African street treats

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Delhiites have a thing for street food, and our rich street food culture is enough to prove that. Also, trying out different cuisines comes naturally to us. Knowing this, the city’s swish eateries are dishing out delicacies from not-much-explored countries, especially South Africa, which is famous for its assorted street food.

Interestingly, food experts point out that with generous usage of spices and the style of cooking, Indian influence on this cuisine is striking. Curry dishes with lemon juice, sugar, chutneys and fried snacks are very common in the “rainbow cuisine”, as African food is famously known as.
“Just as in Indian curries we use more of fresh ginger and garlic, in African curries dried ginger and garlic powder is used. The cuisine has a lot of root vegetables and main grain used is corn to make the porridge,” informs chef Rajkumar from Blanco, as he plays host at the ongoing festival on South African street food.
The festival menu comprises some of the popular dishes from Tanzania and Ethopia like dorowat (a red Ethiopian chicken stew), segawat (lamb stew), sheba salad, inspired by the legendary Queen of Sheba with red chilli peppers, tomatoes and sweet onions with a dash of pepperoni. “We have the whole Ethiopian meal experience on a platter with all condiments on it,” says Rajkumar.
Recently, delicacies from the Rainbow nation were a major draw at the Taste of Nations fest held at hotel Raddisson Blu MBD, Noida, informs Chef Shaleen Gambir. “We included minced meat dish, Booty Bee and Chicken Pot Stew and are glad at the response,” he says.
Housed at Hauz Khas Village, Out Of Box features more than a dozen recipes from South African street food. Executive chef, Manoj Upadhyay says that the cuisine is not very popular in Delhi, but adds that it’s picking up. “Bunny Chao (curry in a loaf) is what we recommend. It’s a popular dish from Durban, which has a large Indian community,” he says.

Fried fish
Ingredients
500 gms fish (sole)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp paprika powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp Ginger powder
3 tbsp Corn meal
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tsp Lime juice
3 egg yolks
1 tsp garam masala

Method
Marinate the fish in buttermilk for an hour.
Remove the fish and discard the buttermilk.
Make a paste of cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, ginger powder, corn meal, lime juice, garam masala and egg yolks. Add salt in it.
Coat the fish with the paste.
Heat oil in a thick bottom pan and deep fry the fish. Add some pieces at a time.

Ethiopian Chicken Curry
Ingredients
1 whole chicken
4 lemons
1 cup vinegar
3 onions chopped
50 ml olive oil
30 ml Nit’r Qibe butter (to make Nit’r Qibe butter, infuse spices — 2 cloves, 1 cardamom, 1 cinnamon stick — and heat up the butter. Later discard the spices and strain the clear butter)
3 tbsp berber spice mix (chilli powder)
1 tbsp mixed spice (berbere)
1/2 tbsp cardamom seeds
2 tbsp ajwain (or fennel seeds)
1/4 tsp dried ginger powder
1/4 tsp dried garlic powder
1 tsp dried African basil leaves
2 tsp black pepper corns
2 tbsp ground black pepper

Method
Cut the chicken cut into 12 pieces.
After the chicken has been cleaned, soak it in some vinegar and some lemon wedges (one lemon).
Finely dice the onions and place them in a large pot with the lid on over medium heat. Do not add oil or liquid. Cook the onions until they have reduced. Cook for 1/2 hour.
Once the onions have reduced, add olive oil and cook for 10 min.
Then add the spiced butter (nit’r qibe) and berbere and stir it.
Add the 12 portions of chicken. Discard half the vinegar.
Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the temperature and allow the chicken to cook through, making sure the onions do not stick to the bottom of the pot.
Grind together the mixed spice ingredients and once the chicken is partially cooked, add the mixed spice and stir through. Add salt.
Add some more spice butter and serve.