For all the mothers with babies or anyone who has to prepare baby food, right click here to download a book full of baby recipes.

This is going to be another regular feature......

If you’ve read about high-protein, low carbohydrate eating plans, you may believe carbohydrates make weight loss difficult, but not all carbohydrates are equal. Yes excess carbohydrates not used immediately for fuel will be stored as fat, so you do need to reduce your intake, but it is possible to choose ‘slow-release’ carbohydrates that help to fill you up and satisfy hunger efficiently. These foods are digested and absorbed slowly, providing slow-release energy, helping to keep hunger at bay.

Best choice slow release carbohydratefoods:
Pumpernickel, pitta bread, oat bran, rice bran, rolled oats, muesli, buckwheat, bulgar, pearl barley, heavy wholemeal, fruit bread, basmati and parboiled rice, wholewheat pasta, canned or dried lentils, legumes, beans, canned sweetcorn, corn-on-the-cob, cherries, apples, grapefruit, grapes, oranges, peaches, pears, plums, peas, cold potato salad, sweet potato, yoghurt, skimmed milk, Juices (dilute 50/50 with water): Grapefruit Apple Orange Pineapple

The UK Lottery never pays less than £3 million every Wednesday and Saturday (± R43 million) with frequent rollovers. You can get your ticket securely by clicking here.

But that's nothing!! The Euromillions Jackpot has has been as high as £ 120 million !! That's roughly R1,740,000,000!!! You can't win it if you're not in it, so click here and get a ticket!

My Recipe CD has now been updated and now includes 50 Recipe eBooks as well as 8 Bonus eBooks (4 eBooks on making, marketing and selling crafts for profit) Click here to take a look and also download your free Low Fat recipe eBook (that works out to about R2 per recipe book! sheessshhh!)

Hello Peter,
Just to let you know that I received my recipe CD today in the mail and I'm over the moon about it.
I'm going to spread the word to others to order copies too. It's most certainly worth every cent..........
Thanks again,
LC

Glenacres Superspar sends out a really nice newsletter full of super recipes. To subscribe, click here and send the blank email. 

Peanuts are a popular ingredient in sub-Saharan cuisine but here is a yummy recipe, much closer to home:

CASSEROLED POTATOES with ORIGANUM

1 kg new or large potatoes
150 ml pure virgin olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
30 ml lemon juice
10 ml grated lemon rind
125 ml vegetable stock
coarse sea salt and ground black pepper
15 ml dried origanum or chopped fresh origanum
1. Lightly peel the potatoes and cut in half (when using new potatoes, simply wash and halve)
2. Rinse and pat dry
3. Pierce them with a fork and boil in salted water until the edges begin to turn white
4. Drain in a colander and place on kitchen towel to dry
5.Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan and add the onions - fry until they become soft and transparent
6. Add the potatoes and continue cooking on a medium heat, until the onions and potatoes turn a light golden brown
7. Add the lemon juice, seasoning, rind, stock and origanum, cover and cook slowly, stirring occasionally
8. After 30 minutes the water should have evaporated, and the potatoes will be surrounded by tangy oil
9. Serve the potatoes with this oil drizzled over, which can be mopped up with bread
 

Go take a look at my Wacky Sarmies page, there are some great sarmie ideas!

Lily from Oregon, USA in the beautiful Northwest.

Toasted wheat bread, top with peanut butter, a slice (ring) of pineapple, curry powder,
a TB of Hawaiian Pear Chutney, sharp cheddar cheese slice
Broil in oven until cheese melts....yuuummm!

Source: Sunday Times

1948: D F Malan's National Party comes into power in South Africa, the state of Israel is founded, Mahatma Ghandi is assassinated, the 33 1/3 rpm LP record is introduced, Velcro is invented,

This dates from the late 1800's

Orange brandy
Put the finely pared rinds of 18 Seville oranges into 3 quarts of brandy and let them steep for 14 days. Then strain and add 2 pints of very thick syrup. Bottle and cork closely.

Nature is wonderful. I envy the jobs of the game rangers and their wealth of bush knowledge. I have often wondered where one can read up on all the interesting facts. I would like to make this a regular feature of this newsletter, if you are able to contribute or would like to comment on the contribution below, please email me.

