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.
As the season of sharing gifts is nearing here is another great idea for homemade treats to give as a gift. Ideal for gifting to the person that has everything 😉
Makes approximately 60 pieces of soft chocolate fudge.
Chocolate Fudge
Ingredients:
400g dark or milk chocolate
1 can condensed milk (497g)
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup icing sugar
55g chopped nuts, optional #capemalaycooking
Method:
Using a heavy based saucepan, break or chop the chocolate into small pieces. Add the condensed milk and butter. Heat over low heat, stirring until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Beat the icing sugar into the mixture until combined. Press the fudge into a 20cm square tin, lined with greaseproof paper, smooth the top and press nuts into the surface. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours. Cut into squares. Alternatively pour the fudge into silicone moulds and leave to set in the refrigerator until set.
I made a number 1 birthday cake for my granddaughter, Aisha, who turned 1 last week. For this cake I made a double batch of my chocolate cake mixture. I drew a number 1 on a A4 paper, cut it out, then shaped the number 1 from there onto the cakes. With the left over cake pieces I made a chocolate trifle.
Chocolate Cake
To make the number 1 cake you will need to make 2 batches of chocolate cake mixture.
Ingredients for 1 cake:
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup cooking oil
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup cake flour
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a 25cm x 20cm baking tin. In a large mixing bowl and using an electric beater mix together the egg yolk, sugar, water and oil until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the dry ingredients and fold it into the wet ingredients.
Use a clean, dry bowl and whisk, whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold the stiff egg whites into the cake mixture. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for approximately 15-20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Now mix and bake the second layer as above.
Cool the cakes on a cooling rackDraw and cut out a number 1 on an A4 paperPlace the number 1 shape in the centre of the cake, secure with toothpicks. Cut the cake around the number 1Sandwich the layers together with chocolate butter cream
To make the butter cream you will need
125g soft butter
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Enough milk to make it spreadable
Cream the butter until smooth. Add the icing sugar and cocoa powder mix together. Add drops of milk to make the mixture soft and spreadable. Sandwich the 2 layers together using the butter cream.
Spread ganache over the cake
To make the ganache you will need:
400g good quality chocolate
200ml fresh cream
Method:
Pour the cream into a pan and heat until it is about to boil.
Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate.
Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Allow ganache to cool before pouring spreading over the cake.
Decorate with sweets or as you like
I used the left over cake pieces to make a chocolate trifle. I’ll share the recipe in my next post.
Yoghurt Cake – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith
Use any flavour yoghurt to make this easy, quick and delicious cake for afternoon tea. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy with a warm or cold beverage.
Strawberry Yoghurt Cake
Ingredients:
3 large eggs
½ cup cooking oil
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 ½ cup self-raising flour
½ cup yoghurt (any flavour)
Icing sugar for dusting
Yoghurt Cake Dusted With Icing Sugar
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a Bundt tin or a 22cm round baking tin. Using a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is light and creamy. Add the vanilla essence and mix in the flour. Fold in the yoghurt and pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave to cool 5 minutes in the tin before turning out on a wired rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar.
Fig Jam / Preserve – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith
Fig Jam
A very easy, no fuss recipe to make wholesome homemade fig jam. No preservatives, you won’t need any anyway, this jam is so good it will be gone in no time. Makes a great gift as well.
Ingredients:
1 kg ripe figs, trimmed and chopped into small pieces
2 cups sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
Rind and juice of 1 large lemon
Saucy Tiger Prawns – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith
Quick and easy way of cooking prawns, this recipe can also be used for crayfish tails. Marinade the night before.Ingredients:
18 extra large tiger prawns (approximately 1kg)
1 Tbsp seafood masala (I used the one of Simply Spice)
1/4 cup Nandos lemon & herb sauce
1/4 cup peri-peri Spur sauce
1 Tbsp tomato sauce (optional) #capemalaycooking
Method:
Slit the prawn on top half way threw and devein, wash and allow all the water to drain off in a colander. Rub seafood masala in each prawn. Marinade for a few hours or better still overnight in the fridge. Cook in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.
Mix together the sauces and pour over the prawns and cook a further 10 minutes. Serve with lemon rice.
Lemon Rice
Lemon Rice
4 cups cooked rice, preferably long grain or basmati
2 tsp coriander / koljana seeds
2 Tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
8 curry leaves
3 green chillies, chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
1 ½ tsp turmeric / borrie
Juice of 2 lemons
Kolwyntjies (korrewyntjies) – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith
Kolwyntjies (korrewyntjies, cupcakes)
Nowadays kolwyntjies are better known as cupcakes, kolwyntjies were baked for special occasion topped with a spread of icing and topped with hundreds and thousands or eaten plain.
Shukran / tramekasie / thank you Grandma Soraya for the recipe 😉
Creating memories, today my granddaughters helped me baked kolwyntjies!
Maryam & Thanaa May Allah bless them always, Ameen
Makes 24
Ingredients:
100g softened butter
3 Tbsp cooking oil
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup warm milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
Method:
Using a large mixing bowl cream the butter, oil and sugar together. Mix in the eggs one at a time.
Fold in the self-raising flour, baking powder, milk and vanilla essence.
