South Africans really should revel in their diverse culinary egg-dentity! There are certainly many flavourful chapters, influences, and adaptations in our country’s cultural cookbook, with beautifully sunny eggs able to take centre stage in each and every one.
We still love beef, chicken, and fish, in fact, they all cook up wonderfully well with the humble, easy to find egg, but as a source of available and affordable protein, delicious eggs can stretch other foods to feed more people, or happily take over the gig entirely – breakfast, lunch or supper.
And let’s not forget cakes, desserts, biscuits, and tarts. If you’re making sweet South African favourites like rusks, milk tart, lemon meringue, malva pudding, souskluitjies or koek- and koeksisters, you really do have to break some eggs!
You may have to do that too when thinking about the origins of some of South Africa’s favourite “local” cuisines, to which simply adding boiled, poached, or fried eggs means you have a feast fit for a king – a tasty plateful to fuel the day or fill you right up after a long one. Like local favourite pap, which has always been a staple of southern Africa. And that chakalaka that goes with it, which was adopted from the Portuguese-inspired meals of Mozambican migrant mineworkers who liked a bit of a kick in their cooking, and which we have now most definitely made our own!
Hungry yet? Give Soft Pap with Crispy Egg and Atchar a go. It’ll be love at first bite. Atchar is another import that South Africans have put a pin in. Local-is-lekker atchar recipes are based on pickle know-how from Asian indentured workers, whose egg marsala curries have also become a South African staple.
What about bobotie, which many consider the national dish of South Africa? It’s a Cape Malay favourite that was adapted from Indonesian origins. It’s a gem of a dish under an excellent eggy coating, the flexibility of which means our awesome vegetarian Butternut & Lentil Bobotie version is a must try!
When it comes to weekends, we all crave something crispy and completely decadent, like Amasi Marinated Fried Chicken Topped with Poached Egg, served on Amagwinya – based on the vetkoek beloved of the Voortrekkers.
It all comes together on the plate though, with universal agreement that an egg or two makes every sneaky, treaty mouth-filler that much more irresistible – just think of a dagwood kota, beans, and boiled egg bunny chow or an egg potato salad.
South Africans really love to eat tasty food, embracing all dishes from all quarters. If they appeal to the palate, we set about tweaking and testing them until they are part of the Mzansi cultural fabric, especially when they include eggs.
So, eat an egg every day! The South African Department of Health’s food-based dietary guidelines say it’s fine to do just that. Eggs are versatile, nutritious, and budget-friendly – a go-to for all food lovers.
Soft Pap with crispy egg and atchar
- Serves 2
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs
- 45ml oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Maize meal
To serve:
- Atchar of your choice
Method
Cook the porridge according to instructions on the packet
Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan, when hot (don’t do this before the oil is hot) break the eggs into the pan, take care it might splatter. Cook the eggs until done to your liking, if you prefer a harder yolk cover the frying pan with a lid for a few minutes.
To serve, dish the soft porridge into a bowl and top with the crispy eggs. Serve with atchar.
Butternut and lentil bobotie
- Serves 4
- Preparation time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 40 minutes
- Total time: 60 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 large butternut, halved and seeds scooped out
- 4 tablespoons (60ml) olive oil
- Salt and ground pepper
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) crushed garlic, or 3 cloves crushed
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) medium curry powder
- 410g can brown lentils, drained
- 2-3 sprigs curry leaves
- 60ml chutney
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (250ml) milk
- Handful of flaked almonds
- Plain yoghurt and sambals, for serving
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with tinfoil. Poke the outside of the butternut with a fork, brush flesh with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the butternuts cut side down on the baking tray.
Roast for 20-30 minutes until almost tender when poked with a sharp knife.
While the butternut is cooking prepare the filling. Gently sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in the same pan until soft. Add the curry powder, stir in the lentils, and a few curry leaves, and chutney.
Check the seasoning for taste and spoon lentil mixture into squash halves, cut side up, about until three quarters full.
Whisk eggs with milk and pour over the lentils. Sprinkle with flaked almonds
Bake at 180°C for 20 minutes.
Serve drizzled with plain yoghurt and chutney on the side.
Amasi marinated fried chicken topped with poached egg, served on amagwinya
- Serves 2
- Preparation time: 30 minutes + 2 hours for marinading
- Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 deboned chicken thighs or breast fillets, skinless
For the marinade
- 150ml Amasi (may substitute with buttermilk or plain yoghurt)
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- Pinch fine salt
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon smooth mustard
For the paprika mayo
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon smooth mustard
- 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- Big pinch fine salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup (250ml) sunflower or canola oil
For cooking:
- 1 litre sunflower oil for frying
- 100g plain flour
- Salt and pepper
To serve
- 2 large amagwinya or hamburger buns
- Paprika mayo
- Pickles (optional)
- Lettuce
- 2 large eggs, poached
Method:
In a non-metallic bowl whisk the marinade ingredients together, and marinate the chicken for 2-4 hours, covered in the fridge.
For the paprika mayo: while the chicken is marinating make the mayo. Place all the ingredients except the oil in a jug, and using a hand blender, whiz all the ingredients together, slowly pouring in the oil and blend to create a thick emulsion. Set aside until assembling.
After 1 ½ hours, remove the chicken from the fridge and allow to stand at room temp for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a saucepan. Place the flour and salt and pepper (according to taste) in a shallow bowl. Remove chicken from the marinade and place in the flour, coating both sides well, shake off the excess flour.
Fry the chicken for 3-5 minutes (depending on thickness) on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and drain on paper towel lined plate.
To assemble, cut the amagwinya, or hamburger buns, in half and spread with paprika mayo (reserve some for serving), arrange lettuce leaves and pickles (optional), top with the fried chicken.
Poach the eggs until done to your liking and top the chicken with the poached egg and a good dollop of the paprika mayo.
Serve immediately with extra mayo.
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