South African recipes are a delight, from Bobotie to butternut soup. This article discusses 5 South African recipes and how best to prepare them.

Traditional Bobotie Recipe

Bobotie is a very easy meal to prepare. It is a blend of a few ingredients and has its special version.

Ingredients

• 500g mince beef
• 1 peeled and grated large carrot
• 30ml oil
• 2 chopped onions and 10ml chopped garlic
• 5 ml each of  curry powder, cinnamon, turmeric, sugar / apricot jam, salt, ground coriander, ground ginger,
• 15ml fresh lemon juice (You can use white vinegar)
• thick white bread soaked in milk
• 3 – 4 bay leaves
• 250ml milk or buttermilk
• 125ml almond slivers or flaked almonds
• 2 eggs
• seasoning to taste

Cooking instructions

First fry the onion and garlic in oil. Add the mince and cook till the meet is crumbly. Ensure that it isn’t in big lumps. Next, you add all the spices and the carrot, lemon juice or white vinegar. And then, mix in.

The white bread which was soaked in milk should now be added. Ensure that you mix it in properly so you don’t start to see big chunks of bread.

Next, you add the almonds and mix. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. You may also use butter milk for this. Take out the mix and put some in a medium sized oven dish. Level it with the back of a spoon, pour the milk and egg mixture over it and decorate the mince with the bay leaves.

Allow it to bake at 180-190 for rougly 40-45 minutes. The egg custard must be firm and have a golden brown color. Serve with yellow rice and raisins, sliced banana, chutney and coconut.

Butternut Soup Recipe

This recipe is for 4 servings:

Tools needed include:

Large Pot

Stick Blender

Ingredients:

• 1 kg butternut peeled and chopped
• 2 leeks
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 tsp mild curry powder
• 10 – 15ml olive oil
• 1 potato peeled and cubed
• 750 ml chicken
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 250 Skim milk or fresh cream
• Reduced fat feta for garnish

Cooking Instructions

Dice the leeks and onions, and fry at medium temperature, add curry powder and add the the diced butternut and potato. Stir immediately. Next, add stock from the chicken and let the butternut simmer gently for 45 to 60 minutes until it is very soft.

Remove from heat, then add the cinnamon and blitz soup with a stick blender. Return to heat after it has been well blended and taste the soup to adjust seasoning accordingly.

Add milk and stir, then serve. This soup should be served with fresh white bread.

Ingredients

• 600g steak
• One tube of garlic butter

Cooking Instructions

Rinse the meat under cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Bring it to room temperature. Make a fire and put the meat on the fire. Braai the steaks on hot coal for 6 to 8 minutes and turn halfway through. Slice into thick strips, season with salt and pepper, and place the garlic butter between steak strips so it melts.

Easy Chicken Pie Recipe

This recipe serves 8 people.

Ingredients

• 1 large finely chopped onion
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 250 g white button mushrooms, finely sliced
• 250 ml single cream
• 1 tablespoon of dried sage
• 500 g free-range skinless chicken fillets, cubed
• 125 ml chicken stock
• 2 tsp corn flour
• 60 ml white wine
• 1 packet of puff pastry
• 1 beaten egg

Cooking instructions

Fry the onion, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms and the dried sage in a glug of olive oil until sof. Add the chicken stock, cook until the meat turns white. Add the chicken stock, white wine, cream and corn flour and season with salt and pepper.

Keep cooking until the mixture thickens. Pour into a pie dish, cover with puff pastry and brush with the egg.

Bake at 200°C until golden brown (about 40 minutes).

Serve with steaming mashed potatoes or gloriously-golden roast potatoes, and peas.