Ingredients:

• 500 g stewing meat (beef or lamb)
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 15 ml grated fresh ginger
• 2 pieces cinnamon
• 12.5 ml curry powder
• 5 ml ground cumin
• butter/oil for cooking
• 5 ml ground coriander
• 5 – 10 ml turmeric
• 3 tomatoes, skinned, finely chopped (or tinned Italian tomatoes)
• 200 ml yoghurt
• 15 – 30 ml sugar
• 150 – 200 g uncooked rice
• salt & freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

• Brown the seasoned meat in the oil/butter. Take out the meat as it browns, and when it is all browned add the onions and ginger to the fat in the pan, adding a little extra if necessary.
• Saute until the onion starts to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two.
• Add the cinnamon, curry powder, cumin, coriander and turmeric and stir-fry for a minute or two on medium heat.
• Stir in the tomatoes, and when they have started to break down into a mush add the yoghurt.
• Bubble up the mixture, stirring constantly, and return the meat to the saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer gently till the meat is tender and the sauce thick, adding water sparingly as needed.
• Add the well-washed rice, season well with salt, pepper and sugar. Stir together, then add boiling water a cup or two at a time, adding as it is needed, and simmer until the rice is tender.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve with sambals like tomato-omon or sliced bananas.

Notes:

• A little bone in the meat adds to the flavour, but boneless meat also works well.

Serves about 4.

Ingredients:

• about 2 kg meat, cubed
• fresh cubed pineapple (optional)
• dried soaked apricots (optional)
• onion wedges (optional)

Ingredients: Marinade:

• 75 ml smooth apricot jam
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 bay or lemon leaves, broken up
• 25 ml wine vinegar
• 5 ml ground pepper
• 25 ml treacle brown sugar
• 15 ml cornflour
• 25 ml curry powder
• 10 ml salt

Preparation:

• In a small saucepan mix together all the marinade ingredients and bring to the boil. Simmer for a minute or so until thickened.
• Pour it over the cubed meat immediately, stirring thoroughly to make sure that all the pieces are coated with the marinade.
• At this stage, the meat may marinade overnight in the refrigerator, or for at least 4 hours at room temperature. If you are going to marinade it for the shorter time, rub the marinade into the pieces of meat from time to time.
• It may also be frozen in the marinade for several months, in which case, thaw completely and cook immediately.
• Soak wooden skewers for a couple of hours in cold water (this helps to stop them burning if you are going to braai the sosaties over the coals).
• Thread the meat onto the skewers with all or any of the optional extras in between the meat cubes, but always begin and end the skewer with a cube of meat.
• Notes:
• Suitable meat is lean, boneless lamb, pork (fillet is best) and chicken breast or thigh cubes; this is not a recipe suitable for beef, though I have eaten it made most successfully, believe it or not, from ox liver

Serves about 6 as a meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 large chicken jointed (or equivalent portions)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• oil
• 2 large onions, roughly sliced
• 1-2 green chillies, seeded, finely sliced
• 2 sticks cassia/cinnamon
• 5 ml crushed garlic
• 5 ml grated ginger
• 15 ml roasted masala
• 5 ml turmeric
• 5 ml ground cumin
• 5 ml ground coriander
• 2 ml ground cardamom
• 3 – 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
• 500 ml coconut milk/cream, warmed or chicken stock

Preparation:

• Skin the chicken, if liked, and season with salt and pepper.
• Fry the onions in a little oil until golden. Stir in the chilli, cassia/cinnamon, garlic, ginger, masala, turmeric, cumin, coriander and cardamom and sizzle for about 30 seconds.
• Add the tomatoes and coconut cream/milk or stock. Bubble up and add the chicken portions.
• Simmer very gently for about 45 – 60 minutes until cooked. Check and adjust the flavour if necessary.

Notes:

• Make your own Roasted Masala instead of buying.

Serves 4 – 6.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup raw long-grain rice
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium pepper, diced finely
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 3 – 5 halves canned peaches in syrup, diced
• 1 large gherkin, finely diced
• salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients: Dressing:

• 1 – 2 tsp curry powder
• ½ cup canned peach syrup
• 1 tbl fruit chutney
• 1 cup mayonnaise

Preparation:

• Boil the rice in salted water until tender. Drain thoroughly, and rinse with cold water to cool it quickly.
• Place the rice in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.
• Mix together the dressing ingredients, and pour over the rice. Stir well to combine and check the seasoning – it needs to be well-seasoned. Chill until required.

