Mandela’s favourite recipe

Mandela’s favourite meals include samp and beans, dumplings, tripe and oxtail, sweet chicken and deserts. His long time chef Ms Xoliswa Ndoyiya who had cooked for Madiba for more than 20 years shared the following favourite Madiba’s recipes on Times Lives published on Dec 9 2013. The recipes are also found in Ndoyiya and Anna Trapido’s recipe book “Ukutya Kwasekhaya – Tastes from Nelson Mandela’s Kitchen” (Real African Publishers), available on Amazon.

RECIPE : Umnqgusho (Samp and beans)
Ingredients
500g samp (crushed maize), well rinsed
800g dried sugar beans, well rinsed
2 beef stock cubes, salt and white pepper, to taste
45ml (3 tablespoons) butter or amafutha enkuku (chicken fat)
Cooking method
Place the samp and beans in a pot, cover with water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook until soft, for at least two hours.
Do not stir or it will become excessively starchy, but keep checking to see that the mixture is not sticking to the bottom of the pot and add water if necessary. After about an hour, add the stock cubes.
When the mixture is well cooked and soft , strain off the remaining water. Season and stir in the butter. Serve with boiled meat such as umleqwa (free-range chicken).
RECIPE : OXTAIL SOUP
Serves 8 -10
Ingredients
3kg oxtail, excess fat removed
5ml (1 tsp) paprika
15ml (1 tbsp.) barbecue spice
5 large carrots (about 350g), peeled and sliced
250g green beans, sliced
4 medium potatoes (about 800g), peeled and quartered
60g (1 packet) oxtail soup powder salt and white pepper, to taste

Cooking Method
Put the oxtail in a large pot and add just enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook until the water has evaporated. The meat will start to brown in its own fat.
Add the paprika and barbecue spice together with enough water to cover the oxtail. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat until the oxtail is tender, about two hours. Keep checking that there is still enough liquid to cover the meat, adding more water when necessary.
Add the carrots, beans, potatoes and soup powder and cook until the vegetables are soft for about 30 minutes.
Season and serve.
RECIPE: SWEET CHICKEN
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons mixed spice for chicken
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 1/2 cups sweet fruit chutney
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons medium curry powder
1 cup water

Method
Preheat the oven to 350.
Combine the paprika, pepper and chicken spice and rub the chicken pieces all over with this mixture. Place in an ovenproof dish and roast for 15 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, combine the chutney, mayonnaise, curry powder and water and mix well to form a sauce.
Remove the chicken from the oven and cover it with the sauce.
Lower the oven temperature to 320 and roast the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Serve with rice, garnished with a sprig of fresh flat-leaf parsley if desired.

RECIPE: STRAWBERRY TRIFLE

When Madiba turned 80, he started to enjoy ice cream and custard. According to Ndoyiya before he used to say “I don’t eat much dessert, mainly fruit.” But after his 80’s he will tell Ndoyiya to serve him ice cream.

Serves 6 – 8
Ingredients
1 packet strawberry gelatin (such as Jell-O)
1 packet vanilla instant pudding
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 vanilla Swiss roll, sliced
2 cups heavy cream, whipped
1 pound strawberries, leaves removed
METHOD
Make the gelatin according to the packet instructions and set aside in the fridge.
Combine the instant pudding, sour cream, milk and orange zest. Beat until the mixture thickens.
Set aside in the fridge.
Once the gelatin and pudding are both almost set, start to assemble the trifle:
In a large bowl or individual bowls, alternate layers of Swiss roll, pudding mixture and gelatin, ending with a layer of the pudding mixture.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Top with the whipped cream, arrange the strawberries on top and serve.