8 drool-worthy South African recipes to warm up your winter (2024)

These recipes are brought to you by St Marcus – Fine South African Food and Wine

It’s been a rather mild winter this year in this little island we call home, but that hasn’t made the longing for the South African summer any easier.

When the heart is homesick, the closest one can get to healing it is sending good vibes down to the stomach. That’s why they call it comfort food.

1. Pasta with Creamy Biltong Sauce

Preparation & Cooking Time: Around 25 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
250g button mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of cream
200g moist biltong, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
250g linguini pasta

Method

Start by heating the oil in the pan and fry your mushrooms until softened – it should only take 2 -3 minutes.
This will be a good time to boil your water and get the pasta in to boil for around 8 – 10 minutes. You want them al dente.
Season with salt and pepper, before adding the cream to the pan. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.
Stir occasionally, to prevent it from burning as the sauce thickens slightly.
In goes the biltong and parsley – stir this in for a few minutes and serve on a bed of drained pasta.

Recipe adapted from You Magazine

2. Oxtail Potjie

This recipe would require a fire outside, on a roof or porch somewhere, but it is totally worth it.

Preparation Time: About 30 minutes
Cooking Time: Between 2 – 3 hours
Servings: 8
Serving suggestion: Serve with Tastic rice, Iwisa pap or on a bed of mashed potato.

Ingredients

1kg oxtail
10 slices smoked bacon, cut into 2.5cm pieces
1/2 cup of Snowflake flour – seasoned with salt and pepper
4 cups Ina Paarman Beef Stock
2 heaped tablespoons of tomato paste, heaped
1 can halved cherry tomatoes, in sauce or try our All Gold Tomato & Onion Mix
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs rosemary
6 large leeks, coarsely chopped
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
6 large carrots, coarsely chopped
20 button mushrooms, sliced in half
1 cup Beyerskloof Pinotage,
1/2 cup Sedgwick Old Brown Sherry
1/2 cup cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
1 dash salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Start by preparing your fire. You want hot coals for the pot to go on, as well as a small fire on the side, which you can keep going to provide you with more coals.
While the fire is going, gather your ingredients and finely dice your carrots, while coarsely cutting onions and leeks.

Dry your oxtail rounds with a paper towel and put everything aside.
Season your flour with salt and pepper and transfer to a bag; add the oxtail and shake to coat the meat properly

Once your coals are ready and the pot is on, heat the butter and olive oil and sauté your bacon. Once ready, remove and then add the oxtail pieces to the fat. Once brown, remove and drain off and add the carrots, leeks and onion to sauté.

Once soft, add your oxtail back in with the bacon, rosemary, bay leaves, garlic, tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, red wine and sherry. Bring to the boil and cook for around 2 – 3 hours over a low heat.

At the 2 hour mark, add your mushrooms in and continue to cook slowly. This also gives you an opportunity to assess the meat, to gauge how long it still needs to go.
TIP: It should be soft enough to pull off the bone.

Once you feel it’s nearly ready, add the cream and cook for the final 20 minutes before serving. If you feel it’s too saucy, add some corn-starch to the cream before adding to the pot – this will thicken it up.

Recipe adapted from Pick n Pay

3. Boerewors & Apricot Sosaties

8 drool-worthy South African recipes to warm up your winter (1)8 drool-worthy South African recipes to warm up your winter (2)8 drool-worthy South African recipes to warm up your winter (3)8 drool-worthy South African recipes to warm up your winter (4)
Preperation time: About 40 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Servings: Makes 15 – 20 Sosaties
Serving suggestion: Try as many combinations as you’d like – add onion, green pepper or really spice it up with chillies

Ingredients

500g Boerewors of your choice
250g of button mushrooms
250g dried apricots
1 sachet of Royco Spare Rib Marinade
Wooden Skewers

Method

After preparing your Royco Marinade, let your mushrooms and apricots rest for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, let your skewers soak inWATER for 20 minutes.
Cut your boerewors into smaller chunks (whichever way takes your fancy) and start threading your ingredient onto the skewer; Boerewors. Apricot. Mushroom. And repeat!
Place in an ovenproof dish and grill for 15 minutes.

4. Bunny Chow

Bunny Chow @101_meade_street @eatoutguide #food #bunnychow #curry #delicious #restaurant #chef #photoshoot #lovefood

A photo posted by Ryan Ray Siems (@ryanraysiems) on

Preparation time: About 30 minutes
Cooking time: Between 1 to 2 hour
Servings: 4 – 6 portions
Serving suggestion: Have your Mrs Balls ready.

