Bobotie is a delicious slow cooked spicy casserole. Serve it with yellow rice or mashed potato and sambals. For this recipe we have used Afrikoz Spices SOUTH blend.
Author: Afrikoz Spices
Cuisine: African
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 4
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Ingredients
30 ml Oil
500 g Beef Mince
2 Onions chopped
2 Cloves Garlic crushed
2 tbsp Chutney or fruity conserve
45 ml Tomato Sauce
400 g tin Lentils drained and rinsed
125 ml Beef Stock
1 tbsp Afrikoz Spices SOUTH blend
125 ml Raisins or Sultanas
4 Slices Bread, crust removed and broken into small pieces
250 ml Milk or Buttermilk
Salt & pepper
2 Eggs
6 Bay Leaves
Instructions
Heat oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Fry the mince a little at a time over high heat until it changes colour, breaking it up so that it becomes crumbly. Remove from pan.
Sauté onion and garlic until soft and return the meat to the pan.
Add remaining ingredients.
Transfer to casserole dish.
Coat the bread in a few tablespoons of buttermilk stir into the meat.
Mix the remaining milk and eggs together, season to taste.
Pour over the meat and arrange the bay leaves on top.
Bake at 190°C for 30-40 minutes, until topping is set.
Serve with yellow or basmati rice and sambals.
TIP: To make your Bobotie a bit more special, sprinkle with flaked almonds before baking.
Notes
Adapted from a blend of Fiery Foods, Robertsons & C. Louis Leipoldt's Cape Cookery, written in the 1940s.
Spicy minced lamb rolled in a delicious mixture of ground peanuts and mixed spice, then grilled or barbequed to perfection. We used Afrikoz Spices WEST blend for the tsire in these koftas.
Author: Afrikoz Spices
Cuisine: African
Recipe type: Lunch
Serves: 4
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Ingredients
600g lamb mince
2 Tbsp Greek style plain yoghurt
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp Afrikoz Spices WEST blend
Olive oil spray
Mint leaves to garnish
Instructions
Mix the lamb, yoghurt, onion, and garlic together blend using your hands.
Divide mixture into 12 portions, roll into a ball and form into sausage shaped koftas.
Push the koftas onto skewers pressing the meat around the skewer.
Dip the kofta into the beaten egg, allow excess to drip off, then roll in the Afrikoz Spices WEST blend allowing for even coverage.
Spray the kofta lightly with olive oil spray.
Grill or barbeque for about 5 minutes each side or until cooked.
Tsire, also known as suya, is a popular street food in Nigeria. Looking a lot like a shish kebab, tsire is often a skewered piece of meat covered in spices and sold in roadside stands. When making at home, one could grill the tsire in warmer months or broil them in your oven when outdoor cooking is not an option. We're using Afrikoz Spices WEST blend for these kebabs.
Author: Afrikoz Spices
Cuisine: Nigerian
Recipe type: Lunch
Serves: 4
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Ingredients
500g chicken thigh fillets
1 tablespoon Afrikoz Spices WEST blend
1 ⁄2 teaspoon crushed garlic
2 tablespoons peanut/vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the Afrikoz Spices WEST blend and crushed garlic.
Cut the chicken into long, thin strips and brush with the oil and lime juice.
Coat liberally with the spice rub.
Marinate for 1 hour if desired.
Stick onto skewers and grill on the barbeque until it's cooked to your liking.
Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Raisins, Almonds & Honey
Also known as Mrouzia – sometimes spelled M'rouzia – is a sweet and spicy Moroccan tagine traditionally prepared in the days following Eid Al Adha, or Eid Al Kabir. Lamb is most popular at this time, but beef or goat meat can also be used. We're using Afrikoz Spices NORTH blend for this tagine.
