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Red cabbage-and-apple slaw with tamarind, turmeric and ginger dressing

Braai recipes

Sundried tomato chicken espetadas with poppy seed dressing

35 minutes

Beef recipes

Beef koftas with beetroot hummus and charred pita bread

40 minutes

Chilli recipes

Chicken meatloaf with tomato sauce

1 1⁄2 hours

Egg recipes

Mujadara

45 minutes

Mujadara

Serves 6

Difficulty Easy

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cooking Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

250 g brown lentils, briefly soaked and rinsed
3 large onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons
1⁄4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200 g basmati rice
1 1⁄2 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1⁄2 t ground allspice
1 cinnamon stick
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
200 g Swiss chard, trimmed, roughly shredded and rinsed

For serving:

Thick Greek yoghurt
Free-range eggs, hard-boiled and halved
Hot sauce

Method

Simmer the lentils in enough water to cover generously for 15 minutes, or until just soft. Drain and set aside.

Fry the onions in the oil in a heavy-based saucepan, stirring fairly often and adding more oil if necessary, for about 15 minutes, or until dark caramel brown.

Remove half the onions, drain on kitchen paper, season with a little salt and keep for garnishing.

Add the garlic to the onions in the pot and a little more oil if necessary. Add the rice and stir for a minute or so. Add the spices until well mixed. Stir in the reserved lentils and 2 1⁄2 cups water. Add 1 t salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat and cover. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Uncover, add the chard and cover again for 5 minutes, or until the chard is just wilted and the rice tender. Moisten the chard with a little olive oil and check the seasoning.

Turn onto a platter and top with the reserved fried onions. If you like, serve with Greek yoghurt, hardboiled eggs, hot sauce, or all of them.

Cook's note: This is a deliciously comforting Middle Eastern dish. If you don’t mind using an extra pot, deep-fry the onions separately for a crispier result. You could also cook the lentils with the rice – but bear in mind you’ll need more water.

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Red cabbage-and-apple slaw with tamarind, turmeric and ginger dressing

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Chicken meatloaf with tomato sauce

Mujadara

Mujadara

Ingredients

Method