South African cooking

Here is the Chicken Bobotie recipe, should anybody be interested. Some of you have pm'd me about it. I changed the ingredients a bit, I used more curry and chutney otherwise I kept it the same. You can already season and taste after having pre-fried the chicken. The taste stays very similar.

Chicken Bobotie: (serves 4 piggish adults or 6 normal adults)

Ingredients:

two thick slices of white bread
450ml milk
30 ml olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 tbsp medium curry powder
1.25 kg minced, raw chicken*
1 tbsp apricot jam or chutney or caster sugar
2 tbsp wine vinegar or lemon juice
3 big eggs, beaten
50g raisins or sultanas
12 whole almonds
salt and black pepper

* ask your butcher to mince the chicken or simply use your food processor. That's what I did.

Preheat oven to 180°C (Gas 4). Soak the bread in 150ml of the milk. Heat the oil and fry the onions until tender, add curry powder and cook further for 2 min.

Add the minced chicken and brown all over, separating the grains of meat as they brown. Remove from heat, season with salt, black pepper, apricot jam (or chutney or sugar) and add the wine vinegar or lemon juice.

Mash bread in milk and add to pan with one of the beaten eggs and raisins.

Grease a big ovenproof dish with butter. Spoon in the chicken mixture and level the top. Cover with buttered foil and bake for 30 min. in oven.

Meanwhile, beat the remaining eggs and milk. Remove the dish from the oven and lower the temperature to 150°C(Gas 2). Break up the meat using a fork and pour over the egg.

Scatter the almonds over and bake, uncovered for 30 min until set and brown.

I've tried this recipe. Was very lekker. Thanks MajorBummer

That sounds yum, but call me daft/ill-informed, I thought that bobotie had to have two types of cooked eggs in it? Chopped hard-boiled and the egg topping? Or have I gone bonkers?
If I wanted to add boiled eggs, they'd be added at the "break up the meat and pour over the egg" stage, right?
If someone could help out, I'd be pleased (because egg+curry = yum).

@Nuwoman
Glad you liked it.
@Katrina
No, the egg doesn't get boiled. I have a Cape Malay Bobotie recipe as well, made with steak mince. The egg definitely doesn't get boiled, but poured over the mixture. I don't know of any other method, but if you have a recipe I'll try it out.

MB, I've got a recipe at home from the (UK) Curry Club which I've used. I'll bring the book in and type it up, ok?

Do you have the recipie for Bunny Chow ?

@Mothbola

Sorry, no. Didn't even know what it was, had to google..

Bunnychow is just curried mince in a hollowed-out loaf of bread. I'll see if I can find out more, but I'm assuming our curried mince is the same as in the UK.

Bunnychow used to be very popular student food, it has now been replaced by a Gatsby. Both not healthy at all. Loved by the young ones.

Tom34, are you Tom17's older brother or father perhaps? Or has Tom17 just doubled in age since he joined TT?

Questions, questions...Where will we find the answers?

Had Bobotie in an SA restaurant for the first time the other day.
Loved it and will certainly try MB's recipe.

Bunny chow is not just curried mince, you can use any kind of curry in bread that has been hollowed out, let me know if you guys want any recipes, would gladly oblige :-)))

Geez! I have only been back 5 months and already I miss my meat and Aromat!! Not to mention "wors en pap" with some mielies and sheba!!! AND how I miss biltong and a stywe dop!! I think I'm home sick...

I miss Nick Naks and tomato sauce flavoured Simba chips, Wimpy burgers.

Aromat? Sounds like "Maggi" could be substitute. Something in a non-descript bottle, brown sauce that is basically a bit like mild soy sauce?

Aaaahhhh Geeeeezzzzz!! Nick Nacks!! And Salt and Vinegar chips too!!!

@ Showem
Aromat is a yellow'ies salt that you can have/eat with your (slap) chips, salad, popcorn(my fav. way of having it), chicken or whatever you like. You don't usually use it to cook with, but you can. It has a kinda sweet taste.

Hmm. NicNacs are great. I don't understand why one can't buy salt and vinegar chips in Germany? I mean, besides finding a store that actually does sell Walkers. Why doesn't Pringles for instance have salt and vinegar flavour? Why must such simple things be impossible in this country?

Good point!! Pringles have a salt and vinegar one, they just don't seem to sell anything but Original, Spicy and Soure Cream and Onion here

Aaaggg, and O'Grady Chips! They are to die for!! And Gost Pops!! And Melktert!! And Beson and Hedges siggies!!

Actually some of the larger grocers do carry the German make (Chipleten or Funny Fresh- cannot remember but the package is blue on the red) Salt and Vinegar- they are not as good as the ones from home, but a good substitute.

I have a devine melktert recipe. Very easy to make too! (I am not the greatest in the Kitchen)
Yummy yummy...

