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Afghan Biscuits
I adapted the Afghan biscuit recipe from More Cape Malay Cooking by Faldela Williams
This biscuit is so called because it resembles that of an Afghan turban, writes the late Faldela Williams.
Ingredients:
200g soft butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 & 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup cornflakes
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Milk chocolate to finish
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
Cream the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix the flour and cocoa with the butter mixture.
Mix in cornflake and walnuts.
Mixture should resemble a soft dough.
Drop teaspoonfuls of dough onto baking tins lined with greaseproof or parchment paper.
Bake for about 12 -15 minutes.
Cool slightly in the tins before removing.
Allow to cool completely before drizzling with melted chocolate.
Top the chocolate with half a walnut, optional.
Makes about 30 biscuits.
Find more recipes like this in Salwaa’s Biscuits and Cakes Ebook
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Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
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
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.
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Tuna Breyani
Salwaa’s Tuna Breyani
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.
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Sponge Flan
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.
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Fruit Cake
Salwaa’s Rich Fruit Cake
Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive!
Today I’m sharing with you one of my late mommy’s favourite cakes. The making of this cake was reserved for Eid and other special occasions. Although we didn’t and still don’t celebrate Christmas my mom would always bake cakes and share with our neighbours.
We grew up in an area where multi-faith people lived. Everyone respected each other’s religion. At Eid some of our non-Muslim neighbours reciprocated with their home bakes. Naturally they would only send gifts suitable for Muslim consumption.
For an extra rich fruit cake buy fruit cake mixture that has cherries and nuts included. You may add extra almond slivers. During my younger days I didn’t like cake that had cherries as an ingredient. But strangely now that I’m older I’ve acquired a taste for cherries. I have made a double batch of the recipe below to show you different ways of presenting your fruit cake.
I would have loved to bake a cake for each and everyone of my followers but the very least I could do is share my mom’s recipe. Who knows, maybe you could start your own tradition, make an extra cake and share it with your neighbours?
Happy holidays!
Here follows my step-by-step method. The full recipe is further along.
Using a large pot add 250g butter or margarine, 1 cup soft dark brown sugar, 2 tsp mixed spice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1 dessert spoon instant coffee, 3 cups water, 500g luxury fruit cake mixture.
Bring to the boil, simmer over medium until all the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved, about 5-10 minutes. Stir gently.
Allow to cool completely.
Whisk eggs in a separate bowl.
Add the flour and baking powder as well as the boiled fruit mixture.
Stir with wooden spoon, mix well until all the ingredients are combined.
Pour into the prepared cake tin/s. As I’ve doubled the recipe i made some in a loaf tin, some in mini loafs and one in a bundt tin.
Bake on the centre shelf. To test if the cake is baked insert a toothpick / cake tester in the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is done.
FAN OVEN: 130°C for 2 hours
CONV OVEN: 150°C for 2 hours
You can now visit our online store to purchase your copy of my Cape Malay & Other Delights Cookbook as well as my range of spices.
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Salwaa’s Rich Fruit Cake
Ingredients:
250g butter or margarine
1 cup soft dark brown sugar
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 dessert spoon instant coffee
3 cups water
500g luxury fruit cake mixture
4 large eggs
4 cups self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Method:
Grease and line a 20cm deep cake tin with grease proof / parchment paper.
You may also wrap a double layer of brown paper, tied with string, around the outside of the tins.
Alternatively, use two small loaf tins or mini loaf tins, perfect for gifting.
Place all ingredients except flour, baking powder and eggs into a large pot.
Bring to the boil, simmer over medium until all the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes.
Allow to cool completely.
Whisk eggs in a separate bowl.
Add the flour and baking powder as well as the boiled fruit mixture.
Stir with wooden spoon, mix well until all the ingredients are combined.
Pour into the prepared cake tin/s.
Bake on the centre shelf
FAN OVEN: 130°C for 2 hours
CONV OVEN: 150°C for 2 hours
When cooked, leave for 30 minutes before turning out
©Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
Lamb Spinach
Lamb Spinach
Salwaa Smith – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
This recipe is a good one for introducing spinach to children. They’ll get all the nutrients spinach has to offer without them knowing they eating it!
