Saturday tasty treat: Lerotse amagwinya recipe

Lerotse purée

1. Bring a large pot filled with about ¼ full of water to a vigorous boil.
2. Add in enough lerotse (or cantaloupe melon) to fill the pot, and then cover. When the volume reduces, add more, and continue this process until all the lerotse (or cantaloupe melon) pieces have been added into the pot.  Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook for about half-an-hour, or until the lerotse (or cantaloupe melon) can be whisked to a smooth consistency. Lerotse has a neutral flavour when raw, but it imparts a unique flavour to the dish when cooked.
3. Drain any water, add to blender, make into a fine purée and set aside.

aMagwinya 

1. Add oil to a medium saucepan, about 5cm. Bring to medium heat, around 170°C.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, add flour, yogurt, and lerotse purée (see method below).
3. Mix with a spatula until yogurt and flour are fully mixed. The dough should be sticky.
4. Once oil has reached the correct temperature, scoop dough using an ice cream scoop. Smooth the surface of the scoop, removing any excess dough (this helps to keep the dough ball round).
5. Gently release the dough ball into the heated oil. Repeat with remaining dough.
6. aMagwinya will float to the surface so only put in enough to fill the surface area. If they sink and get stuck at the bottom of the pan, make sure to quickly release them from the bottom with a kitchen frying utensil.
7. Cook aMagwinya until golden brown, flipping halfway through.
8. Remove from oil and place onto a plate lined with paper towel to soak up excess oil.

Coconut atchar mousse

1. Add atchar to a blender, with the olive oil and coconut milk.
2. Blend until very smooth and fluffy (2 to 3 minutes). If necessary, add more coconut milk 1 tbsp at a time (or olive oil ½ tbsp at a time) until frothy. Serve warm.

Lerotse chutney

1. Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat and gently fry the chopped onion together with lime (zest and juice) and the spices. Let it cook for 10 minutes and then add the lerotse (or cantaloupe melon) in cubes. Let it cook for another 10 minutes, mixing now and then.
2. Add the vinegar and sugar and let it cook slowly for an hour. Pour into clean glass containers, close the lids and let it cool upside down. Store in a cool, dark and dry place. This will conserve for at least two years. Let it rest for two weeks before using.

Lemon sugar 

1. Wash and dry the lemons. Carefully remove the zest (skin), using a serrated vegetable peeler. Remove only the bright yellow part, not the bitter white pith underneath.
2. Put the sugar and zest in a food processor and pulse to combine. Then, process until the zest is fully incorporated into the sugar. This will take under a minute. Take a look, the sugar should be fragrant, moist, and pale yellow. If you see chunks of zest, process a little longer. Fine bits of zest are fine. Use sugar right away for freshest flavour, or store in a ziplock type freezer bag in the refrigerator and use promptly.