Cookbook author Irene Dasari shares recipes for traditional meals that are always a hit, particularly during the colder months.
*Sheep head curry
1 onion
a teaspoon each of jeera and soomph seeds
2 star anise
2 bay leaves
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp dhania jeera powder
2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
3 tbs Dasari's Best Blend Masala & Chilli Powder
2 tbs Kashmiri chilli powder
2 sheep heads (properly cleaned, cut and washed. I used lamb heads as it cooks quicker)
a handful curry leaves
salt to taste
1 tomato (finely chopped or grated)
4 quartered potatoes
Method
Fry the onion in little oil with a teaspoon each of jeera and soomph seeds, star anise and bay leaves.
Add turmeric, dhania jeera powder, ginger and garlic paste, Bombay masala, Kashmiri chilli powder and braise for about 15 minutes.
Add sheep heads, curry leaves and salt to taste. Mix well with spices and cook on high for about 5 minutes and then lower heat to medium and cook for about 30 minutes. Add tomato and potatoes.
Add water a little at a time whenever necessary. Cook until the potatoes are soft and you have a thick gravy. Season to taste.
Sprinkle with a teaspoon of garam masala.
Enjoy with rice, roti, bread, mealie rice, etc.
*Tripe & Butter Beans Curry
2kg tripe
1 onion
a tsp of jeera seeds
1 star anise
1/4 tsp hing (counteracts gassy foods)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp dhania jeera powder
2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
2 tbs Dasari's Best Blend Masala & Chilli Powder
2 tbs chilli powder
1 chopped tomato
a handfull of curry leaves
2 cans of butter beans
1 stock cube of your choice
a tsp garam masala
Method
Clean, wash and boil the tripe until softened to your liking.
Fry the onion in little oil with jeera seeds, star anise, hing (counteracts gassy foods) and bay leaves.
Add turmeric, dhania jeera powder, ginger and garlic paste, Bombay masala, chilli powder and braise for about 5 minutes.
Add tomato, tripe and curry leaves. Mix well with spices and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes.
Add butter beans, stock cube and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes.
Add water, a little at a time, when necessary and depending on how much gravy you like. Season to taste and sprinkle with a teaspoon of garam masala.
Serve with rice, fresh crusty bread, in bunny chows or roti!
*Trotters and Sugar Beans Curry
2 dozen trotters (I used lamb trotter)
1 onion
a little oil
1 tsp jeera seeds
1 star anise
1/4 tsp hing (counter acts gassy foods)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp dhania-jeera powder
2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
2 tbs Dasari's Best Blend Masala and Chilli Powder
2 tbs Kashmiri chilli powder
1 chopped tomato
salt to taste
a handfull of curry leaves
2 cans of sugar beans
1 stock cube
half a cup tomato paste
water (to add when necessary to the gravy)
1 tsp garam masala
Method
Clean, wash and boil 2 dozen trotters until soft.
I discard the boiling liquid, but feel free to use it in the curry if you like.
Fry the onion in little oil with a teaspoon of jeera seeds, star anise, hing and bay leaves.
Add turmeric, dhania jeera powder, ginger and garlic paste, Bombay masala and Kashmiri chilli powder, and braise for about 5 minutes.
Add chopped tomato, trotters, curry leaves and salt to taste. Mix well with spices and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Add sugar beans, stock cube and half a cup of tomato paste and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes.
Add water, a little at a time when necessary and depending on how much gravy you like. Sprinkle with the teaspoon of garam masala.
Serve with rice, roti or fresh crusty bread.
*Fish Curry
4 tbs oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
10 curry leaves
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbs crushed ginger and garlic
10 garlic cloves
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 green chillies
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbs Dasari's Best Blend Masala & Chilli Powder (add more if you like)
1 tsp dhania/jeera powder
1/2 tsp fenugreek powder
1x 410g can chopped tomatoes
1x 410g can tomato purée
2 kg fish of your choice (I used Cape Salmon)
3-4 Tbs tamarind paste dissolved in 1 cup of water
Method
Heat oil in a large pot and add roasted and ground fennel seeds, mustard seed, black pepper and cumin.
Add ginger and garlic paste and onion.
Fry on a medium heat until the onions are soft.
Add the turmeric, fenugreek powder, dhania/jeera powder and chilli powder and cook on low for a few minutes.
Add the curry leaves, green chillies, whole garlic, tomatoes and puree and allow the mixture to cook down into a thick sauce, +/- 10 minutes.
Add the tamarind mixed in water and boil for about 10 minutes.
