Lamb and Date Stew from Oman

Bags of flavour is the best way to describe this tasty stew from Oman.  You can cook it on the stove-top letting it simmer for a few hours until the lamb chunks just fall apart.  Or you can do as I did and let it simmer all day in the slow cooker.  Serve this stew with brown rice and be prepared to be wowed by the flavour combinations.  This is easy to make as you put everything in a pot and forget about it until it's ready for eating.

1 kg boneless lamb cut into chunks
1 large onion finely sliced
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon dried chili finely chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 stock cubes
2 cups water
6 dates pitted and chopped
Mix the salt, chili and spices together and throw over the lamb chunks making sure they are evenly covered.  Put the oil in the pot and saute the onion and garlic until soft.  Add in the spiced lamb chunks and brown.  Add in the water and the stock cubes and leave the stew to simmer for a couple of hours until the meat is starting to fall apart.  Add in the chopped dates and cook for a further 15-20 minutes.  Serve with rice.  You can use roasted almonds as a garnish if you wish.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U@ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Samaki Wa Kusonga from Zanzibar

Samaki is the Kiswahili for fish.  Samaki wa kusonga are fish croquettes.  The fish used for making croquettes can be from any white flaked fish.  Leftovers are good. Canned tuna or salmon can also be used.  When I made this I used canned tuna and it worked very well.  Just remember to drain the canned fish.  The trick to successful fish croquettes is not to deep fry them but rather saute them in butter.  Very easy to make and extremely tasty.

2 cups or 2 cans cooked fish
1 teaspoon salt
1 big pinch saffron
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs or rolled oats
butter for the saute
lemon slices for the garnish
whole cloves for the garnish
In a large bowl mix the fish, salt, saffron, vinegar, chili powder and cumin together.  Shape and roll the fish mixture into croquettes and place them on a plate in the fridge to firm up.  Spread the breadcrumbs or rolled oats out on a plate.  Personally, I have found that the rolled oats give a crispier crust.  Take the croquettes out the fridge.  Dip them first in the egg and then roll them across the breadcrumbs or rolled oats.  Pop them back into the fridge for about half an hour.  You want them to be firm.  Put some butter in the hot pan and as soon as it melts put in the croquettes and saute until golden brown on all sides.  Garnish with lemon slices with 2-3 whole cloves stuck into them.  Serve the croquettes with dipping sauces like satay, coconut chutney, peri peri sauce or a fruit chutney.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U@ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

N'dizi Na Kasted from Zanzibar

N'dizi is the Kiswahili word for bananas. Zanzibar is an island off the coast of Tanzania, famous for its spices. When you go there for a beach holiday, you will be served delicious desserts which utilise the fruit and spices from the island. The bananas in the dessert can be substituted with crushed or diced pinapple, but then it will be Mananasi Na Kasted, mananasi being the Kiswahili for pineapple. This dessert can be made with vanilla, butterscotch or caramel packaged pudding. It can also be made with the pouring ready-made custard you buy at the supermarket. Alternatively you can make your own custard from custard powder. Do not make it too thick though. Since Zanzibar is the Spice Island, you cannot leave out the spices as that is what makes this dessert unique.

Custard for 4-6 servings

3 bananas peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

pinch nutmeg

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons peanuts finely chopped

whipped cream

Put the banana slices in the parfait glasses or champagne flutes or whatever glasses you are using for this dessert. In a small bowl mix together the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, sugar and peanuts. Fill one third of the glass with custard, then sprinkle a teaspoon of the spice/sugar mixture, pour in another third of custard and sprinkle the top with another layer of the spice/sugar mixture. Repeat until the glass is 3/4 full. Top with some whipped cream and finish it off with some more sprinkles of the sugar/spice mixture. Place the dessert in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Tortillas from Mexico

Tortillas are surprisingly easy to make.  Once you make your own you won't use shop-bought again.  They are extremely versatile and the humble tortilla can be tarted up and changed from a snack, to a breakfast, to a starter, main meal and even a dessert.  With a tortilla the possibilities are endless.  You can make them in advance and store them.  Cut them into wedges, season them and bake them in the oven to make tortilla chips.  Fold them around a filling to make taco.  Roll it around a filling, smother it with a spicy sauce and bake it in the oven to make an enchilada.  Use it as a wrap for a healthy lunch.  Turn it into a pizza base.  As you can see, the choices are endless.

