Of all the regions in Africa, Southern Africa is the smallest and is dominated by South Africa both in terms of land mass and culture. European settlers from southern Africa have had a great influence on the region’s cuisine. As well as others, such as the Malay slaves brought there during the 18th century. As a result, South African cuisine is a true amalgamation of African, European and Asian cuisines and styles that has created something new and wonderful in itself.
As a result, it is almost impossible to define the cuisine of this region in just two dishes. But I’m going to give it a shot anyway!
We start with a dietary staple found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, pap. porridge is an Afrikaans word meaning ‘porridge’ or ‘porridge’ and many traditional South African dishes include porridge, such as soft cornmeal (flour flour) porridge (also called slap daddy), and crumbly ‘phutu’ pap as an accompaniment to a stew or meat dish.
Pap smear with cornmeal
Ingredients:
300 g cornmeal (or polenta)
300 ml of water
Method:
Bring the water to a boil and add the polenta until you get a thick mixture. Let simmer for 25 minutes, stirring every five minutes to prevent burning. Serve with a traditional stew or sauce.
Such a stew could be the traditional chicken-based meal, Murghi Kalya, versions of which are found throughout southern Africa. You can find the strong Malay influence in South African cuisine in this dish.
Murghi Kalya
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 hot chili, minced
3 tablespoons of coconut flakes
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon saffron
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
salt to taste
60 ml of butter
60ml oils
2 medium onions, chopped
250 ml of yogurt
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 medium lime, sliced
50 g of sliced almonds
Method:
Add the chili, coconut, and almonds to a mortar and pestle and grind to a paste, then add the cayenne pepper, garlic, ginger, and salt to the paste.
Add the ghee to a pan and fry the onions until golden brown (reserve the ghee). Transfer to a bowl and mash with the back of a spoon. Mix the onions, spice mix, yogurt and lemon juice together and marinate the chicken in this for about 40 minutes. Pour the entire mixture into a baking dish, add the reserved ghee and pour the oil on top. Arrange lime slices on plate and cover with lid or foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 170° for 1 hour. Uncover and let stand for ten minutes. Sprinkle with almonds and serve with rice or porridge.
Few countries in Africa have a pastry tradition (Liberia is a notable exception). But baked goods and cakes are found throughout southern Africa. The following is a traditional Namibian dish:
Guava Squares
Ingredients:
225 g self-rising flour
1 teaspoon baking power
teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
60g of butter
115g sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
120 g of chopped guava
100g brown sugar
cinnamon sugar (optional)
Method:
Combine the flour, baking power, salt, and cinnamon. Melt the butter in a saucepan and mix the sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. Add the guava and add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Pour into a greased 22 x 22 cm square pan and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 30 minutes. Let cool, unmold and cut into squares.
I hope you have enjoyed this fast culinary gallop through the kitchens of South Africa. We’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of what foods are available, but I hope I’ve sparked enough interest for you to get out there and find more information on the subject. Just remember that long before ‘Fusion’ food became popular in restaurants, it was happening naturally and created in South Africa.