Essential South African Cooking in the USA: 25 Traditional Recipes

By Aileen Wilsen

Essential South African Cooking in the USA: 25 Traditional Recipes follows on the well-received cookbook, South African Cooking in the USA. South African cuisine is a delicious fusion of flavors and cooking styles from Africa, Europe and the East. This collection of illustrated recipes provides easy-to-follow instructions on how to produce authentic, nutritious and tasty traditional favorites, including samoosas, bobotie, curries, vetkoek, malva pudding, milk tart and buttermilk rusks. Recipes were developed and tested in the USA, using locally available ingredients, and are presented in US measurements. Authors Aileen Wilsen and Kathy Farquharson were born and raised in South Africa. Aileen (BS Home Economics) is a food consultant and writer and currently resides in Arizona. Kathy is a Seattle-based science writer and editor.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aileen Wilsen
• Release date: May 21, 2012
• ISBN: 9780985644505

Aileen Wilsen

Aileen Wilsen is a South African food consultant and cookbook author who has been living in Arizona since 2008. She holds a BSc in Home Economics from Stellenbosch University and has a background in teaching and recipe development. She established a demonstration kitchen for Gants Foods, where she developed quick and easy recipes and wrote cookbooks and magazine features. She also developed recipes for companies that supplied Woolworths and Pick ‘n Pay with their popular, ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable lines. Before moving to the US, she presented a food program on Radio Helderberg. Her approach to food is very practical. She incorporates natural and seasonal ingredients in her cooking and believes that recipes should be clear and easy to follow. She is author of the well-received cookbook, South African Cooking in the USA, a collection of over 170 traditional and contemporary recipes from the Rainbow Nation.

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Preface

This e-book follows on our well-received book, South African Cooking in the USA.

South African cuisine is a flavorful fusion of African, European and Eastern cooking styles, with strong influences from the Netherlands, Indonesia, France, Germany, Britain, India and Portugal.

This illustrated collection of twenty-five recipes represents the heart of traditional South African cuisine. All of these recipes have been tested in our American kitchen and are presented in clear and easy-to-follow steps. Recipes are loosely grouped into starters, mains, sides, desserts and fried/baked goods.

We hope that you enjoy preparing these traditional South African recipes in your own kitchen!

Aileen and Kathy

May 14, 2012

Samoosas

Pastry triangles with a spicy, crumbly, filling. Originally from Persia, variations of these tasty treats are found worldwide. Samoosas arrived in South Africa via Indian immigrants, were adopted and adapted by the Cape Malay community and became an integral part of South African cuisine.

Yield: 4-5 dozen

Meat filling

1 tablespoon oil

1 pound ground beef or lamb

¾ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 16-ounce pack egg roll wrappers, approximately 8 x 8 inches

2-3 cups oil for deep frying

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and brown the meat until crumbly.

2. Add the salt, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, garlic and ginger. Mix well and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Mix in the cilantro and onion. Stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes and set aside to cool.

4. Fold each egg roll wrapper into thirds, unfold, and cut along the folds to give three separate strips.

5. Taking one strip at a time, fold the lower edge over to the right, to form a triangle (see images).

6. Fold the pastry upwards across the top of the triangle.

7. Rotate the open side of the triangle to the left to form a pocket in which to place the filling. The strip is now above the opening.

8. Pick up the pastry strip and fill the pocket with 1 to 2 teaspoons of the filling.

9. Fold the pastry across the top of the pouch to seal the opening.

10. Wet the remaining straight edges of the strip with cold water and fold them neatly around the triangle.

11.