4  cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 1/2 cups warm water
Butter for spreading

Put the flour, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.  Add the oil and mix it in with your fingertips.  Pour in the water, a little at a time, working the liquid into the dough until a sticky ball forms.  You don't want the dough to be too dry or to wet.  That's why I suggest pouring in a little at a time so that you get the right balance.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for about half an hour.  Divide the dough into balls so that you are ready to roll them out into large circles.  Depending on the size of the tortillas you are wanting to make, you should get about 8 out of the dough.  Roll out each ball on a lightly floured surface so that you get the size or thickness you want.
Heat a dry pan over high heat.  Do not oil or grease it.  Place a tortilla in the pan and cook it for about a minute on each side until the dough stiffens up a bit and brown spots form.  You need to keep an eye on them so that they don't overcook otherwise they will be hard.  Once you have cooked both sides, remove from the heat and spread one side with butter and roll it up.  This will stop it from drying out and cracking when you want to use it after it has cooled.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Chicken Kiev from Ukraine

Living in Ukraine I could not leave chicken kiev out of my foodie tour of the world.  Now there is a lot of speculation about the origins of chicken kiev.  Obviously Ukrainians think they own the dish as it's named after their capital city.  You find chicken kiev on all the restaurant menus in Ukraine.  Russia claims chicken kiev as belonging to them.  And there are those in France who say one of their esteemed chefs created the recipe.  Wherever it came from, Ukrainians have made it their own, and you get all kinds of chicken kiev in Kyiv.  Some are balls of chicken which resemble crumbed bull's testicles, and others are made to look like a giant drumstick.  But one thing they all have is the garlic and parsley butter inside.  Ukrainians add in dill as well.

4 chicken breast fillets
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 bunch fresh parsley finely chopped
1 bunch dill finely chopped (optional)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup rolled oats or breadcrumbs
oil for deep frying

Mix the garlic, parsley, pepper and butter together.  If you want you can shape it into a cigar-shape and put it in the freezer.  Take each chicken breast and cut a cavity into it.  You can do this by starting from the thick end and sticking a knife down the middle, being careful not to break through the flesh and make a hole where the garlic butter will be able to leak out.  Or if the breast has that extra flap to it, you can slice the breast down the side and then use the flap to seal it once you have put the garlic butter inside.  Either way, chances are you might need to use toothpicks to keep everything in place.  Once you have made the cavity in the breast, insert your cigar-shaped garlic and parsley butter mixture.  Seal it closed so that the garlic butter cannot leak out.  Put the flour in a bowl and add the paprika and salt.  Roll the stuffed chicken breast in the flour and then into the lightly beaten eggs.  Finally roll the chicken breast in the rolled oats or breadcrumbs.  In the past I always used breadcrumbs.  This time I used rolled oats and the crispy crunch they gave was so good, I'll not use breadcrumbs again.  You can refrigerate the chicken kievs until you are ready to cook them.  Put your oil in a pot or deep fryer and allow it to get quite hot.  Pop your chicken kievs into the hot oil and deep fry them until they are golden.  If you want to be sure they are cooked through, you can put them into the oven at 190 degrees Celsius and bake them for 10 minutes.  You do want to be careful though that you do not overcook the chicken so that it becomes dry.  Allow the chicken kievs to rest for about 5 minutes before serving them.  Serve with mashed potato and steamed vegetables.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Aloo Gobi from India

When I visited India this was one of my favourite lunch meals there.  Potatoes and cauliflower go so well together in this dish.  It is quite spicy but is very tasty and surprisingly quick and easy to make.
1 small cauliflower divided into florets
4 potatoes cut into small cubes
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Put the cauliflower florets and potato cubes into a pot with the water and bring to the boil.  Add the salt and cook until it is beginning to get soft but is not fully cooked.  Take them off the heat, drain and add to the curry sauce.

Curry Sauce
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 tomatoes peeled and chopped
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger finely chopped
5 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup water
chopped fresh coriander for garnishing
Put the oil in a large pan or wok and saute the onion, ginger and garlic until soft.  Add the tomatoes, paprika, cumin, turmeric, curry and chili powder.  Let it simmer until you have a thick sauce.  Add the half-cooked potatoes and cauliflower.  Pour in the water and let it simmer for about 15 minutes until the cauliflower and potatoes are cooked through.  Garnish with chopped coriander.  Serve as a side-dish or a starter with rotis or parathas.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Palak Paneer from India

I had a great animated discussion with a colleague at work about palak paneer versus saag paneer.  I said palak means spinach and he said saag means spinach.  So after some research we discovered we were both right, although I do declare I was the most right.  Saag means green leafy vegetable which means it can be spinach.  However it can also be mustard greens.  Palak is just spinach.  Regardless of whether you call it palak or saag, palak paneer is a classic Indian vegetarian dish which is really easy to make at home.  The paneer can be substituted with tofu or even sliced mushrooms.
1 bunch fresh spinach
2 green chilies finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 cup water
Put all the ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil.  As soon as the spinach is soft take it off the heat.  Puree the spinach mixture in a blender and set it aside while you make the rest of the dish.