1kg lamb pieces (you may use with or deboned lamb pieces)
¼ cup cooking oil
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
2 tsps fresh grated ginger
2 tsps crushed garlic
1 – 2 tsps chilli powder (or to taste)
2 tsps salt (or to taste)
2 tsps garam masala
#capemalaycooking
500g fresh spinach, chopped
1 large red pepper, roughly chopped
3 green chillies, chopped (or to taste)
3 tbsp chopped fresh dhanya (coriander, cilantro)
1 ½ tbsp. lemon juice
1 lemon, cut into slices for garnishing
Water as needed
Heat the oil in a large heavy base saucepan / pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fry for about 10 minutes or until the onions are well browned. Add the lamb pieces, cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add the chilli powder, salt, garam masala, garlic and ginger. Stir to combine with the lamb.
Turn up the heat and pour in enough water to cover the meat and bring to the boil. As soon as it is boiling lower the heat. Cook over low to medium heat until the meat is tender about 30 – 35 minutes, depending on the type of meat. Stir often to prevent the meat from burning. Allow the water to cook away, the meat should be dry.
Add the chopped spinach and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, remove the lid to evaporate any excess water, the spinach will draw water so don’t be tempted to add more water.
Add the chopped red pepper, green chillies, cook for about 3 minutes. If you don’t like spicy food the green chillies can be omitted or you can serve the chillies in a separate plate and people can help themselves with extra chillies.
Dish the meat in a serving plate. Sprinkle with the lemon juice. Garnish with chopped dhanya and lemon slices. Serve immediately with white rice or naan.
© Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
Pear and Chocolate Pudding
Pear and Chocolate Pudding – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith
Pear & Chocolate Pudding
This dessert is so versatile and is suitable for both winter or summer. Serve the pear and pudding with vanilla ice cream on a warm day. For a cold winter’s day it can be served with a chocolate sauce and or thin custard. Very easy to make with the minimum of fuss using everyday store cupboard ingredients.
Ingredients:
3 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
½ cup juice of the canned pears
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsps baking powder
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 cup cake flour
2 (410g) tins canned pear halves
Butter for greasing
Method:
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Grease a 20cm square dish with the butter. Arrange the pear halves in the dish, cut side down. In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients together using an electric mixer. Pour the mixture over the pears. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, it will be slightly gooey when baked. Cool down slightly before cutting into squares, serve with thin custard, chocolate sauce or vanilla ice cream. Cut into approximately 9 slices.
Arrange the pear halves in a greased oven proof dish
Pour the chocolate mixture over the pears
Chocolate sauce
100g good-quality dark chocolate
1 Tbsp butter
½ cup fresh cream
1 Tbsp sugar
Break the chocolate into small pieces. Microwave in a suitable bowl for about 1 – 2 minutes, checking every 30 seconds on its progress until it is melted. Heat the cream, butter and sugar over low heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir well. Serve with the pear and chocolate pudding. Delicious serve whilst still warm.
Serve with chocolate sauce
Serve with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream
Serve with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream
Pear & Chocolate Pudding
© Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
Boeber – 15th Ramadaan
Boeber – Traditional Milk Drink
A traditional South African Cape Malay recipe, the taste is so rich and sugary. Boeber is made of milk, vermicelli, sago, sugar or condensed milk flavoured with cardamoms, stick cinnamon and rose water. If you like a “thicker” boeber add more sago. Boeber is traditionally served on the fifteenth night of Ramadan to celebrate the middle of the fast. The evening of the 15th day of Ramadaan is special for those who had fasted the first 15 days. They are known as people who are ‘op die berg’ Many, many years ago after the taraweegh salaah, boeber was served at the mosques. Every family also made boeber for this particular night. After Taraweegh salaah, boeber was also sold at boeber houses at two pence a glass. There, friends would assemble and, if it were a Friday or Saturday, would stay up until sower (suhur) and then go to the masjid for Fajr.
To make boeber you will need the following
100g butter
1/3 cup sago
1 cup water to soak the sago
1 – 1 1/2 cups crushed vermicelli
3 cinnamon sticks
5 cardamoms
50 g sultanas
2 litres milk
15 ml rose water (optional)
150 – 200ml white sugar (depending on your taste buds)
50g blanched almonds
Method:
Soak the sago in the water for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan.
When it has melted, add the vermicelli and toss it so that the butter covers it and it starts to go golden brown.
Add the cardamom, cinnamon and the sultanas.
Stir before pouring the milk into the pan.
