Steemit Engagement Challenge S11W5 - “Flavors and Traditions”

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One of the things I enjoy most on Steemit is when I can read a post and learn from it. It fills me with huge excitement.
This contest and the posts I’ve read so far have brought me great joy!

It is time for me to bring the food of my country and my town to you in the hope that you will learn something from my beloved country, South Africa.

South Africa is known as the “rainbow nation.” This is because of the diversity of the nation. You will find people with different backgrounds, race, color, religion, culture, nationality, language, and also those that are rich and poor. It doesn’t matter who you are. In South Africa, we come together to form ONE nation!

There are 5 main dishes that bring us all together as a nation.

IMAGE	NAME	DESCRIPTION
	Boerewors	Boerewors comes originally from the Afrikaans farmers and is a type of sausage made from 90% beef mince and includes spices like cloves, coriander, and nutmeg
	Pap & Chakalaka	Pap is from the African people and is made from maize meal and is similar to polenta. Chakalaka is a type of relish made from tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and onions.
	Bobotie	A Cape Malay dish made of spiced mince, an egg-based topping, and customarily raisins or sultanas that give it a sweet taste. Spices include curry and turmeric. It is served with yellow rice
	Potjiekos	A dish cooked by the early settlers is cooked in a cast-iron pot over a fire. Mainly made with vegetables and beef, it can also be made of any meat. Normally made where families get together
	Bunny Chow	Bunny Chow is curry served in a hollowed out bread and was introduced by the Indian community. It is made of beef, lamb, chicken, onions, potatoes, sometimes beans, and a lot of curry.

Describe a traditional meal from your town.

As we are currently living in the province of KwaZulu Natal, the province with the highest Indian community, curry is the main dish. Durban is then also known as the "capital of curry."

^{Curry from our local supermarket}

Curry originated in India, where it is a common ingredient in many cuisines that are then made with additional meats, veggies, or lentils. Each location has its own distinct curry recipe and preparation method, even in South Africa.
With the occasional addition of dairy and coconut milk, most curries are made with water. It is normally served with steaming white or basmati rice and a variety of Indian flatbread.

What I love about curry is that it is a saucy meal. When eaten with bread, as with Bunny Chow, the bread soaks up all that sauce. It is yummy!

What are the main ingredients?

As I said, there are many different ways in which curry can be cooked. Often, you will find that mothers cooks for the family from a recipe that has been passed down for many generations.

The Afrikaners, of which I am one, also have their own way of cooking what we call "curry and rice." This is normally a dish that you will buy at a church bazaar or market. Today I will be sharing my mom’s way of cooking curry and rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of minced beef
• 1 onion (diced)
• 6 potatoes cut into blocks
• 1 tin of mixed veggies (beans, carrots, peas, etc.)
• Fresh garlic
• Curry spices (curry powder, turmeric, aniseed, bay leaves, and salt)

Method:

The onion, garlic, and spices must be sautéed in a bit of oil to bring out the aroma. The mince is next added, and it is stirred through. Add a cup of water and cook the meat for about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and slow cook until the potatoes are soft. Add the tin of mixed veggies and let it cook for another 10 minutes. You can use diced carrots in place of the canned vegetables.

The curry is served on top of a bed of rice with chutney, slices of banana, finely desiccated coconut, and chutney.

Desiccated coconut is dried coconut, and chutney is a reduction of apricot, or any fruit, sugar, and vinegar, which is then cooked to a reduction.

^{My "curry and rice" cooked the Afrikaner way}

Enjoy!

Do you consider that local gastronomy is well represented in your town? Because?

Oh yes! There is curry everywhere in my town, Ballito. You can buy it from local restaurants, take-away shops, supermarkets, and spice shops, and you can even have it delivered to your doorstep.

A big favorite, and as explained, it is bread that has been hollowed out and filled with a hot curry made of beef, lamb, or chicken. My town holds the record for the longest bunny chow in the world of 10 meters long. Read more

Made with lamb, beef, or chicken, this curry delivers a powerful punch because it is so hot and spicy.

This curry includes coconut milk, a blend of sweet and savory spices, and either chicken, beef, or lamb.

This delectable vegetarian alternative combines a mix of vegetables and spices for a delightful and nutritious supper.

This variation of a chicken curry combines spices, sweet and tangy chicken, chutney, and other ingredients to create a flavor that is both distinctive and irresistible.

Delicious butternut squash and chicken are used to make a wonderful curry that is sweet and spicy. Ideal for cold winter nights.

And then, of course, the most popular snack is a deep-fried curry samosa. This well-liked South African food is a deep-fried pastry filled with either spicy meat, corn and cheese or potato.
If I had 1 STEEM for every samoosa that is sold in my town, in a year, I am pretty sure I would be a STEEM millionaire.

^{One of the many curry restaurant in my town}

As you can see, the local gastronomy, which is curry, is well represented in my town.

“Food makes travel so exceptional, because you get to taste what it's actually supposed to taste like. To eat the real Pad Thai or finally have a proper curry is something pretty amazing.” - Meghan Markle

^{Alle images belongs to me except for those listed under "The 5 main dishes"}

Boerewors
Pap
Bobotie
Potjiekos
Bunny chow

I invite: @sduttaskitchen @ngoenyi @nexcis

CC: @ruthjoe @elrazi @elrazi thank you for the invitations.

Account summary:
Club100
Transfer to vesting: 2,034.177 STEEM
Normal transfer: 39 STEEM (Contest prizes and charity)

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