Beef Karai Potjie

These days (last 5 years) I really enjoy eating a chicken Karai. This is a Pakistani dish with very wholesome flavours. Karai is also the name given to a kind of “indian style” wok to cook over the fire. You might immediately notice that the heading and the small knowledge snippet have discrepancies. For one it is beef and not chicken. The cooking apparatus is named twice. This doesn’t bode well for a simple/wholesome dish (my cooking mantra).

There a method in my naming convention. Beef is the meat used in the dish (obviously), Karai in this case does not point to the cooking apparatus but rather the recipe and the potjie is the cooking methodology/apparatus. This is a kind of Afrikaans/Pakistani fusion dish.

For all my adoring fans, you might be wondering why I went AWOL instead of me going on about the recipe, well in a nut shell, I visited Morocco with my better quarter and so did not get the opportunity to blog, and sadly my tagine that I bought was confiscated at Morocco customs for no particular reason, but the country is flippen awesome.

I found this recipe via google for chicken and have used it on a number of occasions. When making this dish with fresh ingredients the taste is amazing. When I eat out I have to look for an alternate recipe since I much prefer my own homemade chicken karai.

This was an experiment to use the same chicken recipe with beef and same procedure but in a potjie. Let’s just say the flavour was amazing. The recipe has been scaled for a potjie.

Ingredients:

• ·         3 Tbsp butter

• ·         3 cloves garlic, crushed and diced

• ·         2 Tbsp ginger, diced

• ·         5 tomatoes, liquidised

• ·         3 chillies chopped up (mild heat)

• ·         2 tsp turmeric

• ·         2 tsp salt

• ·         1kg beef chopped in small pieces (I prefer approximately 20mm cubes)

• ·         1 handful/bunch of coriander (or any other meaningless measurement of size)

Method:

• ·         Place empty potjie onto fire, let pot heat up

• ·         Add butter, ginger and garlic until garlic changes into a brownish colour (not burnt)

• ·         Add tomatoes, chillies, turmeric and salt – stir and let water substance reduce to a Jam like texture

• ·         Add Beef, mix and cook until tender

• ·         Add coriander and serve!



Served with Aubergine salad

 

 

Beef Potjie and potjie event

You might remember from a previous post where I prepared a springbok potjie. Today is also a potjie recipe but it is very easy. What I would like to convey in addition to the meal recipe is an event "recipe". The event in this case is a potjie event.

As with most of my posts this begins with a little rant. I remember my mom going through a lot of effort and stress preparing for the arrival of guests for a meal and/or stay over. Once the guest arrived the entire time would be lots of fun and some of my best memories are from those occasions. In a way it feeds the notion great reward comes with hard work. I recently witnessed this "pre-event stress" and this time tried to argue that all this effort was unnecessary. The general reply was "what would people think off me". This response is also a core problem with people hitting the gym and starving themselves trying to look "good" based on what people "expect", another rant for another time......the vanity effect.

The point I was making is that generally people visit because they want to experience your company, robust debate, catch up, plan, partake in good fortune (baby, wedding), just have fun etc. You as a person or couple or family already bring the main ingredients of a good time, the snacks or meal which causes the major amount of stress is not even discussed or there is a passing comment, "compliments to the chef" which takes all of 1% of the total face to face/event time. These points can be debated but essentially life is too short to sweat the little stuff. Question, " How many people rave about the meat/salad/décor at a braai/barbeque?"..........huh?............I hope my point is made!

Potjie Event Recipe

• Rule 1: Decide on the fly what to place in the potjie and buy those raw ingredients beforehand eg: beef, carrots, oil, potatoes, chicken etc (Marco-ingredients)
• Rule 2: Start fire when guests arrive. I have attached some pictures below on how I start a fire, its clean and takes advantage of the fire's abilities to spread (bush veld fires is an example, little human intervention), this takes about 1 to 1.5 hrs before the heat is raging.

