Brimming with personal anecdotes and modern twists on generations-old recipes, Lerato Umah-Shaylor’s debut, Africana, brings the magic of the continent to your kitchen.  

Africana brims with lip-smacking, smile-inducing, nostalgic flavours with a healthy helping of culture and heritage. With an essence that matches the book’s dazzling cover, food writer and cook Lerato Umah-Shaylor celebrates African culture by showcasing recipes from across the continent.   

French, Italian and Greek cooking may be automatically looked to for inspiration, but what Africana shows us is that many of these international flavours have been right on our doorstep since the beginning.  

Lerato brings African cuisine to the forefront, giving us a window into its rich heritage. Africana is more than a cookbook. It shares an immense wealth of knowledge with the reader: it’s dictionary, map, autobiography and recipe book combined.  

Lerato presents each dish by stitching her personal tales of ingredients, origins and traditions and places. Many of the ingredients might be completely new to some of us, and for others they are the signs of home.  

The story Lerato weaves is about community: it’s a multi-sensory experience that invites everyone to take part in the history and emotion that encompasses everyday life on the continent.  

From Nigeria to South Africa, we are encouraged to linger on the bliss of biting into a fresh mango, fall into a world of adoration for the floral notes of hibiscus, savour the creaminess of ripe banana and to dance on our tippy toes as we experience the complexity of tamarind paste.   

‘Our food is vibrant and varied, arresting and comforting but, most importantly to me, it’s also timeless,’ writes Lerato.  

As you page through Africana, Lerato’s spellbinding words will bring out laughter, intrigue and surprise – it’s a very special feeling to be fully immersed in her world even before you cook her recipes. Try Lerato’s Smoky Jollof, with its bed of deep-orange rice dotted with roasted plantains.  

Others include the pillowy-soft clouds of her Spiced Chocolate and Coffee Mousse, and her soft Berbere Buns brimming with fragrant lamb. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or are just starting out in the kitchen, you’ll find inspiration in this beautiful collection of recipes from the African diaspora.  

 ‘As you cook your way through the book, listen to the whispers that were passed from generation to generation,’ she advises. ‘Let them inspire you to explore Africa.’  

Africana R450 (HQ, HarperCollins Publishers) is available from all good bookstores.  

  

My golden Ugandan Rolex 

Serves 4 

‘Unless you have been enthralled by this wonder while walking the streets of Kampala, you might be forgiven for assuming this is a recipe for a luxury timepiece. Ugandan Rolex is a malapropism of ‘rolled eggs’, a melodic corruption most likely to have occurred as the street sellers would call out to the passing crowds.   

Across Uganda there are many variations, some with minced meat, chicken or cheese. You simply cannot go wrong with whatever you choose to embellish your Golden Ugandan Rolex with.’ – Lerato 

Ingredients

Vegetable oil, for frying 
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 
1 green finger chilli, stemmed and finely chopped (or 2 milder jalapeños) 
5 multi-coloured cherry tomatoes (about 80g), cut into wedges (or 1 medium tomato, seeded and roughly chopped) 
30g baby spinach, chopped 
2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
4 large free-range eggs 
¼ tsp ground turmeric
pinch fine sea salt 
2 chapati or flatbreads 

TO SERVE  

Smoky tomato and date jam, to taste
4 rashers dry-cured streaky smoked bacon, fried until crisp, then torn (optional) 
40g fresh coriander or baby spinach 
¼ small red cabbage, shredded
1–2 carrots, scrubbed and julienned  

 

Method

1. Place 24cm non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Add garlic and chilli and cook for 30 seconds. 
2. Add tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, tossing every now and again. Stir in spinach and leave to wilt for a minute, then remove pan from heat. 
3. Tip everything into a bowl, add spring onions, season with just a little pinch of fine sea salt and toss well. 
4. Crack two eggs into a mug or bowl and whisk lightly. Add half turmeric, a pinch of fine sea salt, and half spinach, garlic, chilli and tomato mix. Stir to combine. 
5. Wipe pan clean and place over a medium-high heat. 
6. Drizzle in 2 teaspoons of oil and swirl to coat base and sides. Give eggs one more stir, then pour into pan, quickly and briefly swirling around as it sizzles, to make sure the entire surface is covered. 
7. Leave undisturbed for 10 seconds, then swirl pan once more so any excess runny liquid fills the gaps. 
8. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 30 seconds, until egg is mostly cooked, but still slightly gooey on top. 
9. Loosen sides and bottom of omelette with a spatula, then place chapati on top of omelette and press down for 10 seconds to ‘glue’ the two together. 
10. Continue to cook for about a minute, or until eggs are golden, then flip and cook chapati for 30 seconds. Transfer to plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat to make the second roll. 11. To assemble each roll, spread ½  tablespoon or more of smoky tomato and date jam on egg side of roll, top with half bacon, if using, then half coriander leaves or baby spinach, shredded cabbage, and carrots. 
11. Roll up tightly and wrap in baking paper, pretending to be a Ugandan newspaper. 
12. Twist ends and leave wrap to rest and seal for a few minutes before cutting in half and devouring. 

 

Smoky tomato and date jam 

Makes 2 X 200ml Jars 

 

‘Dark, rich, smoky and sweet, this could well be your new favourite ketchup. A wonderful addition to an African afternoon tea or served alongside chips or spread on a chapati to make my golden Ugandan Rolex.’ – Lerato  

Ingredients

400g vine-ripened tomatoes 
100g pitted dates 
1-2 green chillies, stemmed 
2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated 
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 
1 tsp ground selim pepper (or ground cardamom) 
1 tsp cumin seeds 
1 tsp fennel seeds 
2 tbsp grapeseed oil 
60ml apple cider vinegar 
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves 
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp fine sea salt
100g sugar  

YOU WILL NEED  

2 x 200ml sterilised jars  

Method

1. Place tomatoes, dates, chilli, ginger and garlic in a food processor and puree until smooth. 2. Add selim pepper (or cardamom), cumin and fennel seeds to dry frying pan over medium heat and toast for 2 minutes. Tip into a mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder. 
2. Pour a tablespoon of oil into a saucepan, then add puree and vinegar. Stir in toasted and ground spices, paprika, ground ginger, ground cloves and cayenne pepper. Season with sea salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with lid and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. 
3. Add sugar, stir well and leave to simmer with lid slightly ajar for another 30 minutes, stirring every now and again. 
4. While still hot, carefully scoop into warm sterilised jars, and secure tightly with clean lids. Store in a cool, dark place and jam will keep for up to three months.

 

 Photography: Tara Fisher