Recipes > Savanna Saffa Classics

Cape Malay Bobotie

This CAPE MALAY BOBOTIE RECIPE is for the traditional plain version of Bobotie. It makes a pleasingly spiced slightly sweet dish, with a very light curry flavour.

Ingredients

THE BOBOTIE FILLING
  • 1 lb beef, minced
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 slices white bread, stale with crusts removed
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 2 tbsp hot water
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp salt
THE BOBOTIE TOPPING
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • ½ cup milk
  • bay leaves or lemon leaves for garnishing
Method

Pre-heat the oven to 325F. Soak the bread in water for 10 minutes, squeeze out the excess and then crumble. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and braise the onion until golden. Break the two eggs into a large bowl and beat lightly. Mix in the mince Add the onion mixture from the frying pan, the hot water, lemon juice, crumbled bread, turmeric and sugar to the mince, mixing well. Spoon the mixture into a well-greased, oven-proof dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and then remove from the oven.

Topping
Combine the other egg with the milk and beat well. Pour the mixture over the bobotie and arrange the bay/lemon leaves as garnish. Return to the oven and bake at 350F for 10 minutes, or until the topping is set. Serve the Bobotie with a large salad and rice.

 

African Gumbo

A delicious spicy dinner that is great during cold weather and is as easy to prepare.

Ingredients

  • 300g okra
  • 2 Tablespoons peanut oil
  • 800g chicken thigh fillets, chopped coarsely
  • 2 large brown onions, chopped coarsely
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 teaspoons sambal oelek
  • 5 medium tomatoes, seeded & finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 1 large potato, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cups water
Method
  1. Trim stems from okra. Heat half of the oil in a large saucepan; cook chicken, in batches, stirring until browned. Drain on paper towel.
  2. Heat remaining oil in pan; cook onion, garlic and sambal oelek, stirring until onion is soft.
  3. Return chicken to pan. Add remaining ingredients; simmer, covered for 30 minutes or until potato is tender.
  4. Serve over a bed of rice.
 

Mielie pap with sheba

This is a great side dish which is a staple in South African homes. It is a quick and easy substitute for mashed potatoes, and is great with barbequed meat - braaivleis. Sheba is a rich tomato gravy which is great over the pap and freezes well. One recipe is usually good for two or three recipes of pap.

Ingredients

PAP
  • 1 cup cornmeal (white or yellow)
  • 2 Cups boiling water
  • 1 (14 ounce) can creamed corn
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon margarine
SHEBA
  • 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
  • 8 ounces onions, chopped (1 cm by 1 cm pieces)
  • 8 ounces green peppers, chopped (1 cm by 1 cm pieces)
  • 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 2 Teaspoons brown sugar, cubes or tsps
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • salt and pepper
  • parsley, dried or fresh to taste
Method

PAP
Add boiling water, creamed corn, salt and margarine to casserole dish. Add cornmeal and stir. Cook in microwave for 2 minutes, stir. Cook for around 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until pap is thick and fluffy. Serve with gravy, sheba, or salsa. Great with barbequed meat. To make microwave pap without creamed corn, add an extra cup of boiling water and cook as directed.

SHEBA
Sauté the onion in a frying pan with oil until soft – make sure heat is not too high, you don’t want the onions to brown. When onion is soft, add green pepper and stir for around 2 minutes – doesn’t have to be completely cooked.

Add can of tomato paste and also can of diced tomatoes. Then add 3 big cloves of crushed garlic and two cubes of brown sugar and chopped fresh parsley (around 2 tbsps). Add ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 ½ tsp of freshly ground black pepper. Cook over slow heat (simmer) for about 10 minutes. Better the day after it is made. Serve over pap.

 

Chakalaka Sauce

Ingredients
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 6 large tomatoes, grated
  • 2 green peppers, diced
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and grated
  • 450-gram can of baked beans
  • 4 spoonfuls of hot curry
  • 2 raw chilli, cut into very small pieces
  • 1 spoonful of peri-peri
  • 150 ml of oil
  • half a teaspoon of salt
Method

Warm the oil in a cooking point for 1 minute. Put in your onions and green pepper in the oil, and fry until soft. Add the grated carrots, tomatoes, chilli and baked beans and mix thoroughly. Allow the mixture to cook for 15 minutes in medium heat. Stir the mixture every five minutes to ensure that it does not stick to the pot. Also make sure that the mixture becomes smooth. Add your curry, peri-peri and salt to season. Allow to cook for another 15 minutes

Note: Chakalaka keeps well, and can be stored in your refrigerator in a closed container for more than a week.

 

Tomato Bredie

Ingredients
  • 1 kg mutton, cut into 25cm pieces
  • 1 kg very ripe sunripened tomatoes, skinned and chopped
  • 1 green chili pepper, deseeded and chopped finely
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons oil, your preference salt and pepper
Method
  1. Cook onions, peppercorns, cloves and 1/2 cup water in saucepan until water has evaporated.
  2. Add oil and cinnamon and fry for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  3. Add meat, stir thoroughly, turn down heat, cover with tight-fitting lid and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
  4. Add tomatoes and chili, adjust seasoning to taste, replace lid and simmer for a further 45 minutes stirring occasionally.
  5. Serve with boiled potatoes and yellow rice.