Pour the mixture into 24 cupcake cases or into 2 well-greased (grease with butter and dust with flour) muffin tins.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 – 20 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack completely before decorating.
Kolwyntjies
Frosting:
1 ¼ cup icing sugar
2 Tbsp butter
3 tsp hot water
Food colouring as desired
Mix all the ingredients together. Divide into small bowls and add the food colouring. Spread a spoonful over the cakes, sprinkle with hundreds and thousands and top with a sweet, chocolate or candy.
Patterned Swiss roll – my daughter, Tohierah, saw this idea on the internet and decided to make this cake. You can virtually use any design. Draw a design on a piece of paper and use it as a guideline. Try making hearts, giraffe patterns, flowers, lace patterns, dots, etc…
Ingredients For The Pattern
3 Tbsp (50g) unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup icing sugar, sifted
2 large eggs whites
4 Tbsp cake flour, sifted
food colouring as required
Method:
Cream together butter and icing then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well until all the ingredients are well combined. Colour as desired. Get your template and put baking paper on top of it in a baking tray and copy the design using the coloured batter. Freeze the design in the tray till its hard to the touch. Depending on the pattern you using this batter should be enough for 2 Swiss rolls patterns.
Use any pattern for your designPlace baking paper over your designColoured batter used for this designCompleted pattern – freeze until hard
Ingredients For The Sponge Cake
3 large eggs, separated
80g caster sugar
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melt
4 tbsp cake flour, sifted
½ tsp vanilla essence
½ tsp cream of tartar
Prepare a wet towel to use once the Swiss roll has been baked.
Wet a kitchen towel
Method For The Swiss Roll:
Separate the egg whites from yolks in two bowls
In the bowl with the egg whites add half the sugar and cream of tartar
Mix the egg whites with an electric mixer till soft peaks form don’t over mix you will know its ready when the peaks hold its shape but the mixture is still quite soft
In the bowl with the egg yolks add the remaining sugar and mix this till its fluffy and creamy
Then fold egg white mixture with egg yellow mixture in three stages to ensure you don’t knock out all the air that was created
Once its all combined put half your flour in the cake batter as well as half the melted butter fold it in in a figure of eight to ensure all the air is kept in the batter
Swiss Roll Batter
Do that again with the rest of the flour, rest of the butter and vanilla essence till everything is combined
Take the frozen pattern out the freezer and pour the Swiss roll cake mixture evenly over the pattern
Pour the batter on top of the frozen design
Pop the tray into the preheated oven at 180 degrees for seven minutes
Remove the cake from the oven, trim the edges whilst in the pan still
Trim the edges
Flip the Swiss roll onto a damp tea towel ensuring that the pattern of the cake is facing down
Flip the Swiss Roll onto the wet towel
Roll it up and allow to cool
Roll it in the towel
Unfold when cool and fill as desired and re-roll
Filled with cream, multi colour heart designMulti colour dots design
Filled with strawberries & cream
Patterned Swiss Roll
Ingredients For The Pattern
3 Tbsp (50g) unsalted butter, softened
⅓ cup icing sugar, sifted
2 large eggs whites
4 Tbsp cake flour, sifted
Food colouring as required
Method:
Cream together butter and icing then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well until all the ingredients are well combined. Colour as desired. Get your template and put baking paper on top of it in a baking tray and copy the design using the coloured batter. Freeze the design in the tray till it’s hard to the touch. Depending on the pattern you using this batter should be enough for 2 Swiss rolls patterns.
Ingredients For The Sponge Cake
3 large eggs, separated
80g caster sugar
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melt
4 Tbsp cake flour, sifted
½ tsp vanilla essence
½ tsp cream of tartar
Prepare a wet towel to use once the Swiss roll has been baked.
Method For The Swiss Roll:
Separate the egg whites from yolks in two bowls
In the bowl with the egg whites add half the sugar and cream of tartar
Mix the egg whites with an electric mixer till soft peaks form don’t over mix you will know it’s ready when the peaks hold its shape but the mixture is still quite soft
In the bowl with the egg yolks add the remaining sugar and mix this till its fluffy and creamy
Then fold egg white mixture with egg yellow mixture in three stages to ensure you don’t knock out all the air that was created
Once it’s all combined put half your flour in the cake batter as well as half the melted butter fold it in in a figure of eight to ensure all the air is kept in the batter
Do that again with the rest of the flour, rest of the butter and vanilla essence till everything is combined
Take the frozen pattern out the freezer and pour the Swiss roll cake mixture evenly over the pattern
Pour the batter on top of the frozen design
Pop the tray into the preheated oven at 180 degrees for seven minutes
Remove the cake from the oven, trim the edges whilst in the pan still
Flip the Swiss roll onto a damp tea towel ensuring that the pattern of the cake is facing down
Light and fluffy chocolate cake made in a Bundt or ring tin.
5 extra-large eggs, separated
1 cup white sugar
1 cup self-raising flour
½ cup sunflower oil
2 tsp baking powder
¾ cup hot water (boiled water, slightly cooled)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
Preheat your oven to 170C.
Grease a Bundt (ring) tin.
Using a large mixing bowl, cream the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the oil and stir to combine.
Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder together in a separate bowl.
Add the flour mixture and the hot water to the wet ingredients in stages mixing well after each addition.
Using an electric beater whip the egg whites stiff until they hold their peaks.
Fold the egg whites lightly into cake mixture until just combined. DO NOT OVER STIR as the cake will lose volume and won’t be as light and fluffy.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake at 170C for 35 minutes. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning it out on a cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.
Ganache
200g Cadbury Diary milk chocolate
½ cup fresh cream
Melt together for 60 seconds in the microwave in a suitable container without stirring. Let it rest/stand for 2 minutes and stir to combine the chocolate and cream. Pour this over the cake. Decorate with fresh strawberries and/or chocolate curls.
Salmon served with lemon fried rice & Salmon served on a bed of sweet potatoes, mashed
Lemon Rice – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa SmithPacked with flavour, this zesty lemon rice is great accompanied with fish. Here I served it with Salmon fried in chilli butter
4 cups cooked rice, preferably long grain or basmati
2 tsp coriander / koljana seeds
2 Tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
8 curry leaves
3 green chillies, chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
1 ½ tsp turmeric / borrie
Juice of 2 lemonsGently roast and then coarsely powder the coriander seeds. Keep aside.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry till the spluttering stop, taking care not to burn the spices. Add the turmeric powder and turn off the heat.
Add the lemon juice and mix well.
Add the rice, roasted coriander powder and mix thoroughly.
To Make Chilli Butter
125 g soft salted butter
1 tsp crushed dried red chillies
Mix together the butter and dried chillies in a small bowl. Transfer and wrap the butter in clingfilm, roll it into a log. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until the butter is hard. Cut in slices and use as required. Left over chilli butter can be frozen for later use.
Fish Breyani – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Ingredients:
3 cups long grain rice or basmati rice
1½ cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup cooking oil
3 large potatoes
2 large onions, sliced thinly
1kg firm fish pieces of your choice, like hake or snoek
1 tomato, chopped
¼ cup buttermilk
1 – 2 green chillies, chopped
1½ tsp jeera / cumin
3 cloves
3 allspice
3 cardamoms
2 stick cinnamons
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
Fish Masala
7 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
½ – 1 tsp chilli powder
3 tsp jeera / cumin
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp turmeric / borrie
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
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, make the masala to fry the fish. Combine all the spices in a small bowl, stir to combine. Wash and dry the fish pieces, smear the masala mixture all over the fish. Leave to sit for 10 minutes before frying in the left over oil used for frying the potatoes.
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 fish slices 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 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving with lemon atchar or blatjang.
Serves 6
1kg seafood mix
3 large onions, finely sliced
Oil for frying
200gr mushrooms, sliced
1 large green pepper, finely sliced
1 large red pepper, finely sliced
1 large yellow pepper, finely sliced
3 cups uncooked basmati rice
Salt and Tabasco sauce to taste
Fresh chopped parsley for garnishing (optional)
Marinade
2 tbsp peri-peri, chilli or chutney sauce
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
5ml Tabasco sauce
Combine marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl, add seafood mix and marinate for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, fry onions in heated oil until golden. Add mushrooms and fry a further 5-10 minutes, or until softened. Remove onions and mushrooms from pan and set aside. Fry peppers in oil for 5 minutes, remove from pan and set aside. Transfer seafood and marinade to frying pan and fry for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, boil rice in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse. Layer ingredients in a large saucepan as follows: first rice, then onions and mushrooms (reserving some onion and mushroom for garnishing) then the peppers and finally the seafood mixture. Continue layering until all ingredients have been used, sprinkling each layer with a little salt and Tabasco sauce. Steam, covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes. Garnish with reserved onions, mushrooms and chopped parsley if using. Serve with lemon atchar and enjoy
Serve this tender lamb with your favorite gravy and vegetables.
Ready in 3 hours – 3 1/2 hours, dependent on the size of your leg of lamb
Ingredients:
1 large head of garlic, lightly crushed
10 cloves
10 allspice berries
7 bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 whole large leg of lamb, bone in (about 2.5kg)
Salt & pepper to taste
Trim excess fat and rinse the leg of lamb under running water.
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Put the lamb into a large roasting tin /Pyrex dish . Using a sharp knife, make cuts in the lamb, about 1.5cm apart, all the way to the bone.
Rub salt and pepper all over the leg of lamb, don’t skimp on the pepper!
Lightly crush a head of garlic, not necessary to peel but do remove excess peels.
Scatter the head of garlic, cloves, allspice, bay leaves around the leg of lamb.
Top with the sprigs of rosemary.
Add a cup of water. Cover with foil. Cook in a preheated oven at 190C for 3 – 3 1/2 hours.
In the meantime prepare your vegetables. Remember you can use any vegetables you like.
Wash and half, if necessary, 1 kg baby potatoes. Drain excess water. Add the potatoes in a roasting / Pyrex dish. Add salt and crushed black pepper to taste. Drizzle a tablespoon or two olive oil over the potatoes and add a quarter cup of water. Cover with foil. Pop in the oven an hour before the leg of lamb is done. The potatoes will turn out crispy on the outside and soft in the inside.
