We can’t resist its classic flavours… hearty, wholesome tomato bredie gets the standing ovation this month. 

For the love of classic cooking, the beloved tomato bredie is on the menu. Whether you’re a seasoned cook or new to culinary adventures, this recipe will show you how to infuse rich flavours, textures and aromas into your bredie. 

Classic tomato bredie 

Serves 6-8

Total time 3 hours 30 mins 

Ingredients 

For the bredie 

800g-lkg beef shin, knuckles or neck (mutton or Iamb works well, too)
Flour, for dusting
Salt and milled black pepper
3 Tbsp canola oil, plus extra for frying
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tsp chilli flakes
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp sugar
3 cups beef stock
2 cans (410g each) chopped tomatoes
300g exotic or cherry tomatoes
500g baby potatoes
150g baby carrots, peeled

For serving

Chopped coriander
Cooked rice, mash or samp

Method 

1. Season meat generously and toss in flour to coat, making sure to dust off excess. 
2. Add 3 Tbsp oil to a large pot over high heat and brown meat in batches for 4-6 minutes until caramelised. Remove and set aside. 
3. Add another glug of oil and fry onions for 5 minutes until golden. 
4. Stir in garlic, herbs and spices for 30 seconds or until fragrant. 
5. 5. Add tomato paste and sugar and fry for a minute. 
6. Pour in stock and chopped tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. 
7. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.
8. Cover and cook for 2 hours until meat is tender and liquid has reduced. 
9. After 1 hour 15 minutes, add the baby potatoes and tomatoes and simmer. 
10. After 1 hour 45 minutes, add the carrots. Stir and simmer gently. 
11. Serve bredie with cooked rice, creamy mash or samp.

Fun foodie fact

Tomato bredie is a celebration of Cape Malay flavours -cinnamon, ginger, cumin and coriander come together with ay leaves to infuse the tender meat and fluffy potatoes with much flavour. It’s traditionally served with white rice, but you can use fresh bread to mop up any delicious sauce left behind. 

Bulk it up

Add extra sustenance to bredie by mixing through a tin of red kidney beans or corn kernels (add them with the carrots), or brown lentils (add with the potatoes).   

Level up your bredie by transforming it into:  

Cottage pie  

Allow bredie to reduce, uncovered, for another 30 minutes until the stew is thicker. Create a mash potato topping with 6 cooked potatoes, a handful of grated Cheddar cheese, VL. cup butter and VL. cup cream. Work together until thick and smooth, and season well. Add bredie to a rectangular baking dish and top with potato mash. Bake at 180°C for 20-30 minutes until the mash is golden and slightly crispy.   

Puff-pastry pie  

Allow bredie to reduce, uncovered, for another 30 minutes until thick. Spoon bredie into a greased pie dish. Roll out 400g puff pastry and cut out a circle slightly larger than your pie dish. Fit pastry circle on top of bredie and fold over the edges of the dish to close.  Pierce pastry twice in the middle to let steam escape, brush with whisked egg and bake for 15-20 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden.   

Fluffy herbed dumplings recipe

Ingredients

2 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
Salt and milled pepper
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp chopped spring onion
2 Tbsp butter
1 ½ cups buttermilk

Method

Sieve dry ingredients together in a bowl. Rub butter and floury mixture in between your fingertips to form a loose crumb. Add buttermilk and mix into a thick batter. Spoon hot bredie into a rectangular baking dish and dollop large spoonfuls of batter on top of your bredie. Cover dish with foil and cook at 180°C for 15-20 minutes, until the dumplings have risen and are light and fluffy.

Words: Sjaan van der Ploeg

Photography: Zhann Solomons

The post How to level up a classic tomato bredie appeared first on MyKitchen.

If you’re in need of a quick and delicious recipe for dinner tonight, we got you covered with our vegetarian tomato and baked-bean bredie!

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME 15 min 

INGREDIENTS
2 × 400g tin baked beans
500 ml thick tomato stew
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp tomato paste
Salt and pepper
Flatbread or pitas, to serve

METHOD
1. Place beans, stew, rosemary, paprika and tomato paste in a pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Season to taste.
3. Serve with toasted flatbread or pitas.

Simplify your dinner by making this hassle-free one pot spinach and artichoke bake. Serve with ciabatta (and maybe some wine).

The post Tomato and baked-bean bredie appeared first on MyKitchen.

Influenced by Indonesian-, Malaysian- and Indian cooking, Cape Malay cuisine is wonderfully unique. So dig into the full-bodied flavours of our remarkable chicken and sugar-bean bredie with homemade chapati.

