ALSO READ: A Sicilian snack using sorghum for a South African twist

To my pleasant surprise, the interior of the restaurant was not as I’d imagined, and I was immediately captivated by the open- fire kitchen and its tattooed chefs. This get- together with my sisters promised to be an afternoon filled with good food, good wine, laughter and joy. I’m happy to say that the six-course tasting menu with wine pairing was filled with some of the most interesting vegetable morsels I’ve ever had. The Cape Malay influence was evident in how the chef had played with spices, pickles and flavour combinations, making each dish a delicious exploration. The wine server also took us on a journey of discovering local, handmade and unfiltered wines, which worked perfectly with the flavourful dishes.

Find Mokgadi’s fried cabbage with tomato curry recipe here. 

From the delicious roosterkoek bread course to the risotto and the coconut koeksister dessert, every dish was perfectly executed, but my absolute highlight was the fried cabbage. The humble veg, encased in a light, crispy batter, was served with a sweet-and-sour tomato curry sauce, basmati rice foam, tomato-and-onion salsa, and topped with crispy onions and curry leaves. I’d never eaten cabbage like that before. It was so incredibly good that I dreamed of it often, to the point where I simply had to try to replicate it.

ALSO READ: Morogo magic: the budget-friendly indigenous ingredient

My version of the tomato curry sauce has tamarind in it and is based on my granny’s tamarind fish curry recipe (without the fish). I make a tempura-style batter for the cabbage, which lightly coats it and keeps it moist and soft inside the crispy coating. The crispy cabbage works well with the curry sauce and the creamy basmati rice foam, creating the perfect balance of flavour and texture. Crispy onions and sliced deep-fried curry leaves add extra flavour and crunch.

When I eat this dish, it reminds me of the love and respect the chefs at Belly of The Best have for their produce, which can be tasted in every bite on the menu. And I feel happy, inspired, and excited about the local food industry

The post Taming the beast: My take on a dish from Belly of the Beast appeared first on Woolworths TASTE.

ALSO READ: Laddles of love: Mokgadi Itsweng on the art of making soup

After three days of eating only pasta with lots of olive oil, lemon, herbs and Parmesan, which was specially prepared for me by the hotel chef, I was finally able to eat more veggies. And so began my deep love affair with the Mediterranean diet, inspired by the eating habits and traditional food of the areas around the Mediterranean sea. I fell in love with the city, its narrow alleys, sidewalk cafés and, of course, the street food. Arancini, cartocciata and panelle were just some of the delights I enjoyed.

Find the recipe for sorghum balls here. 

I discovered that Sicilian arancini is nothing like the arancini I had eaten before. It is large, stuffed to the brim with ragù, and served crispy hot. I ate so much during my visit that I learned that every street vendor had their own way of making it.

ALSO READ: Morogo magic: the budget-friendly indigenous ingredient

I ate arancini stuffed with cheese, mushrooms and all sorts of meats, but my absolute favourite was the mushroom ragù filling that inspired this recipe for sorghum balls. I shape the balls from fermented or plain sorghum pap, stuff them with sautéed mushrooms, then coat them with more sorghum and deep-fry or bake to perfection. Served with a spicy dip or a simple mayo-and-chilli sauce, they are so good that even staunch meat-eaters love them.

The post A Sicilian snack using sorghum for a South African twist appeared first on Woolworths TASTE.

ALSO READ: Morogo magic: the budget-friendly indigenous ingredient

The ingredients must be fresh, carefully selected and picked in season. The layering of spices and flavour is the next step to building depth of flavour. I heat a little oil and add the spices first, allowing them to release their power. Then I add onion, garlic or leeks, followed by whatever vegetables I am using, lightly coating and browning them in the saucepan. A good-quality stock is added next – and this is what determines your soup’s deliciousness, seasoning it as it cooks low and slow. I add texture with grains, beans or crunchy vegetables (nothing kills a great soup faster than mushy veg with no character).

Find the recipe for pumpkin-and-millet soup here. 

Mastering a great soup is a skill that will ensure you are remembered long after the bowls have been washed and packed away. I learned to make a good one from my mom, whose famous pork trotter-and- bean soup was smuggled into Kgosi Mampuru prison to feed my father and his comrades who were held there for six months without trial during the 1985 state of emergency.

ALSO READ: 3 vegetarian recipes from Mokgadi Itsweng’s ‘Veggielicious’

Every time I bump into people who knew her, I hear stories of that soup and how much joy it brought them; all her love and care in a simple bowl. This year, I am celebrating her with a delicious bowl of pumpkin-and-millet soup, because 2023 has been declared the international year of millet by the United Nations. (Good news for me, as I love how versatile and delicious these grains are.) This soup also uses the whole pumpkin, including the seeds, to create a spectacular and unforgettable meal, just the way my mom made it.

The post Ladles of love: Mokgadi Itsweng on the art of making soup appeared first on Woolworths TASTE.

CHECK OUT: 3 vegetarian recipes from Mokgadi Itsweng’s ‘Veggielicious’

Eating beetroot leaves, pumpkin or baby marrow leaves (lerotse) and okra (delele) is an old food practice that has largely been lost because we’ve become so detached from the origins of our food, and we buy our vegetables with their leaves removed. But these leaves are not only rich in iron, fibre, folate, and vitamins, they’re also delicious, and eating them reduces food waste. I use them raw in smoothies and salads, cooked as a sauce for pasta, as a side to my ting pap, or for stuffed dumplings.

Find the recipe for baby marrow leaf morogo here. 

I often cook most of these greens in the same way: sautéing them in some olive oil with garlic, red peppers and onion. If I am making pumpkin or marrow leaves, I add some chopped marrows or small green pumpkin to the mixture before adding chopped tomatoes and stock. This recipe is the base for so many delicious dishes because it can be made in bulk, portioned and frozen for later use. My granny also taught me to preserve the leaves.

ALSO READ: Why we need to be focusing on food security now more than ever

She would make mokhuse by drying the leaves in the sun on a metal sheet for a couple of days, then pack them into bags to be enjoyed during winter when these greens are not available. Living in a townhouse in Johannesburg means I can’t use the sun to preserve my greens, so instead I make jars of spicy morogo pickle, a condiment that’s a permanent feature in my pantry and lasts for up to a year. I eat it with everything, and it means I can have my favourite greens all year round. But in summer, I celebrate the fresh leaves with this quick, easy recipe that’s packed with incredible flavour and goodness.

The post Morogo magic: the budget-friendly indigenous ingredient appeared first on Woolworths TASTE.