Leg of lamb halfway through the cooking time.
Peel, de-seed and slice butternut into small pieces. Peel carrots and cut into smaller pieces. Melt 50g unsalted butter and 50ml vegetable oil in a saucepan. When the butter/oil begins to bubble add a a couple of stick cinnamon and the butternut pieces. Brown on each side.
Add the carrots, toss lightly so that the carrots are coated with the butter/oil mixture. Season to taste (salt and a bit of pepper will do) Cover and allow to steam over low heat until the vegetables are soft but not mushy.
Roasted potatoes.
Butternut and carrots, cooked.
Ready to eat 🙂
Serve with homemade peppercorn sauce
Ingredients:
3 – 4 tablespoons black peppercorns
80g butter
1 large onion, minced
120ml beef stock
100ml fresh cream
salt to taste
Method:
Crush the peppercorns slightly, either using a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the peppercorns and boil for another 3 minutes. Add beef stock and boil another 3 minutes.
Just before serving, add the cream and reduce the heat to medium. Heat through, but don’t allow the peppercorn sauce to boil. Once the sauce is at your desired thickness, test for seasoning. Add salt if necessary, then serve immediately.
Enjoy 🙂
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This is a continuation of my previous post. Here is the recipe for my oats and dates muffins. This recipes makes 10 decent size muffins.
You will need:
1 cup milk, you may use whole or semi-skimmed
1 cup oats
1 large egg
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
Preheat your oven to 200C. Grease a muffin tray or line with paper muffin liners.
Combine the milk and oats in a small bowl. Soak the oats and the milk for 10 minutes.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat together the egg and oil then stir in the oatmeal and milk mixture. In another bowl sift together the flour, cinnamon, sugar, baking powder. Stir the flour mixture and the chopped dates into the wet ingredients using a spoon, until combined.
Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin cups until 2/3 full.
Top with dry oats
Bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean.
Ever had unexpected guests and nothing to serve them? I’m sure many of you experienced this before. Well, I was in this predicament on Sunday morning after having unexpected guests sleep over on Saturday night. Usually, I have a supply of koesisters in the freezer, which would have been perfect for a traditional Sunday breakfast in a Cape Malay home. Sadly, on this occasion I had none, not even a doughnut!
What to do? I haven’t gone shopping yet, so my grocery cupboards only had everyday necessities. After scratching my brain for ideas, I decided to make a quick bread, savoury scones using left over chicken of the previous day as well as oats and dates muffins. In the end everyone had an enjoyable breakfast / brunch and I was saved from embarrassment. Here follows my recipe for savoury muffins. I’ll post the oats & dates and the bread recipe on another occasion.
For 12 Savoury Muffins you’ll need:
1 cup chopped left over chicken pieces, preferably breast
1 cup peeled and chopped onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup deseeded and chopped mixed red and green peppers
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 1/2 Tbsps self raising flour
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp black pepper
Add all the ingredients in a large bowl, mix everything together with a spoon until all the ingredients are combine.
Spoon into 12 – 14 silicone cupcake holders. You can also use a greased 12 cup muffin tray. (depending on the size of your cupcake holder you may even get 14 like I did)
Shepherd’s Pie also known as Oond Frikkadel or Cottage Pie is a classic dish which pretty much everyone I’ve ever met has their own way of making. This is my way which I’ve kept really simple and it’s a winner every time I make it. Make sure you buy the best quality mince you can afford, as it really makes the dish, there’s nothing worse than an oily and fatty cottage pie. This recipe serves 6.
Shepherd’s pie” is made from lamb (hence “shepherd”), while “cottage pie” is made with beef.
Shepherd’s Pie, Cottage Pie, Oond Frikkadel
Ingredients:
500g fat free minced meat
1 medium onion
1 small green pepper
1 medium tomato
1/2 bunch dhanya
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
5 cloves garlic, grated
1 slice bread soaked in water (preferably day or two old)
1 large egg
salt & pepper to taste
Method:
Wash and drain minced meat well.
Soak bread in water and squeeze excess water out.
Chop onion, pepper, tomato, dhanya finely.
Add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly using your hands.
Transfer the mixture into an oven proof dish.
Bake in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes at 180C.
Top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with grated nutmeg.
Grill in the oven until top is slightly browned.
Serve with yellow rice, steamed vegetables or fresh salad.
Yellow Rice
Yellow Rice Recipe
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked basmati rice
¼ teaspoon turmeric
5 cardamom pods, crushed
3 stick cinnamons
50g butter
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
½ cup raisins, optional
Method:
I always parboil my rice and then rinse as I don’t like the starch on the rice.
Using a large saucepan parboil the rice until half cooked approximately 5- 7 minutes.
Pour into a colander, rinse and return to the saucepan. Add the rest of the ingredients with a cup of water. Stir gently. Heat your saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 6 minutes. Stir with a fork to fluff and loosen the grains, turn the heat off. Leave the sealed saucepan on the stove, the retained heat will complete the cooking process and any water left will be absorbed leaving you with fluffy and tender yellow rice.
