If you are new to The Mompocalypse, allow me to explain the World Cuisine Tour 2011. To liven up our dinners, we have been picking one day a week to have a dinner based off of cuisine from another country. The kids pick the country and we all have a great time learning something about that country and trying new tastes. I try to link up some resources in these posts in case you are thinking about giving World Cuisine Tour a whirl in your home. Enjoy!
Did you know that South Africa is home to the world’s largest hospital AND the world’s largest wine cellar? I can’t help but think there might be a connection between the two…
I was initially perplexed when the kids picked South Africa for our dining adventure. Some countries are well known for their dishes. South Africa is not so much one of them. (Well, at least for me. Go ahead and call me sheltered. I live in Michigan. I’m used to it.)
But then I discovered Bunny Chow.
Don’t worry. No rabbits were harmed in the making of this dinner. Bunny chow, also known as kota, is a curry dish that is served in a hollowed out loaf of bread. Just curry and bread!
That sounds easy enough, right? Right! And, aside from nearly setting the first loaf of bread on fire, it was pretty easy-peasy.
First I made a loaf of white bread in my Super Pretentious Breadmaker.
I am not going to lie, this is probably my favorite superfluous kitchen gadget. I just love baking bread. Kind of ironic for someone who is gluten intolerant, right?
Then I hollowed it out.
I saved the “bread guts” for bread pudding. It’s not exactly South African, but it’s pretty darn tasty.
Then, I prepared a curry. I muddled together my own recipe for curry (I’ll post it at the end) but, if you want to be a little more authentic, check out this recipe. It sounds delicious!
I turned on some mood music by making a Pandora station based on Yvonne Chaka Chaka, a popular South African singer.
Dish up the curry and…
Traditionally, kota is eaten without forks or spoons. Just fingers. If you are feeling really brave, do dinner sans silverware. My children are gifted and began eating it with their hands before I even suggested it. Wasn’t that thoughtful of them?
Next week: Libya!
Now, for my sorta curry recipe. I am vegan and gluten-free so, every once in a while I indulge myself and force the rest of the household to eat “Tina Food”. This was flavorful enough that no one complained about the lack of meat. Much.
Curry in a Hurry
1C brown rice cous cous
1 can whole tomatoes, sliced
1 can chickpeas
3 tsp curry powder
3C water
salt to taste
Throw it all in a pot and simmer for at least 30 minutes or until the cous cous is fully cooked. Add some chili sauce for a kick or a dollop of plain yogurt to make it a little more South African.
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