“Clad in their black attire like the chief mourner at a funeral . . . with all the pomposity and self-importance of village billy goats . . . so brilliant an addition to the catalogue of game quadrupeds - so bright a jewel amid the riches of zoology”. So enthused Sir William Cornwallis Harris, explorer and trophy hunter, who first described the species in 1838.

Most Magnificent
The Sable Antelope is regarded by many as the most magnificent antelope in Africa. The males have the glossy, jet-black coat set off by striking white facial markings and underbelly. The females are rusty red and handsome creatures in their own right. In common with other members of the Hippotragini antelope tribe, both sexes have horns, and what horns they are! Few antelope have anything to compare with the massive swept back spikes which commonly exceed one metre in length in the males, and are somewhat shorter in females. Like its close relative, the Roan, the Sable has a conspicuous mane and this, combined with its horse-like build, have earned them the family name of Hippotragini, which means ‘horse-goat'.

The Harem
Sable live in small herds consisting of numerous adult females, which have a strict hierarchy according to seniority, and their offspring. Each herd is accompanied by a dominant bull which - although it may often feed away from the harem - will never be far away and will always accompany them to water, where attack from a predator is most likely. Even Lions show a great deal of respect for these antelope, however, and there have been numerous instances of the big cats having been gored to death by Sable bulls. Females and calves are at risk to Spotted Hyena, Leopard, Cheetah and Wild Dog. Non-breeding bulls occur singly or in small bachelor herds. After a gestation period of eight to nine months, expectant females leave the herd to give birth to a single youngster. The sandy-coloured calf is then concealed in long grass for the first three weeks of its life, before its mother leads it into the herd.

Seasonal Movements
Sable are primarily grazers of dominant grass species, either of medium height or in new growth. During the dry season they are typically found in valley bottoms and along drainage lines, where they are able to find drinking water on a daily basis. In the wet season they leave the heavy spoils of the lowlands to move into broad-leaved woodlands

Endangered Giant
Sable are thinly distributed in the woodland-savanna of south-central Africa, with two isolated populations commonly regarded as subspecies. The so-called Giant Sable of north-western Angola is endangered, and was actually feared extinct until a population was discovered a few years ago in this war-ravaged country. The Giant Sable is a particularly impressive animal, with males having horns up to 1.6 metres in length! Fears for its ongoing survival in the remoteness of Angola are high as it is extremely difficult to monitor or police its remaining habitat. The Kenyan coastal population (sometimes referred to as ‘Shimba Sable') has shorter horns than the typical Sable but is regarded as threatened as its Angolan relative.

CC Africa's Sable Hotspots
Sable are regularly encountered in the open woodlands of Matesti which is situated on the Zambezi River in north-western Zimbabwe. Reasonable numbers occur in Botswana's Okavango Delta, where visitors to Nxabega and Sandibe have a chance of encountering them. Stragglers may wander into Ngala on the western extremity of the Kruger National Park, but there have been just a handful of sightings in recent years.

- Duncan Butchart -

From: www.wildwatch.com
 

Do you have family and friends all over the world? Does it cost you a fortune to buy and mail gifts to all of them? Why not buy one Recipe eBook and email it to everyone! Just think about the savings on postage! For my selection of eBooks (and CD's) just click here.
 

Afrikaans Newsletter

Subscribe to my Afrikaans newsletter . Visit my Afrikaans website
 

Potjiekos recipe

Another new feature, from now on I will feature a potjie recipe with each newsletter. For those of you who are not familiar with a potjie (cast iron three legged pot) you may use a dutch oven.

Lamb is not my favourite, but I am sure a lot of you love it, so here goes:

Mexican Chicken Pot

If you enjoy Mexican food, you’ll not be able to refuse this chicken pot.  It’s unique taste is mainly thanks to the mixture of herbs and spices and it’s so filling that nothing extra, besides a nice tossed salad, needs to be served with the pot.  It’s enough for 5 to 6 people and a # 3 pot is recommended.

Þ      Heat the oil in the pot and brown the chicken, a few pieces at a time, until golden brown.  Remove and brown the onions and chilli until soft.  Replace the chicken and add the water.  Cover with the lid and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. 

Þ      Layer the veggies and rice as they appear above and sprinkle the herbs and spices on top. Cover with the lid and allow to simmer for another 15 minutes.

Þ       Mix the wine and the rest of the ingredients and pour over the food. Cover with the lid and allow to simmer for 30 minutes or until the rice is done.  Give the pot a good stir before serving. 