Add cleaned and cut fish and let the curry simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through. Season to taste.
*Fried Fish
Marinade 2-3kg fresh fish of your choice (cleaned, washed and dried).
Marinade with a mixture of the ingredients below:
2 tbs ginger and garlic paste
2 tbs Dasari’s Best Blend Masala & Chilli Powder
2 tbs dhania jeera powder
1 tbs turmeric powder
1 tbs garam masala
2 tbsp chicken tikka paste
2 tbs oil
2 tbs lemon juice
Salt n pepper to taste
Method
Rub fish well and then refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
Fry in hot oil for about 4 minutes on each side until done to the way you like it.
Enjoy with chips and buttered bread or dhall and rice.
*Spicy Fish Roe Chutney
For the fish roes marinade
500g fish roes
1 tbs chicken tikka masala
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs ginger and garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup oil
For the gravy
1/4 cup oil
1 chopped onion
5 green chillies
½ tsp jeera seed
a sprig of curry leaves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp chopped garlic clove
1 heaped tbs Dasari's Best Blend Masala & Chilli Powder
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp dhania and jeera powder
1 can chopped tomatoes
half cup tomato purée
Method
Rinse and steam the fish roes in a little water for about 20 minutes in a non-stick frying pan.
Drop off excess water from the pan and add tikka masala, lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste, turmeric powder and ¼ cup oil.
Mix well with fish roe and leave to marinate for a few minutes, or if you are in a hurry, start cooking immediately.
Fry the fish roes on high heat for about 5 minutes, or until browned to your liking. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
Lower the heat to medium low. Add extra oil if required, onion, green chillies, jeera seed, curry leaves, bay leaf and chopped garlic.
Cook on low until the onions are cooked. Add chilli powder, turmeric, dhania and jeera powder and continue to cook on low for about 5 minutes.
Add a can of chopped tomatoes, half cup tomato purée and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Add the sliced fish roes back into the chutney and allow to simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until done to your liking.
*Spicy Chicken Livers
500g livers
salt, pepper (to taste)
1 tsp ginger and garlic
1 chopped onion,
1 tsp crushed garlic
2 tsp chopped green chillies (more if you like)
1 sachet tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup fresh cream
1/2-1 cup Da Saris Next Level Sauce
Method
Wash and clean 500g livers.
Spice with salt, pepper and ginger and garlic and fry on high heat in butter until brown on outside but still soft inside.
Remove from the pan and keep aside.
Add more butter to the pan if you like.
Add chopped onion, crushed garlic and chopped green chillies and fry on low heat until soft and fragrant.
Mix in tomato paste and increase heat to medium.
Add chicken stock. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
Add fresh cream, Da Saris Next Level Sauce and chicken livers and simmer until sauce thickens and livers are cooked to your liking.
*Peri-peri giblets in just 3 steps
Step 1: Boil 500g giblets with 1/2 tsp bicarb for a few minutes, discard water, rinse giblets and place back on stove.
Step 2: Add the ingredients below and bring to a boil, then lower heat to and allow to simmer until giblets are almost cooked.
1 cup water
1 finely chopped onion
1 tbs dhania jeera powder
1 tsp soomph powder
1 level tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp Dasari's Best Blend Masala & Chilli Powder (more if you prefer)
1 tbs ginger and garlic
1 chicken stock cube
2 bay leaves
2 star anise
Step 3: Remove whole spice, then mix in the ingredients below and allow to simmer until giblets are cooked to your liking
1/2 bottle hot sauce of your choice (Nando’s, VeriPeri, etc)
2 tbs tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 tbs Robertson's lemon and herb spice
1 tbs Aromat
* Season to taste and serve hot with Portuguese rolls.
*Instant Sweet Sour Spicy Lemon Pickle
¼ cup olive oil
6 ripe lemons, washed, wiped dry and sliced to your liking
1-2 tbs salt (or according to taste)
2 tbs Dasari's Best Blend Masala & Chilli Powder (or according to taste)
1 tbs fenugreek powder (methi)
½ tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp dhania jeera powder
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ - 1 cup brown sugar (or according to your taste)
Method
Heat oil and add the lemons with juices and fry for 10 minutes over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients besides sugar and cook on medium heat for another 10 minutes.
Stir in sugar gently until dissolved.
Cool completely and store in a clean airtight jar.
Ready to eat immediately, and gets softer and more flavoursome over time.
Follow Irene on TikTok – @MissRusticElegance; Facebook – Fabulicious by Irene DaSari and Instagram – @IreneDasari.