African Food and Art

This blog explores the wisdom of African proverbs, the depth of folklore, the beauty of art, the stories of history, and the flavors of timeless African food recipes.

Three Easy to Make South African Recipes

Three Easy to Make South African Recipes

Three Easy to Make South African Recipes


South African Smoke Seasoning Blend Recipe

Create your own blend of smoked South African paprika, sea salt, garlic and basil. Spice blends from around the world start with homemade South African smoke seasoning blend to use as a rub for meats, sprinkle on vegetables, rice, and pasta, add to eggs for the best omelet ever.

Throw out all of the pre-packaged seasoning mixes and bottles and started making your own seasoning mixes. That way you know it is free of ingredients you do not want like unnecessary sugar, additives or preservatives.

For those who like South African Smoke Seasoning Blend hotter, add 1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper.

 

South African Smoke Seasoning Blend

Ingredients

¼ cup ground paprika

1 tablespoon sea salt

¼ cup garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground dried basil leaves

 

Directions

Stir together salt, garlic powder, paprika, basil, and red pepper flakes until evenly blended. Store in an airtight container.


Food of Africa

Here is another South African recipe to make today; Smoked Fish Stew. South African smoked fish soup is quick, spicy, and easy to make with the full of the flavor of fresh vegetables.
 
South African Smoked Fish Soup

South African Smoke Fish Soup

Ingredients

4 tilapia fillets

2 teaspoons South African smoke seasoning blend

2 lemons, juice only

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 large carrot, sliced into medium rounds

2 green bananas or plantains, peeled, sliced to 2cm/1in rounds

2 chayote, peeled, sliced into medium chunks

1 yam, peeled, sliced into medium chunks

1 hot pepper

6 spring onions, chopped

 

Directions

In a large bowl, mix seasonings with the lemon juice until dissolved. Bring 3 cups of water to the boil in a large saucepan and lemon juice marinade, garlic, carrot, green bananas, chayote, hot pepper and yam and simmer for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are slightly tender. Add fish fillets continue to simmer 5 minutes. Add the spring onions and serve.

Try this South African grilled bread recipe with your Smoked Fish Soup.

Isonka samanzi is Xhosa for bread in water or steamed bread.

Braai Isonka samanzi or grilled bread is made by steaming dough in a cast iron pot on top of braai or BBQ coals until the bread is soft on the inside and brown on the outside. Isonka samanzi is Xhosa for bread in water or steamed bread. 

The uniqueness of this recipe is not the ingredients but the way the bread is baked in a cast iron pot. This local Southern African delicacy of homemade baked bread will leave you wanting more.


Braai Isonka samanzi or grilled bread is made by steaming dough in a cast iron pot on top of braai or BBQ coals until the bread is soft on the inside and brown on the outside.
Braai Isonka Samanzi

Braai Isonka Samanzi Grilled Bread recipe.

Ingredients

3 ¼ cups bread flour

1 package active dry yeast (.25 ounce)

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 ¼ cups warm water

2 tablespoons soft butter

1 teaspoon salt

 

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. In a separate bowl, add butter and salt mix well. Lightly alternate stirring in flour and water.

When the dough slightly sticky to the touch, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes or use the bread hook attachment on your mixer, mix 4-5 minutes.

Lightly oil a cast iron pot with a lid, place the dough in the pot cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Place lid on pot (oil the top of the lid also) and place on hot coals with no flames for 2 hours.

Bread is ready when a skewer is inserted in the middle of the bread and it comes out clean.


Nelson Mandela former President of South Africa was a Xhosa-speaking Thembu person and is perhaps the most well-known Xhosa.
Nelson Mandela former President of South Africa was
 a Xhosa-speaking Thembu person
and is perhaps the most well-known Xhosa. 


About the Xhosa tribe of South Africa. The name Xhosa is a generalized term for a diversity of proud clans, the Pondo, Bomvana, Thembu and the Xhosa tribe itself. Red and the orange of ochre were the traditional colors of the Xhosa, Tembu, and Bomvana.

The first group of early Nguni immigrants to migrate to South Africa consisted of the Xhosa, the Thembu, and Pondo. Nelson Mandela former President of South Africa was a Xhosa-speaking Thembu person and is perhaps the most well-known Xhosa.

Xhosa culture is rich in tradition, food, and sport. Xhosa people have a rich oral history and act as walking history books; they preserve ancient stories and traditions.

Their inherited custom was passed down through generations. This passing down of oral history through proverbs is one of the most distinctive traits of the Xhosa.


More easy breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes to make right now so you never have to eat or prepare a boring meal again.

  1. Curried Tanzanian Coconut Okra Recipe
  2. Ethiopian Scrambled Egg Breakfast
  3. Senegalese Chicken Vermicelli
  4. Chadian Steamed Honey Cassava Buns
  5. Nigerian Breakfast Fried Akara and Ogi

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