Blog Archives

Cape Malay cookbook highlights traditional recipes

Jun 14

Posted by


Cape Malay & Other Delights Cookbook

Yazeed Kamaldien's avataryazkam

Written by Yazeed Kamaldien

When Cape Town cookbook author Salwaa Smith moved to the United Kingdom 14 years ago she made sure her family would not forget the tastes of home.

Surrounded by cuisine from around the world in the UK, Smith cooked all the traditional Cape Malay stews and staples she grew up with in Surrey Estate suburb. She relied on her trustworthy typed-up a list of recipes from home.

Three years ago those recipes gained wider appreciation when Smith started the Cape Malay & Other Delights page on Facebook.

Cape Malay cookbook author Salwaa Smith. Picture by Yazeed Kamaldien Cape Malay cookbook author Salwaa Smith. Picture by Yazeed Kamaldien

This Facebook page currently has close on 100,000 subscribers, many of whom encouraged Smith to publish a book of recipes.

Earlier this month, Smith launched her self-published Cape Malay & Other Delights Cookbook in Cape Town, after an initial UK launch.

Smith says her desire to “create something” started…

View original post 975 more words

Posted in General

Leave a comment

Tags: , ,

Savoury Muffins


SavedPicture-2014101512849.jpg

 

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.

 

SavedPicture-2014101512933.jpg

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

SavedPicture-2014101512857.jpg

 

Add all the ingredients in a large bowl, mix everything together with a spoon until all the ingredients are combine.

 

 

 

SavedPicture-2014101512912.jpg

 

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)

SavedPicture-2014101512920.jpg

 

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 180C.

 

 

SavedPicture-2014101512927.jpg

 

SavedPicture-2014101512933.jpg

 

Enjoy 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on | Aside

Prawn Breyani

Aug 7

Posted by


Prawn Breyani

Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

500g Basmati rice

1 kg large prawns shelled and deveined

To marinate prawns:

1 cup yogurt

Juice of 1 lime/ lemon

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tablespoons garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

Salt to taste

To fry: 4 large onions sliced thinly (divided into 3 equal portions)

3 large tomatoes chopped finely

For dry masala/ spice mix:

2 tablespoons whole koljana/coriander seeds

1 tablespoons whole jeera/cumin seeds

1 tablespoon saunf/ aniseed/ fennel seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

2 pieces of cinnamon

5 cloves

5 green cardamom

10-12 black peppercorns

2 dry red chillies

For wet masala: 2 green chillies

1/2 cup fresh dhanya leaves

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

3-4 tablespoons fresh chopped dhanya/coriander leaves

4-5 tablespoons cooking oil

Preparation:

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.

Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes.

Posted in Seafood

Leave a comment

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Arabian Breyani

Aug 7

Posted by


Arabian Breyani

 

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons onion, choppel
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch saffron or turmeric
Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
½ cup low-fat plain yogurt
1½ pounds boneless lamb, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked basmati rice, stirred with a pinch of saffron or turmeric

Garnish
2 tablespoons shredded or whole almonds
1 tablespoon golden raisins
1 hard-boiled egg, quartered
1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Method
Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, and cayenne pepper and sauté over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

Combine the onion mixture with the yogurt in the blender and puree until smooth. Set this mixture aside.

Heat the remaining butter and sauté the meat, a few pieces at a time, until golden on all sides. Season with the salt and pepper then add the yogurt mixture, cover the saucepan, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove lid and simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine the meat with the rice and smooth the mixture into a large baking dish. You may cover the mixture with foil and refrigerate until ready to serve or bake the mixture in a preheated oven for 25 minutes at 170C. Garnish before serving.

Posted in Rice

4 Comments

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Chops Sosatie

Aug 6

Posted by


Chops Sosatie

Chops Sosatie

Chops Sosatie

1kg lamb chops
500g thinly slices onions

Marinade:
15ml crushed garlic
5 bay leaves
5 whole cloves
2ml dried thyme
5ml dried sage
20ml curry powder
60ml lemon juice or vinegar
45ml sugar
5ml salt (or too taste)

Marinated Chops Sosatie

Marinated Chops Sosatie

Combine the marinade ingredients and marinade chops for at least 1 hour or longer if you have time. Transfer into a oven proof dish cover with sliced onions and cook, covered, with aluminium foil in a preheated oven (200C) for 50 – 60 minutes.

Ready For The Oven

Ready For The Oven

 

Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed mixed vegetables.

 

Savoury / Dhanya Rice

Dhanya Rice

Dhanya Rice

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked  long  grain rice or basmati rice

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cardamom pods

2 stick cinnamons

100g butter

1 teaspoon salt

Handful chopped dhanya

Method:

Parboil the rice until half cooked.

Pour into a colander, rinse, leave the rice in the colander whilst preparing the onions.

Heat your saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, melt, add the cardamom and stick cinnamon. Add the onions. Braise the onions until golden brown. Add the half cooked rice, salt and a cup of water. Heat the rice until warmed through. Add the dhanya, stir with a fork to loosen the grains and 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.

VARIATION:

Add a cup of mixed vegetables with the rice before steaming.

Add a tin of drained chick peas with the rice before steaming.

Posted in Meat Dishes, Rice

2 Comments

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Mavrou

Aug 6

Posted by


Mavrou
A Cape Malay traditional dish which is usually served at weddings, on Eid and other special occasions. Mavrou is a very colourful dish and is usually made with steak.