#capemalaycooking
Ingredients:
Serves 6 – 8
1 kg lamb pieces
1 cup plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons garam masala
salt to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 green chillies, slit lengthwise
2 teaspoons koljana/coriander powder
1 teaspoon jeera/cumin powder
2 medium tomatoes, chopped fine
Freshly chopped dhanya to garnish
Method:
Mix the lamb pieces with the yoghurt, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, garam masala and salt to taste, cover and allow to marinade for 3 hours.
Heat the oil in a deep pot on medium heat. Add the green chillies and fry until it stops spluttering.
Add the lamb with the marinade and fry stirring frequently for 5 – 7 minutes.
Now add the tomatoes, koljana/coriander and jeera/cumin powder and mix well.
Sprinkle some water over the meat, cover, lower the heat and cook till the meat is done.
Check occasionally and add more water if needed to prevent sticking and burning. Ideally this dish has a minimal amount of thick gravy.
Turn the heat off, garnish with freshly chopped dhanya.
Serve with warm chapattis (Indian flat breads) or naans.
Dry Spicy Lamb Curry
Potato Curry
Ingredients:
Serves 6
4 large potatoes
1 teaspoon cumin/jeera seeds
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon coriander/koljana seeds (crushed)
1 teaspoon fennel/barishap seeds (crushed)
½ teaspoon chilli powder
2-3 slit green chillies
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Handful Coriander leaves chopped
Salt to taste
30 ml cooking oil
Method:
Peel the potatoes and cut into bite size pieces.
Boil water in a sauce pan and then add the chopped potatoes and salt. Let it cook, but make sure there is still some bite to it.
After it is cooked, drain the water completely and keep aside.
Now heat a small pot and add some oil. Add the cumin/jeera seeds, garlic and ginger. Stir until garlic ginger is cooked and slightly browned.
Now add the crushed fennel/barishap seeds, coriander/koljana seeds, chilli powder and give it a stir.
Add the cooked potatoes, green chillies, salt and stir gently in intervals.
Let this cook for about 6-7 minutes until the sides have browned, spices are coated well. Add drops of water to prevent sticking to the pot and burning.
Finally garnish with coriander leaves.
Spicy Potato Curry
Chapatis (Indian Flat Bread)
Ingredients:
Makes 6-8
200g wholemeal flour
75ml warm water
2 tbsp butter
Method:
Sift the flour into a medium bowl and make a well in the middle of the flour. Pour in the water and mix to make a dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 -8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place back in the bowl, cover with cling film and leave for 10 –15 minutes.
Divide the dough into 6 to 8 balls. Roll out each ball on a floured surface thinly.
Heat a dry frying pan until hot and cook each chapati over a medium heat, turning after 30 seconds or so. Cook the second side for 1 minute until it begins to puff up, then turn over and cook the first side again, pressing down lightly with a spatula for another 30 seconds. Smear each chapati with butter and wrap it in foil to keep warm.
This is a Pakistani recipe for a spicy curry. The chicken is marinated before the time and then cooked in a thick onion sauce. You can always adjust the chillies if you find it’s to spicy hot.
Spicy chicken curry cooked in a thick sauce.
Serves 4
Ingredients: For the sauce: 1 – 2 large onions, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon oil 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 green chilli, chopped (you can use more if you like your food spicy & hot) 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1/2 litre of water 1 tablespoon ground coriander/koljana 1 tablespoon ground cumin/jeera 1 teaspoon turmeric/borrie Salt to taste
For the chicken & veg: 500g chicken breasts, washed & diced up 2 tablespoons of oil 1/2 red pepper, roughly chopped 1/2 green pepper, roughly chopped 1 large onion, sliced roughly 2 red chillis (optional) 1 teaspoon ground cumin/jeera 1 teaspoon ground coriander/koljana 1 teaspoon turmeric/borrie 2 teaspoons garam masala A handful of fresh, chopped dhanya leaves
Method: Mix the jeera, koljana and tumeric in a small bowl, coat the chopped chicken breast pieces leave to marinade while you making the sauce. Now make the sauce, fry the roughly chopped onions with the garlic and green chilli in a large saucepan with the tablespoon of oil until browned. Add the water to the onion mixture and simmer this for around 20 minutes. While that is simmering, put the chopped tomatoes in a food processor or liquidiser and give it a good whizz until smooth consistency. Heat another large pan and gently fry the ground coriander, cumin and turmeric in a splash of oil for about a minute take care not too overheat or it will burn. Add the liquidised tomato to this pan and simmer for around 10 minutes. (Because my family loves potatoes I added a couple of potatoes, quarted, with the onion mixture when it was simmering whilst I prepared the chicken.) Next give your onion mixture a good whizz in the food processor or liquidiser and add it to the spiced tomato sauce. Stir and leave to simmer for another 10 minutes. Keep warm.
Fry the marinaded chicken in oil and stir continuously. When the chicken is nearly done approximately 10 -15 minutes, turn down the heat and add the roughly chopped onion, red & green peppers and chillies. Stir this until the onions and pepper soften just a bit and the chicken is cooked, of course. Don’t overcook as we don’t want the onions and peppers to cook away (I like mine to be firm and crunchy) Add the earlier prepared sauce to the cooked chicken and simmer until combined about 5-10 minutes. Just before you dish it up, stir in the garam masala and chopped dhanya leaves. Serve with basmati rice or naan bread.