Ingredients

1 sachet of Nice ‘n Spicy Mild Cape Curry
1kg of Lamb knuckles or shanks
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 small piece of ginger root, grated
4 medium onions – finely chopped
3 large tomatoes chopped or 1 can of All Gold tinned tomatoes
2 tbs Safari White Vinegar (diluted in 1 cup of WATER)
1/2 cup dried peaches soaked, drained and sliced into quarters
4 potatoes peeled and cubed
salt to taste
1/2 a loaf of crusty bread per person or a ciabatta roll each

Method

Brown your onions along with the garlic and ginger, but take care not to burn.
Next, stir-fry the spices from the first two tiers of the Nice ‘n Spicy sachet.
Add the meat and stir-fry with the onion and spices until well coated.
Then add your tomato, peaches and vinegar and bring to the boil. Then simmer, until the meat is nearly tender – around 1 hour
Add your potatoes and cook until done and meat is tender.
Stir in the rest of the spices and cook for a few extra minutes.
The final step, is to hollow out your piece of bread or roll and scoop the mix into the hole.

Fancy ‘bunny’ alternatives

Masala Curry
Looking for something with a bit more heat, try this masala curry filling for your Chow. Top with Greek yoghurt for the ultimate indulgence.

Pickled Curried Fish
Pickled Fish is a South African delicacy, so it only seems right to chuck it in a Bunny. Top with apricots for a twist.

Chilli Con Carne
Try this variety for a fusion on Mexican. Top with sour cream and home-made guacamole for a proper fiesta.

5. Bobotie

South African night #bobotie #yellowrice #greenbeans #southafrican #southafricanfood #yummy #yummyfood #instafoodie #delicious #deliciousfood #homemade #theshatteredchef

A photo posted by Laura Gardner (@the_shattered_chef) on

Preparation time: About 30 minutes
Cooking time: Around 1 hour
Servings: 8 portions
Serving suggestion: Have your Mrs Balls ready.
Feeling adventurous? Top with nuts, coconut and banana.

Ingredients

1 fairly thick slice of decrusted bread (white or brown)
375ml milk
25ml oil
10ml butter
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed…(I slice them thinly, sprinkle with salt and crush with the blade of a knife)
25ml Cartwirghts curry powder
10ml salt
25ml Mrs Balls Chutney
15ml All Gold Super Fine apricot jam
15ml Worcester sauce
5ml turmeric
25ml Safari brown vinegar
1 kg raw mince
100ml sultanas (don’t replace with raisins – they are too sweet; sultanas are much better for this recipe)
3 eggs
pinch each salt and turmeric
bay leaves

Method

First thing’s first; preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Then get a bowl for the milk and drop your slice of bread right into it, leaving it to soak, while you heat the oil and butter in a large pan. Fry up your onions and garlic, taking care not to burn and add the curry, salt, chutney, apricot jam, Worcester sauce, turmeric and vinegar into the mixture once the onions are soft; mixing well.

Next, drain and mash your bread and add to the pan, along with your mince and sultanas. Keep the milk in the bowl, you’ll use it later. Cook the mixture in the pan over a low heat, stirring occasionally until the mince browns.

Removing from the stove top, add a beaten egg into the mixture, mixing well and then add it to a 28 x 16 cm dish. Level the top of the mixture, ensuring a nice even surface for better presentation.

Now’s the time to use that milk we had youSET aside – simply beat your remaining two eggs in with salt and turmeric, before pouring it over your meat mixture and bake for 1 hour or until set.

TIP: Put your baking dish into a large pan ofWATER when baking – this prevents the bobotie from drying out.

Serve on a bed of rice with plenty of Mrs Balls at the ready. Also top with coconut, nuts and bananas for an authentic taste experience.

6. Amarula Fridge Tart

#AmarulaTart

A photo posted by Saishna Bakool (@saishna) on

Preparation Time: Expect 2 – 3 hours (including cooling time)
Servings: One tart should give you at least 9 generous pieces
Serving suggestion: For the ultimate indulgence, serve with ice-cream

Ingredients

2 packs of Tennis Biscuits
1 tin of Caramel
300ml Amarula
3 cups milk
2 heaped tablespoons Maizena Corn flour
1 heaped tablespoon Snowflake
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar

Method

Start by placing a layer of your tennis biscuits in a square or rectangular bowl (it’s more difficult to use something round, because of the square biscuits).

Once you’ve covered the bottom of the bowl, use 100ml of your Amarula and drench the biscuits.

Next, use your caramel treat and put a blob on each biscuit, before levelling it out with the back of a spoon.

