Thursday, January 28, 2010

Tamayya (South Africa)

World-Bites (27) / Tamayya

Just as there's more to South Africa than safari, there's a whole lot more to South African food. Here's a mouthwatering overview to one of the most seductive cuisines on earth. South Africa’s eclectic cuisine is bursting with competing flavors, hardly surprising given its rich and varied origins. Portuguese, Dutch, French, Moroccan, Indian and even Japanese influences all feature prominently on menus, infused with herbs and spices to give it a unique South African twist. Tamayya (green hamburgers) are healthy vegetable patties packed with fresh greens and dried Beans. The Tamaaya, is stuffed into pockets of bread along with salad, fried Eggplant, potatoes, or just by itself. This sandwich may be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Bought at the Tamaaya Stand, it is wrapped in paper and eaten as one walks down the street.

Ingredients


* 2 cups broken Beans
* 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
* 1/4 cup finely chopped coriander
* 1/4 cup finely chopped dill
* 1 cup finely chopped green onions
* 1/2 cup finely chopped Onion (1 small Onion)
* 2 tb finely chopped garlic
* 1 1/2 - 2 tsp salt, or to taste
* 1/2 tsp pepper, or to taste
* 1 tsp dry coriander powder
* chili powder (optional)
* sesame seeds
* oil for frying

Directions

1. Place the Beans in a large bowl of water and rinse several times until the water is clear. Fill the bowl with at least 6 cups of water, cover and allow them to soak for 2 to 3 days. Wash the greens and dry well, this makes them easier to chop.
2. Remove the tough parts of the stem and then finely chop the leaves and the remaining delicate stems. Measure the greens after they are chopped, but do not pack them down into the cup. Wash the green onions and chop both the white Onion part and the green stem. Chop the Onion and garlic. Drain the Beans and grind very fine.
3. If you are grinding the Beans in a food processor, turn the machine on empty and slowly drop through the tube onto the moving blade. Place the Beans in a bowl and set aside. Add the greens, onions and garlic to the processor, blend well.
4. Add the mashed Beans to the processor and process until the mixture looks green. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the spices and baking soda, mix everything until well blended. Cover the bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes. The longer the better so the flavors blend. If you do not cook all the batter, cover and store in the refrigerator. Heat a medium saute pan, when hot add 1/2 inch of oil and heat until it is hot, lower the heat slightly.
5. To shape the patties, take a large soup spoon and fill the bowl of the spoon with some of the batter, pressing it firmly into the spoon. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and then push it off the spoon into the hot oil.
6.Fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until it has turned brown. Turn the patties over and cook again 2 to 3 minutes or until brown. Remove from the oil to a paper towel to drain. Don't let the oil get too hot or the crust will get too crisp or if the oil cools down too much, the patties will soak up too much oil.

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