Step 1: Place charcoal (not briquettes) into braai, place blitz on charcoal (I used a old potjie as my braai stand) 

Step 2: Light blitz

Step 3: Let blitz burn out

Step 4: Place potjie on heat source (The fire will spread over time on its own)

• Rule 3: Prepare Potjie with guests (Refer to recipe below)
• Rule 4: Insert Potjie onto fire (weather raging or not)
• Rule 5: Decide on drinks and/or snacks and go pick it up (Generally I offer, cold water, biltong (Jerky) and nuts, normal snacks I have at home) 
• Rule 6: Sit around and chat, throw a ball (of any shape) with the kids/ friends, jump in the pool or whatever the guests came over for, look at the baby, wedding photos, movies (Lord of the rings marathon with Potjie.....what an idea!!)
• Rule 7: Do not disturb potjie until about 3 to 4 hours in, and check if it ready.
• Rule 8:Dish, Eat, continue conversation and have fun.
• Rule 9: Keep dishes to a minimum, hence I enjoy disposable plates and eat with my hands

I know I call them "RULES" they are more suggestions but this process combines the prep and guest visit into one. Also the other plus side is that your guests do not feel inadequate (Unless they are soulless mother fathers) because of your pre-event prep. It is just loads of fun. On to the recipe!

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp ginger
4 Tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
3 cardamom
1 stick cinnamon
1-2kg beef
2 onion
2 tomatoes
4 sprigs tyme and rosemary
Green beans and carrot (This is your choice and depended on space in potjie)
Sprinkle of salt for end

Method:
Liquidise garlic, ginger, 1 Tbsp coconut oil, salt, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon
Marinate beef in paste from above step
Insert 3 Tbsp coconut oil into pot
Insert onions cut into blocks
Insert beef
Liquidise and insert tomatoes
Tie rosemary and type into bunch and insert into pot
Place green beans and carrots
Sprinkle salt at the end
NB: The prep is layered and to not disturb the potjie with spoon in the middle of the cooking time
Cover and place potjie onto fire
Cook for 2-4 hours depending on potjie depth and intensity of fire
Dish and enjoy!

Springbok Ribs Potjie

The Journey towards this recipe is one of my own realization that a whole people, nation or race cannot be judged (something we should not be doing in the first place) based upon the actions of the past, generalizations and just shear stories. Growing up at the back end of apartheid, I did not experience the true brutality for which it is famous but one of the undeniable results is the brush with which we (non-whites) paint Afrikaans people. It was a lesson that was made possible by my parents with religion which was to be respectful of everybody and never be rude. I try as much as possible to live by these tenants. Try being the operative word.

Generally Afrikaans people have a very hard/robust exterior which might easily give the impression of an intolerant, hardhearted nation. Let me be the first to say that it is not true at all.(judge, book, cover comes to mind) I agree that there maybe plugs among them but there are plugs everywhere. These plugs are responsible for demonizing whole nations and we (as a human race) just never learn and commit the same dumbness again and again. (judging and action on stereotypes)

When I moved to our nations capital, away from the close knit world within which I existed in KZN, I think/believe I grew as a person. I met numerous Afrikaans people, some truly amazing individuals and the plugs. I am a Muslim Indian know of truly amazing people and the plugs within my own race and religion. The similarities between nations/peoples/religions is astounding.

Anyhow I was invited by a set of Afrikaans friends to go hunting, they were hospitable for my dietary requirements (halal), did not force alcohol on me, thought me how to use a gun (for the first time) and I shot 1 springbok (I believe it was by fluke). I knew that was it for me, because what am I going to do shooting more animals than what is required for me and my better half. This action also thought me to respect life no matter what it is draped in, both figuratively and literally.

On the evening I experienced one of the best rugby matches ever, Springboks vs England, on Radio 2000, playing in the Kalahari as the sunset and brought on the cold night, with a blazing fire going and we prepared meat and enjoyed each others company. Curiously enough I made another fascinating realization about a Braai or potjie and that it is NOT the act of cooking meat on a fire or making food in a cast iron pot but rather the whole ritual of preparing the fire, snacking, drinking (non-alcoholic for me), interacting (joking, discussing pressing issues, learning) , then preparing the main course and ultimately closing out the event with something sweet. A Braai or Potjie is an entire event centered around food and camaraderie, it is a way to bring togetherness, understanding and peace. For my international readership a Braai is a barbecue.