Add another layer of Tennis biscuits, and again use 100ml of your Amarula to evenly distribute over the biscuits.

Now start heating your milk in a saucepan, taking 1/2 cup of milk to mix with the sugar, corn flour and snowflake and combining it into a paste.

Once you’ve brought your milk to the boil, remove from heat, slowly add the paste to the milk and mix well to avoid lumps. Then bring it back to the boil, before reducing the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Separate your eggs and beat the yolks well, before adding some of your milk mixture to it. Blend it together and add it back into the milk mixture. Mix well and set aside.

Now beat the egg whites – you want them stiff and fluffy, before adding the last 100ml of Amarula into the egg whites and then folding it into the warm milk and yolk mixture.

Scoop this onto the top of the biscuits, crumble the rest of your Tennis biscuits and sprinkle over the top.

Refrigerate and enjoy once cool.

Recipe adapted from SA Promo Magazine

7. Dom Pedro

Cocktails South African Style! Don Pedro’s all round!!! #donpedro #sacocktails #dompedro #amarula #cocktail #cocktails #icecream#cream #cocktailparty #southafrican #southafricandrinks #yummy #sonaughty #boxingday #drinks #cream

A photo posted by @nicole_lovelock_mears on

Preparation Time: Around 20 minutes
Servings: 2
Serving suggestion: For a minty twist, grate Peppermint Crisp over the top.

Ingredients

3 cups vanilla ice cream
¼ cups Kahlua liqueur – we prefer Amarula
½ cups heavy whipping cream
Cadbury milk chocolate or Peppermint Crisp for topping

Method

Simply scoop your ice cream into the blender, before adding your Amarula and cream.
Blend well and pour into your wine glasses.
Add your grated chocolate to the top and serve with a short straw.

Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen

8. Malva Pudding

When you are head over heels!!#MalvaPudding #Custard #yumYum

A photo posted by Mamorei (@maymowrei) on

Preparation time: About 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: Serves 4
Serving suggestion: Serve with custard and ice cream for pure indulgence.

Ingredients

1.5 cups of sugar
2 eggs
2 table spoons of melon jam or try our All Gold Melon & Ginger Jam
1 and 1/4 cups of Snowflake Cake Flour
2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
30g butter
1 tablespoon Safari White Vinegar
1/2 cup of milk
FOR THE SAUCE:
1 cup cream
125g butter
160ml brown sugar
100ml warm water

Method

Start by preheating your over to 180 °C.
Next, grease 4 ramekins.
Then mix the sugar and eggs together and beat well, before adding the jam in.
Sieve the flour, bicarb and salt in a separate bowl and keep to the side.
Melt the butter with the vinegar in a small saucepan. Once melted, remove from the heat and set aside.
Gradually combine the mixtures together, by alternating the butter & vinegar and milk & egg mixture to the flour in small amounts. Beat continuously until a smooth batter forms.
Divide the batter into ramekins and bake for 30 minutes.
TIP: It should be firm and brown
For the sauce, melt all the ingredients together in a saucepan and pour over while hot.

8 drool-worthy South African recipes to warm up your winter (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular food at Christmas in South Africa? ›

Braai-roasted chicken, a South African Christmas staple, brings the unique flavour of outdoor cooking to the festive table. Marinating the chicken in local flavours like lemon, garlic, and peri-peri and cooking it evenly on the braai are essential.

What do South Africans eat for breakfast? ›

It's a tea-and-coffee culture, so breakfast is often a cup of something hot (with lots of sugar added) served alongside something bready. That can be a piece of toast with jam or cheese, a rusk (a thick and tooth-breakingly hard cookie), buttered bread, or even a hot dog bun.

What is South Africa favorite dish? ›

Bobotie. Another dish thought to have been brought to South Africa by Asian settlers, bobotie is now the national dish of the country and cooked in many homes and restaurants. Minced meat is simmered with spices, usually curry powder, herbs and dried fruit, then topped with a mixture of egg and milk and baked until set ...

What are South African winters like? ›

South Africa's winter is mostly pleasant sunny weather with cloudless blue skies, punctuated now and then by a few days of cold fronts. In the high interior plateau winter days are dry and sunny, with clear skies and crisp air. The nights are chilly. Temperatures only drop to freezing when a cold front sweeps in.

What fruits grow in winter in South Africa? ›

WINTER. Fruit: Apples, avocados, dates, grapefruit, kumquats, lemons, limes, melon, naartjies, oranges, pawpaws or papayas, pears, pineapples, tomatoes.

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