On September 24, South Africa celebrates National Heritage Day, a public holiday in which South Africa acknowledges the painful past of the country and celebrates the diversity of cultures, traditions. Diverse heritages and food is part of the celebration.
Here in South Africa there is a great diversity of cultures, so why not try something new?
Boerewors and egg quiche blettes
These quiche blettes make excellent snacks for lunch boxes, padkos, or a light lunch with a side salad.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
500g boerewors
Oil for frying
4 eggs
250ml milk
120g cheddar cheese, grated
Pinch of mixed dried herbs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 x 400g roll of frozen shortcrust pastry, defrosted
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Remove the casing of the boerewors and roll the meat into golf ball size balls.
Heat the oil in a pan and over medium heat gently fry the boerewors balls until golden and cooked.
In a bowl, beat eggs and add milk. Add the grated cheese and seasoning to the egg and milk mixture.
Unroll the dough and roll out flat, cut out circles to fit your tart or muffin tin. Ensure it is big enough to cover the sides with room to spare.
Line the pan(s) with the pastry.
To bake blind: cut pieces of baking paper larger than the pastry-lined tart tins, place over the pastry and fill with baking beans or dry rice. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove baking paper and baking beans and bake until the base is lightly coloured, about 5-6 minutes longer.
Spoon egg and cheese mixture into the pastry cases. Bake until the top browns very slightly, about 15-20 minutes. Cool before removing from the tart tin.
Recipe by the South African Poultry Association.
5-step butter chicken
Step 1
Chicken and marinade
500g chicken breasts (cut into chunky cubes)
¼ cup full-fat plain yoghurt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Vas & Co chicken masala
1 tsp Jeera (cumin)
Salt to taste
Bring the chicken and the rest of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Using your hands, massage the marinade into the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Step 2
For the sauce: soak cashews and almonds in water for at least an hour (or overnight) before preparing the rest of the recipe.
8 to 10 whole almonds
8 to 10 whole cashews
2 ½ tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp sugar
30g diced tomatoes
2 tbsp dried coriander
½ tsp Vas & Co chicken masala
½ tsp salt
1 cup water
¼ cup heavy cream
½ tbsp Kasuri Methi or 1 tbsp chopped celery.
Melt 1 ½ tablespoon of the butter in a skillet on medium-low heat.
As soon as the butter melts, add the ginger garlic paste followed by sugar. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on medium-high heat, until all the extra liquid is cooked off. The sauce should be a loose, paste-like consistency. Add coriander, Vas & Co chicken masala, and salt. Stir and cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Allow the sauce mixture to cool until lukewarm. Puree the sauce with the nuts: Transfer the sauce mixture to a blender or the bowl of a food processor. Add the soaked cashews and almonds. Blend into a smooth paste.
Step 3
Cook the chicken: Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil into the pan. Working in batches, remove chicken from the marinade and grill the pices in the pan for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until the chicken is cooked through (clear juice runs out of it when you cut into it). Do not crowd the pan. Once cooked, transfer the chicken into a separate dish. Cover and set aside for later.
Step 4
Finish the dish: Return the paste made in step 2 to the cooking pan over medium heat. Add the water to the paste and stir to make a smooth sauce. As the sauce begins to boil, add the grilled chicken and heavy cream. Stir well. Cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 5
Rest the butter chicken: Turn off the heat and uncover the pan. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the Kasuri methi (or chopped celery). Cover again, and let the dish rest for 8 to 10 minutes so that the flavour of Kasuri methi (or chopped celery) can marry into the butter chicken.
Note: This dish may be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Simply thaw (do not defrost in a microwave); transfer to a saucepan and heat on medium-low to maintain the texture.
Recipe by Vas & Co.
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