It is August, which means the winter tide has turned and we are now officially on our way to spring.
But we got a late start to winter, people, so in my humble opinion, I think we have at least two more months of cold and hopefully rainy weather ahead of us.
Winter in my household means delicious warm and hearty stews, oven-baked puddings, and pots of hot soup.
Basically we eat anything and everything to keep warm. Well, that’s what I do, anyway.
This cold weather makes me crave for two things, a cosy blanket and a hot meal, cooked on the stove in my ouma’s kitchen.
My mother always said if you are hungry and cold, go home.
So it’s become a tradition in winter to call around and ask all my aunt's what’s on the stove.
This always leads to conversations about Tupperware borrowed and never returned, and sometimes to my horror, denial of a meal at least until I deliver said dishes.
The struggle is real.
I confess, I took your bakkie and it’s probably at someone’s house doing them a service.
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OX LIVER WITH MASH POTATOES AND UIWE SMOORTJIE (braised onions)
Cape Malay Cooking with Fatima Sydow
Ingredients
For Ox liver:
8-10 slices of cleaned Ox liver
2 cups of milk
3-4 tablespoons of vinegar
Salt to taste
Black Pepper
1 cup of flour
1 cup of oil for frying
For mashed potatoes:
10-12 potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
1 cup of milk
100 grams of butter
Salt to taste
For braised onions:
4 onions sliced into rings
5 whole chillies cut into strips
Sprinkle of salt
4 tablespoons of oil for frying
Method
Ensure that the liver is cleaned (skin/ membrane taken off) slice 1cm thick slices and place into a bowl then add the milk and vinegar, cover and place in fridge for a few hours or overnight.
In the meantime- boil cubed potatoes in a pot with water and salt, 1&1/2 teaspoons of salt, until very soft, drain off water, add the butter and milk and mash till smooth and creamy.
In a frying pan, heat the 4 tablespoons of oil and add the onions, a pinch of salt and chillies and stir fry until onions has turned a light to dark brown. Spoon all the onion mix out into a bowl.
In the same pan add the cup of oil and heat the oil, now take out the Ox liver and get rid of the milk, on a plate spread out the flour and add salt and pepper, dip the Ox liver in the flour and pat until all sides are covered with flour. Fry the Ox liver in the heated oil, 1-2 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of liver. And your meal is done, it is that easy.
Tip- prick the liver while frying, if the juices are light pink fry just a few more seconds on both sides and remove immediately. I soak my liver overnight.
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Dhal (Red Lentils ) & Egg Curry
Recipe by Salwaa Francis
Ingredients
2 cups of dhal washed and drain
Cook untill soft with 1tsp Garlic,Ginger ,salt and turmeric approximately 30 minutes
Add water as needed
Braise one large onion in a separate pan
2-3 chillies
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1tsp of garlic and ginger
Add one large tomato cut in small pieces to onion mixture.
When Dhal is soft and ready stir onion mixture into dhal and garnish generously with dhanya and more chillies if desire.
You may add a tbsp of butter as well.
Boil eggs and add to Dhal.