One day my housework-challenged husband decided to wash his Sweat-shirt.
Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he shouted to me,
"What setting do I use on the washing machine?"
"It depends," I replied. "What does it say on your shirt?" He yelled back,"University of Canberra ."
And they say blondes are dumb.

A couple is lying in bed. The man says,"I am going to make you the happiest woman in the world." The woman replies, "I'll miss you..."

It's just too hot to wear clothes today," Jack says as he stepped out of the shower, "honey, what do you think the neighbors would think if I mowed the lawn like this?"
"Probably that I married you for your money," she replied.

Q: Why do little boys whine?
A: They are practicing to be men.

Q: What do you call a handcuffed man?
A: Trustworthy.

Q: What does it mean when a man is in your bed gasping for breath and
calling your name?
A: You did not hold the pillow down long enough.

Q: Why do men whistle when they are sitting on the toilet?
A: It helps them remember which end they need to wipe.

Q: How do you keep your husband from reading your e-mail?
A: Rename the mail folder "Instruction Manuals"

I have a big dog & I was buying a large bag of Winalot in Tesco and was standing in the queue at the till. A woman behind me asked if I had a dog. On impulse, I told her that no, I was starting The Winalot Diet again, although I probably shouldn't because I'd ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.
I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and the way that it works is to load your trouser pockets with Winalot nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry & that the food is nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again. I have to mention here that practically everyone in the queue was by now enthralled with my story, particularly a guy who was behind her.
Horrified, she asked if I'd ended up in the hospital in that condition because I had been poisoned. I told her no, it was because I'd been sitting in the road licking my balls and a car hit me.
I thought one guy was going to have a heart attack he was laughing so hard as he staggered out the door.
Stupid woman.........why else would I buy f**king dog food??

BERGAMOT
(BEE BALM)
This herb is indigenous to North America, but became popular in Europe, after early settlers brought back the seeds.The scent of the leaves is reminiscent of the Italian bergamot orange, from which the oil of bergamot is made, and we think this is how it got it's name. It is also known as Oswego.
It makes an excellent garden plant, as the flowers range in colour through red, cerise, pink, magenta, and white (which is very rare). It is a lovely "showy" plant. The leaves are picked in spring or summer, and the flowers when they open. When you cut back the plant, keep the leaves and flowers for potpourris.
Bergamot, attracts bumble bees, butterflies, and bees to the garden. Honey bees are unable to extract the nectar unless holes have been made by other insects.
Bergamot and rosemary make a very attractive hedge. Plant the bergamot in front of the rosemary for the best effect, as the flowers will be cut down in winter. Don't let the plants dry out or they will become weak and spindly.

DOMESTIC USES
Both the flowers and leaves make a wonderful addition to potpourris.

COSMETIC USES
The North American Indians boiled the flowering top of wild bergamot to make a hair oil.
Bergamot leaves added to bath vinegars make excellent refreshers.
Bergamot leaves infused in hot water can be used as a rinse for oily hair.

MEDICINAL USES
Bergamot leaves can be infused into a tea, and used for nausea, flatulence, menstrual pain and insomnia.
Bergamot leaves can be inhaled in steam to relieve bronchial catarrh and sore throats.

CULINARY USES
The soft petals from the flowers can be added to salads.
Add the chopped leaves to stuffings or apple sauce as a condiment for pork.
Sprinkle dried bergamot on veal, for a delicious flavour.
Bergamot, added to cabbage dishes, rice and samp, enhances the flavour.
Bergamot, chopped with mint, makes a tasty addition to spanspek or melon dishes. Remember, however, that it is strongly flavoured, and should be used sparingly.
 

The FunkyMunky Herb eBook is now available. 48 popular herbs, descriptions and uses with photos. Immediately available, will be emailed to you. Only R50 , send me an email for payment details.
I'm very impressed with what I've read so far. What I really like is that your book is a combination of medicinal and culinary advice, unlike many other herb books I've read.
And the format is great - thanks very much. I have an ambitious project to make a herb garden this year - so your section of herb gardens will come in very handy - Shelagh 
 

Zimbabwe update

I used to have a regular feature on my website that I called the Zimbabwe Letters. sadly my contact "went silent" and I didn't have a source any more. I am looking for another source (any volunteers?).

Some of Mugabe's Quotes

Questioned about Retirement

Mugabe in an interview with ABC saying that he would remain in charge of the country, even after he leaves office.

