VEGETARIAN

VEGETABLE TART

Many Africans are vegetarian for differing reasons (including religion, affordability and availability). This wholesome tart makes an excellent main meal.

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease a 23 cm fluted pie dish.
  2. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingers until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Beat together the egg yolk and water, then pour into the flour mixture. Knead the pastry until smooth. Roll out the pastry and line the pie dish with it. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork and bake blind for 10 minutes.
  3. For the filling, heat the butter in a saucepan and sauté all the vegetables for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into the pastry shell then sprinkle the feta over the top. Beat together the sour cream and egg yolks, salt and pepper and spoon over the vegetables. Top with the grated cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
  4. SERVES 4–6

RICE BALLS STUFFED WITH CHEESE AND BASIL

Although this is a vegetarian dish, it could also accompany chicken or meat, or be served as a pre-dinner snack.

  1. Heat the butter in a pot and sauté the onion until soft. Add the rice and stir until the grains are coated with butter and onion. Stir in the tomato paste and keep stirring until the rice turns red. Add the water and salt. Stir gently and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed, then leave to cool. Shape the rice mixture into 15–16 balls. Make a hole in each ball with your finger, then stuff with a cube of cheese and a basil leaf. Roll each ball in the flour, then dip into the beaten egg and coat with the cornflake crumbs. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  2. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the rice balls until brown.
  3. Serve on a bed of salad. SERVES 4–6

BAKED SWEET POTATOES STUFFED WITH VEGETABLES

This recipe is from Rwanda, where it is known as ibijumba nibishyimba nimboga. In Rwanda they normally use amamesa (coconut oil) from the Congo, but olive oil is just as suitable.

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C, then bake the sweet potatoes for 50–60 minutes, or until soft.
  2. In the meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the onions until soft. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 2 minutes.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat, add the rest of the ingredients and toss. Season with the salt and cayenne pepper. Cut the baked potatoes in half lengthways and scoop out the flesh to mix with the vegetables. Stuff the mixture back into the potato shells and bake for 20 minutes. SERVES 4–6

BREAD BASKETS WITH MUSHROOMS, TOMATOES AND GOAT’S MILK CHEESE

Because cows are more susceptible to disease in the tropics, goat’s milk is often used instead and it makes wonderful cheese. For a non-vegetarian option, you could sprinkle chopped, crispy bacon over the top of the bread baskets before baking.

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Grease a 6-cup muffin pan and line each cup with a slice of bread, ensuring that it reaches the bottom. Bake until the bread starts to brown and then remove the pan from the oven but leave the bread in the cups.
  2. In a pan, heat the butter and fry the garlic for 10 seconds.
  3. Add the mushrooms and fry until all the moisture has evaporated. Pour in the sour cream and when it starts to boil, remove from the heat. Add the tomatoes, cheese and parsley. Season with the salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the bread baskets and bake for 10 minutes.
  4. Serve while hot with Malawi’s Favourite Cabbage Salad (see page 135). SERVES 4–6

MOROGO WITH PEANUTS AND MUSHROOMS

Women picking out the morogo (wild spinach), growing in between other crops, is a familiar sight in rural South Africa. This dish is as delicious as it is nutritious. If you cannot find morogo, ordinary spinach or Swiss chard may be used as a substitute.

  1. In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the onions until soft. Stir in the tomatoes, peanuts and cumin, and cook for 10 minutes over a low heat. Add the mushrooms and the stock and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add the spinach, but do not cook for longer than 5 minutes after this. Season with the salt.
  2. Serve with mealiepap. SERVES 4–6

VEGETABLE STEW WITH PEANUT BUTTER

For the rural people of Africa, vegetables add variety and nutrients to a starchy diet comprising mostly maize, cassava, yams, millet and beans, with occasional meat stews.

  1. In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the onions for about 7 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, mushrooms and potatoes and stir-fry until the vegetables are coated with the spice. Pour in the stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until the peanut butter has melted. Simmer for 5 minutes before serving. SERVES 4–6

TOMATO AND BLUE CHEESE TART

Many Southern African boutique and larger cheese manufacturers make high quality, inexpensive blue cheeses.