1 onion finely chopped
1 tomato peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon cooking oil
1 block paneer cut into cubes
2 tablespoons cream
Put the cooking oil in a large pan or wok and saute the onion until soft.  Add the tomato and all the spices and let it cook for 2 minutes.  Spoon in the spinach mixture from the blender and mix it in well.  Let it simmer for about 5 minutes so the spices and spinach cook through.  Add the paneer cubes and let it simmer for about another 10 minutes so that the paneer is soft but not disintegrating.  Stir in the cream and let it simmer for another minute.  Serve with rotis, naan or rice.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Imeretian Khachapuri from Georgia

This bread is incredibly easy to make and tastes delicious.  Really all it is is a round bread stuffed with cheese.  Perfect for barbecues.  You'll probably find it on menus in Russian restaurants as they took it on board when Georgia was a part of the Soviet Union.  My son, Tony Kedian, introduced me to this bread as it's served at the hotel he works at.

5 1/2 - 6 cups of flour
1 packet yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup luke-warm water
3/4 cup luke-warm milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Cheese filling
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup cream cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
Put the luke-warm water in a bowl and add the yeast, sugar and salt.  Stir until the yeast dissolves.  Add in the milk, one egg and the oil.  Put in the flour one cup at a time and mix it in until you have a soft ball of dough.  You might need a little more flour or you might need less.  You have to gauge this as you knead your dough.  It should not stick to your fingers when you knead it.  Cover the dough and let it rise for an hour.  Punch down the dough and knead it again.  You might need to add a little more flour.  Cover it and let it rise for another half an hour.  Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.  Put all your cheese filling ingredients into a bowl and mix together.  The Georgians use a special cheese called sulguni, however that might not be easily available.  Mozzarella works well as a substitute.  I tend to use whatever cheese I have in my fridge and it works well.
Take your dough and divide it into 2-3 balls.  Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface so that you have a circle the size of a large pizza.  Place some of the cheese mixture in the middle and spread it evenly over the dough, making sure you leave a cheese-free border around the edge of your circle.  Fold the dough over the cheese making folds as you would do if you were making a washing bundle.  Flip it over so that the pleated side is on the bottom.  Gently roll out the dough so that you have a circle the size of a medium pizza.  Make sure you don't press too hard otherwise your cheese filling will leak out.  You don't want that to happen, you want it to be fully encased with the dough.  Transfer the khachapuri to a greased baking sheet.  Take your remaining egg and make an egg wash and brush the top of your khachapuri so that it will be a golden brown colour when it bakes.  Pop it in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until it is golden brown.  Let it cool for about 5 minutes before serving.  This recipe makes 2-3 khachapuri, depending on the size of your circles.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Cawl and Dumplings from Wales

Cawl is a meaty broth loaded with veggies in season.  You can use lamb or beef, and as this is perfect for the slow cooker, the cheaper cuts of meat are fine.  You can make it the day before as the flavours improve over time.  For those operating on a tight budget, this dish is relatively cheap to make.  This recipe can be adapted to whatever vegetables you can lay your hands on.  Traditionally, the Welsh farmers would drink the broth and then eat the meat and vegetables.  If you don't want to be bothered with the dumplings you can serve it with slices of fresh bread.

500g beef or lamb cuts into cubes
10 cups water
2 large onions cut into quarters
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 bay leaf or 1 teaspoon ground bay leaf
2 stock cubes
6 potatoes cut into quarters (skin optional)
2 carrots cut into thick slices
2 leeks thinly sliced
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups roughly chopped veg (parsnips, swedes, green beans, etc)
4 rashers bacon cut into blocks
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
Dumplings
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon margarine
1/2 cup luke-warm water
To make the cawl, put the water in a large pot together with the meat cubes, onions, salt, pepper, bay leaves and stock cubes.  Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 2 hours until the meat can be broken apart with a fork.  Add in the potatoes and other vegetables and let it simmer for 30 minutes.  In a pan fry the bacon and add that to the stew.  Add the parsley and thyme and the dumplings and let it simmer with a lid on for another 30 minutes.  To make the dumplings, rub the margarine into the flour, salt and baking powder with your fingers until you have a mixture resembling bread crumbs.  Add the water a little at a time, stirring it in with a spoon.  You'll have a soft dough.  Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough onto the top of your stew.  By putting the lid on your pot you are enabling the dumplings to be steamed.  You'll need a soup ladle to serve this tasty stew in bowls.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Machboos from Qatar