"I'll still be in the party," he said. "The party is greater than government, by the way, and my being president of the party is similar to my being president of the country."

November 10, 2005
2004 May

Talking about efforts by international food agencies to get food to his starving population, in an interview with Sky TV.

"Why foist this food upon us? We do not want to be choked, we have enough."


Dialogue between MDC and ZANU-PF? Never!

2003 August: "Those who seek unity must not be our enemies. No, we say no to them, they must first repent... they must first be together with us, speak the same language with us, act like us, walk alike and dream alike."

2003 June: "Let the MDC and its leadership be warned that those who play with fire will not only be burnt, but consumed by that fire."

2004 February: "We cannot discuss with allies of the West. The devil is the devil and we have no idea of supping with the devil"

Cementing his Dictatorship

2002 December: At the annual conference of his ruling party, Zanu-PF, referring to white commercial farmers who resisted his land reform scheme
"We saw who they were, what they were and we realised we had nurtured enemies among us, so we started treating them as enemies, enemies of our government, enemies of our party, enemies of our people."

2002 December: At the annual conference of his ruling party, Zanu-PF, referring to western countries (Bush and Blair)
"The more they work against us... the more negative we shall become to their kith and kin here."

2003 March: In a speech at funeral of Dr Swithun Mombeshora
"This Hitler has only one objective: justice for his people, sovereignty for his people, recognition of the independence of his people and their rights over their resources… If that is Hitler, then let me be a Hitler tenfold."

2003 December: At the ZANU-PF annual conference
"If they (the MDC) want to violate the laws of the country, we can unleash legal force and legal violence, which we are permitted to do. [...] Some measures of force must be used to restrain them."

2002 - Parlimentary Elections

February: "We are in a war to defend our rights and the interests of our people. The British have decided to take us on through the MDC."

March: "All of you gathered here can see that whites want us to be their slaves and they are now closing shops and factories to throw you blacks into the streets so that you can turn against the government."

In a speech celebrating his re-inauguration and clarifying his policy towards the opposition MDC: "We will make them run. If they have not run before we will make them run now…. We will not pander to them any longer. That is gone. It is finished. We are now entering a new chapter, and there will be firm government, very firm government…."

2001 - Land Reform Program Intensifies

In a televised speech: "Violence is not just happening, it in fact has been deliberately hatched at the center of the MDC and by its patrons and principals overseas... This is a real physical fight and we have to prepare for it."

In an interview marking his 77th birthday: "I would like to [retire], sure. As long as I am assured that those we fought yesterday are thoroughly beaten and that the carpet they now stand on, the economic carpet, has been removed from their feet and it has become our carpet."

Talking about white farmers arrested for refusing to move from their farms: "They will not be treated like special creatures. Why should they be treated as if they are next to God? If anything, they are next to he who commands evil and resides in [the] inferno."

2000 June - Elections Approach

"The whites can be citizens in our country, or residents, but not our cousins. They are the greatest racists in the world."

Typical references to Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition.
"A white man masquerading as a black" and "A tea boy for his white boss."

"Morgan Tsvangirai is an ambitious frog ... as long as Morgan will be used by the British he will be a frog."

BBC interview with David Dimbleby - 26th June 2000
On whites in Zimbabwe

"We have not stopped singing to the theme of unity and the theme of love. Even the whites are free to live here. But they must change. Your kind - the British kind - are very difficult to change. We rate them as the most conceited, the most arrogant, the most selfish and the most racist in our situation."

"We ourselves should not ever... as government, as a party, as individuals within the party, be seen to be acting in a racist way, blacks against whites, we refuse to do that. The whites wouldn't be here if I was like that....we can't do things like that."

On his governments failure to uphold the law.

"The law of the land must also work for moral justice - if I lead the people on the land and then get time to bring about law and order then it is a far better proposition, a better approach than one which will pit the forces against the masses of people now occupying the land and there would be greater death greater bloodshed - this is just a little row of trespass."

"Elsewhere, those who commit murders are being arrested, those who commit robberies are being arrested, other crimes are being taken care of and there is greater law and order.
Only in the little area of trespass on the farms, where there has in fact been injustice all along by the farmers and if they suffer this very little - shall I say? - inconvenience of their land being occupied. And they suffer that very little inconvenience, against the inconvenience that we have suffered as a people for decades."