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Grease a 20-cm fluted flan dish. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Beat the yolk with the water, stir it into the flour mixture and knead lightly for 4 minutes until smooth. Chill the pastry for 20 minutes, then roll it out on a floured surface and line the dish. Prick the base with a fork and bake blind for 15 minutes.
  2. For the filling, heat the butter in a pan and sauté the onion, leeks and garlic until soft. Spoon the mixture into the baked pastry shell. Crumble over the blue cheese and arrange the tomatoes on top in a circle in a single layer, starting from the middle, until the pastry shell is filled. Finally, scatter the basil, grind over sea salt and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake at 180 °C for 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft but still whole, and the custard is set.
  3. Serve with a salad. SERVES 4–6

BEANS AND MAIZE WITH PEANUTS

In the Kinyarwanda language of Rwanda, this dish is known as ibishyimbo nibigori and is very popular in that country. Samp and beans form the staple diet for many people throughout Africa.

  1. Wash the beans and samp and soak in water overnight. Bring them to the boil in a large pot with the vegetable stock. Simmer for 1 hour.
  2. In a saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the onions until soft. Add the turmeric and fry for 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Spoon the sauce into the beans and samp, and simmer for 1 hour. Lastly, stir in the peanuts, season with the salt and serve. SERVES 4–6

LENTIL DHAL WITH VEGETABLES

Although dhal has its origins in india, it has long been embraced by African cooks, each developing his or her own adaptation. I’m particularly proud of my own version.

  1. Heat the oil in a pot and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add the cumin, turmeric and cayenne pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the lentils and the stock, and stir for 1 minute to prevent the lentils from catching. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Finally, add the vegetables and cook until they are tender but firm. Season with the salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish, then garnish with the lemon wedges.
  2. Serve with rice. SERVES 4–6

GRILLED STUFFED PEPPERS WITH COUSCOUS AND PINE NUTS

Although this is an excellent side dish if served with kebabs, because it includes couscous, olives and pine nuts, it is easily a stand-alone meal.

  1. Preheat the oven grill.
  2. Boil the water in a pot with the salt and olive oil. Gently stir in the couscous, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Separate the grains with a fork, then add the olives, pine nuts, carrot and cheese. Season the peppers with salt and pepper and stuff them with the couscous mixture. Grill on the middle shelf of the oven for 10 minutes. SERVES 4–6

STUFFED BRINJALS WITH CABBAGE AND LENTILS

Brinjals are grown extensively throughout West Africa from where this dish the simpler version of this dish (without the feta and tofu) originates.

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Wrap the brinjals in foil and roast for 20 minutes, or until just soft. Leave them to cool, then cut in half lengthways, scoop out the flesh but set aside both the flesh and the shells.
  2. In a pot, heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add the cumin seeds, cabbage and lentils and stir until heated through. Add the flesh from the brinjals, season with the salt and pepper, and stir to mix. Spoon the mixture back into the brinjal shells. Combine the feta and tofu and sprinkle over the top of the stuffed brinjals. Sprinkle with the cayenne pepper and grill in the oven until brown. SERVES 4–6

BAKED PHYLLO PIES WITH FETA, SPINACH AND PINE NUTS

Remember to inform your guests if you have used nuts in your cooking as some people are allergic to nuts, and that includes pine nuts. Roasting or toasting enhances the flavour of all nuts, and the pine nuts add to the protein value of this dish.

  1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Grease a baking sheet. Heat the oil in a pot and sauté the onion until soft. Add the spinach and stir-fry until just soft. Remove from the heat and add the feta cheese, olives and pine nuts.
  2. Squeeze out the moisture from the baby marrows by pressing them between the palms of your hands, then add to the spinach mixture along with the nutmeg. Season with the salt and pepper.
  3. Brush each sheet of phyllo pastry with the melted butter. Cut the sheets into 8 squares measuring 6 × 6 cm. Spoon a tablespoon of spinach mixture onto each square and fold them in half to form triangles. Arrange the triangles onto the baking sheet, brush the tops with melted butter and bake for 15 minutes.
  4. Serve with a salad. SERVES 4–6

VEGETABLE FRITTERS WITH AVOCADO AND TOMATO SALSA

This dish could be served as a starter, as well as a main course.

