Side dish: Split pea purée (Fava)
Katerina Mouka (25), a Master’s student of Plant Sciences from Greece, shares her recipe for split pea purée.
‘A dish that originally comes from the island of Santorini (Greece). It is one of my favourites because it reminds me of summer days by the sea, especially when it is accompanied by mussels, salad, and a glass of ouzo. Enjoy!’
Ingredients (4 people)
- 250g split peas
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 onion, chopped
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- pinch of salt
- chopped parsley
Preparation
- Boil the split peas for an hour and then smash them to a purée.
- Add olive oil, lemon and salt.
- Caramelize the onions.
- Serve on a plate garnished with the parsley and onions.
Main course: Vegetarian Bobotie
Julia van der Westhuyzen, a Master’s student of Plant Breeding from South Africa, shares her recipe for bobotie.
‘I chose this dish because my grandmother used to make it. Originally an Indonesian or Malaysian dish (the exact history is a bit unclear), the recipe was adapted by South Africans in the 1600s when the country was a Dutch colony.’
Ingredients (4-6 people)
Filling:
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 1 cubed aubergine
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 medium carrots, grated
- 1 celery stick, sliced
- zest and juice of 1 small lemon
- 2 ½ cups cooked brown lentils
- 3 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp ground cumin and 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp curry powder and 2 tsp turmeric
- salt and a large pinch of pepper
- handful of raisins (soaked)
- 2 tbsp mango chutney
Topping:
- ½ cup cream
- ½ cup milk
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- generous pinch of salt of black pepper
- 1 small banana, sliced
- bay leaves
Preparation
Filling:
Fry the first 6 ingredients until almost cooked. Add the next 6 ingredients, stir in and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes. Mix in mango chutney to taste. Pour the filling into an oven tray and smooth the top.
Topping:
Beat together ingredients 1-3 and pour over the filling. Arrange the bay leaves and sliced banana in a nice pattern and bake for around 30 minutes or until the topping is stiff and golden. Serve with brown rice and/or fresh chilli paste.
Dessert: Strawberry and chilli ice cream
Yvette Langenberg, a Master’s student of Forest and Nature Policy, shares her recipe for ice cream with a punch to it.
‘I once had this ice cream in Amsterdam and I dreamt about it for a long time afterwards. When Christmas was approaching, I decided to make it for my family. They all loved it. It’s creamy, refreshingly fruity and has a kick to it! The combination is a delicious after-dinner surprise. You need an ice cream maker.’
Ingredients (6 people)
- 400 g strawberries
- 200 ml whole milk
- 200 ml whipping cream
- 150 g sugar
- 1 sachet vanilla sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 standard chilli pepper or a quarter of a ‘Madame Jeanette’ pepper
Preparation
The basic mixture:
- Bring cream and milk to the boil together.
- Meanwhile, beat egg yolks, sugar and salt to a thick foam.
- Remove cream and milk from the stove and pour a little into the egg mixture.
- Pour the mixture back into the pan and keep stirring.
- Heat slowly while stirring until it starts to thicken. Don’t let it boil! Continue until it’s smooth.
- Cool at room temperature.
The ice cream:
- Wash the strawberries, remove the tops and mash them.
- Decide how much chilli you want to use and chop the chillis finely. If you want very smooth ice, whizz the strawberries and pepper in a blender and sieve them.
- Add 1 tsp lemon juice.
- Mix the puree into the basic mixture.
- Follow the instructions on the ice cream maker.
- Serve on a base of biscuit crumbs with a dollop of whipped cream and/or fresh strawberries on top!
