Recipes from Swaziland

Before we get started on this meal, I have one note: Thus far, I have been including the ingredients of all the recipes in every post. I have come to realize that this is not necessary, as I always attach the recipes, and it really didn't look that good all squished up next to the picture, so I've decided to just leave it out from now on. It shouldn't be a big difference.

Now, this meal has three parts: Chicken in Cream Sauce Potjie, Yellow Rice, and Ntomo Krakro (Sweet Potato Fritters).

The only real trouble spot with this meal is the potato fritters. We had a good deal of trouble getting them stiff enough to dip in the egg to get them covered with bread crumbs. Nonetheless, they were still tasty even without the breadcrumbs.

The main dish here is the chicken recipe, so it would be a good idea to start that off first.

To begin, cook the bacon normally in a frying pan until they're cooked. Chop them up into pieces and then put them back into the pan with the apricot jam and the onions. Saute until the onions are soft.

Throw in the chicken, water, and worcestershire sauce and cover the pan. Let it cook for 15 minutes.




Add the potatoes, cabbage, cream, milk and soup powder. Cover and simmer for a15 minutes. Add spinach and simmer an additional 15 minutes. You can let the chicken simmer on the stove until the rest of the meal is ready.

About 40 minutes before the meal, it will be time to start preparing the sweet potato fritters.


Start off by peeling and chopping the potatoes, and then boiling them in a pot of water for 10-15 minutes. Drain them and then use a fork or potato-masher to mash them until the lumps are all smoothed out. Mix in the egg, salt, and pepper.

Note that next you can go one of two ways. You could follow the recipe we have provided, or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try coating the patties with egg and dipping them in bread crumbs before cooking.

At this point we encountered our problem. If you cannot form a hamburger-sized patty that sticks together and can be dipped in the egg, try adding about a half cup of flour. If this doesn't work, you can just skip the bread crumbs and fry them without, or you could experiment. If you find out a way to work well, I'd also love to hear from you, as this frustrated me.

Melt a bit of butter in another pan, and fry the patties in batches. Cook on each side for abour 3 or 4 minutes, then they're ready to serve.


The last part of this meal is the rice, which is quite simple to cook up.

30 minutes before you serve, start by heating the water to a boil. When it's reached boiling, put in the salt, butter, and turmeric. Add the rice and stir well, then cover the pot and put the rice on low. Cook for 20 minutes.

Remove the rice from the heat and let sit for 10 more minutes. Fluff, then serve.

And that's it! You have a nice Swazi meal ready to eat.

The final product:

And of course, here are the recipes:

Recipes

Swaziland

Swaziland is another small country tucked inside a larger country. Located in South Africa, though, its culture and traditions vary a quite a bit from those in The Gambia.

Through the ages Swaziland was inhabited by many different peoples. Today, the language and culture in this country are predominantly Nguni in nature.

Swaziland is an absolute monarchy, the last remaining one in the southern region of Africa. Though much of its history has been full of droughts, political turmoil, and wars, it still retains its own sense of culture.

When traveling through Swaziland, one will notice the many unique fashions and practices of the Swazi. Many wear very brightly colored clothes, and women often wear their hair in a traditional 'beehive' style. The Swazis have multiple festivals unique to them which are celebrated annually, such as the Umhlanga and the Incwala.

Swazi cuisine consists of a mixture of traditional fruits, vegetables, and meats, as well as some unusual types of game, and fish shipped in from the ocean. There are some French influences in the cuisine of Swaziland, such as the inclusion of lime, garlic, and marinades. In smaller villages, you can find examples of very traditional foods, such as stews, starch-based foods, and many types of wild animals and lamb. Powder from the boabab tree is often used to thicken soups and stews, and various Indian-style foods such as lentils and curry have also found their way into the Swazi food repertoire.

The meal we will be cooking next will consist of a chicken dish cooked in a creamy sauce, yellow rice, and sweet-potato fritters.