All we needed was a good reason to whip out the bottle of red and slow cook something rib-sticking and the weather today is just that.
After serving up a cup of steaming, marshmallow topped hot chocolate to the kids after school, I set to work on turning a couple of cans into a delicious traditional South African meal. You see, I ran into Woolies out of the freezing rain earlier today and was pleasantly surprised to find tinned samp and beans on the shelves with their trademark green sticker signifying a new product line. I've clearly had my head under a rock because I wasn't quite expecting it to be this cold today, so without any planning tinned samp and beans it is. A slightly more organised version of myself would have had the dried samp and beans soaking last night already. But me being me..... I will not apologise for my shortcut.
Most South African homes have their own version of this hearty meal and I grew up on my mother's; a rich, meaty, lamb stew. Recently, I've come to love the idea of a curried version of my mother's lamb stew (picked up from my Godmother) which we'll be feasting on tonight, curled up under covers with steaming bowls.
To be as happy as I am right now, all you need is:
4 tins of plain samp and beans(go for dried if you wish and figure out the quantities for the portions you need)
1.5kg free range stewing lamb
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely grated
1tsp cumin seeds
1 large cinnamon stick
2tsp turmeric
2tsp of your favourite curry powder/mixed masala/make up your own
1tsp chilli powder
salt to taste
250ml water or stock
In a casserole pot, cover the meat with water and bring to the boil. Simmer gently until the water has completely evaporated, this could be about an hour. At this stage, the meat will start sticking to the bottom while gently frying in the fat that has rendered from the lamb (don't freak, it's not that much if you buy good quality lamb). This part is essential because it adds a whole extra layer of flavour.
Add your onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds and cook for about 5 min. Add all the spices, salt and water. Leave to simmer for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
This recipe feeds a family of five healthy eaters with fairly large portions, the only way this should be eaten!
Tip: always remember that with cooking you don't have to blindly follow a recipe. Taylor the spices and their quantities to your taste. This is based on how I like it
Just in case you're keen on a good cup of our favourite hot chocolate, while you're at the shops get:
100g Dark Madagascan Chocolate
750ml full cream milk
1 cinnamon stick
1 split vanilla pod
4tsp of organic agave nectar
Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat until the chocolate is completely melted, whisk and strain into a jug. Pour into mugs and top with mini marshmallows. Serves 4, if you're being frugal