Variation: Because my family loves potatoes I added a couple of potatoes, quarted, with the onion mixture when it was simmering whilst I prepared the chicken.
Fancies are sponge cakes cut into squares, dipped in diluted jam and rolled in coconut. Fancies can be decorated in a variety of styles and with different toppings to suit the occasion. Fancies are usually served on special occasions e.g.: Eid, Weddings, Doopmaals, etc…
This recipe makes 20 – 24 cakes depending on the size of the squares you cut your cake into.
Ingredients: 1 cup castor sugar 4 eggs 1 cup cooking oil 5 ml vanilla essence 2 1/2 cups cake flour 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup milk
For the coating: 3 tablespoons smooth apricot or strawberry jam 1 cup hot water 1 cup desiccated coconut Whipped fresh cream Fresh fruit of choice, well-drained canned fruit will also work
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C.
Grease a 30x20cm baking tin with butter or oil.
Cover the bottom of the baking tin with greaseproof paper to prevent the cake sticking to the baking tin,
Cream eggs, castor sugar and oil until light and fluffy or until sugar has dissolved.
Add vanilla essence.
Add flour and baking powder and mix well.
Stir in milk and mix to combine until the mixture is a smooth dropping consistency.
Pour into prepared tin.
I always knock my baking tin a couple of times on a flat surface to even the batter out as well as to remove air bubbles.
Bake for 25 minutes.
To check if cake is done insert a skewer in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean it is done.
Allow to cool slightly, turn out into a cooling rack to cool down completely.
Remove greaseproof paper.
Cut the cake into squares.
To complete the cakes:
Mix the jam and hot water together until the jam has dissolved.
Put the coconut into a little bowl.
Lightly dip the cakes one at a time into the jam water, do not drench.
Dip the cakes in the jam mixture
Roll the cakes in the coconut to cover completely.
Using a piping bag , pipe a border or cover the top of the cakes with whipped cream.
Wash the rice. Soak it in warm water for 30 minutes.
Cook the rice till almost done. Drain remaining water (if any) and keep aside.
Marinate the prawns with the marinating ingredients.
Heat a flat pan on a medium heat and gently roast all ingredients mentioned under “For dry masala/ spice mix” till they start to become slightly darker and give off a faint aroma.
Now grind all the roasted ingredients to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder or use a mortal & pestle.
Grind the ingredients mentioned under “For wet masala”, to a smooth paste in a food processor.
Heat the cooking oil in a deep pan till hot and then fry 1 of the 3 portions of sliced onions till crispy and golden. When done, drain and remove from the oil and keep aside on paper towels to garnish breyani later.
In the same oil, add the remaining sliced onions and fry till soft. Now add the tomatoes and fry till soft.
Add all the dry and wet masala ingredients prepared earlier and fry till the oil begins to separate from the whole mix.
Now add the prawns and all the marinade to this spice mix. Stir and allow to cook till the prawns are done. Do not overcook as the prawns will get rubbery in texture. Season with salt if required.
Remove from heat.
Take a large, deep baking dish/ ovenproof dish (it MUST have its own cover) and grease lightly with cooking oil. Layer the rice and prawn as follows: rice – prawn – rice. End with a layer of rice.
Garnish with the crispy fried onions, chopped dhanya leaves. Cover the dish and seal tightly.
An easy, creamy prawn curry served with roti. Everyone will come back for seconds. Save time by preparing the chili paste the day before.
Delicious and easy prawn curry.
PRAWN CURRY SERVED WITH DHAI / YOGHURT SAUCE
Ingredients: 750g prawns 1 large onion, liquidised 2 medium onions, chopped fine 2 tablespoons chili paste (**see footnote) 3 bay leaves ½ tin coconut milk 4 cardamoms, crushed Salt to taste Oil for frying
Method: Wash and dry the prawns in a kitchen towel. Set aside. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add bay leaves, cardamom and fry for a few minutes. Add sliced onions and fry till golden brown. Then add the liquidized onion paste and the chili paste. Fry for several minutes adding little water, as necessary, to prevent the masala from burning. Add the prawns. Stir thoroughly and then add the coconut milk. Keep simmering in medium heat till the gravy reduces to a half. Add salt to taste. Serve hot with rice or roti.
**Chili paste
Ingredients: 1 level teaspoon of chili powder 3 garlic cloves crushed 5 Red chilies chopped 3 Tablespoons of ground ginger 2 Pinches of salt 5 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 1 Level teaspoon of sugar (can be omitted if preferred)
Method: Heat oil to medium hot and add chili powder and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes and then add all other ingredients. Cook until soft. Decant into a blender and blend into a course paste. Leave to cool and eat. Refrigerate and consume within 7 days.
Serve with curry or breyani
DHAI / YOGHURT SAUCE
250m natural yoghurt 1 clove garlic, crushed 2-3 green chillies, chopped 1 tablespoon dhanya, chopped Pinch salt
Mix all the ingredients together. Pour into a serving dish and serve with curries, breyani, kebabs, etc…
Delicious chicken curry, always a winner no matter what the occasion. Serve with flaky roti, chapati (Indian flat bread) or plain boiled white rice. Traditionally served with onion and tomato salad.