Author: Afrikoz Spices
Cuisine: Moroccan
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 6-8
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Ingredients
1½ kg (about 3 lbs.) lamb (shoulder, neck or shanks) cut into 3" pieces
2 tablepoons Afrikoz Spices NORTH blend
½ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
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2 medium onions, grated
3 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
2 small pieces (2 to 3") of cinnamon stick
½ cup unsalted butter
3 cups water
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1½ cups dark golden or sultana raisins (about 225 g)
½ cup honey, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup blanched almonds (about 50 g)
Instructions
Ahead of Time
Ideally the night before, but at least several hours in advance, wash, drain and pat dry the meat.
Rub the Afrikoz Spices NORTH blend evenly over the meat.
Cover and refrigerate until cooking time.
If you'll be frying almonds rather than adding them directly to the sauce, you can do that in advance as well. When completely cool, cover the fried almonds until needed as a garnish.
Make the Mrouzia.
When you're ready to cook, cover the raisins with water and set aside to soak while the meat is cooking.
Pressure Cooker Method:
Mix the seasoned meat in a pressure cooker with the onions, garlic, and butter.
Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to turn the meat as it browns.
Add the 3 cups of water, cover, and cook with pressure for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
Add the raisins (drained), honey, and cinnamon. (If you're planning to cook the almonds in the sauce, add them now as well.)
If necessary, add additional water to just cover the raisins.
Cover the pot and simmer without pressure for 20 to 30 minutes, until the raisins are plump and the sauce is reduced to a thick, syrup-like consistency.
Conventional Pot Method:
Mix the seasoned meat in a heavy-bottomed pot with the onions, garlic, and butter.
Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to turn the meat as it browns.
Add the 3 cups of water, cover, and bring to a simmer.
Cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Add the raisins (drained), honey, and cinnamon. (If you're planning to cook the almonds in the sauce, add them now as well.) If necessary, add additional water to just cover the raisins.
Cover the pot and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the raisins are plump and the sauce is reduced to a thick, syrup-like consistency.
Tagine Method:
In the base of a tagine, mix the seasoned meat with the onions, garlic, and butter.
Turn the pieces of meat so that they are bone-side down and add the 3 cups of water.
Cover the tagine and place over medium-low heat. (A diffuser is recommended.)
Leave the tagine to reach a simmer and then cook for about 3 hours (maintain a medium-low heat setting, and watch the level of liquids toward the end of cooking), or until the meat tests tender.
Add the raisins (drained), honey, and cinnamon. (If you are planning to cook the almonds in the sauce, add them now as well.)
If necessary, add additional water to almost cover the raisins.
Cover the tagine and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the raisins are plump and the sauce is reduced to a thick, syrup-like consistency.
To Serve:
Discard the cinnamon sticks.
If the mrouzia was prepared in a tagine, serve the meat directly from the cooking vessel. Otherwise, arrange the meat in center of a serving dish and distribute the raisins, almonds and sauce over the meat.
(If fried almonds were prepared ahead of time, scatter them over the mrouzia as a garnish.)
Adobo means spice rub or marinade, and the particular recipe we include was introduced by African slaves brought to Bahía in Brazil in the 17th century. But the actually birthplace is of some confusion. The one I make most often is a wet kind of paste. It makes for a messy albeit fun way of cooking! You can rub it on raw chicken, steaks, veal chops and even some of the more meaty fish, and most often sear it to push the flavors deeply into the food. Then finish it by roasting where the heat is more in a ‘surrounding’ mode, which helps prevent the adobo from getting bitter which it could if said searing where prolonged. To provide a little relief from the heat, the tuna is served on a bed of lightly pickled cucumbers. We're using Afrikoz Spices EAST blend for this recipe.
Author: Afrikoz Spices
Cuisine: African
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 4
Prep time:
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Ingredients
For the Adobo Spice Rub
2 tablespoons Afrikoz Spices EAST blend
1½ tablespoon dried orange peel
1 tablespoon sugar
4 x 180g/6-ounce tuna fillets
⅔ cup peanut oil
For the Pickled Cucumbers
2½ tablespoons sugar; (more or less to taste)
½ cup champagne vinegar
1 whole cucumber, peeled and very thinly sliced
For the Avocado Salsa
2 ripe avocado, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
3 scallions cut thinly on the bias
1 large capsicum or roasted red peppers, seeded and diced small
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt & cracked black pepper, to taste
For the Tuna
350g/12 ounces tuna; sinew; bloodline and fat removed, diced small
1 teaspoon of peeled and minced shallots
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon orange zest, minced
1 tablespoon Afrikoz Spices EAST blend spice rub
Instructions
For the Adobo Spice Rub:
Mix all of the dry ingredients together.
