Cooking The Southern African Way by Kari A. Cornell & Peter Thomas

Author:Kari A. Cornell & Peter Thomas [Cornell, Kari A. & Thomas, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9780822512394
Publisher: IB Dave's Library
Published: 2005-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

Soups, Salads, and Side Dishes

The abundance of fruits and vegetables that thrive in southern Africa’s warm climate forms the basis of stews and provides nice accompaniments to the grilled meat dishes that are so popular in the region. Pumpkin, yams, and spinach native to the African continent mix with the corn, tomatoes, and peppers that were introduced later during trade with South America to create excellent side dishes, soups, and salads. In addition, southern Africans of Asian descent have contributed rice to the area’s cuisine, and it may be served plain or flavored with curry spices and dried fruits.

Peanuts, known as groundnuts in their native Africa, play a prominent role in side dishes, adding flavor and protein. Cooks use peanuts in a variety of ways. They may crush them to sprinkle as a garnish over salads such as the avocado, peanut, and ginger salad, or mash the nuts and mix them with vegetable stock to create delicious sauces. For a satisfying vegetarian meal, consider filling a buffet table with three or four of these dishes along with a cornmeal porridge. Avocado, peanut, and ginger salad is a fresh, summery dish from Swaziland. (Recipe on page 39.)

37

Sweet Corn Soup (Botswana)

This creamy soup is a popular dish among workers and guests on southern Botswana’s game farms, where herds of fabulous animals, from antelopes to giraffes, roam across the landscape. 2 c. milk

1. In a medium saucepan, heat milk on

low heat, taking care not to let it

2 tbsp. butter

boil.

¥ medium onion, chopped

2. As the milk heats, warm butter in a

1 tbsp. cornmeal

kettle over medium heat. Add onion

2 c. chicken or vegetable stock*

and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring

frequently, until onion is

1 16-oz. can cream-style sweet corn

translucent and soft.

¥ tsp. celery salt

3. Reduce heat to low and add

¥ tsp. black pepper

cornmeal to kettle. Cook for about 2

minutes, stirring constantly.

∂ c. heavy cream**

4. Turn off heat and slowly stir warm

milk into onion mixture.

5. Turn heat back on to medium and

add chicken or vegetable stock,

corn, celery salt, and pepper. Bring

soup to a boil, stirring often.

Reduce heat to low and add cream.

Stir to combine and cook until

heated through, about 5 more

minutes.

*To lower this soup’s fat content,

Serves 4 to 6

use reduced-fat broth.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

**Half-and-half and whole

milk are both suitable substitutes for

cream if you’d like to cut fat from this

recipe, although it will not

be as rich and creamy.

38

Avocado, Peanut, and Ginger Salad (Swaziland)

Cool and refreshing, this salad of creamy avocado cubes, crunchy peanuts, and spicy ginger is a favorite in Swaziland.

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1. In a medium serving bowl, mix

lemon juice, gingerroot, and salt.

1 tsp. freshly grated gingerroot*

2. Add avocado and stir gently to coat

¥ tsp. salt

thoroughly with the lemon juice

2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and

mixture. Set aside for at least 30

cubed**

minutes.

¥ c. finely chopped raw, unsalted

3. Just before serving, sprinkle salad

peanuts

with peanuts.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Marinating time: 30 minutes

*To peel ginger, use a vegetable peeler or the edge of a

spoon to remove the root’s thin skin. Grate the flesh with a

ginger grater or fine cheese grater. Skinned ginger can

also be chopped up finely with a knife.

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