Notes:

• Use 3 tbl chopped spring onion in place of the onion.
• I use an equivalent amount of red, green and yellow peppers mixed.

Serves 6 generously.

Ingredients:

• 600 g peeled raw carrots, grated coarsely
• 3 large oranges
• 250 ml orange juice
• pinch salt
• caster sugar, if necessary, to taste

Preparation:

• Cut the peel off two of the oranges. Using a very sharp knife, remove the segments between the white membranes and cut each into 2 or 3 pieces.
• Place in a bowl with the other ingredients, adding sugar to taste, if necessary, and stir thoroughly together.
• Marinate for an hour or so before serving, either at room temperature or chilled.
• Slice the remaining orange thinly, and cut the slices in half. Garnish the salad by lining the sides of the bowl with the orange slices, and topping the salad with a twist of orange.

Serves 4 – 6.

Ingredients:

• 500 g peeled raw carrots, grated coarsely
• ½ pineapple, diced or grated
• 250 ml orange juice
• pinch salt
• caster sugar, if necessary to taste

Preparation:

• Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir thoroughly together, adding sufficient sugar to give the salad a slightly sweetish flavour.
• Marinate for an hour or so before serving, either at room temperature or chilled.
• Slice the remaining half of pineapple and cut into thin slices. Halve the slices, and garnish the salad by lining the sides of the bowl with the slices.

Serves 4 – 6.

Ingredients:

• 1 thick slice white bread, crusts removed.
• 1 kg mince (beef or lamb)
• 125 ml seedless raisins
• 15 -20 ml smooth apricot jam
• 25 ml lemon juice
• 10 – 15 ml curry powder
• 10 ml salt
• 3 eggs
• 250 ml milk (more can be used)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 125 ml almond flakes (optional)
• 15 – 20 ml fruit chutney
• 5 ml mixed herbs, chopped (optional)
• 5 ml turmeric
• 10 – 20 ml cooking oil
• 4 bay or lemon leaves

Preparation:

• Soak the bread in 125 ml milk. Squeeze it dry and reserve the the milk.
• Combine the bread with the mince and all the other ingredients, except oil, eggs and leaves. Mix to combine thoroughly.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and, over a high heat, lightly brown the mixture.
• Turn it into a shallow medium baking dish, smoothing the top.
• Beat the eggs with all the milk, and a little salt and pepper and pour over the meat. Top with the leaves.
• Bake at 180° C for 35 to 50 minutes, or until the mixture is set and the top browned.

Serves 6 – 8.

Ingredients:

• 500 gr white beans, dried
• 45 – 60 ml white sugar
• salt, to taste
• pepper, freshly ground, to taste
• 50 g butter
• 125 ml white grape vinegar

Preparation:

• Wash beans and soak overnight.
• The next day, drain and place in saucepan with sufficient fresh water to cover. Bring the the boil and simmer for about one hour, or until the beans are tender. It is difficult to give a cooking time as it depends entirely on how long the beans have been stored.
• Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the salt (which toughens the beans if cooked with them for any length of time). Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens and the beans are very soft. Season with salt to taste and cook for few minutes longer. The sauce thickens even further as it cools.
• For long term storage, spoon into sterilised jars, seal and store in a dark place. Refrigerate after opening.

Makes about 6 cups.

Ingredients:

• 30 ml vegetable oil
• 30 ml medium curry powder
• 30 ml cornflour
• 200 ml sugar
• 250 ml grape vinegar
• 2 – 3 onions, thinly sliced
• 5 ml turmeric
• 500 g green beans, parcooked
• 5 ml salt
• 250 – 400 ml sultanas

Preparation:

• Fry onions in oil until translucent.
• Stir in the curry powder, turmeric and cornflour and stir-fry for another couple of minutes.
• Add the sugar, salt and vinegar and bring to the boil, stirring.
• Stir in the beans and sultanas, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until thick and the beans are crisp-tender.
• Remove from the heat, cool and refrigerate for 1 to 3 days.

Serves 8.