For the Pickled Cucumbers:
Mix the sugar and vinegar in a bowl. Stir well.
Add in the cucumber and allow to marinate about 15 minutes. Reserve.
For the Avocado Salsa:
In a medium bowl, put the diced avocado, scallions, roasted peppers and garlic.
Whisk together the lime and orange juice with the olive oil and salt and pepper.
Pour over the salsa ingredients and gently toss.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
For the Tuna:
Arrange the cucumber in neat slices across the bottom of the plates.
Slice the tuna and lay it over the cucumbers.
Place the avocado salsa on top or along the sides of the tuna.
Now spoon a little of the pickling juices around the cucumbers and serve.
Sometimes I add a little grated orange peel on top of the dish as well.
Notes
Adapted from recipe by Norman Van Aken at Food Republic.
This is the fabulous fishy adaptation of a classic meat Bobotie, a recipe which is featured on the Fish is the Dish website that is made with hake... although we have used coley as the stronger flavours work very well with the spices in this dish. The recipe is a little different from a classic Bobotie recipe in other ways too. There is no bread added, almonds and dried fruit; however, the flavours are very similar once cooked. This recipe is AMAZING though, and a wonderful way to cook fish for a family supper. We used Afrikoz Spices EAST blend for this meal.
Author: Afrikoz Spices
Cuisine: African
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 4
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Ingredients
3 x 175g fillets of hake (similarly cod or coley), cut into large chunks
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
3 free-range eggs, beaten
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
100ml double or whipping cream
3 tsp Afrikoz Spices EAST blend
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 tbspn chutney
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F.
Cook the potatoes in a pot of boiling water for 4 minutes, then drop in the carrot slices for a further minute. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes, or until softened.
Add the potato, carrot and chunks of fish to the pan.
Add the chutney and bay leaf to the pan.
Pour over the vinegar, then spoon the mixture into a baking dish.
Beat the eggs, cream and Afrikoz spices EST blend together in a bowl.
Add the parsley and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Spoon the egg mixture over the fish mixture, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until just set.
Notes
Adapted from Karen Burns-Booth at lavenderandlovage.com's recipe taken from Fish Is The Dish.
Adapted from the Moosewood cookbook for West African Groundnut Stew. Wine or other fruit and vegetable juices (example, apricot or tomato) would also work as substitutes for the liquids. We have used Afrikoz Spices WEST blend in this dish.
Author: Afrikoz Spices
Cuisine: African
Recipe type: Lunch
Serves: 3-4
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Ingredients
½ tablespoon peanut oil
½ cup onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Afrikoz Spices WEST blend
3 cups cabbage, shredded
1 sweet potato, diced
1 eggplant, diced (optional)
1 x 400g can chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 x 400g can diced tomatoes
150g apple juice
¼ teaspoon salt
½ lemon juiced
parsley chopped
coriander chopped
peanuts
coconut shaved or dessicated (optional)
Instructions
Heat oil over medium high heat and add onions. Saute for a few minutes, until starting to show a little color.
Add garlic and sauté a few more minutes.
Stir in Afrikoz Spices WEST blend and stir.
Add cabbage, sweet potato, eggplant (if using), broth, tomatoes, apple juice, and salt.
Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer, mostly covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Check to see if sweet potatoes are tender, and turn off heat, stir in lemon juice to combine.
Serve topped with coriander, parsley, and peanuts.
0.5kg Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 6 wedges
2 cups chopped peeled turnips
4 carrots, cut in half lengthwise and then into 3-inch sticks
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup frozen baby peas
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Fresh coriander sprigs
Instructions
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add Afrikoz Spices NORTH blend and cook, stirring, until the spices begin to foam.
