Peri Peri Sauce from Mozambique

When you visit Mozambique and travel up north, you'll see street-side vendors selling bottles of homemade peri peri sauce, some so lethal they'll blow your socks off.  Peri peri sauce can be added to anything where you want a little heat, but goes best with chicken and prawns.

6 large chilies
1 red capsicum
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup oil
6 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons dried cinatro
Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour it into a glass jar with a lid and refrigerate until needed.  It lasts for about 2 weeks, so it is a good idea to make it in advance so that the flavours develop.
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

Chimichurri Sauce from Argentina

Chimichurri is a South American version of pesto.  It can be used as a marinade, basting sauce or condiment.  It's fresh taste definitely puts a zip in your mouth.  There are many variations of chimichurri.  This is one that uses fresh coriander/cilantro.  As a marinade it acts a bit as a meat tenderiser as well.

6 cloves of garlic
1 onion roughly chopped
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro/coriander
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Put the garlic cloves and chopped onion in the food processor and give it a few pulses.  Add in the vinegar and the parsley and give it some more pulses.  Add in the red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and olive oil.  Blend that together until it almost a liquid.  Add in the coriander and blend it until you have a paste resembling pesto.  Pour it into a glass jar and refrigerate it for up to a week to allow the flavours to develop.
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

Coconut Chutney from Fiji

Coconuts make you think of the equator and tropical islands.  This classic chutney is served with Fiji’s traditional curries. However you can also use it as a side dish.  When I lived in Tanzania I had a machete which was great for opening coconuts.  In the Ukraine there are no machetes and opening the coconut was a bit of a mission.  Eventually I used a bread knife and a meat mallet which isn't ideal but it worked.  And I didn't even cut myself!
                                                                                    2 cups fresh coconut
liquid from the coconut
1 cup chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger cut into slices
1 green chili
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and mix well. Put in in a glass jar with a lid and allow it to sit for at least an hour before using, so that the flavours can blend and develop.  It will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

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 

Cabbage and Apple from Germany

This cabbage dish is an alternative to sauerkraut.  Many people have apple sauce with their roast pork.  This combines the apple and cabbage with an added sweet and sour flavour.  Very quick and easy to make, this is a winner!

2 tablespoons oil
1 small cabbage shredded
1 onion finely sliced
1 garlic clove finely shopped
2 apples peeled, cored and sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons water
Put the oil in a pot and add the onion, garlic, cabbage and apple.  Saute until the cabbage begins to wilt.  Add the water, salt and pepper and simmer for about 3 minutes.  Add the sugar and vinegar and simmer for about another 5 minutes.  This is a great accompaniment to roast or grilled pork.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv Ukraine.  She is the author of The Colorful Art of Pain, Hush Baby and Defective.  All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format.  http://cindyvine.com

Chicken Curry from Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan curries have different flours to Indian and Thai curries.  Quite spicy with a heavenly aroma.  Cook the day before so the chicken can really absorb the flavours.  You can keep in the bones.  I removed them when the curry was cooked and falling off the bones as I just thought it looked prettier without bones sticking up.

3 tablespoons oil
1 cinnamon stick
6 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger finely chopped
6 cardamom pods bruised
2 chilies finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped kaffir lime leaves (optional)
2 onions thinly sliced
 3 teaspoons chili powder
3 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2.5 kg chicken pieces
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup water
Put oil into a large pot and add the cinnamon stick, garlic, ginger, cardamom pods, chilies and onion and cook until the onions are soft.  Add in the curry powder, chili powder and cinnamon powder.  Mix well with the onion mixture.  Add the chicken pieces and brown the chicken pieces an at the same time cover the chicken with the curry and onion mixture.  Add in the 1/2 cup water, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice and tomato paste.  Let it cook on medium heat until it starts to boil.  Reduce the heat and add the coconut milk.  Leave to simmer until the chicken starts to fall off the bone.  Serve with jasmine and cashew nut rice.
Cindy Vine is a South African living and working in Kyiv Ukraine.  She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective and The Case of Billy B.  All her books are available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback format.

Chapatis from East Africa

Whether you are in Kenya, Tanzania or Uganda, you'll encounter chapatis served with mild curries.  Chapati is a bit of a staple in East Africa.  Surprisingly easy to make, you can knock them up just before your dinner guests arrive.

4 cups flour
8 tablespoons cooking oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
Cooking oil for dribbling
Put the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.  Add the cooking oil and mix it into the flour.  Add the water a little at a time, kneading and mixing until the dough is soft, elastic and not sticky at all.  Let it rest for about 15 minutes.  Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.  Sprinkle a little flour on your pastry board and roll each of the 8 pieces into a round flat thin circle the size of a dinner plate.  Now is the fun part.  Put a little cooking oil in a large frying pan.  When it's hot carefully place a chapati in it.  Dribble some cooking oil on the top of the chapati and flip it over.  Dribble some oil on the side facing you.  Flip it over again.  You'll see brown spots on both sides.  The whole process of cooking the chapati takes only a couple of minutes.  Lift it out, put it on a plate and fold it in half and then half again.  You'll quickly get into a rhythm of flipping, folding and rolling the next one.  Serve with curry.
Cindy Vine currently lives in Kyiv Ukraine, and 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 format.