Mavrou

Mavrou

Ingredients:
1 kg cubed steak or goulash
10 ml salt
10 ml ground jeera (cumin)
15 ml ground koljana (coriander)
10 ml barishap (fennel seeds)
15 ml crushed red chillies
3 cloves
3 whole all spice
10 ml ground ginger
10 ml ground garlic
3 cardamom pods
3 cinnamon sticks

Few strands saffron (optional)
4 large onions, thinly sliced

Oil for braising onions
2 large tomatoes, grated

Method:
• Combine all spices and mix well with meat. Marinate for at least an hour.
• Heat oil in large pot and braise onions until soft and golden, adding water when necessary.
• Add meat and cook covered until soft, adding water when necessary.
• Serve with white or savoury rice decorated with boiled eggs cut into quarters.

VARIATION:

Served with steamed mix vegetables of peas.

Posted in Meat Dishes

Leave a comment

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Chicken Sausage Rolls

Jul 2

Posted by


Chicken Sausage Rolls

Makes 20 rolls

Suitable for freezing uncooked

Ingredients:

2 large skinless chicken breasts

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 sundried tomatoes, chopped

Handful basil leaves, chopped

500 g ready rolled puff pastry

Flour for dusting

1 egg, beaten

Sesame seeds

Method:

Whizz the chicken and garlic in a food processor until the chicken is minced. Tip in the sundried tomatoes and basil. Pulse for 5 seconds to just mix through. Season well.

Roll the pastry sheet out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle and cut in half lengthways. Spread half the chicken mixture along the middle of on the pastry strips, then roll up the pastry, pinching the ends together to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut into 2.5cm long pieces. Repeat  with the remaining pastry strip. Can be frozen uncooked, for up to 1 month.

Heat oven to 200C. Place the rolls on a large baking sheet. Brush with the egg, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Posted in Ramadan

Leave a comment

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Cheddar Scones

Jul 2

Posted by


Cheddar Cheese Scones

Makes 12-15

Ingredients:

200g self-raising flour, plus a little extra for dusting

50g butter, at room temperature

25g oats

75g grated cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping

150ml milk

Method:

Heat your oven to 220C. Pace the flour in a large bowl, then rub in the butter. Stir in the oats and cheese, then the milk – if it feels like it might be dry, add a touch more milk, then bring together to make a soft dough.

Lightly dust the surface with a little flour, roll out the dough no thinner than 2cm. Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter.

Transfer to a baking sheet, dust with a little more flour or grated cheese, then bake for 12-15 minutes until well risen and golden. Cool, serve on their own or topped with mashed avocado or soft cheese.

Posted in Scones

Leave a comment

Tags: , , , , , ,

Cheese Scones

Cheese Scones

Jul 2

Posted by


Salwaa’s Cheese Scones

Cheese Scones

Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights

From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!

Ingredients:
2 cups self-raising flour, plus extra for rolling out
1 level tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
55g butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
1/3 cup caster sugar
150ml buttermilk (approx)
125g French Blue Cheese or any strong cheese of choice

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Stir in the sugar. Cut the cheese into small cubes. Add the cheese and buttermilk to the flour mixture.

Mix into a soft, but not sticky, dough. Lightly flour your hands and bring the dough together, handling it as little as possible.

Leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat to a thickness of 2cm, lightly flour a 5cm pastry cutter and cut out as many scones as possible. I’ve used a square cookie cutter this time.

Transfer the scones onto a baking tray. Leave a space in between as the scones will spread somewhat. Gather the remaining dough together and repeat until used up. I got about 12 scones out of this mixture.

Brush the tops with milk or beaten egg. Dust with mixed herbs. Bake for 12-15 minutes until risen and golden. Cool on a wire rack until just warm, or leave to go completely cold. I served mine warm with lashings of butter.

Cheese Scones Serve With Butter

Shop online at http://www.capemalaycookingdelights.com

Posted in Cheese Scones, Scones

Leave a comment

Tags: , , , , , ,

Apple Muffins With Pecan Topping

Jul 2

Posted by


APPLE MUFFINS WITH PECAN TOPPING

Ingredients:

350g cake flour

25g butter

50g dark brown sugar, plus 1 tablespoon extra for the topping

50g pecan nuts, chopped

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

284ml soured cream

1 egg, beaten

3 eating apples, peeled and cored

2-3 tablespoons milk

Method:

Heat the oven to 200C. Line a muffin tin with muffin cases. In a small bowl, use your fingertips to rub 50g of the flour together with the butter to make breadcrumbs. Stir through 1 tablespoon sugar and the chopped pecans, set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the remaining flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt. Stir in the apples; beat together with the soured cream, egg and 2 tablespoons milk. Make a well in the dry ingredients and quickly fold through the wet ingredients, adding an extra tablespoon milk if really dry. Don’t over-mix or your muffins will be tough. It doesn’t matter if there are lumps of flour.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases – they should be about two-thirds full – then sprinkle over the pecan topping. Thinly slice the final apple, poke slices into the tops of the muffins. Bake for 20 minutes or until risen, golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Serve on its own or with cheese.

VARIATION:

Replace the apple with a chopped banana

Posted in Uncategorized

Leave a comment

Tags: , , , , , ,

Newer Posts →