4 uniquely South African recipes in celebration of Freedom Day
Freedom Day is a holiday when South Africans of diverse cultures come together to celebrate our free country.
And what better way to celebrate this special day than with authentic South African recipes?
These recipes will make your Freedom Day one to remember.
Umleqwa (hard body chicken)
Ingredients
900ml boiling water
1 whole chicken, plucked, cleaned, and cut into 6 pieces
1 chicken stock cube
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
15ml olive oil
2 tomatoes, skin removed and chopped
2.5ml curry powder
5ml sugar
30ml tomato paste
2.5ml curry powder
5ml salt
Method
Transfer the boiling water to a saucepan and add the chicken pieces.
Add the stock cube to the chicken and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until it's cooked.
In another saucepan, sauté the onion, green pepper, garlic clove in the oil.
Add the tomatoes, curry powder, sugar, and tomato paste.
Season with salt.
Add the cooked chicken and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve with pap or dumplings.
Gulab jamoon
Ingredients
1 tin condensed milk
1 tbs water
1¼ tbs solid ghee
Pinch nutmeg
½ tsp ground cardamom powder
2 tbs semolina
2½ cups flour
2½ tsp Royal baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Oil and ghee for frying
Sugar syrup
3 cups sugar
3 cups water
3 drops of rose essence
½ tsp ground cardamom powder
Method
Place the condensed milk, water, ghee, nutmeg and cardamom into the bowl of a stand mixer.
Sift the semolina, flour, baking powder and bicarb. Mix together to form a soft, yet firm, dough.
Empty it onto a kitchen countertop. Roll, knead and massage the dough.
Pinch medium-sized pieces and roll them between your hands to shape into a ball. Pinch the outer points slightly. Keep aside on a tray.
Heat equal quantities of ghee and oil in a non-stick medium-sized pot. You need to deep-fry this, so you will need to gauge the amount of oil required.
Bring to full heat, then reduce to low/medium. Add 5 to 6 Gulab jamoon in at a time, turning all the time.
Remove when it's a light golden colour, about 4 to 5 minutes of frying time.
Immediately, place straight from the oil into the sugar syrup and allow to toss around for 2 to 3 minutes.
To make the syrup, put all the ingredients into a pot and boil until it has reached a syrupy consistency.
Remove and serve warm.
Recipe by chef Naqiyah Mayat.
Midlands tiramisu
Ice cream ingredients
2 litres vanilla ice cream
200ml Nachtmusik
Method
Soften the ice cream by leaving it out of the fridge for a while. Pour in the Nachtmusik.
Churn until they have combined and the ice cream becomes firm again. Leave in the freezer overnight.
Sponge ingredients
4 eggs
125g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp salt
115g plain flour
100g pistachio nuts, peeled and crushed
Method
Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Separate the eggs. Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar and all the vanilla. Beat till lightly coloured. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. While beating, slowly add the salt and remaining sugar until combined. Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Add the nuts and sieve the flour into the egg mixture and gently fold in until combined. Pipe the mixture onto a silicon baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes.
Recipe by Granny Mouse Country House and Spa.
Ulusu namazambane (tripe and potato stew)
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1kg tripe, washed and cut into pieces
Water
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 onion, chopped
10ml curry powder
5ml ground cumin
5ml ground coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Cover the tripe with water. Bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer gently for 3 hours. Replenish water if it goes dry.
Add potatoes, onions, spices, salt, and pepper to tripe. Cook for a further 30 minutes until potatoes are done.
Serve hot over Isijabane (spinach pap).
Recipe by Dorah Sitole