Machboos is like a Middle Eastern version of paella.  This popular dish can be made with meat, poultry or seafood.  It is the paste that gives it its unique flavour.  I guess you can make it vegetarian by substituting the meat with vegetables.  I first had machboos at the Qatari stand at an international food festival and was hooked.  This recipe is quite simple.  Don't let the many ingredients make you believe it's complicated.

The Paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1 tablespoon paprika
4 cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
6 peppercorns
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
The Dish
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion finely sliced
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
1 stock cube
500g beef/lamb/chicken cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
pinch of saffron
drizzle of yoghurt
To make the paste, put all the ingredients for the paste in a small bowl and grind together.  Next put the oil in a pot or wok and add the onion and garlic.  Saute until soft.  Add the spice paste and mix it in well with the onions and garlic.  Add the meat and brown for about 4 minutes.  Empty in the can of whole peeled tomatoes and add the stock cube.  Add the water.  Let it simmer until the meat is cooked.  Add the rice and stir it in well.  Add the pinch of saffron.  Let it continue to simmer until the rice is cooked.  If you taste and the rice isn't quite cooked, then add a little more water if the water has cooked off.  Make sure that the rice doesn't become overcooked and soggy.  It should have the consistency of the rice in a paella.
Serve in bowls with a drizzle of yoghurt and a salad.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Koshari from Egypt

When I first saw a recipe for koshari, I thought you must be kidding me!  Rice, lentils and pasta?  Seriously?  And this is the most popular street food in Egypt and some even call it the national dish?  There must be a mistake.  The more research I did, the more I found it wasn't a mistake.  I was intrigued as to how it would all come together to make a tasty dish.  What I found out, was not only was it delicious but it was incredibly easy to make.  So here is my take on koshari, ideal for vegetarians and perfect for beginner cooks.

1 cup brown lentils
9 cups water
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup uncooked pasta (Macaroni or similar)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 large onions thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon baharat spice*
Put 3 cups of water in a pot with 1 cup of lentils.  Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat.  Add in the salt, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of garlic and cumin.  Cover the pot and let it simmer for 30 minutes.  Keep an eye on the lentils that all the water doesn't cook away.  If need be top up the water.  When the lentils are soft, add the rice and another 3 cups of the water and continue simmering for about 20 minutes until the rice is cooked.  In the meantime, cook the pasta in the remaining 3 cups of water in a separate pot.  Drain the excess water from the pasta when it is done and set the pasta aside.  In a frying pan, fry the onions and garlic until it is caramelised.  Add the tomatoes, chili powder, black pepper, vinegar and baharat spice and let it cook for 10 minutes until it forms a thick sauce.
The time has come to assemble your dish.  Place some of the lentil/rice mixture on each plate.  Put a couple of spoonfuls of pasta on top and finish it off with the spicy tomato sauce.
*baharat spice is a Middle Eastern spice blend.  If you don't have a Middle Eastern store near you it's quite easy to make yourself.  Fill a container with it to get that special Middle Eastern flavour in your cooking.  All you need to do is mix together: 2 teaspoons paprika, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Mango Lassi from Laos

I know you are thinking mango lassis are from India.  Well they are and they aren't.  They're also from all over South East Asia.  The reason why I'm crediting them to Laos is I think they might have perfected them.  Besides the old temples, Mekong River and Buddhist monks walking everywhere, the thing I remember most about my holiday in Luang Prabang in Laos is the mango lassis.  They were sold everywhere, restaurants and street food stalls.  Wherever you looked there they were.  And without exception they were all delicious and very refreshing.  They are incredibly easy to make.

1 mango peeled, pitted and cut into cubes
1 cup plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 milk or water
Put all the ingredients in your food processor and blend until you have a thick liquid.  Pour into a glass filled with ice-blocks or crushed ice.  If you have fresh mint you can use a few leaves as a garnish.  Take a sip, close your eyes and you'll see the old temples in Luang Prabang.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Fahsa Saltah from Yemen

This is the traditional lunch dish in Yemen.  It contains something called hulba which is made from fenugreek.  However, that is not always easy to come by so I have come up with an alternative you can try which will give a similar flavour.  The meat in this dish could be lamb or beef.  This is ideal for a slow cooker as you want the meat to be literally falling apart.  Put it on in the morning and eat it when you come home from work.

