Take the humble ham sandwich to the next level by turning it into a kota. Just add some spicy pickles, eggs, a few other ingredients, and you’re good to go!

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME 20 min

INGREDIENTS
For the spicy pickles
3 radishes, sliced
2 small cucumbers, sliced lengthwise
1 carrot, peeled into long shavings
1 jalapeño, sliced
1 red chilli, sliced
100 ml white wine vinegar
20 ml olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
Salt and black pepper
For the kota
Vegetable oil, to fry
4 eggs
4 hamburger rolls
Butter, for rolls
1 butter lettuce
1 tomato, sliced
150g cooked ham
1 red onion, peeled and sliced

METHOD
For the pickles
1. Place the radishes, carrot, cucumber and chillies in a bowl. Mix the vinegar, oil and sugar in a separate bowl and season. Pour over the vegetables and leave to pickle for 15 minutes.
For the kota
1. Heat the oil in a pan over high heat. Fry the eggs for 5 minutes, until the whites are well cooked and the yolks are still slightly runny.
2. Slice and butter the rolls. Fill each roll with lettuce, tomato, ham, egg, pickles and red onion. Season.

South African’s are no stranger to a good burger, but how about taking a tip from New York and trying these delicious bagel breakfast burgers?

The post Kota with spicy pickles appeared first on MyKitchen.

You can never got wrong with a classic chicken mayo sandwich! Especially one made with sourdough bread and pickled red onions.

SERVES 4 // COOK TIME 25 min

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 red chilli, chopped
Sea salt and cracked red pepper
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 roast chicken, skin removed, deboned and shredded
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ butter lettuce
1 tomato, sliced
¼ cup basil, chopped
8 slices sourdough bread

METHOD
1. Bring the vinegar, chilli, 1 tsp salt and 1 cup water to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the onion and set aside for 10 minutes to pickle.
2. Mix the chicken and mayonnaise.
3. Divide the chicken, lettuce, tomato, pickled onion and basil between 4 slices of bread. Season and sandwich with the remaining bread.

Looking for a way to make use of your roast chicken leftovers? Then we have you covered with our simple, flavour-packed Vietnamese chicken pancakes!

The post Chicken mayo sandwich with pickled red onion appeared first on MyKitchen.

Originating in Durban, this traditional South African staple is an all-time favourite! Attempt it yourself with this chicken curry bunny chow with carrot pickle.

SERVES 2 // COOKING TIME 1 hour 20 min

INGREDIENTS
For the chicken curry
1 tbsp oil
8 pieces chicken
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp grated ginger
2 tbsp ghee or butter
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1–2 cinnamon sticks
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 potatoes, diced
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp sugar
1 sprig curry leaves
For the carrot-pickle
2 carrots
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp white-wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp boiling water
For the bunny chow
2 loaves bread, halved
Coriander, to garnish

METHOD
For the chicken curry
1. Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the chicken over high heat until browned.
2. Remove from the pot. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and fry until softened.
3. Add the ghee and spices and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken. Coat evenly in the spices and fry for 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and purée, and mix. Add the potatoes, stock, sugar, curry leaves and season. Simmer for 30 minutes.
For the carrot-pickle
1. Slice carrot ribbons with a vegetable peeler.
2. Combine with the remaining ingredients, cover and allow to steam for 10 minutes.
For the bunny chow
1. Hollow out the centre of each bread half. Fill each with chicken curry, top with carrot-pickle and garnish with fresh coriander.

The post Chicken curry bunny chow with carrot pickle appeared first on MyKitchen.

When it comes to lovely pickle-based condiments, there isn’t much variety or sophistication available on our local supermarket shelves. For this reason the wonderful and weird varieties sold at farmers’ markets, have become so popular amidst the foodie crowds. Like any truly discerning food-lover, we crave home-made, flavour-packed pickles and jams for our toast.