On the possibility of an opposition election victory.

"That probability should never be entertained. I can never concede that they have the capacity to win , in dreamland perhaps, yes, I could see them in power but when I get up I say that is a dream, never a reality. Why do you want us to talk about dreams now?"

"If Zanu-PF loses, we will not accept the results. We fought and died for this country and you cannot expect us to hand the country on a silver plate to some new party backed by the white man." 

From: My Home, Zimbabwe
 

This South Africa - interesting facts and information

Watching the right whale

Every year southern right whales migrate from their icy feeding grounds off Antarctica to warmer climates, reaching South Africa in June. The coastal waters teem with the giant animals, mating, calving and rearing their young - and giving whale-watchers spectacular displays of raw power and elegant water acrobatics.

The southern right gets its name from the simple fact it was once regarded it as the "right" whale to hunt - the animals are slow-moving, rich in oil and baleen, float when killed and provide an enormous yield.

This "rightness" brought the animals to the brink of extinction in the early 20th century, as whalers killed an estimated 20 000 of the animals. Protected in South African waters since 1935, their numbers have slowly crept back to a world population of some
4 000, most of which visit the country's coastline every year.

Playing, courting and nursing
Weighing in at about 60 tons and estimated to live as long as 100 years, the southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) has became a major tourist attraction up and down the South African coast.

Their breeding ground is the sheltered bays of the Cape coast, with the majestic animals spending up to five months a year here. They pass their time playing, courting, and nursing their newborn calves, often just metres from the shore, providing spectacular land-based viewing.

The southern right whale (Image: Hermanus Tourism)

Southern rights are massive and rotund animals, rounder and heavier than the humpback or Bryde's whale and smaller only than the blue whale. They can be identified by their total lack of a dorsal fin, stubby square-ended flippers, and by callosities, unusual wart-like growths, on the head.

Mostly a dark bluish-black colour, about 4% of calves are born entirely white. This is a sex-linked genetic trait - all white calves are male - and the colour darkens to the usual black as the animal matures.

The breeding season is during spring, from July to October. Females calve every three years, with a year of gestation, a year raising the calf and a year of rest. The cow needs the rest year to recover from the tremendous physical strain of gestating a four-ton calf in just 12 months, and suckling it for another six months. A calf can drink up to 200 litres of milk and grow by as much as three centimetres every day.

Willing performers
Intelligent, inquisitive and sensitive animals, southern rights form small social groups of about six related animals. In the breeding season cow and calf pairs can often been seen cavorting in the water together. The way mother and child breach alternately, one after the other, suggests that this and other behaviour may be taught.

Southern rights are willing performers for onlookers, often breaching several times in succession to hit the water again with a cannon-blast sound. Another characteristic behaviour, unique to the right whale, is resting head-down in the water for several minutes with the flukes held aloft, as if hoping to be pushed along by the wind - variously called "sailing" or "head-standing".

Then there's flipper slapping, lobtailing - slapping the tail on the water - and spyhopping, raising the massive head to see above the surface. Their huge curiosity often prompts them to approach boats to investigate - a trait with tragic consequences in the days of the whalers.

The best time for watching the southern right whale in South African waters is from June to November along the Cape south coast, although some will already be as far north as KwaZulu-Natal. Peak calving season is July and August, but whales can still be seen through September and October.

Planning a whale-watching route
South African whale-watching territory runs from Doringbaai, south of Cape Town, all the way east along the coast as far as Durban. They can be viewed from cliffs and beaches, with boat operators offering trips out to sea for an even closer encounter.

The town of Hermanus in Walker Bay on the Cape south coast offers possibly the best land-based whale watching in the world. The animals can be clearly seen from a scenic cliff-top walk, and the town holds an whale-watching festival every September.

Hermanus claims to be the whale capital of the world, but so does Plettenberg Bay, further east along the coast. Southern rights visit the bay from about June to November, and migratory humpback whales can also be briefly seen from May and June and then, on their return trip, from about November to January.

The Garden Route from Stilbaai through Mossel Bay and on to George, Wilderness, Knysna and Tsitsikamma is a magnificent stretch of coastline hosting southern rights in their season, humpbacks between May and December, Bryde's whales all year round - and, occasionally, killer whales.

From Cape St Francis to the rugged Wild Coast are numerous vantage points to see humpbacks, Bryde's, minke and killer whales and quite often southern rights, especially in Algoa Bay, while sperm and beaked whales approach close to shore off Port St Johns.

