FAMILY FOOD, THE AFRICAN WAY

Seriously delicious dishes with a different twist on African cuisine from YOU Home Cooking by Esther Malan – perfect for keeping the family warm and satisfied this winter.

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CHOPS WITH PAP FINGERS AND CHAKALAKA BUTTER
Serves 6
Preparation: 20 minutes
Chilling: about 1 hour
Cooking: 15 minutes
Stywe pap (stiff mealie meal porridge) and chakalaka is an old favourite in our country, especially when served with braaied meat.

PAP FINGERS
500ml (2 c) cooked stywe pap, left to cool slightly
125ml (½ c) chopped mixed herbs or 30ml (2 T) dried Italian herbs
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

CHAKALAKA BUTTER
150g soft butter
5ml (1 tsp) paprika
2,5ml (½ t) cayenne pepper
4 chillies, deseeded and chopped
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
Pinch of salt

CHOPS
6 pork chops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15ml (1 T) lemon juice

TO FINISH:
60ml (¼ c) grated hard Italian cheese (such as Parmesan or Grana Padano) or mature  Cheddar cheese
15ml (1 T) olive oil for drizzling

Grease a 32 x 20-cm ovenproof dish with non-stick spray. Line a large baking sheet with foil and brush lightly with oil. Prepare a braai fire with enough coals to cook the chops.

1. PAP FINGERS Mix the pap, herbs and lemon zest well. Season with salt and pepper. Put the pap in the prepared ovenproof dish and level the surface. Cool completely in the fridge.

2. CHAKALAKA BUTTER Mix all the ingredients well and spoon a line onto a sheet of cling film. Roll into a cylindrical shape, wrapping the cling film around the butter. Knot the ends and chill in the fridge to harden.

3. CHOPS Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper and the lemon juice. Arrange the chops on a braai grid and braai over the coals for 15 minutes or until cooked as desired – turn the chops frequently to prevent them from burning.

4. TO FINISH Preheat the oven to 230° C. Cut the chilled pap into long fingers. Carefully transfer each finger to the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle over the cheese and a little oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until crispy.

5. Serve the chops with the pap fingers and chakalaka butter.



MASALA TOMATO STEW
Serves 4
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 1½ hours
Tomato stew will always be a popular dish for South Africans. We’ve added roasted masala as a twist to this recipe; use stewing meat on the bone to ensure optimum heartiness.

750g stewing beef (with bone)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
30ml (2 T) olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 onions, sliced
5ml (1 t) chilli flakes
15–30ml (1–2 T) roasted masala
100g tomato paste
250ml (1 c) beef stock
750ml (3 c) water
1 tin (410g) whole tomatoes
30ml (2 T) brown sugar
15ml (1 T) lemon juice

TO SERVE
Fresh oregano, toasted ciabatta slices and baby tomatoes

1. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the meat in batches until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

2. Fry the garlic and onions until caramelised. Add the chilli flakes and masala and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and mix through well.

3. Return the meat to the pot and pour over the stock. Add the water and bring to the boil. Simmer until the meat is tender (about 1 hour, depending on the meat). Add more water if necessary.

4. Add the tomatoes, sugar and lemon juice and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.



STYWE PAP ARANCINI
Makes about 12 arancini balls
Preparation: 30 minutes
Chilling: 15 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Rice is nice in these Italian stuffed treats – but stywe pap is lekker too! The different cheeses make these arancini rich and flavoursome.

ARANCINI
15ml (1 T) olive oil
200g diced bacon
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 x 250ml (4 c) cooked stywe pap at room temperature
250ml (1 c) grated mozzarella cheese
125ml (½ c) grated mature Cheddar cheese
125ml (½ c) grated Gouda cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

COATING
2 eggs, whisked
30ml (2 T) milk
125ml (½ c) flour
250ml (1 c) breadcrumbs
Oil for deep-frying

GREMOLATA
Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Salt

TO SERVE
Coarse salt

1. ARANCINI Heat the oil in a pan and fry the bacon until crispy. Add the onion and garlic and stir-fry until soft. Set aside to cool.

2. Put the pap and three kinds of cheese in a bowl. Add the bacon mixture and combine well. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Shape into golf ball-size spheres.

4. COATING Whisk the eggs and milk together. Roll a pap ball in the flour, dip in the egg mixture and roll in the breadcrumbs. Repeat. Put the balls on a plate and chill for at least 15 minutes.

5. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or large pot and deep-fry the balls in batches until golden brown and heated all the way through. Drain on paper towels.

6. GREMOLATA Mix all the ingredients together.

TO SERVE
Serve the arancini with the gremolata and a little coarse salt.



AMASI FLAPJACKS
Makes 14–16 Flapjacks
Preparation: 10 minutes
Standing: 30 minutes
Cooking: 15–20 minutes
We use amasi instead of the usual buttermilk to make these flapjacks deliciously South African.

FLAPJACKS
500ml (2 c) cake flour
10ml (2 t) baking powder
5ml (1 t) bicarbonate of soda
2,5ml (½ t) salt
30ml (2 T) sugar
5ml (1 t) vanilla essence
500ml (2 c) amasi*
2 eggs, whisked
Oil for frying

TO SERVE
Yoghurt, honey and fresh fruit

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre.

2. Whisk the vanilla essence, amasi and eggs together in a separate bowl. Pour the mixture into the well in the dry ingredients and beat to form a smooth batter. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

3. Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan. Spoon dollops of the batter into the pan and fry over medium heat until the flapjacks are golden on both sides and cooked through.

TO SERVE
Stack the flapjacks on a plate and spoon over yoghurt and honey. Arrange fruit on top and serve immediately.

*Buttermilk or plain yoghurt can also be used in the flapjack mixture instead of the amasi.