Prepare these flavour bases in advance to speed up weeknight cooking. 

Tomato sofrito  

Makes 2 cups

The most versatile of our three sofritos, it can form the base of most of your weeknight dinners. Also, you can switch up its flavour profile from Italian to Mexican and more. 

Ingredients

2-3 Tbsp olive oil blend 
2 onions, chopped 
1 red pepper, finely diced 
1 bunch celery, thinly sliced 
4 cloves garlic, chopped 
4 tomatoes, grated  

Method

1. Heat oil over medium heat. 
2. Sauté onions for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly, until onion turns translucent and slightly golden (not dark brown – if this happens, turn down heat slightly).
3. Add pepper and celery, and another glug of oil if needed, then sauté while stirring until softened, about 8-10 minutes. 
4. Stir in garlic and fry for 1 minute. 
5. Add tomato and cook until liquid is almost evaporated. 
6. Season and set aside to cool, if storing. 

Change it up:  

Make it Spanish: Add smoked paprika. 
Make it Mexican: Add ground coriander, cumin, paprika and chilli flakes. 
Make it French: Add red wine and omit the red pepper. 

Leek & mushroom sofrito 

Makes 2½ cups

Leeks, a part of the garlic and shallot family, add a buttery sweetness to this base. Perfect for Italian or French pairings. 

Ingredients

Glug of oil 
300g white button mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch (4 large) leeks 
3 sprigs thyme 
3 sprigs rosemary 
2 cloves garlic, chopped 
Salt and milled pepper 

Method

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or pan. 
2. Fry mushrooms for about 5 minutes until golden. Remove and set aside. 
3. Add more oil, lower heat and sauté onions for 8 minutes until onion turn translucent and slightly golden (not dark brown – if this happens turn heat down slightly).
4. Add leeks and herbs then fry for another 10-12 minutes until leeks start to fall apart, softening completely.
5. Stir in garlic and fry for about 1-2 minutes. 
6. Return mushrooms to pan, season and set aside to cool, if storing. 

Change it up: 

Make it spicier: Add chilli oil when adding garlic. 
Make it more affordable: Omit the mushrooms and add beef stock or a teaspoon. 

Curry spiced sofrito 

Makes about 1 cup

This fragrant sofrito pairs well with beans and legumes, chicken, beef or fish. 

Ingredients

Glug of oil 
2 large onions, chopped 
4 sticks celery, finely sliced (optional) 
5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated 
1-3 chillies, chopped (or pierce and add whole for a milder heat) 
2cm turmeric, grated 
4cm ginger, grated 
2 sprigs curry leaves 
2 Tbsp mild or strong curry powder 
1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 cardamom pod, crushed (optional)
Pinch of cinnamon 

Method

1. Heat oil over medium heat. 
2. Sauté onions for 10-12 minutes until they turn translucent and slightly golden (not dark brown – if this happens turn heat down slightly). 
3. Add celery, if using, and sauté for another 5 minutes until softened. 
4. Stir in remaining ingredients, adding a bit of oil if starting to catch, and fry for 2-3 minutes. 
5. Season and set aside to cool, if storing. 

Change it up:  

Make it Thai: Add lemongrass to your sofrito and coconut milk to your dish. 
Make it African: Swap the chilli for harissa paste and omit the curry powder. 
 

Recipe & styling: Liezl Vermeulen
Photography by: Zhann Solomons

The post Aromatic make-ahead bases perfect for meal prep appeared first on MyKitchen.

Ridiculously easy! Toppings are optional, but adds a fantastic fresh, zesty pop to a creamy, warm dish.

Creamy chickpea curry

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

1 batch curry spiced sofrito 
2 cans (400g each) chickpeas 
2 cans (400ml each) coconut milk 
Flavour foundation
Juice of 1-2 limes (lemon juice works well too) 
Salt and milled pepper  

For the sprinkle 

¼ cup pumpkin seeds 
2 Tbsp crispy onion sprinkle
2 Tbsp white sesame seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds 
Pinch of turmeric 
3 Tbsp vegetable oil  

For serving 

Finely sliced red onion
Coriander
Roti or naan, toasted
Lime wedges  

Method

1. Reheat curry sofrito, adding a bit more oil. 
2. Add chickpeas, coconut milk and lime juice. Season. 
3. Simmer until sauce is thick and creamy, about 15-18 minutes. 
4. Combine topping ingredients in a small pan over medium-high heat. Fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and toasted.
5. Serve chickpea curry topped with sprinkle, red onion and coriander with roti or naan and limes on the side. 

Did you know?
We’re using the Spanish term sofrito’ loosely, referring to an aromatic base to start dishes. Ingredients and names will differ between cuisines, for example Italian cuisine names it soffritto’ and in French cuisine a version of this is a ‘mire poix’. 

By: Liezl Vermeulen
Photography by: Zhann Solomons
Text courtesy of MyKitchen magazine 

The post Creamy chickpea curry  appeared first on MyKitchen.

From the sofrito that forms the flavour base to the socarrat that results in the end, Liezl Vermeulen shares the secrets she learnt in Spain to making paella. Buen provecho!   

Paella pointers, tips and lingo  

Everything you need to know to make an authentic paella so good, a Spaniard would delight and indulge in it!  

The Base-ics 

An authentic paella always starts with sofrito – a blend of onion, peppers, garlic and grated tomato (remember, fresh is best) that is sautéed over a low heat to form the base of your dish. 

Also read: 3 Delicious Paella Dishes to Make in Under an Hour

Red hot  

Saffron  

Why are these little crimson flower stigmas so expensive (more expensive in weight than gold, in fact)? Since the crops are small, each flower only produces three strands and can only be hand-picked at certain times of the day. Take the plunge if you can afford it because a little goes a long way in adding great flavour.   

Smoked Paprika  

There are three different types of peppers that can be used to make smoked paprika – sweet, hot (or spicy) and bitter-sweet. True Spanish paprika, pimentón de la vera, is dried by smoking paprika over an oak fire for up to three days. It has an earthy, smoky depth of flavour that is unmatched. Regular or plain paprika is sun-dried.   

Paella 101  

Must-haves  

– Rice: The best rice to use (that can be found locally) is arborio or risotto rice.
– Good-quality stock: It makes all the difference. We used a liquid stock concentrate.
– Smoked paprika: Invest in smoked paprika for an authentic, smoky flavour.  

Nice-to-haves  

– Saffron: 3-4 strands are all you’ll need. Mix with warm stock to extract the most flavour. Can’t find it? Simply omit from the recipe.
– Paella pan: What makes a paella pan great is its size. Don’t have one? Use the biggest pan you can find or divide rice and stock between two pans to make sure your rice isn’t stacked higher than 2cm.   

The All-important socarrat  

The tell-tale sign of a good paella is the socarrat – the crispy rice layer that forms on the bottom of the pan. It develops when the starch in the rice and meat juices are reduced and is described as the tastiest part of a paella, so be sure to dish up those pan scrapings.  

Did you know?  

Paella is pronounced “pa-ey-ya”. (In Spanish, a double L is pronounced as a ‘y’.)  

Recipes and styling: Liezl Vermeulen 

Photographs: Fresh Living Magazine 

Also read: South African almost-paella recipe

The post Pointers for the perfect paella appeared first on MyKitchen.