 extra large eggs 2 deboned chicken breast, cooked and diced 1 small onion 100g grated Cheddar cheese 1 cup sweet corn 500g puff pastry Salt and pepper to taste 100ml fresh cream A sprinkle of dried herbs #capemalaycooking
Method: Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
Lightly grease a baking tin/Pyrex with butter
In a bowl, mix the eggs, chicken pieces, onion, corn, cheese, cream, salt and pepper with a fork until mixed together well.
Roll the pastry to fit your Pyrex. Line your dish with the pastry, cutting the excess pieces off or line your muffin tin or foil cases with pastry using a cookie cutter or glass to fit.
Spoon the chicken mixture on top of the pastry. Top with extra cheese, optional. Sprinkle the dried herbs on top. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Sugar Bean Curry served with flaky roti and sambal
This is one of my mom’s recipes I fondly remember her making for Friday Jummuah lunch. Most of the time the recipe would be doubled or even tripled. My dad semi-retired at an early age and Fridays my mom always served a big lunch. Some of my uncles would attend the masjid nearby and they would come for lunch and my dad would invite people from the masjid to eat at our home. So big pots of food was the order of the day on Jummuah day. The sugar bean curry was most often served with flaky roti and tomato & onions sambal.
Seeing its Friday today and the holidays, I thought I’d share our recipes with you. Start a new tradition, invite family and friends for Jummuah lunch
500g lamb / mutton pieces, excess fat trimmed, washed and drained 2 tbsp cooking oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 medium tomato, chopped 2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped 3 cloves garlic, grated 1 piece ginger, grated (10cm) 2 tsp jeera / cumin powder 1 tsp coriander / koljander powder 1 1/2 tsp turmeric / borrie 2 tsp leaf masala / roasted masala 1 – 2 tsp salt (according to your taste) 3 cardamoms 1 stick cinnamon 1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
Method: Soak the sugar beans in water to cover, overnight. Next day drain and transfer the soaked sugar beans into a large pot with fresh water to cover. Bring to the boil and cook for approximately 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse until the water runs clear. Return to the pot and cover with water once again and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile prepare your meat.
Pour the oil into a heavy based pot, add the chopped onions and braise until the onions are transparent about 10 minutes over medium heat. Add the trimmed and washed meat. Cook 5 minutes. Add water as necessary as you go along. Add the spices, chillies and tomato and cook until the meat are half way done, approximately 30 – 40 minutes depending on the type of meat you are using. Add the half cooked sugar beans, cook over medium to low heat, until the beans, meat and sauce are combined and the meat and beans are soft. The beans should be soft but not mushy. It is best to complete the cooking process over low heat in order for the flavours to develop and to cook to the right consistency.
Best serve with boiled white rice or roti, atchars and or sambals.
You may also use butter beans, black eyed beans, etc instead of the sugar beans.
Substitute the lamb or mutton with blade beef.
Flaky Roti
Makes 20 rotis
Onion & Tomato Sambal
Ingredients:
1 large onion, peeled and chopped finely
1/2 tsp salt
1 large firm tomato, diced
2 green chillies, chopped (deseed optional)
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 tsp freshly chopped dhanya
Method:
Steam the chopped onions in the microwave for 2 minutes. Combine with the rest of the ingredients. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy with breyani and curries.
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As we discovered on our recent trip to Portugal, Bacalhau (salted cod fish), is the most popular ingredient in Portuguese cooking. Traditionally there are more than 365 different dishes, one for each day of the year.
Salted Cod – Bacalhau
This reminded me of the dried snoek and cabbage bredie my paternal grandmother and aunty used to make. So naturally we bought a small piece of salted cod which is similar to hake as we know it.
So today I share my grandmother’s recipe with you. What are your memories of this dish?
Salwaa’s Dried Fish & Cabbage
Ingredients:
1 medium cabbage
300g saltfish
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp cooking oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely grated
2 green chillies, or according to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into half
Salt, if needed
Salted Cod – Bacalhau
Method:
Soak the salt fish in water for about 30 minutes to remove excess salt.
Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic, sauté until golden brown.
In the meantime slice or shred the cabbage finely.
When the onion is nice and golden, add the cabbage, potatoes, chillies and pepper.
Stir and cook until the potatoes is almost soft. Add drops of water if needed.
The cabbage must be a deep golden brown.
Strain the fish in a colander, pick or cut the fish into small pieces.
Add the fish to the cabbage, stir gently to combine.
Simmer a further 10 minutes.
Taste for salt and add according to you taste buds.
Ingredients:
1 medium cabbage
300g saltfish
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp cooking oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely grated
2 green chillies, or according to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into half
Salt, if needed
Method:
Soak the salt fish in water for about 30 minutes to remove excess salt.
Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic, sauté until golden brown.
In the meantime slice or shred the cabbage finely.
When the onion is nice and golden, add the cabbage, potatoes, chillies and pepper.
Stir and cook until the potatoes is almost soft. Add drops of water if needed.
The cabbage must be a deep golden brown.
Strain the fish in a colander, pick or cut the fish into small pieces.
Add the fish to the cabbage, stir gently to combine.
Simmer a further 10 minutes.
Taste for salt and add according to you taste buds.
Serve with white rice, homemade blatjang or lemon atchar.
Cook’s Note:
Use dried snoek or 2 tins tuna
I used a “spitskop” cabbage
Koesister Pre-Mix
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Method:
Beat eggs, sugar until light and creamy. Mix in vanilla essence, oil & hot water.
Add self-raising flour, cocoa and baking powder. Mix well.
Pour into a greased rectangular baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 8-10 minutes.
Dust a large piece of baking parchment with caster sugar and turn the sponge out onto it. Trim off the hard edges and make a dent along the width, 1cm in. From this end, roll it up with the paper in the middle. Cool on a wire rack.
Beat the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy and then beat in the melted chocolate. Unroll the sponge, spread over the butter icing or whipped fresh cream and up roll again. Serve in slices.
Use the following variation for a delicious filling:
275 g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
300 ml fresh cream
Icing sugar, for dusting
Strawberries, to garnish
Melt the chocolate and 300ml of the cream in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Refrigerate until cool and thickened. Unroll the sponge, spread over the cake and roll up again. Dust with icing sugar and garnish with strawberries.
This dessert recipe is delightfully simple to create! Peppermint Pudding is a traditional South African dessert that comprises a coconut biscuit base, creamy caramel and mint chocolate layers. Peppermint Fridge Pudding sometimes referred to as a Peppermint Crisp Fridge Tart is a must for the holidays! Here’s my recipe.
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive.
Makes a large pudding or 10 individual servings.
Ingredients: 250ml fresh cream 1 tin (410g) caramel 1 big slab peppermint chocolate, grated 15ml gelatine dissolved in 50ml warm water, optional A couple drops of peppermint essence (optional) 1 packet tennis biscuits, crushed
Method: Whip the cream until stiff in a large mixing bowl.
Add the caramel, gelatine, half of the grated peppermint chocolate and peppermint essence if using and mix to combine all the ingredients.
Layer the above with the crushed tennis biscuits in a serving dish or in individual portion servings using parfait glasses. Start with the biscuits and ending with the peppermint filling on top.
Sprinkle the rest of the grated chocolate on top and leave to set in the fridge for at least a couple of hours or better still overnight. Serve chilled.
Cook’s Note:
Adding gelatine is optional, I only add it to shorten the setting time.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
An elegant chocolate tart. The bright red of the strawberries and the green of the pistachios goes beautifully with the dark chocolate.
Ingredients:
2 ½ packets chocolate cookies (Oreo or similar)
100g butter, melted
350g milk chocolate
150g dark chocolate
300ml fresh cream / double cream
Strawberries for garnishing
Crushed pistachios, optional
Method:
Finely crush the biscuits and mix it with the melted butter.