Maybe that's the solution to world peace, a Braai! Would love to hear a miss world contestant say that, "the key to world peace is a braai."

When I googled game meat recipes, many required the meat to be soaked in alcohol before the marinade is applied. This is done to remove the gamey flavor because not many people can enjoy that sort of flavor. One recipe that I got on the website, allrecipes.com, reported that the meat can be marinated in apple cider (non-alcoholic) with salt and pepper. Since this sort of apple cider is not available in South, I used apple juice. It worked and was nice but this recipe below is a little different and the meat came out really nice and tender.

Ingredients

1 rack of game ribs
5 Tbsp Salt
1 Tbsp pepper
Water to cover ribs

1 red pepper
1 onion
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp coconut oil
3 cardamom

Method
Treatment to remove gamey flavor
Soak ribs in water,salt,pepper solution for 2 hours

Prepare marinade
Liquidize all remaining ingredients into paste

Marinate ribs in paste and place in potjie pot (the awesome thing about a potjie is that it more bakes food within the pot than cooking it as if on a stove, and the flavors are remarkable)
Place potjie pot over hot coals (no flame)
Cook for 2-3 hours
Enjoy once meat is tender

You might notice that I had modified an older potjie pot to contain the coals of a fire and concentrate it onto the underside of another potjie (where I cooked the ribs). The modification entailed grinding openings onto the potjie pot to allow for air intake to fuel the flame and allow heat to escape through the top (as heat rises). This is just an idea to make the using of coals more efficient and works wonderfully when camping or at picnics.

I would invite family and friends before I made the marinade and let the camaraderie begin!

Enjoy!!

Soaked meat in water, salt and pepper solution for 2 hours

Liquidize pepper, onion, coconut oil, garlic, salt, turmeric, cardamon and chilli powder into paste

Add marinade to treated ribs and pace in Potjie pot

After the ribs cook in the potjie, cut and enjoy, preferably in a plate because I'm not sure about the effectiveness of washing powders in removing turmeric stains from clothes

It has Begun......2015!

This is the first post of a very unaccomplished blogger who, after messing up, the first blog, masalatjol, has moved on to another clear canvas at the start of the year 2015. What I hope to achieve with this blog is to freely impart knowledge that I have gained over the past couple of years and ultimately see how this blog can make money. "Free" and "make money" in the same sentence, yeah I would be skeptical and I hope my new readers will call me to task on that item. More importantly this blogger would like to move from the realm of unaccomplished to mildly competent, not very ambitious you might think but if I attach a time frame say, by the end of the year ,then it becomes more realistic.

Lets begin with the name rustic blend, the name would elude to something related to coffee and you would be right, partly. Rustic related to something rural or of the country side and blend is a mix of various items. Rustic in this case is the do it yourself mentality that I have developed and with much time and money spent, I have acquired some knowledge. This is what I intend to impart freely. Blend is a mix of both modern and old world living and my various interests. In a word Life Hack, where I take apart various interests of my life and create a make-a-plan or do-it-yourself option.

My interests that shall be addressed in the blog are as follows:

Fitness 

• training regime
• Sporting Goals
• Natural methods (eating and training)

Cooking 

• using various apparatus (air fryer, potjie, tagine)
• Making up new recipes

Traveling 

• visiting places in and around where I stay and traveling the world
• Modes of transport, accommodation, plans, experiences

Start at Kaapsehoop marathon

Kult Chicken Potjie Roast

Braaied Butternut and onion

Berlin Falls, Panorama route Mpumalanga

Do it yourself 

• Creating and drawing up products for problems I have encountered at home

DIY Biltong Maker

Hot beverages 

• tea and coffee (sources, make you owe, understanding flavors and venues)

French press and coffee grinder

My writing is not very good and my pictures are average but I hope to share my passion for my interests with everybody and hope that this is useful.

At this early stage of the blog I am still feeling out the process but these random thought and psychology posts shall be transferred to a Sunday. Seems like a good random autocratic move.