1 tablespoon oil
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 onion finely sliced
1 green chili finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 beef stock cube
500g beef cut into cubes
5 cups water
Hulba alternative
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fennel
1 capsicum finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 green chili finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon water
Put the oil in a large pot or slow cooker.  Saute the onion, garlic and chili until soft.  Add the beef cubes and lightly brown.  Add in the water, stock cube, turmeric, salt, coriander and cumin.  Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for about 2 hours, until you can break the meat apart with a fork.
For the hulba put everything in a food processor and blend it until you have the consistency of a thick cream.
Remove your fahsa saltah from the heat and stir in the hulba.  You don't have to use all the hulba as it is quite spicy.  3 Tablespoons should do it.  Eat with naan or slices of fresh bread.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Spicy Pork Steamed Buns from Korea

When I lived in Korea I regularly ate steamed buns or wang mandu.  They are common all over Asia.  In China they are called baozi.  Having sampled steamed buns in at least six Asian countries, I have to declare that the Korean ones are my favourite as they have the most flavour and the bun is the fluffiest.  The filling in steamed buns can be sweet, savoury or vegetarian.  It's your choice.  For these buns I've chosen to fill them with leftover meat from braised pork ribs in a bulgogi marinade.

2 heaped teaspoons yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons oil
3 cups flour
Put the yeast in a bowl with the warm water, sugar and salt.  Stir so that everything dissolves in the water.  The yeast might begin to froth and that is okay, it's just activating.  Add in the flour and mix it in.  Knead the dough for 2 minutes then add in the oil and knead for another 2 minutes.  Leave the dough to rest for about an hour so that it has time to rise and double inside.  Punch the dough down and divide it into about 16 balls of equal size.  Flatten the ball in your hand and make a little hollow in the centre.  Spoon some of your spicy pork filling into the hollow and close the edges together so that there are no gaps.  You can make a smooth round bun or you can seal it by folding the top edge to make pleats.  Place each bun on a small square of baking paper in the steamer and steam for about 15 - 20 minutes.  Try and avoid the buns being too close to each other in the steamer or else they'll stick to each other.  Let the buns rest for about 10 minutes before eating them.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Bulgogi Pork Ribs from Korea

Traditionally bulgogi is made from thin strips of beef or pork belly.  In this recipe I've used pork ribs as I wanted the meat from the ribs for my spicy pork steamed buns.  As I couldn't get the proper Korean red chili paste for this recipe, I substituted it with peri peri sauce and it worked just as well.  However, if you have a Korean food store near you, you might want to use the real thing.

2 kg pork ribs
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
The Sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion finely diced
3 cloves garlic finely sliced
1 teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons white wine
3 tablespoons peri peri sauce
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.  Lay the pork ribs on a sheet of tin foil and sprinkle with the chili, ginger, salt and pepper.  Cover them completely with the tin foil and put them in the oven to slow roast for an hour and a half.  Take them out the oven and allow them to rest while you make the sauce.  The meat should be virtually falling off the bone.
Heat the sesame oil and cooking oil in a wok or large frying pan.  Add in the onion and garlic and saute until soft.  Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir it so that it's all mixed together.  Turn down the heat and add the ribs, basting them continuously with the sauce while they simmer for about 10 minutes.  Serve with rice or a salad.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Imphwa from Zambia

This dish is especially for the vegetarians out there.   Incredibly easy and very tasty, this could be served as a main dish with rice or maize meal porridge.  Alternatively, this is good as a side-dish to cater for the vegetarian contingent at your BBQ.

2 cups water

3 onions coarsely chopped

3 tomatoes diced into cubes

3 cups diced brinjal

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon turmeric

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the onions and tomatoes in the water and then let it simmer for about 10 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and give it a stir.  Cook for a further 20 minutes and you're done.  I told you it was quick and easy!

Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Peanut Pumpkin from Zimbabwe

This dish from Zimbabwe is so easy and simple to make, even non-cooks will succeed with it.  Very yummy and I can't stress enough how easy it is to make. Great as a side dish, especially when served cold at a barbecue.  This can be made with pumpkin or butternut.  My personal preference is for butternut.