Well then, what are you waiting for? Give it to us!!

here it is: Pastry is quite easy to make, and taste quite nice, but my hubby prefers it with Puff pastry. So now I buy some Blätterteig from Penny instead. Line your dish with the B-teig, and put it in the fridge while you make the filling. You pour the filling into the raw pastry case, no need to pre-bake.

South African Desserts: Traditional Melktert

Ingredients

Pastry
62.5ml margarine (1/4 cup)
62.5mll sugar (1/4/ cup)
250ml Self raising Flour (1 cup)
Pinch salt
25ml iced water (2 T)

Filling
500ml milk (2 cups)
1 stick cinnamon
25ml butter (2 T)
50ml sugar (4T)
2 Eggs
50 ml Cake Flour (4T)


How to prepare it

Pastry:
1. Cream the margarine and the sugar together.
2. Work in the flour and salt.
3. Add the water and work to a soft dough.
4. Wrap up and chill until required.

Filling:
1. Scald the milk with the cinnamon stick.
2. Combine the sugar and flour and stir in the hot milk (whisking furiously helps to prevent lumps)
3. Return to the heat and cook for app 10 minutes, stirring continuously
4. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.
5. When cool (I cool the pot in a bit of cold water) add the eggs (I gently whisk eggs before I add it)
6. Line a 22cm tart plate with the pastry and pour the filling mixture in. Sprinkle with powdered cinnamon
7. Bake at 200 deg C for 20 minutes.

I got the recipe from http://www.rainbownation.com/recipes

lots of nice recipes from home... yumm yumm

Is that Cape Malay Bobotie recipe still on offer? Pleeeeaaase...

@melrose

Thanks for the melktert recipe! A must do over the weekend!
*sigh*... i'm slightly homesick.

@ melrose.
I second redstitch. Thanks for the Melktert recipe.

Pleasure! enjoy with a koppie moerkoffie

Ok, here is the traditional Cape Malayan Bobotie recipe I have. I have never made it myself, because I do not eat red meat. The recipes in my book are not highly spiced so you must change the seasoning according to your taste. In general I can recommend her recipes. Hope this one is as good as the others.

Traditional Cape Malayan Bobotie by Zainab Lagardien from District Six
(serves 8 theoretically)

Ingredients:

60ml (1/4 cup) oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, slivered
2.5ml (1/2 tsp) curry powder
2 bay leaves, torn
5ml (1 tsp) red masala
10 ml (2 tsp) salt
6 slices of white bread, soaked in water for 5 minutes and squeezed dry
30 ml (2 tbsp) butter or margarine
1 kg steak mince
4 eggs

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, curry powder, bay leaves, masala and salt. Reduce heat to low and braise onion lightly. Add bread, stir a couple of times and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Stir in butter and mince and transfer to an ovenproof glass dish. Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes. Beat eggs well, adding 1 tbsp cold water. Remove bobotie from oven and pour egg over the top. Return to oven and bake, uncovered for 5-10 minutes. Serve with yellow rice and salads.

This sounds like a pretty easy recipe! I have never attempted in actually making Babotie but don't you add raisins to the Babotie or the yellow rice?

hmm...i've just remembered koeksisters...haven't had them in a while!
anyone with recipes for them?

M mm MmmMMmMMmm!!

I found this on the net, but don't know if it is any good.

@Disgusting-tea-drinking woman

Yeah, you can add raisins to the rice or to the recipe if you like. It's up to you.

@Koeksister-fan

Ok, ok, I'll let you have my Koeksisters recipe as well (*sigh*)

Koeksisters:

Ingredients:

250 ml (1 cup) cake flour
250 ml self-raising flour
1 tsp salt
60 g butter
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground mixed spice (Allspice)*
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
2 tsp soft brown sugar
2 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast
375 ml warm water

Syrup:

250 ml water
125 ml sugar
1 tbsp dried coconut
1 piece of naartjie** peel

*consists of cinnemon, nutmeg, cloves, pimento
**naartjie is Afrikaans for tangerine

In a mixing bowl, combine the flours with salt. Add butter and rub in lightly until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add remaining ingredients, using the warm water to form a dough. Do not knead. Cover with plastic and leave in a warm place for about 1 1/2-2 hours or until doubled in size, then turn out on a lightly floured surface.

Dip fingers and knife into flour and use your hands to stretch the dough. Cut into 4cm x 8cm strips and deep-fry over medium heat in a deep saucepan. Insert fork to check if done and remove quicly, one by one and drain in a colander or on kitchen paper.

To make the syrup, bring water, sugar, coconut and naartjie peel to a slow boil in a large saucepan until syrup starts to bubble. Prick each koeksister, then lower into the syrup. Add as many koeksisters to the syrup as the pan will hold. Turn koeksisters and cook for 5 minutes each side or until browned. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon, placing them on a platter sprinkled with a little extra coconut. Sprinkle coconut over each layer of koeksisters and serve while hot.