Line a 20cm non-stick fluted loose bottom tart tin with the biscuit mixture. Use a spoon and your fingers to get an even layer into the bottom and edges of the tin. Freeze whilst preparing the filing.
Using a small pot heat the cream over low to medium. Break the chocolate into small pieces. Add the pieces of chocolate to the warm cream and stir till the chocolate has melted. Pour the chocolate mixture onto the biscuit base. Top with strawberries and crushed pistachios. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.
Spice meatballs served with flat bread and a yoghurt salad. Quick, refreshing and very easy to make for a light meal on a hot summer’s day.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
Ingredients:
500g minced beef, chicken or lamb (washed and drained)
1 finely chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp jeera/cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Handful chopped dhanya
Salt to taste
Oil for frying #capemalaycooking
Method:
Add the onions and spices to the minced meat and knead the mixture well. Pop the mixture in the fridge for about 1 hour to allow flavours to develop.
Shape the mixture into small meatballs then fry in a little oil till browned and cooked through. Serve with flat bread, salad and yoghurt sauce. Serves 4
Flat Bread
4 cups wholemeal flour
1 cup lukewarm water
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter (optional)
Pour the flour and into mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour. Gradually pour in the water and mix to make a dough. You may need more water but start with a cup full. Turn out onto a floured surface and kneed for 5 – 8 minutes until smooth and elastic like. Place the dough back in the bowl and leave to rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 10 -15 pieces, depending on how big you want the bread. Roll out into a flat disk on a floured surface. Heat a dry frying pan until hot and cook one at a time. Cook each side until it begins to puff up, about 1 – 2 minutes on each side. Smear each side of the flat bread with butter, if using. Wrap it in foil to keep warm whilst the other bread are being baked. These flat breads may be used as tortilla wrappers if rolled out very thinly. Makes 10 – 15 flat breads.
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our traditions alive!
Fancy making your own bread? Baking homemade bread needn’t be difficult, here’s my easy recipe for a delicious crusty loaf of bread. My recipe makes 2 medium size loaves.
Ingredients:
4 cups bread flour
1 sachet instant yeast (7g)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 ½ – 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water
Oil for greasing
1 Tbsp melted butter
Method:
In a large bowl add the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Stir to mix, make a little well in the centre, add the water. Start with one and half cups first. If the dough is too dry add the remaining quarter cup water little bit at a time. You may not need all the water. A wet dough is better than a dry one which will result in a tough bread texture.
Knead well for 10 – 15 minutes. The dough should be smooth and shouldn’t stick to your hands after kneading.
Grease a bowl with little oil. One to two teaspoons oil should be enough. You just want to prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl. Place dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place. Depending on the weather it can take between 1½ to 2 hours.
Punch down. Place in prepared loaf tins, (grease the tins well with oil) and leave to rise until double in volume.
Bake at 190°C for 35-40 minutes.
Turn out and cool on wire rack. To check if the bread is baked through, tap bottom of the loaf, it should sound hollow. Brush melted butter over the loaf whilst still warm.
Shaped in a fluted mould pan
Served with butter and homemade fig jam
Dusted with flour before baking
This bread was made from my basic bread recipe. Shaped in a fluted mould pan, dusted with dry flour before baking. Served with butter and homemade fig jam. Learn how to make my fig jam here.
Dusted with flour before baking
Common bread faults and causes
Lack of volume, heavy and closed texture.
Dough is too tight due to insufficient liquid.
Too much salt added.
Not enough yeast.
Dough over fermented, causing the gas pockets to break down.
Low gluten content due to incorrect flour used
Insufficient kneading or proving
Dough collapsing when placed into the oven
Over proving
Lack of crust colour
Dough over fermented
Lack of salt
Oven too cool
Uneven texture with holes and crust breaks away
Oven too hot
Insufficient proving
Dough left uncovered during proving and surface dried out
Bread is doughy in the middle
Taken out of the oven too early, not enough baking time.
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Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
