Faridah's Flavours

Faridah’s FIERY HOT FESTIVE scrambled eggs

PART 1

There comes a time when giving ourselves over with wild abandon to hot chillies, albeit for a brief affair, is inevitable. And getting together in the kitchen with your beloved to intimately share the experience of burning finger tips, runny noses and tearing eyes as you de-seed the hot little creatures (not that that did anything to make these ones milder I’m sure), is a memory-making experience.

Usually I like being alone in my kitchen, to create and surprise. But this weekend past I needed help. So the new husband was enlisted to de-seed my 150g fresh red and green chillies. He did so with brave and cheerful willingness, and I’m just hoping he’ll be just as obliging 10 years from now!! J

Together we decided maybe only 100g will do, and with relief we put the rest back in the basket. Next time I try this recipe I’ll use the larger sweeter variety, and maybe more grilled sweet red peppers – if only because they’re so delicious when grilled that after nibbling away as I skinned them, I didn’t have as much as I should have to ease the burning chill!!!

This recipe come from FOOD & HOME, August 2010, and is Justice Kamanga’s “Harissa hot chilli paste”.

Here is what I bottled after keeping a little out for immediate use.

150g fresh red or green chillies, seeded and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 green pepper, grilled, skinned and chopped

1 red pepper, grilled, skinned and chopped

60ml olive oil

30ml fresh coriander, finely chopped

15ml sesame seeds, toasted

15ml ground cumin

Sea salt, to taste

Combine all the ingredients and leave to stand for at least 30 minutes before using, for the flavour to develop. Store in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator.

PART 2

Sunday night braai had us enjoying marinated T-Bone steaks, tender enough to sell in a Purity jar, soft creamy salted and buttered mielie pap, and the following sauce, so simple it can be made by the baby for whom the T-bone is bottled.

Faridah’s Simple Braai Sous for pap

Take 4 ripe, skinned bright red tomatoes

Place in saucepan with butter, salt and pepper

Simmer until they soften

Crush with wooden spoon

Add a few slurps of Worcestershire sauce

Add a tablespoon or two fresh chopped coriander

Mix in about a teaspoon brown sugar

Simmer on low as the rest of the food gets done

Serve on plain mielie pap

For the scrambled eggs the next day:

Take a spoonful of PART 1 (or as much as you dare), mix into what’s left over of PART 2, pour into a small hot frying pan and sizzle as you beat the eggs (as many as will appease your appetite).

Pour eggs into the mixture and stir until firmer and done to your liking.

Serve on brown wheat toast.

Purrrrfect.