Thanks for your recipes MajorBummer!

Does any body know if it is possible to get maize in this country to make Putu pap??

Sweet Jesus, you people from the North really do like bizarre stuff! You can get maize flour in Asia stores, if that's what you mean? The Chinese use the stuff as well.

Have a friend coming over for Oktoberfest and he will hopefully be bringing some and with.

And I need some of this:

The worst is, I have two of them in my cupboard and I can't eat them. I got them for another Saffer on TT who still hasn't fetched them from me. They are just lying there, calling out to me everyday...

I'd eat them if he/she hasn't fetched them by now. Yum!

To all other Saffers, I'm a Cape Malay woman that can cook all the local specialities(have all the spices). So if any of you ever need any recipes for say Tomatie Bredie, Curry and Roti or Breyani, let me know.

Was also toying with the idea of making mince or chicken samoosas by order.Any takers?

Regards,
Nu

@ Nuwoman:

Do yo by any chance have a recipe for Koeksisters? U know the ones Titi baked, and u could by from the corner cafe on a Sunday morning?

Please say u do! Maybe u could even sggest alternative names for the ingredients here in Germany.

Thanx in advance

Hi Klein1,

The recipe that MajorBummer gave above is that of the old-fashioned cape malay koeksister. It does not get plaited like the Afrikaans koesisters does.

The german names for the spices would be:
Ginger-Ingwer
Cinnamon-Zimt
Mixed Spice - use "Lebkuchen Gewürz" as I haven't seen mixed spice here
ground Cardomon- any well-stocked Asian supermarket has this. German name is pronounced the same.

Good luck with this!
Nu

@Nuwoman... Thanx. Wasn't sure if it was the plaited one or not. Mum-in-law arriving the end of this month, so will give it test run before that. Have to make a good impression, u know

Hi Nuwoman
yes yes yes
Please post some recipes esp. one for a nice curry, tomato bredie, rooti... DROOOOOL

For the Koeksister clueless ones:
I will post my koeksister recipe later tonight. VERY EASY (but quite labour intensive - warning!!)

tatta
m

Here is easy peasy Koeksister recipe:
VERY IMPORTANT: Make syrup day before : Syrup must be very cold!!!
When u make the koeksisters, split the syrup in 2 bowls (as it heats up from the hot koeksisters) Use first the one half, while the other half is chilling in fridge.

Koeksisters

Ingredients:

• 3 cups water
• 6 cups sugar

• 500gr cake flour
• 30ml baking powder
• 2ml salt
• 50ml butter/margarine
• 2 eggs
• 250ml milk
• Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

1. To make syrup, heat water in a saucepan, add sugar and stir until dissolved. (Use a wet brush to
remove sugar crystals adhering to sides of saucepan.) Remove from heat and let cool. Put in fridge
as syrup must by VERY cold when used. It is a good idea to prepare the syrup the night before.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.
3. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
4. Beat eggs and milk together and add to dry ingredients. Mix dough well, then knead lightly for 2 min to
make it pliable.
5. Cover basin with wax paper and leave for 1 hour.
6. Roll dough to a thickness of 7.5mm - 10mm. Cut strips of 80mm x 40mm, make 2 vertical cuts in each
strip, ending 5mm from top. Plait strips loosely and secure at loose end.
7. Heat oil to 190*C and deep fry koeksisters for 1 min. (Do not fry too many at once.)
8. Remove from oil, drain on brown paper for 1 min and dip in cold syrup for 1 min. Remove from syrup
and place on a dish to dry.
Makes about 24 big ones
Enjoy

Dankie ook!

Putu-Pap or
Crumbly Pap

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

750 ml water
2 tsp. salt
1 kg fine white corn meal, in place of maize meal

Preparation

Bring water to boil. Pour meal into centre of water to form a pile, add salt, but do not stir. Reduce heat by removing from stove. Put lid on and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir with fork or wooden spoon until pap is fine-grained and crumbly. Replace lid and let simmer for 45 minutes until done.

eish!!! mense!!! maybe we should all just get together with the promise of good old SA food!!! Now i am hungry...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!! hee hee hee

Die vader alleen weet!!... Wanneer laas het julle n nice Potjiekos gevreet!!! I'm sure you can "try" and make one here, but you need those "Harde hout" to make the fire with to give that "special" flavour . O yes, and proper bees vleis or oxtail...

oooh potjiekos!!! siesa hoe kan jy dit aan ons doen!!!
Maby a nice boerekos evening would be a good idea...

but leave the mielepap/krummelpap/poetoepap at home! eugh
(and the train-smash too!)

Check out this website, nice South african braai on Saturday.
Details in newsletter
http://www.bavarianspringboks.de/