Add coriander, parsley, garlic, and tomatoes; cook, stirring until they're well blended.
Add fennel, potatoes, turnips, carrots, and broth. Then reduce heat to medium. Cover tightly and cook until the potatoes and carrots are tender (about 30 minutes).
Add peas and cook until they are thoroughly heated. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
Transfer the mixture to a tagine pot or platter. Garnish with coriander sprigs.
Notes
Tagine tips: This recipes call for a skillet, but you can also cook using a tagine dish. If you use a heavy cast-iron enamel tagine, cut the liquid in the recipe by half; the dish's tight seal doesn't allow as much evaporation as a regular pan's. A tagine dish holds a limited amount of food, so use a small Dutch oven to make large amounts. For a dramatic table presentation in keeping with Moroccan custom, set the dish in the center of the table, slowly lifting the lid to release the heady aromas and show off the colorful meal inside.
This distinctive and tasty authentic curry relies heavily on the special blend of spices, known as Cape Malay curry powder. Cape Malay curries are famous for their fruity and full-bodied flavours, making good use of local colourful vegetables or meat and fish, they are not as hot as the curries used in the Indian kitchen. We are using Afrikoz Spices SOUTH blend for the Cape Malay Curry in this dish.
Author: Afrikoz Spices
Cuisine: African
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 1
Prep time:
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Ingredients
1½ kg skinned and boned fish cut into chunks, such as Cape Hake or Cod, Coley, Haddock, Ling & Whiting (or other fresh white fleshed fish that is handy)
Peanut oil
4 onions, peeled and chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon Afrikoz Spices SOUTH blend
¼ teaspoon salt
black pepper
1 cinnamon sticks
3 cloves
2 bay leaves
2 carrots, peeled and diced
250 g dried apricots, soaked in warm water and drained
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
50 ml wine vinegar
250 ml fish stock
3 tablespoons apricot jam
3 tablespoons natural yoghurt
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large pot or saucepan.
Over high heat, fry the onions and garlic, stirring continuously.
Add the Afrikoz Spices SOUTH blend spice powder and all the spices* and continue stirring for a minute.
Season to taste with pepper and add the salt. Reduce the heat slightly.
Add the vinegar and stock, plus all the other remaining ingredients (except the fish, apricot jam and yoghurt).
Cover. Reduce heat. Simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender, approximately 45 minutes.
Add the fish and simmer for a further 10 to 12 minutes, or until fish is cooked.
Stir in the apricot jam and the yoghurt a few minutes before serving.
Serve this curry with yellow rice and a variety of sambals and atjars.
* For best results marry ground spices into a paste the day before and refrigerate.
A fragrant, spicy curry that is packed full of dried fruit and is slow cooked for meltingly tender beef. This curry benefits from being made the day before you need to serve it, and any leftovers can be made into delicious curry puffs or rissoles the next day. We've used Afrikoz spices SOUTH blend here.
Author: Afrikoz Spices
Cuisine: African
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 8
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
500g stewing steak, cut into even-sized chunks
4 large onions, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon plain flour
100g sultanas
100g dried apricots
50g desiccated coconut
Salt and pepper
3 tsp Afrikoz Spices SOUTH blend
Instructions
Heat the vegetable oil over a medium to high heat, then add the stewing steak piece by piece, sear each piece, turning it over to brown evenly – take the beef out as it browns and allow it to drain on some kitchen towel. Do NOT overcrowd the pan.
Place the seared beef in a large oven-proof casserole dish. Add some more oil of needed and then cook the onions over a low heat, until they are just soft and opaque.
Add the onions to the beef and then add the Afrikoz Spice SOUTH mix to the pan, and heat it up before adding a tablespoon of flour. Mix well and gradually add 300ml water, stirring all the time to make sure it is lump free. Pour it over the beef and onions.
Add the sultanas, apricots and desiccated coconut to the beef mixture and mix well.
Add some salt and pepper and place the lid on the casserole dish.