Humpback whales are spotted almost daily during their northward migration from May to July and again on their return journey from November to January, occasionally being spotted as far north as Cape Vidal.

On the Cape west coast, excellent sightings of southern rights can be enjoyed all the way from Strandfontein, to Lambert's Bay, Elands Bay, St Helena, Saldanha and Ysterfontein, just north of Cape Town.

Whales can also be seen all around the Cape Peninsula and along the south coast to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa. Agulhas is particularly rewarding, with great views of southern right cows and calves at play - up to 50 pairs at a time. Whale watching can also be enjoyed from picturesque town of Arniston along the coast to Cape Infanta.  
 

Source: SouthAfrica.info
The all-in-one official guide
and web portal to South Africa.  
 

Recipe Requests

Looking for a specific South African recipe? Email me and I will do my best to find it for you!

Add your suggestions to my Elephant Stew and Wacky Sarmies recipes.
 

Featured Website

Every issue I feature an interesting website with South African links.
 

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The Recipes

SWEET ‘N SPICY CURRY STEW (FISH OR PORK)

500g firm fleshed white fish steaks (like hake), frozen or fresh
OR 750g pork fillet, cubed
20 ml turmeric
seasoned flour
45 ml sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped
300 g sweet potato, cooked and cubed
3 ml chilli powder
5 ml ground coriander
10 ml garam masala
150 ml seedless sultanas, soaked
410g can chopped tomatoes (use Indian-style if available, for extra flavour)
60 ml tomato paste
45 ml brown sugar
125 ml natural low-fat yoghurt
90 ml fresh coriander leaves or parsley, chopped

Season the fish/meat cubes with the turmeric and toss in the flour, shaking off any excess.
Heat the oil in a saucepan.
Add the fish/meat and cook until lightly browned.
Remove and set aside.
Saute the onion until translucent. Add the sweet potato, chilli powder, ground coriander, and masala and stir-fry until aromatic, about a minute.
Add the sultanas with their liquid, tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar.
Simmer for 8 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Return the fish/meat to the saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes for fish, 10 minutes for meat.
Remove from the heat and stir in the yoghurt and fresh coriander and serve. Serves 6.

FISH BREYANI

Once you’ve tasted this delicious fish breyani, you’ll travel to the ends of the earth (or at least to Durban!) to find all the spices the recipe demands. It’s a bit time-consuming, but well worth the effort in the end and will feed a lot of people.

50 ml oil
1 large onion, sliced into rings
4 cardamom seeds
4 whole cloves
2 pieces stick cinnamon
5 ml chopped fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, crushed
5 ml barishap
5 ml cumin seeds (jeera)
5 ml ground coriander
5 ml leaf masala
5 ml breyani masala
1 kg fresh fish, cubed
salt
5 ml fish masala
6 small potatoes, peeled
200g (500 ml) uncooked rice
5 ml turmeric
125 ml lentils (masoor)
4 hard-boiled eggs

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion, cardamom seeds, cloves, cinnamon, ginger and garlic until the onion is tender and all the flavours have blended together. Add the barishap, cumin seeds, coriander, leaf masala, breyani masala and a little water. Simmer until an aromatic paste is formed.
Season the fish with salt and fish masala and add together with potatoes to the paste. Fry until the mixture acquires a nice yellow colour. Cover and braise until cooked. The potatoes should be soft but still intact. Add extra water if necessary.
Add the rice to boiling salted water along with the turmeric and boil until tender. Drain and set aside. Cook the lentils in boiling water until soft and drain.
Combine the rice and lentils and arrange layers of the breyani mixture and rice in a saucepan. Add a little water, cover with a piece of waxed paper and lid, and steam for about half an hour.
Slice the eggs into quarters and place on top of the breyani just before serving.
Serves 6 – 8.

