African Food Special: South Africa

I really know nothing about South African food so I thought I would start with the obvious and try out the most popular and traditional dish of the country – Bobotie.

The national dish of South Africa, it’s commonly made with minced meat, usually lamb or beef, covered with an egg-based topping and served with rice.

It does sound really tasty but traditionally it has a fruity content which I’m not into, so I opted to cook up another dish. But you can check out a Bobotie recipe below.

I decided to go for another popular South African dish called Potjiekos, a  traditional stew prepared outdoors in a pot. The stew can be cooked in a variety of ways but I had the Beef Wine Potjiekos. It has the heartiness of an Irish stew but with more of a bite and provided much needed warmth in a house with no heating. I’m so so cold.

Beef Wine Potjiekos

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 kg beef, cubed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 400g can tomatoes
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Bunch fresh basil, chopped
• 150 ml white wine
• Juice of a lemon
• 15 ml flour (When added to water)
• Bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Heat oil and brown the meat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until golden brown and transparent.
2. Then add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and the basil.
 Add the wine to the dish and season with the lemon juice.
3. Cover the pot with lid and allow to simmer for 1.5 – 2 hours or until meat is tender.
4. Mix flour with a little cold water to form a paste and add to the meat.
 Simmer for a few minutes to thicken.
5. Just before serving, sprinkle with parsley and serve with rice.

If Bobotie is more your dish; here is a recipe from BBC Good Food.