SERVES 6 // PREP TIME 50 min  // SOAKING TIME Overnight  // COOK TIME 1 hr 30 min

INGREDIENTS
For the bredie
¾ cup red speckled beans, soaked overnight
¾ cup white kidney beans, soaked overnight
6 skinless chicken pieces, on the bone
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 green chillies, chopped
2 tsp ground coriander
8 tomatoes, chopped
50 g sachet tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
2 bay leaves
2 potatoes, chopped
For the chapati
¾ cup cake flour
¾ cup nutty wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1½ tbsp vegetable oil
½ cup + 1 tbsp water
1 tbsp butter, melted
To serve
Handful coriander
1 lime, cut into wedges

METHOD
For the bredie
1. Drain beans and cook according to packet instructions.
2. Heat some oil in a large pot over medium heat and brown the chicken on both sides. Remove from the pot.
3. Heat some more oil in the same pot and fry the onion for 5 min, until soft. Add the garlic, chilli and ground coriander and fry for another 2 min. Season.
4. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, then add the potatoes and chicken. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 50 min.
5. Add the cooked beans. Simmer until heated through and the potatoes and chicken are cooked. 
6. Remove the chicken and shred with a fork. Return to the pot and season to taste.
For the chapati 
1. Mix the flours and salt together in a bowl. Add the oil and water and mix until a soft dough forms, adding extra water or flour as needed.
2. Knead the dough on a clean, floured surface for 5 min or until smooth and elastic. Place in a bowl, cover with a clean cloth and allow to rest for 20 min.
3. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll each one into a thin circle. 
4. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and cook the chapati, one by one, for about 30 seconds a side or until browned to your liking. Remove from the heat and brush with melted butter.
5. Serve the bredie topped with fresh coriander, along with warm chapati and lime wedges on the side.

Recipe & Styling: Kate Turner
Photography: Gareth Van Nelson/HMimages.co.za

Craving a good roast? This cranberry and balsamic roast chicken is both simple yet so flavourful, making it the perfect family meal.

The post Chicken and sugar-bean bredie with homemade chapati appeared first on MyKitchen.

MyKitchen reader Gail Schoonraad gave us this delicious waterblommetjie bredie dish that makes all our South African comfort food dreams come true! ‘This recipe is amazing, because if lamb is pricey that week, you can easily leave it out!’ says Gail.

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 50 min

INGREDIENTS
400 g lamb neck, cut into chunks
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 sprigs thyme
1 cup beef stock
500 g waterblommetjies
8 baby potatoes, halved
Handful parsley, chopped
1 lemon, zest and juice

METHOD
1. Toss the lamb chunks with the flour to coat.
2. Heat the oil in an ovenproof pot over high heat. Cook the lamb in batches (you don’t want to crowd the pot) for 10 minutes, until caramelised. Remove from the pot and set aside.
3. Add the onions and garlic to the pot. Fry for 5 minutes, until softened.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, salt and pepper. Fry for 3 minutes.
5. Return the lamb to the pot. Add the beef stock and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 180°C.
7. Transfer the pot to the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
8. Add the waterblommetjies, return to the oven and cook for a further 30 minutes.
9. Serve the bredie topped with parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen/HMimages.co.za

The post Waterblommetjie bredie appeared first on MyKitchen.

Spring may be here but the cold weather certainly hasn’t left, and this tomato bredie soup with cauliflower croutons will really hit the spot on a cool evening.

SERVES 6 // COOKING TIME 2 hours

INGREDIENTS
For the soup
2 tbsp olive oil
5 lamb chops
4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
3 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chilli flakes
Salt and black pepper
1 L beef stock
50 g green beans
1 lemon, zest and juice
For the croutons
1 cauliflower, broken into florets
½ cup cake flour
¼ cup olive oil
6 sprigs thyme

METHOD
For the soup
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and fry the lamb chops for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned. Remove from the pot and allow to rest.
2. Place the carrots, garlic and onions in the pot. Fry for about 5 minutes, until softened.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, thyme, tomato paste, paprika, chilli flakes, salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Return the meat to the pot, along with the stock. Simmer for 1 hour, until meat is falling off the bone and veggies are soft.
5. Add the beans and lemon zest and juice. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Serve the soup topped with cauliflower croutons.
For the croutons
1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Dust the cauliflower with flour and sprinkle with oil and thyme. Toss to coat, then spread out on a baking tray.
3. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until crispy.

Recipe & Styling: Chiara Turilli
Photography: Andreas Eiselen

The post Tomato bredie soup with cauliflower croutons appeared first on MyKitchen.

Looking for Sunday lunch inspiration? We’re throwing it back to when we featured self-taught chef Cass Abrahams in our beautiful magazine, and she shared her waterblommetjie bredie recipe with us. Tuck in!

SERVES 4 // COOKING TIME 120 min

INGREDIENTS
2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 cloves
½ tsp peppercorns
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 kg lamb, cut into pieces
2 tsp crushed garlic
2 kg fresh waterblommetjies
4 large potatoes, cubed
2 tbsp lemon juice or 1 bunch surings, chopped
Salt and ground pepper
½ tsp nutmeg

METHOD
1. Place onions, cloves and peppercorns in a pot. Add ½ cup water and simmer until onions are transparent and water has evaporated.
2. Add the oil and fry until the onions are brown. Add the lamb and garlic and cook over low heat until the meat is brown.
3. Boil 1 kg waterblommetjies in water until just tender. Drain and wash under cold water. Set aside.
4. Add the rest of the waterblommetjies to the bredie and continue cooking until the meat is almost tender.
5. Add potatoes and cook until almost done. Add the parboiled waterblommetjies, lemon juice or surings, and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Add the nutmeg and serve with rice.

The post Cass Abrahams’s waterblommetjie bredie appeared first on MyKitchen.