½ cup water

½ pumpkin/butternut peeled and cut into small cubes

4 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
First boil the water in a pot then add the pumpkin or butternut cubes.  Add the sugar and a large pinch of salt.  When the pumpkin is soft and you can easily test its softness with a fork, pour out excess water and turn off the heat.  Add the peanut butter while your pumpkin cubes are still piping hot and stir it in making sure to coat all the cubes.  The peanut butter will start to melt and will be absorbed into the pumpkin.  You can mash the pumpkin or leave it as soft cubes.  Serve hot or cold as a great accompaniment.  

Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Chili Paneer from India

When I lived in Tanzania I used to enjoy the chili paneer from the Indian restaurant down the road from my house.  Having managed to buy what appears to be paneer, I thought I'd give making chili paneer a go.  If you can't get your hands on paneer, you can use a block of soft cheese.

2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 capsicum finely chopped
3 spring onions finely chopped
3 chilies finely chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 block paneer cut into cubes
1/4 cup cornflour for dusting
salt to taste
Put the cooking oil in a large frying pan or wok.  Cover the paneer cubes with the cornflour and use your hand to mix it together so that the paneer is uniformly coated.  Fry in the hot oil until lightly browned and set aside on a plate with kitchen towel so that any oil can drain.  Put the onion and garlic into the pan and saute in the hot oil until soft.  Add the capsicum, spring onions and chilies and mix them in with the onion and garlic mixture.  Put the sesame oil, chili powder, curry powder, turmeric and cumin into a bowl and mix it into a thick paste.  Add the paste to the wok and mix it in well with all the other ingredients.  Add the soy sauce and fried paneer cubes.  You might need to add a little water to prevent sticking if your mixture is very thick.  Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes so that the flavours are infused, tossing and stirring all the time.  You can add more chili to increase the spice or take away chili to decrease it.  This is a very spicy dish, so be prepared with a cool drink at hand!
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv, Ukraine.  She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B.  All her books are available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback formats.  http://cindyvine.com

Manchester Tart from England

My friend Tracy Booth said, "Seeing you are making things from all around the world, why not have a go at making a Manchester Tart?"  Obviously she's from Manchester.  Always up for a challenge, I thought why not.  Manchester Tart was a staple in school dinners and obviously brought back good memories for Tracy.  When I researched the recipe I found several variations and eventually decided to up it a notch from the school dinner variety and make it more contemporary and adult.  Tracy was pleased with the result.  I did the tart justice!  In reality all a Manchester Tart is, is a deconstructed trifle.  Or maybe a trifle is a deconstructed Manchester Tart?

The Pastry Base
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
The Filling Layers
1/2 cup strawberry jam
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons martini bianco or other spirit
2 tablespoons butter
2 bananas sliced
The Custard
3 cups milk
4 egg yolks
4 tablespoons sugar
5 heaped tablespoons custard powder
The Topping
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
8 boozy cherries
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  Cream the butter and sugar for the pastry base.  When it is light and fluffy add in the egg and beat it some more.  Fold in the flour and baking powder.  You will have a very soft sticky dough that is too thick for a batter but too soft for a dough.  Sort of like a cookie dough.  Grease a baking tin and spread your base mixture evenly over the bottom, using the back of a spoon.  Pop it into the oven to bake for about 15 minutes, or until it turns golden.  Take it out the oven and set it aside to cool while you move onto caramelising your bananas.  Slice your bananas.  Put the sugar into the frying pan and allow it to caramelise.  Add the butter and spirits and give it a good stir.  Throw in the sliced bananas, and keep spooning the mixture over them so that they are completely coated with it and caramelised.  Smooth the strawberry jam over the baked pastry in the baking tin.  If you don't have strawberry jam you can use another type of jam.  I made a strawberry, whiskey and lime jam for this recipe.  Spoon the caramelised bananas over the jam and make sure it's evenly distributed.  Cover with plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge while you make your custard.  Put the milk in a pot and bring to the boil, making sure you keep an eye on it so that it doesn't boil over.  In a small bowl, mix the egg yolks, sugar and custard powder together.  Pour in a little of the boiled milk so that you get an 'easy-to-pour' consistency.  Pour the custard mixture into the boiled milk and stir it until it thickens, making sure that you don't let lumps form.  A lumpy custard is no good.  Reduce the heat and cook the custard until it's very thick.  Pour the custard onto the caramelised banana layer.  Sprinkle the tart with the desiccated coconut and decorate with the boozy cherries.  I made my own boozy cherries by boiling up fresh cherries, sugar and sweet red wine.
Cut into generous slices and serve.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv, Ukraine.  She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B.  All her books are available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback formats.  http://cindyvine.com