100g - 200g Small Dried Sardines(Kapenta)

1 x large white onion

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

200g fresh/dried pumpkin leaves

1 x Chicken Stock cube

1/2 Cup water

1 x tsp Soya Sauce

2 x tsp peanut butter

Small cabbage

2 x cloves garlic

50g Iwisa Super Maize Meal aka(Pap, Nshima)

Marldon Sea Salt

Cracked Black Pepper

2 x Red bird eye chillis

1 x green mild chilli

Sunflower Oil

Worcestershire Sauce

Brown Sugar

2 shots absolute Vodka

1 tsp Veg Oil

5 x cloves of garlic

1 x tsp Parley

20g butter

Method & Prep time 45 mins - 1hour

1. You need to make the Super Maize Meal in to a porridge by adding cold water to form a paste. Then boil on low for at least 30 - 45 min. The longer it boils the better.

 2. Then slowly add more of the Maize Meals and mix until have no lumps and a smooth consistency. When you see its getting almost to the texture you want it, stop adding Maize Meal and turn the heat low and cover with a lid. Let it steam for about 20 mins.

 3. After 20 minutes, give it a quick mix and it should be cool but hot in centre (This is when Pap(Nshima) is served hot . The left over Nshima (Pap) is what we use to make the Nshima cakes once it has cooled down completely, for this dish cut the Nshima into 2 rectangles about 2cm thick pan fried in a little oil and seasoned, just before plating up!

 4. Place 5 gloves of garlic in a glass ramekin with a pinch of salt and 20g of Butter bake for 30 mins at gas mark 6. Add parsley and leave in warm oven ready for plating.

 5. Chop a large onion and place in a pot with sunflower oil. Fry until light and golden. Next add a dash of soya sauce, a tin of tomatoes,a splash of golden syrup and few shakes of Worchershire sauce. Season with black pepper, salt and vegetable bouillon, then add 1/2 cup water and Kapenta, simmer for 40 min on a low heat stirring occasionally (I like to use a homemade chicken stock instead of water for a deeper richness and flavour).

6. Roll the leaves and cut lengthways to from long strands. Put tsp of sunflower oil in a pan and fry the leaves adding a little water. Cook for 20 - 30 minutes. Add 2 tsp of peanut butter and stir just before serving.

7. Finely chop the chilli’s (removing seeds if too hot). Place in a small ramekin, lightly season, add 2 shots of Vodka, sprinkle with brown sugar put aside ready to serve.

8. Finely chop the white cabbage. Place in a large pan and cook with 2 tsp of sunflower oil. Seal with lid and stir occasionally, until the water has evaporated. When the cabbage begins to fry in the pot a little,put aside with lid on ready to plate up.

9. Plating up- Pan fry Nshima cakes until golden brown, place on kitchen roll to remove excess oil place on the (warm) plate slightly to the left. Next take tablespoon of the Kepenta and tomato and onion sauce and place it on top of each the rectangular shapes and align neatly. Twist Pumpkin leaves on a fork (as you do with pasta) place on the top right plate and try to form a perfect circle with the pumpkin leaves. Do the same with the cabbage and place just below the pumpkin leaves hopefully creating same size and shape. Take garlic gloves out of oven and place gloves just below the cabbage and drizzle parsley butter sauce over the garlic but also lightly over the whole dish. Finally take a teaspoon of the chilli and vodka and carefully place in between each of the Nshima cakes, Season with black pepper and serve.

Minced beef used in this picture not Kapenta ( (Lake Tanganyika sardine Limnothrissa miodon and Lake Tanganyika sprat Stolothrissa tanganicae sardines Wikipedia ) for illustration purposes only.

© Malcolm Riley

Many years ago my brother's wife Astrid served me baked beans for breakfast, which were absolutely delicious! Astrid took beans to another level! The surprising thing was how simple they were to make but more so, how much more tastier you could make a can of baked beans! Astrid's recipe was to fry an onion, add a dash curry powder and then the beans - this makes all the difference to livening up a simple can. Since I created my African Chef 'curry ketchup' I add this replacing the curry powder as I feel it adds a richer depth of flavour because of the combination of herbs and spices used in the ketchup !

