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African

Serve this spiced ratatouille with flatbead.
EASY

RecipeTin Eats x Good Food: North African spiced ratatouille with crispy chickpeas

Ratatouille is a French Provincial stew made with a medley of summer vegetables. I've given it a North African spin by adding warm spices instead of fresh herbs, and finishing with crispy chickpeas and fresh coriander. Ideally made the day before, this can be served warm or at room temperature, preferably with flatbread on the side for dunking and mopping.

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • RecipeTin Eats
This milky custard tart is dusted with cinnamon.

South African custard tart

Who doesn't love a classic custard tart? South Africa's version (a melktert) is one of the most popular dishes in the country.

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Adam Liaw
South Africa's answer to sticky date pudding.

Helen Goh's malva pudding with Amarula sauce

This delicious, easy dessert is South Africa's answer to sticky date pudding. Inexpensive Amarula liqueur has romantic and practical appeal: the butterscotch sauce here is fabulous. If you can't find it, Bailey's Irish Cream, or even a strong white coffee, is a good substitute.

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Helen Goh
Chermoula prawns.

Frank Camorra's grilled chermoula prawns

In Spain, prawns are often cooked and served in the shell, which retains a lot of their flavour. I think it is similar to cooking meat on the bone, which improves the moisture and taste of a dish. The prawns can be cooked on a grill, but for a true taste of summer, do them on the barbecue.

  • < 30 mins
  • Frank Camorra
Kuku paka aka delicious chicken.
EASY

Kuku paka (African chicken and coconut curry)

This east African dish is one of the easiest "curries" you could ever make. Kuku is the Swahili word for chicken, and paka is the Bengali word for delicious.

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Adam Liaw
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Cucumber, pineapple and chilli pickled salad.
EASY

Cucumber, pineapple and chilli pickled salad

This lovely sweet-and-sour side dish is a perfect refresher with a rich, braised curry. Just pour over the vinegar syrup dressing and serve it immediately.

  • < 30 mins
  • Adam Liaw
Take a well-dressed salad in a jar and smash it into a freshly bought bread roll or baguette.
EASY

Tunisian casse-croute (spicy tuna salad sandwich)

Tunisian casse-croute (a portable food snack) is bread stuffed with a crunchy, juicy salad of tomato, cucumber, capsicum and hard-boiled egg, spiced up with harissa. To make it office-friendly, pack the salad in a jar and assemble it when you're ready to eat. Other options include capers, boiled potato, parsley, coriander, anchovies, capers or pickled chillies. Or swap out the tuna for left-over pan-fried king salmon, roast chook or mozzarella.

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Jill Dupleix
This comforting rice dish is inspired by the west African favourite, jollof.
EASY

Spiced jollof rice

Dusky jollof rice with its insistent and deliberate spicy heat is delicious on its own, or serve as a side to any protein.

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Katrina Meynink
This couscous absorbs both the stock and the roasting juices from the tomato to yield a dish that's strongly savoury and slightly sweet.
EASY

Roasted cherry tomato and cashew cous cous recipe

Arguably the most popular North African ingredient to stay in some sort of vogue is cous cous.I can even remember the first time I cooked it – I was 17 years old and it was the first time I'd ever thrown a real, grown-up dinner party (it was also a double date of sorts, but the less said about that, the better). Since then it's been one of my regular warm-weather dishes. Cous cous is fantastic at absorbing flavour and doesn't feel heavy or stodgy, as other starchy foods can.

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Adan Liaw and Adam Liaw
Pair this juicy North African-inspired lamb shoulder with fluffy cous cous.
EASY

Tunisian slow-cooked lamb with rosemary recipe

One of the signatures of North African cooking is the contrast between slow-cooked spices and fresh herbs. It's a beautiful combination in any cuisine.

  • 2 hrs +
  • Adam Liaw

Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/topic/african-la8