Delicious Cape Malay Curry
CHICKEN CURRY
Ingredients 4 tbsp oil 2 cloves 1 stick cinnamon 2 green cardamom pods 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 small-medium onion, chopped 1½ tbsp chopped ginger 6 cloves garlic, chopped ½ tsp ground turmeric 1 tbsp ground coriander ½ tsp chilli powder 2 tomatoes, puréed 450g small chicken ½ tsp garam masala 1 handful chopped dhanya
Method: Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods and cumin seeds and fry for about 20 seconds until aromatic. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes until golden brown, stirring often. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook stirring for 40 seconds before adding a pinch of salt and the ground spices, and stir for 15 seconds. Pour in the tomatoes and cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the liquid in the pan has dried off and the oil leaves the sides of the dry masala around 10 minutes. **Add the chicken and brown over a medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add enough water to almost cover the chicken (about 350ml), bring to the boil and then cook over a low heat until the chicken is cooked through. The slower it cooks the better it tastes. This takes about 15 minutes for small joints and up to 25-30 minutes for larger ones. Check with a fork; once it is tender it is done. Add the garam masala and chopped dhanya. Serve with rice or roti.
Variation: **Add potatoes cut in quarters with the chicken
ONION AND TOMATO SALAD
1 large onion, chopped finely
5ml salt
1 large firm tomato, chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
10ml sugar
30ml vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped dhanya
Steam the chopped onion in the microwave for 3 minutes. Combine with the rest of the ingredients. Transfer into a serving dish and enjoy with breyani, curry, etc…
Method: Sift flour, baking powder, mustard and salt in a mixing bowl Add grated cheese In a jug combine the milk, oil and eggs. Mix well Add to dry ingredients and mix gently until combined, taking care not to over mix. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 200C for 20 minutes
This is the richest of all pastries and benefits from being made the day before use.
Ingredients:
450g cake flour
Pinch salt
450g firm butter or margarine
250ml cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice (approximate)
Method:
Mix the flour and salt together. Place butte on a place and work with a knife until soft. Rub a small knob of butter into the flour.
Add water and lemon juice to form a fairly soft, elastic dough.
Knead lightly on a floured surface until smooth
Form the rest of the butter into an oblong, see “cook’s tip”. Roll pastry into a square.
Place the block of butter on one half of the square, fold other half of pastry over it. Seal edges. Turn the pastry so the fold is on one side, then roll out a strip three times longer that it is wide. Fold the bottom third up and the top third down and seal edges.
Cover pastry with greaseproof paper and leave to rest in a cool place for approximately 20 minutes.
Turn the pastry so that the folds are to the sides and roll, fold and rest as before until this has been done about six times altogether. After final resting, shape pastry as required. Bake at 230C
Cook’s Tip:
To form the block of butter into an oblong, roll out butter between two sheets of greaseproof paper.
Always take care to roll out the pastry away from you and do not break the air bubbles that will rise.
Ensure the butter used is cold and hard, if necessary chill for 20 minutes after dividing into four portions.
If the butter comes through the pastry and sticks to the surface put the mixture back in the fridge to harden as the butter has become too soft with rolling and handling.
If the pastry rises unevenly, it may be due to the pastry being badly rolled and folded. When rolling keep sides straight and always fold into a true oblong.
This is the richest of all pastries and benefits from being made the day before use.
Ingredients:
450g cake flour
Pinch salt
450g firm butter or margarine
250ml cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice (approximate)
Method:
Mix the flour and salt together. Place butte on a place and work with a knife until soft. Rub a small knob of butter into the flour.
Add water and lemon juice to form a fairly soft, elastic dough.
Knead lightly on a floured surface until smooth
Form the rest of the butter into an oblong, see “cook’s tip”. Roll pastry into a square.
Place the block of butter on one half of the square, fold other half of pastry over it. Seal edges. Turn the pastry so the fold is on one side, then roll out a strip three times longer that it is wide. Fold the bottom third up and the top third down and seal edges.
Cover pastry with greaseproof paper and leave to rest in a cool place for approximately 20 minutes.
Turn the pastry so that the folds are to the sides and roll, fold and rest as before until this has been done about six times altogether. After final resting, shape pastry as required. Bake at 230C
Cook’s Tip:
To form the block of butter into an oblong, roll out butter between two sheets of greaseproof paper.
Always take care to roll out the pastry away from you and do not break the air bubbles that will rise.
Ensure the butter used is cold and hard, if necessary chill for 20 minutes after dividing into four portions.
If the butter comes through the pastry and sticks to the surface put the mixture back in the fridge to harden as the butter has become too soft with rolling and handling.
If the pastry rises unevenly, it may be due to the pastry being badly rolled and folded. When rolling keep sides straight and always fold into a true oblong.
This remains a firm favourite with my kids. We have it at least twice a month and they never get tired of eating it! We love it with vanilla ice cream or whipped fresh cream.