The thing that makes any kind of pickle or preserve truly special, is how creative the flavour combination is. This is where that much sought-after buzzword steps in: Artisinal! Artisinal food products are crafted to appeal to the selective consumer who is looking for something a little more complex than any old gherkin or bottle of tomato sauce.

Instead of going out and fruitlessly searching for the perfect partner for your morning toast, burger or cheeseboard, let us show you how to easily create a delicious, artisanal option in your very own kitchen!

1. Apple and caramelised onion jam

COOKING TIME 90 mins

INGREDIENTS
110g butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1 kg onions, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
140g brown sugar
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp sea salt flakes
½ tsp ground pepper
500g Granny Smith apples, sliced
3 cups red wine
350 ml red wine vinegar

METHOD
1. Melt butter and oil in a pot over high heat. Stir in onions and garlic.
2. Add sugar, thyme, chilli, salt and pepper. Stir well, then reduce the heat to medium.
3. Cook, uncovered, for 40–45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions are ready when all the juices have evaporated and they’re soft and sticky.
4. Increase the heat to high. Add the apples, wine and vinegar and simmer, uncovered, for 25–30 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by two-thirds.
5. Leave to cool, then pour into sterilised jars and seal.

2. Pickled brinjals

COOKING TIME 20 mins

INGREDIENTS
4 medium brinjals
1L white wine vinegar
2 tsp fine sea salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 red chillies, sliced lengthways
2 sprigs rosemary

METHOD
1. Cut the tops off the brinjals and slice into 8 pieces, lengthways.
2. Combine 1L water, vinegar and salt in a pot. Bring to the boil.
3. Cook the brinjals in the boiling vinegar mixture for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
4. Combine oils, garlic, chillies and rosemary in a bowl. Add brinjals and mix well.
5. Leave to cool, then pour into sterilised jars and seal.

3. Spicy beetroot and orange chutney

COOKING TIME 1½ hours

INGREDIENTS
1 kg beetroot
4 cloves garlic, peeled, 2 split, 2 crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
250g brown sugar
1½ cups red wine vinegar
Zest and juice of 3 oranges
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 180°C and place a large sheet of foil in a roasting tin.
2. Place the beetroots and split garlic on the foil, drizzle with oil and season. Wrap up tightly and roast for 40–45 minutes, until cooked through. Once cooked, peel the skin off the beetroots and slice into quarters.
3. Place sugar, vinegar, orange zest and juice, onion, spices and crushed garlic in a pot over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, then increase the heat and bring to the boil.
4. Add the roast beetroot and bring to the boil again. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 25–30 minutes, until thick.
5. Leave to cool, then pour into sterilised jars and seal.

4. Baby marrow and ginger jam

COOKING TIME 45 min

INGREDIENTS
1 kg baby marrows, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
Zest, juice and seeds of 2 lemons, seeds tied in a muslin bag
900g sugar
5 cm ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp pectin powder

METHOD
1. Place baby marrow and 2 tbsp lemon juice in a pot. Cook over medium heat until baby marrow is turning translucent and soft and the juice has boiled off.
2. Add the rest of the juice, zest, seeds, sugar, ginger and pectin. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
3. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes until baby marrow is fully softened. Test the jam by cooling a spoonful in the freezer for a few minutes. If it wrinkles when touched, it is ready.
4. Leave to cool, then pour into sterilised jars and seal.

5. Plum chutney

COOKING TIME 45 min

INGREDIENTS
½ cup red wine vinegar
115g brown sugar
1.5 cm ginger, peeled and finely sliced
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
1 star anise pod
1 clove
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp sea salt flakes
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 kg plums, quartered and pitted

METHOD
1. Combine the vinegar, sugar, spices, salt and pepper in a pot over low heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil.
2. Add the plums, reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, for 30 minutes.
3. Leave to cool, then pour into sterilised jars and seal.

The post We’re in(to) a real pickle! appeared first on MyKitchen.