Bring to the boil before adding the pre-soaked sago and then simmer for about 30 minutes stirring constantly otherwise it will stick. The sago should become transparent.
Add the rose water (if using), sugar and almonds and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Serve hot and enjoy!!!
Serve hot and prepare to enjoy this rich, spicy and flavourful drink.
© Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
Fish Breyani
Fish BreyaniFish Breyani – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith
From My Kitchen To Yours – keeping our heritage alive since 2011!
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.
© Cape Malay Cooking
Cape Malay Koesisters
Koesisters – Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights – Salwaa Smith
Traditional Sunday morning breakfast. Spicy version of doughnuts, this recipe makes 30 koesisters
Cape Malay Koesisters
Ingredients
500 grams cake flour (4 x 250ml)
1 teaspoon dry ginger powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
2 teaspoons aniseed powder
Rind of 1 naartjie / satsuma, dried and ground (optional)
1 packet instant yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 dessert spoon butter
1 medium egg
milk as needed
750ml vegetable oil for frying
Method:
Using a measuring jug, melt butter and sugar in hot water. Stir in egg. Add enough milk to make 1/2 litre. Mix flour, spices and yeast into a mixing bowl. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix to a soft dough. Set dough aside, covered, to rise until double in size. Dip our fingers in a little oil, just to prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers. Divide dough into approx 30 small balls on a slightly oiled surface. Allow the koesisters to rise until double in size. Meanwhile heat oil in large, deep saucepan. Once the oil is very hot turn your stove down to medium to high. Gently pull the balls of dough one by one into an oblong shape and gently lower it into the hot boil. Fry each side until browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper. Cool completely.
Sugar syrup:
500ml water
250ml sugar
Boil water and sugar until sugar is dissolved and syrup is slightly thickened and sticky. Add drops of water if syrup becomes too sticky. Add the cold koesisters into the syrup a few at a time. Cook for a minute or so turning all the time so the whole koesister is coated with sugar syrup, remove from the syrup onto a serving plate. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut or make a slit in the middle of the koesister taking care not too go right through. Drop a teaspoonful of glazed coconut in the centre.
Cook’s tip:
Wash and dry the naartjie rind. Leave it out in the sun to dry out or if there’s no sunshine leave it in the oven on a very low temperature to dry out completely before grinding in a spice grinder.
To make the coconut filling
1 cup sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
¾ cup water
3 cardamom pods
1 piece stick cinnamon
Boil all the ingredients together until all the water is evaporated and the coconut is glazed and sticky. About 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn as coconut burns very easily. The coconut mixture should be dry not watery. Remove cardamoms and stick cinnamon before using.
Little balls of dough before frying
Dip our fingers in a little oil, just to prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers. Divide dough into approx 30 small balls on a slightly oiled surface.
Frying one side
Allow the koesisters to rise until double in size. Meanwhile heat oil in large, deep saucepan. Once the oil is very hot turn your stove down to medium to high. Gently pull the balls of dough one by one into an oblong shape and gently lower it into the hot boil. Fry each side until browned, about 2 minutes on each side.
Frying
Koesisters draining on kitchen towel after frying
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper. Cool completely.
Sugared koesisters
Sugar syrup:
500ml water
250ml sugar
Boil water and sugar until sugar is dissolved and syrup is slightly thickened and sticky. Add drops of water if syrup becomes too sticky. Add the cold koesisters into the syrup a few at a time. Cook for a minute or so turning all the time so the whole koesister is coated with sugar syrup, remove from the syrup onto a serving plate. Sprinkle with desiccated coconut or make a slit in the middle of the koesister taking care not too go right through. Drop a teaspoonful of glazed coconut in the centre.
Koesisters covered with desiccated coconut
To make the coconut filling
1 cup sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
¾ cup water
3 cardamom pods
1 piece stick cinnamon
Boil all the ingredients together until all the water is evaporated and the coconut is glazed and sticky. About 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn as coconut burns very easily. The coconut mixture should be dry not watery. Remove cardamoms and stick cinnamon before using.
Dried naartjie / Satsuma peels
Wash and dry the naartjie rind. Leave it out in the sun to dry out or if there’s no sunshine leave it in the oven on a very low temperature to dry out completely before grinding in a spice grinder.
Dried naartjie / Satsuma peels
© Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights
Cape Malay Cooking & Other Delights - Salwaa Smith 
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