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Go Spice

We love spice

Bobotie

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bobotie

Bobotie is a very popular dish from South Africa.  It originated in the Cape Malay area with possible influences from Dutch, Indonesian and British cooking.  We love it when made using our Cape spice blend, based on the South African Cape Malay spice mix.  Cape is a mild blend with lots of flavour and goes really well with the sweetness of the mango and apricot preserves in the recipe. 

Serves 2-4

3 slices thick white bread (remove the crust if you wish)
360 ml milk, divided into 240 ml and 120 ml quantities
2 tbsp olive oil or other cooking oil
2 medium sized onions, roughly chopped
2 tbsp Go Spice Cape Spice Blend
2 cloves garlic crushed and chopped
300g minced beef
2 tbsp mango chutney
1 tbsp apricot jam
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp tomato puree
½ tsp salt
3 medium eggs
4 bay leaves, plus extra for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180oC.

In a bowl, soak the bread in 240 ml of the milk and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof dish over a medium heat.  Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are softening.  Add the CAPE Spice Blend and the garlic and stir fry for about 1 minute.

Put the minced beef into the pan and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until it is browned. Then turn off the heat.  Add the chutney, apricot jam, lemon zest and juice, tomato puree, 4 bay leaves (if using) and salt. 

Gently squeeze the milk from the bread, reserving the milk. Tear the bread into pieces and place them over the beef mixture.

Add the remaining 120 ml of milk to the reserved soaking milk.  Add the eggs to the milk and whisk together.  Season with a pinch of salt, or as required. Pour the milk mixture over the meat and garnish with the 4 or 5 bay leaves (if using).

Bake in the oven, uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, until it is golden brown and serve.

Prawn and Pineapple Curry

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Prawn and Pineapple Curry with coconut milk is a delicious combination.  It is so quick to make and can be prepared as a main course or as part of a multi-dish banquet. This is a dish from Southeast Asia, so serve with rice, noodles or flat bread.

Serves 4-6

3 tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
flesh from ½ small pineapple, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm chunks
2 tbsp soft brown sugar
salt
water
500g raw prawns, peeled
3 small tomatoes, cut into quarters
300ml coconut milk

for the paste

3 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
½ small red pepper, seeds removed and chopped
5 tsp Go Spice Blend (suggestions below)
4-6 cashew or macadamia nuts

garnish with a few spring onions, sliced in half lengthways then chopped into 2.5cm lengths

Pound or blend all the paste ingredients with 2-4 tbsp water to make a fine paste.

Heat the oil in a wok and fry the paste over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, until well cooked. Stir regularly.

Add the pineapple and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.  Add the sugar, a pinch of salt and 200ml water and bring to the boil.  Turn the heat down and simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the pineapple softens.

Add the prawns and simmer for about 2 minutes or until the prawns turn pink. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, then pour in the coconut milk.  Bring back to the boil, stirring frequently, then turn the heat down and simmer for 2-3 minutes. 

Serve garnished with the spring onions. 

Suggested blends CAPE    KERALA    SUKHOTHAI    KISO

Lamb Dopiaza

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Lamb Dopiaza translates as ‘twice onions’ and this recipe certainly has a lot of onions, added twice, of course! Firstly, chopped onions are added to the dish at the beginning of cooking. Secondly, finely sliced onions are fried until they are sweet and brown and added towards the end. Serve with rice or an Indian bread, such as chapattis or naan, and mango chutney or another of your choice.  It’s also great as part of a multi-dish Indian meal.

lamb dopiaza

Serves 3-6

3 medium-sized onions, peeled
750g boned shoulder lamb, cut into 2.5 cm cubes. Remove most of the fat
6 tbsp vegetable oil or half oil, half ghee
4 tsp Go Spice Curry Spice Blend (You choose)
1 tbsp tomato purée
4 tbsp plain yoghurt
250 ml water
½ tsp salt (or to taste)

Cut 2 of the onions into quarters and then finely slice.  Finely chop the last onion.  Keep the two types separate.

Heat the oil in a wide pan over a medium-high heat. Add the finely sliced onions and stir fry for 10 minutes or until the onions turn a reddish-brown colour.  Remove the onions with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper.

Brown the meat in the hot oil in batches.  Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon. 

Put the chopped onion into the oil and stir fry on a medium heat until the onion turns brown at the edges. Add 3 tsp of the Go Spice Curry Blend and stir fry for 30 seconds, then stir in the tomato purée.  Add the yoghurt, 1 tbsp at a time, stirring well. Return the meat to the pan with its juices and add the water and the salt. Cook uncovered for about 45 minutes, until the meat is tender.  Add the finely sliced fried onions and the remaining Go Spice Curry Blend and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring gently.  Turn off the heat and let the pot sit for 5 minutes.  Remove any fat from the surface with a spoon before serving.

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Fish and Tomato Curry

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Fish and Tomato Curry, originally from Sri Lanka, is a really tasty dish.  Rubbing turmeric into the fish before cooking is very typical of Sri Lankan and Indian cooking.  It adds to the colour and flavour of the dish, but turmeric also has antiseptic properties which may help to keep the fish fresher in a hot climate. Serve with rice.

fish and tomato curry
serves 4

1 tsp turmeric powder
salt
cooking oil
750g cod loin, skinless and boneless, cut into 6 cm pieces
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 tsp Go Spice Blend (suggestions below)
3 tomatoes, skin removed and grated
3 garlic cloves, grated
4cm piece fresh ginger, grated
400 ml coconut milk
lime wedges and thinly sliced red chillies to serve (optional)

Combine the turmeric and a pinch of salt in a bowl.  Pat the fish dry and then rub with the turmeric and salt.

Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.  Add the fish pieces and cook for 1-2 minutes, until golden.  Remove and set aside on a plate.

Add another tbsp of cooking oil to the pan.  Put the onions into the pan and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes until soft.  Add the Go Spice blend and stir fry for 30 seconds.  Put the grated tomato, garlic and ginger into the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly.  Add a little water if necessary.  Stir in the coconut milk and bring to the boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture thickens.

Return the fish to the pan.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.  Taste and season with more salt if required.

Serve hot.

Suggested blends

Chicken Jollof Rice

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jollof rice

 

Jollof Rice is a one-pot dish similar to a Spanish paella.  It is very popular in several West African countries, with variations on the flavours and cooking methods.  With the addition of chicken or other meats or vegetables it becomes a complete meal, but it could also be used as an accompaniment to a stew or served as part of a buffet.

Serves 4 – 6

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, each cut into 3 pieces
salt
3 tbsp cooking oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
4 tsp Go Spice Tumu Spice Blend
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp tomato purée
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
800ml fresh chicken stock
400g basmati rice
1 red and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and thickly sliced
100g green beans, sliced on the diagonal

Season the chicken with a little salt.  Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and fry for 5 minutes, turning over midway. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the onion for about 5 minutes, until they are softening.  Add the Tumu Spice Blend and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the garlic, ½ tsp salt and the tomato purée, fry for 2 minutes then add the tinned tomatoes and the chicken stock.  Add the chicken, bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.

Put the rice into a large bowl, cover with cold water and wash the grains using your hands. Tip the water out then repeat twice more or until the water runs clear. Add the rice to the pan, then cover with foil (to stop steam escaping) and a lid and cook over a low heat for 20 minutes.

Take the lid off and scatter the peppers and beans over the rice.  Re-cover and cook for 10 minutes until the peppers and beans are softened and the rice tender.  Mix the peppers and beans through just before serving.

Suggested Go Spice Blends: Tumu