African Fruit Salad Food

AFRICAN FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• If using canned fruits: drain and save the liquid. Peel and remove seeds from the fresh fruit as necessary, cut fruit into bite-sized pieces.
• Combine all fruit in a glass bowl. Add the lemon juice, some of the liquid from the canned fruits or honey/sugar. Stir gently. There should only be enough liquid to coat the fruit; it does not have to be covered in liquid.
• Cover the fruit salad and allow it to stand at room temperature for a half hour before serving. The fruit salad may be refrigerated after it has stood up to an hour. It should be eaten the same day it is made.
• Garnish with freshly grated coconut or chopped roasted peanuts right before serving.
• NOTE: Eastern Africa's Saladi Ya Matunda is made without the lemon juice, coconut or peanuts; it substitutes sugar/honey for the liquid from the canned fruits.

SALADI YA MATUNDA (AFRICAN TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD)

Steps:

• To make simple syrup: bring water and sugar (1 cup each) to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until syrupy, stirring. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• In a large glass bowl (or salad bowl), combine fruit, tossing gently.
• Stir in lime or lemon juice and enough of the simple syrup to desired sweetness.
• Cover salad and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring once.
• Refrigerate until serving time.
• Serve in individual bowls, garnished with coconut and peanuts.

FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare the fruit with a small serrated knife. Cut the top and bottom off the kiwi, stand it up on one of its flat surfaces and cut away the skin, keeping the knife as close to the skin as possible. Slice in half, following the core through the centre, then cut each half into slices. Put in a bowl and repeat with the other kiwi.
• Carefully cut the skin off the mango and slice off each cheek, running your knife as close to the stone as you can. Cut each piece into slices. Remove any remaining fruit from the stone in long thin slices. Add the mango to the kiwi.
• Top and tail the pineapple, then in a similar way to the kiwi, cut away the skin. Use your knife to go around the pineapple, taking out the divets or eyes, two to three at a time, you'll be left with a spiral pattern weaving around the outside of the fruit. Take of a circular slice, roughly 150g, quarter, remove the core then cut into chunks. Add to the bowl.
• Halve the grapes and add to the rest of the fruit along with the berries, you may want to slice or halve strawberries if they're large. Remove the peel from the orange using the same method as the kiwi and pineapple. Holding the orange over the bowl of fruit, remove the orange segments by carefully cutting between the membrane and the fruit. The pieces should fall out into the bowl along with any juice. Squeeze the membrane over the fruit to extract the juice, add a drizzle of honey, if you like. Mix everything together and leave in the fridge to macerate for 30 mins, if you have time.

CHAKALAKA (SOWETO CHILLI)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a casserole dish set over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and starting to caramelise.
• Stir in the garlic, chillies and half the ginger. Cook for 1-2 mins, then add the curry powder and stir to make a curry paste. If the mixture is starting to catch, add a splash of water to stop it burning.
• Stir in the peppers and cook for 2 mins more. Add the carrots and stir to make sure they are coated in the curry paste. Stir in the purée, tomatoes, piri-piri spice, thyme and apple chutney or sauce, if using.
• Add the baked beans, then half-fill the can with water and add that too. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for at least 10 mins until the vegetables are tender and the mixture has thickened.
• Add the remaining ginger and season to taste. Sprinkle with coriander and serve hot or cold with rice or mealie bread, salad and grilled meats.

AFRICAN TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Combine fruits in a bowl.
• Combine lime juice and brown sugar and add to fruits; toss to coat. Get your hands in there!
• Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
• Sprinkle with coconut.

WEST AFRICAN TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Combine fruits in a bowl.
• Combine lime juice and brown sugar and add to fruits; toss to coat.
• Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
• Sprinkle with coconut.

CHLADA FAKYA - AFRICAN FRUIT SALAD

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients.
• Chill before serving.
• Top with fresh whipped cream, optional.