Cook in a pre-heated oven 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2 for 2 to 2 ½ hours, or until the curry sauce has thickened and the beef is tender.
Serve with steamed rice and assorted sambals, such as chopped tomato, chopped onion, chopped cucumber, chutney, peanuts, desiccated coconut and naan breads.
Notes
This can be cooked in a slow cooker too – cook on auto for up to 8 hours or on high for 6 hours. (Times vary according to different slow cooker models)
The lamb is coated and marinated in a spice paste. As the meat browns in the pot, the spices will also brown and cook, adding a rich flavor and color to the stew. This dish not only has heat, but the heady aroma of exotic spice. Its secret ingredient is ras el hanout, and we've used Afrikoz Spices NORTH blend for this recipe.
Author: Afrikoz Spices
Cuisine: African
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 6-8
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Ingredients
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2kg lamb shoulder or leg, cut in 2 inch chunks
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 x 400g can Italian whole tomatoes with juice
2 cups chicken stock
12 dried Calimyrna or Turkish figs, halved
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons Afrikoz Spices NORTH blend
1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Harissa or red chili paste
Fresh coriander sprigs
Instructions
Combine ¼ cup olive oil, coriander, cumin, paprika, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Mix to form a paste.
Place lamb in a large bowl. Rub paste all over lamb. Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate covered up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven or oven proof pot with lid over medium-high heat.
Add lamb in batches and brown on all sides, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Transfer lamb to a plate or bowl.
Add onion and carrot to the same pot. Saute, stirring up the brown bits, for 2 minutes.
Add garlic and ginger and continue to saute 1 minute.
Add tomatoes, chicken stock, figs, cinnamon stick, Afrikoz Spices NORTH blend, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
Return lamb and any collected juices to the pot, submerging it in the stock. (Add additional chicken stock to cover, if necessary.)
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover pot. Transfer to oven and bake until lamb is falling apart tender, about 2 hours.
Transfer pot to stove. Remove lamb and vegetables with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl.
Bring stock to a boil over medium-high heat.
Boil uncovered until sauce is reduced by about half and thickened, skimming fat.
Stir in chickpeas.
Taste to check for seasoning. If necessary add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the stock.
Return lamb and vegetables to pot.
Serve with prepared couscous.
Pass bowls of harissa and fresh cilantro around the table as condiments.
Notes
May be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate. To serve, skim any collected fat from surface. Rewarm over medium-low heat or in a 325 F. oven.
Chopped Chicken Burgers with Berbere & Goats Cheese
Imagine the best Southern barbecue. Cooked up in northern Africa. Use Afrikoz Spices EAST blend of berbere in this recipe. This technique for using chopped (rather than ground) chicken keeps the burgers moist and flavorful. The prosciutto mixed into it helps, too. Be warned that when you form the patties, they will be very moist and messy. But once they hit the grill, they will hold together without trouble. If you'd rather used ground turkey for convenience, this same seasoning blend will be delicious in that, too.
Author: Afrikoz Spices
Cuisine: African
Recipe type: Lunch
Serves: 4
Prep time:
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Ingredients
1 large egg
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons Afrikoz Spices EAST blend
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch salt
1kg pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
4 slices prosciutto
4 hamburger buns
200g log chevre (soft goat cheese)
Instructions
Heat a barbeque grill to medium. Oil the grates, or coat them with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, garlic powder, Afrikoz Spices East blend, black pepper and salt. Set aside.
In a food processor, combine the chicken and prosciutto. Pulse until the meat is well chopped but still chunky, about 10 seconds total. Scrape the sides of the bowl and pulse again if any large pieces remain unchopped.
Transfer the meat to the bowl with the egg mixture, then mix well. Form the meat into 4 loose patties. They will be moist and not hold together well.
Use a spatula to carefully place the burgers on the grill and cook, covered, for 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the burgers — they should be firm enough to move easily now — and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees at the center of the burgers.
Top each burger with a quarter of the cheese, then serve on a bun.