ROCKY ROAD BROWNIE BARS
Makes about 2
Ingredients
2 cups of chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups of cake flour
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 ½ teapoon of baking powder
¾ cup of sugar
1 1/4 cup of soft brown sugar
6 tablespoon of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 cups of mini marshmallows
1 ½ cups of walnuts, coarsely chopped
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180C. Spray a 13x9inch baking pan with non stick cooking spray and lay the bottom with parchment paper.
Add 1 cup of the chocolate chips in a small bowl and melt in the microwave and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar, add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add in the melted chocolate and beat until smooth.
Beat in the dry flour mixture and spread this mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly sticky.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle evenly with the marshmallows, remaining chocolate chips and walnuts. Return to oven for 2 minutes or until the marshmallows begin to melt.
Variation: Substitute the vanilla essence with peppermint essence and sprinkle peppermint crisp chocolate over instead of the chocolate chips for a pepperminty flavour.
Let them cool for about 30 minutes and cut into bars.
This great chilli has to be one of the best dishes to serve to friends for a casual get-together. It’s easy to throw together using mostly store cupboard ingredients.
Put your pan on the stove over a medium heat. Add the oil and leave it for 1-2 minutes until hot. Add the onions and cook, stirring fairly frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add in the garlic, red pepper, chilli, paprika and cumin. Give it a good stir, then leave it to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Brown the mince. Turn the heat up a bit, add the meat to the pan and break it up with your spoon . The mix should sizzle a bit when you add the mince. Keep stirring and prodding for at least 5 minutes, until all the mince is in uniform, mince-sized lumps and there are no more pink bits. Make sure you keep the heat hot enough for the meat to fry and become brown, rather than just stew.
Making the sauce. Crumble your stock cube into 300ml/1⁄2 pint of hot water. Pour this into the pan with the mince mixture. Open the can of chopped tomatoes and add these as well. Add the mixed herbs and the sugar, and add a good shake of salt and pepper. Squirt in about 2 tablespoons of tomato purée and stir the sauce well.
Simmer it gently. Bring the whole thing to the boil, give it a good stir and put a lid on the pan. Turn down the heat until it is gently bubbling and leave it for 20 minutes. You should check on the pan occasionally to stir it and make sure the sauce doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan or isn’t drying out. If it is, add a couple of tablespoons of water and make sure that the heat really is low enough. After simmering gently, the saucy mince mixture should look thick, moist and juicy.
Bring on the beans. Drain and rinse the beans in a sieve and stir them into the chilli pot. Bring to the boil again, and gently bubble without the lid for another 10 minutes, adding a little more water if it looks too dry. Taste a bit of the chilli and season. It will probably take a lot more seasoning than you think. Now replace the lid, turn off the heat and leave your chilli to stand for 10 minutes before serving, and relax. Leaving your chilli to stand is really important as it allows the flavours to mingle and the meat. Serve with boiled plain rice or my kids love it with cooked spaghetti.
Having canned chick peas on hand is quite useful for a quick and easy meal. When using canned chick peas, you don’t even have to cook for long. To make rice using chick peas doesn’t take much time at all. I like to add chopped pieces of boneless chicken for a filing meal for the kids. I don’t use much chili powder but to make an adult version, go ahead and increase the amount of chili powder and add some chopped green chilies to spice it up.
Chick Pea Rice
Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked rice
1 tin of canned chick peas
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 sticks cinnamon
3 cardamom pods
Salt to taste
½ teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
½ teaspoon chili powder
Pinch of turmeric
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon jeera powder
2 teaspoons oil
Small pieces of boneless chicken
Chopped dhanya leaves for garnish
Method:
Heat oil in a saucepan.
Add onions and sauté till translucent.
Add stick cinnamon and cardamoms.
Add the chicken now if using.
Stir and cook approximately 10 minutes or until chicken are cooked.
Then add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for 30 sec before adding the tomatoes.
Add the chick peas and some salt.
Cover and cook for about 5 minutes till the chick peas are cooked.
Add the turmeric, chili powder and garam masala and sauté for another couple of minutes.
Add in the cooked rice and mix it up well the cooked chick peas.
Cream together the eggs, sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add vanilla essence.
Add the flour and baking powder. Make a slight dent in the middle of the flour.
Add the buttermilk.
Mix together into a smooth ball and then turn out on to a floured work surface.
Roll the dough out to a thickness of just over 1cm. Flour the cutters and use the larger one to cut out rounds of dough, then cut out the centres using the smaller cutter. (Or you can buy a ring doughnut cutter from your local spice shop)
Re-roll the trimmings to make more doughnuts.
Put the doughnuts to one side and make the coating.
Mix the cinnamon into the sugar in a small bowl.
Now fry the doughnut. Place the rings carefully into the hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes, until golden on the bottom, then turn them over and fry for a further 2-3 minutes, until they are an even golden colour and cooked through.
Lift on to kitchen paper to drain briefly and, while they’re still hot, toss them in the cinnamon sugar until evenly coated. Shake off any excess and place on a wire rack to cool. (Not suitable for freezing).
Cook’s tip
GLAZE
1 cup of icing sugar
1 tablespoon of vanilla essence or a drop of food colouring
Whisk in enough boiling water to make a thin glaze, drizzle over donuts.
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© Cape Malay Cooking – Salwaa Smith