  1. First make the salsa by mixing all the ingredients together gently. In a bowl, mix the potatoes, carrots and baby marrows. Using the palms of your hands press the vegetables to squeeze out excess moisture, then drain. Stir in the onion, eggs, flour and salt and cayenne pepper. Heat the oil (about 3.5 cm deep) in a pan and drop in a tablespoon of the mixture and flatten with a fork to form a pattie. Fry for 3 minutes per side, until brown. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
  2. Serve the fritters topped with the salsa. SERVES 4–6

DUNGU CURRIED VEGETABLES AND RICE

This dish comes from Dungu, which is a province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

  1. Heat the oil in a casserole dish and fry the onion until soft. Add the curry powder, cumin, coriander, chilli and garlic and fry for 3 minutes, then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.
  2. Serve on a bed of rice. SERVES 4–6

BAKED MUSHROOMS WITH AVOCADO, ASPARAGUS AND CHEESE

This simple dish makes for a light but delicious lunch.

  1. Preheat the grill.
  2. Wipe the mushrooms with paper towel then arrange them on a baking tray. Place the asparagus on top of the mushrooms. Grill for 3–5 minutes.
  3. Combine the avocados, lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper and spoon the mixture over the asparagus-topped mushrooms. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and grill for another 3 minutes. SERVES 4–6

VEGETABLES ON A BED OF COUSCOUS

Although Mediterranean flavours dominate in this dish, this type of meal has travelled south and is served throughout Africa.

  1. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil and sauté the onions and garlic until soft. Add the remaining oil and sauté the brinjal for 5 minutes. Add the baby marrows, red pepper, tomatoes, basil, origanum, sugar, and salt and pepper, then simmer slowly for 5 minutes.
  2. Serve on a bed of couscous. SERVES 4–6

GRILLED VEGETABLES AND MEALIEPAP STACK

Mealiepap is number one on the list of popular African foods and is traditionally eaten by hand straight from the pot and dipped in a tasty sauce.

  1. Bring the water to the boil and add the salt, butter and mealie meal while stirring continuously. Cook, covered, over a low heat for 20 minutes. Spread out in a buttered, flat dish so that the mealiepap is about 2 cm thick.
  2. Preheat the grill. In a bowl, toss together the onions, brinjal, red peppers, green peppers, tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Transfer the vegetables to a baking dish. Grill for 15–20 minutes, or until cooked.
  3. Cut the mealiepap into wedges, pile with the vegetables, then add more mealiepap on top. Repeat with another layer of vegetables and mealiepap. SERVES 4–6

CHICKPEA, BRINJAL AND MUSHROOM TAGINE

This is a typical Moroccan vegetarian tagine. Almonds, chickpeas, olives, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric are all key ingredients in Moroccan cuisine.

  1. In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the onions until soft. Add the garlic and spices and fry for 2 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes, then add the brinjals, chickpeas, mushrooms, stock and coriander and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the brinjals are cooked. Season with the salt and pepper. Spoon into a serving dish and sprinkle with the almonds. Serve with rice or couscous SERVES 4–6

BRINJAL STEW WITH POTATOES

If this dish is to be served to vegans (strict vegetarians), substitute the chicken stock with vegetable stock.

  1. In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the onions for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the rest of the vegetables. Pour in the stock.
  2. Adjust the seasoning to taste with the salt and pepper and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes.
  3. Serve with rice. SERVES 4–6

SWEET POTATOES AND VEGETABLE BAKE

Using sweet potatoes instead of ordinary potatoes, and the addition of butternut and baby marrows, creates a somewhat different version of the usual potato bake.

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Grease a deep ovenproof dish.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, butternut, baby marrows, coriander, cream, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Toss thoroughly and spoon into the prepared dish. Mix together the cheese and breadcrumbs and sprinkle on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until brown. SERVES 4–6