Saffron Chicken

This is an excellent dish which should make any chicken lover mouth water. Hats of to a Moroccan cook who introduced this to us.

1 med. onion.
1/2 chicken - cut up in large segments.
2 raw tomatoes - diced.
8 cloves of garlic - paste.
small piece of ginger - small pieces
1 table spoon of dry coriander powder.
2 strands of saffron.
1 teaspoon of sea salt (or as per taste).

Put 2 tablespoons of veg. oil. 1 tablespoon of butter, 1/2 cup of water in a pot.

Put all the above ingredients and cover the pott. Put on full heat. When the water reaches boiling point, check to see if the chicken is half cooked; then turn to meduim heat. Add 1 potato (4 quarters). Cover and let it simmer till potatoes are done.

Saffron give the entire stew a very unique and delicious taste. This is a very fool proof receipe and a must to all to have.

Enjoy.
PS: Trying to figure out how to put a photo of our cooked results.

Tomato and Onion dish

This is a receipe for a dish for use with pap and braai.

1 large onion
4 medium ripe tomatoes
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 green chilli
fresh coriander
1 tablespoon of sea-salt.
0.5 teaspoon of cumin

Dice the onion, pour oil and sautee the onion till soft; add diced tomatoes and remaining items. cook at medium high heat until cooked nicely.

Another variant is to substitute 1 green chilli with 1 scott bonnet hot chilli. This becomes a hot chakalala variant.

Mama Rahim's Apricot chutney

For all the South African diaspora craving for Mrs Ball's chutney. Here is a tried and tested receipe which comes off the pot every year here in Ontario once local nectarines and peaches are in full season. My fellow North Western Transvaalers who have used it say it beats the original.

500gms of dried apricots
3kg fresh nectarines (ripe)
1.5kg of fresh peaches.
200gm of italian prunes (a slight variant and optional).

Cut them up finely and leave them overnight in white vinegar; the vinegar level just enough to cover the fruit (approx 2.3 litres).

Boil above until fruit is soft (2 hrs). Drain the liquid away leaving 20% of the liquid behind.

Take 1kg of onion, 200gms of ginger, 8 cloves of garlic (optional), 6-8 fiery green chilli (thai/periperi) or 2 table spoons of peri-peri/cayenne (3 spoons) powder. Blend these in a food processor.

Liquidise the boiled fruit and place it back in the cooking pot.

Mix liquidised onion garlic chilli mixture to the minced fruit in the same pot. Add 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 2 tablespoon of fine sea salt, Sugar 1.5kg (start with 1kg and adjust to own taste).

Cook at medium high stirring it regularly to prevent it sticking. When the liquid is slightly thick stop and let it cool down over night.

This will yield 4.5 litres of excellent chutney.

Variations
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1. For pure peach/nectarine chutney, drop the apricots.
2. For pure apricots, just use dried apricots and go to 1 kg of dried apricots.

Please pass it along, in favour of my great mom, Mama Rahim.
Will be putting through receipes for Peri-peri sauce and other cooking techniques.

Please pass it on, compliments of Mama Rahim.

We will be putting across several items as my mother who is a divine cook wishes to share her wealth of cooking knowledge with all those seeking it.

There are several more receipes from including hot peri-peri sauce receipe which I will post as well when that is going to be brewed next week. Several other receipes are going to be followed including tomato relish (hot), melie pap (microwave), kebabs, rice dishes, chicken curry, monate mango achar (yes, it is no longer sold in SA), fish kebabs etc.

We will include photos as well so that it will be easier to follow.