CRAB CURRY

1 large onion, sliced into rings
oil
30 ml (2 T) garlic and ginger paste
30 ml (2 T) mixed masala
1 ml (1/4 t) turmeric
4 jam tomatoes, peeled and grated
60 ml (1/4 cup) soaked tamarind pulp
3-4 green chillies
1 large crab (about 500g) cleaned and cut into pieces with shell intact
fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Fry the onion in a little heated oil until golden brown.
Stir in the garlic and ginger paste, and add the masala, turmeric, tomatoes, tamarind pulp and chillies.
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
Season with salt, add the crab pieces, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until done.
Sprinkle with the fresh coriander leaves and serve with rice.
Serves 2 – 3

PRAWN CURRY

1 large onion, finely chopped
1 sprig curry leaves
3-4 green chillies
oil
15 ml (1 T) garlic and ginger paste
30-45 ml (2-3 T) mixed masala
5 ml (1 t) turmeric
6 medium-sized jam tomatoes, peeled and pureed
500 g prawns, shelled and alimentary canal removed, but keep tails intact
fresh coriander leaves

Stir-fry the onion, curry leaves and chillies in a little heated oil until the onion is golden brown.
Stir in the ginger and garlic paste.
Add the masala, turmeric and tomatoes, and braise for a few minutes before simmering until the tomatoes are fragrant.
Add the prawns, cover and simmer for another 5-7 minutes or until the prawns are done.
Season with salt and sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves.

PAKISTANI CURRY

1 kg boneless lamb thick rib, cubed
30 ml cooking oil
1 onion, sliced
4 sprigs dhania (fresh coriander)
50 g slivered almonds

Marinade:
15 ml ground coriander
2 ml ground cinnamon
2 ml ground cloves
5 ml freshly-ground black pepper
2 ml salt
2 ml turmeric
5 ml ground cardamom seeds
1 piece of fresh ginger root, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
150 ml natural yoghurt

Mix all the marinade ingredients together, place meat into it and marinate for a few hours.
Drain, keep marinade aside.
Saute onion in heated cooking oil till transparent. Add meat and marinade.
Cover with lid, lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes or till meat is tender.
Place 4 sprigs of fresh dhania (coriander) on top of meat and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove dhania. Spoon meat out into a meat platter and garnish with toasted almonds.
Serves 6.

BREYANI

Rice Layer:
400g (500 ml) long grain rice
100g (125 ml) large brown lentils
10 ml salt
2 ml turmeric
1 litre water

Mince Layer:
2 onions, thinly sliced
500g lean beef mince
3 cloves
3 cardamom pods, bruised
2 pieces stick cinnamon
5 ml crushed fresh ginger
5 ml crushed garlic
10 ml ground cumin
10 ml ground coriander
5 ml crushed dried chilli
5 ml turmeric
30 ml tomato paste
125 frozen diced carrots
125 g frozen peas
55g (55 ml) butter
150 ml water

Rice Layer: Simmer the rice and lentils in water with the turmeric and salt for 20 minutes. Rinse and drain in a colander.

Mince Layer: Combine onions, mince, cloves, cardamom, ginger and garlic and cook in a large saucepan over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring to create a smooth texture. Add the cumin, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric, salt and tomato paste. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until spices are well blended. Add the mixed vegetables and cook for 5 minutes.

Spoon half the rice mixture into a large saucepan or ovenproof dish, top with mince mixture and end with a layer of the remaining rice. Dot with butter and sprinkle with water. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook on high for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer on medium for about 30 minutes (or bake at 180ºC). Serve with salad and chutney.

CREAMY CHICKEN CURRY

Another way to stretch meat is to add pulses such as beans or lentils, which are filling. Red lentils are small and absorb the flavour of meat, so are ideal to add to stews or curries if you are not a bean fan. Pulses are a good source of protein and are cheaper and healthier than meat, so give them a try. In this recipe the chicken meat has been taken off the bone to make it go further. By doing this and by adding lentils, less chicken is needed, making it more economical. Vegetables have been added to stretch the dish even further, and yoghurt instead of coconut or cream, to give it a creamy finish.

30 ml sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
30-40 ml curry powder
550 ml chicken stock
3 chicken breasts
2 tomatoes, chopped
30 ml desiccated coconut
15 ml vinegar
1 apple, peeled and diced
2 potatoes, quartered
200 ml red lentils
100 g green beans, halved
250 ml butternut, peeled and cubed
250 ml natural yoghurt

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft. Add curry powder and sauté for 30 seconds. Add chicken stock and bring to the boil. Add chicken and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer, covered, for 40 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken from the pot and cool slightly. Pull the meat off the bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return chicken meat to the saucepan, along with remaining ingredients, except yoghurt. Simmer, covered, for a further 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Stir in the yoghurt and season to taste. Serve with rice.
Serves 4-6

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