In fact, eggs featured frequently on Madiba’s menu. According to food writer and gastro-detective, Fiona Ross, Mandela enjoyed fishcakes and poached eggs, and bacon, scrambled eggs and toast, after recuperating from an operation.
Eggs aside, this Mandela Day, 18 July 2021, we remember the man who united us as the Rainbow Nation. We remember his contagious laugh, his trademark dance and his philanthropic nature that inspired this global day of kindness.
Cook up your Sunday lunch favourites and add a little Madiba magic with a marvellous malva pudding for dessert.
Making Malva is pretty easy, and essentially involves making a thick sponge batter that is baked and then topped with a sugary, creamy butter sauce. Although apricot jam and butter are credited with giving Malva its flavour, it is the three large eggs that give it its distinctive moist, sponge-like custard texture.
Xoliswa Ndoyiya, Madiba’s personal chef, once said that ‘one of his favourite (desserts) was Malva pudding’, adding that when she made it, he would ‘just eat it up’. Who are we to argue with our favourite statesman? We couldn’t agree more, it’s malva for the win this Mandela Day!
Malva pudding
Serves 6 – 8
You’ll need: For the batter – 250g sugar; 3 large eggs; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda; 2 tablespoons apricot jam; 300g cake flour, sifted; 125ml milk, warm; 60g butter, melted in the milk.
For the Malva sauce – 125ml boiling water; 125g sugar; 250ml cream; 125g butter; 1 teaspoon vanilla essence.
How to:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Grease 12 ramekins or a 23cm oven dish.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl beat the sugar with the eggs, adding the eggs one by one until well combined and creamy in colour.
Add in the lemon juice, bicarbonate of soda and apricot jam and beat together.
Stir in the flour alternating with the milk and butter mixture, to create a thick batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake at 180°C for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. If using ramekins, they will need less time, check by inserting a skewer in the centre of the puddings and checking that it comes out clean.
Tip: Cover with aluminium foil halfway through cooking time if the top is getting too brown.
For the sauce:
Pour the boiling water into a saucepan and add the sugar, cream, butter and vanilla essence. Heat on low until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for five minutes.
Pour the syrup over the hot pudding as it comes out of the oven and allow to soak for 20 minutes.
Serve with cream, ice cream or custard.
* Recipe & image by www.sapoultry.co.za