Ingredients (Serves 2-4)

Method & Prep time mins - 10 mins

Begin by finely chopping the onion and chilli and add in a heated pan with sunflower oil. Fry onion until soft and then season with pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Next add 2 table spoon of AC's Curry Ketchup and cook for 1 minute.

Then cut the green pepper into bite size chunks and add to the mixture along with the tin of baked beans and bring to a light simmer. Until hot and ready to serve.

So after I published this recipe Astrid's best friend Tessil had to send me her version, I had to share it!

South African baked beans 

1 1/2 tbsp veg oil
Sauté half small onion until it's not crunchy, add 2 sprigs curry leaves
1/4 tsp cumin seed
1/4 tsp black mustard seed
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp masala ( curry powder)
Can of baked beans and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, add a little water to it if you feel it's sticking ( it's optional )

As an extra treat if I make it in a large pan I make space between beans and add two cracked eggs to it, to cook eggs I just put a lid on pan for a few minutes.

Enjoy x

© Malcolm Riley

Photo Credit: Sophie Baxter Photography

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

Sunflower Oil

Dried Beans

1 Large onion

1 400ml Tinned tomatoes

2 Cloves garlic

Pinch Sugar

Pinch Salt

2 Handfuls pumpkin leaves

Chicken Thighs or Whole Chicken African Styli cut into pieces

Homemade Chicken Spice mix ( salt, african birds eye chillies, lemon, black pepper, & garlic)

2 knobs butter

2 Cups Millie Meal

Good pot for Maize Meal, Wooden spoon and arm muscles! :)

Method & Prep time mins - mins

Soak the dried beans overnight and boil in a pan for approximately 1.5 hours. Set aside.

Fry the onion until browned and add the crushed garlic. Add the tinned tomatoes, pinch of sugar and salt to taste and simmer until cooked. Add the boiled beans to the tomato sauce with boiled water (just enough to cover the beans). Cook slowly until the beans are cooked and the sauce thickened. (Add salt/spice etc)

Mix the chicken thighs in the spice mixture and place in a roasting dish, with a splash of oil can also add a couple of knobs of butter.

Cover the dish with foil and roast for approximately 1 hour, until brown on both sides (22 degrees for 30 mins and turn down to 150/100).

Wash the pumpkin, chop and add to a pot with small amount water. Cook as you would spinach and this can be added to any tomato sauce mixture made earlier.

To make the Pap get 2 cups of maize meal and add cold water to form a paste in a pan. Pour boiling water and keep stiring for a least 30 minutes, the longer the better (otherwise could be raw). Keep adding maize meal and stir until a harder texture.

Serve each person 1-2 large spoonfuls of Pap (nshima). Remember this expands in your stomach after eating so go easy!

Enjoy with a big dollop of Ac's caramelised chilli condiment

Recipe featured on AFKInsder's website 10 Zambian Comfort Food Recipes

© Malcolm Riley

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

2 tsp Sunflower oil

1 Large onion

1 x 500g Boerewors

1 x 500g Garlic boerewors

1 x 400ml Tinned coconut milk

1 x 400ml Tinned tomatoes 

1 x 400g Tinned mixed Beans

1 tsp Palm sugar (any other sugar will do)

Splash of worcestershire sauce

Knob of butter

Pinch of sea salt & black pepper

Method & Prep time 15 mins - 25 mins

Begin by grilling the boerewors. Next place a large pot on the hob with the sun-flower oil and a knob of butter. Add the finely chopped onion and fry until golden, seasoning with sea salt and black pepper.

Add the tinned tomatoes, coconut milk, and one teaspoon of palm sugar with a  splash of worcestershire and cook for around 20 mins. 

When the boerwors are beautifully brown, cut into roughly 8cm pieces long and add to the coconut and tomato sauce along with the mixed beans. Cook for 5 mins.

Stir and its ready!

Serve with steamed basmati rice, Ac's caramelised chilli condiment, roasted carrots, sweet potatoes or butternut squash.

I love this recipe, it came about from having leftover boerewors after a christmas feast!!

Wine Pairing: Carmenère

© Malcolm Riley