Ingrediënten
- two 40×35 cm baking trays,
- lined with non stick baking paper;
- biscuit cutter 12 cm diameter
Dough (makes twelve pastries):
- 250 g plain flour
- 4 g salt
- 170 g unsalted butter, chilled
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- about 100 ml ice-cold water
Filling:
- 1 slice white bread without crust
- 50 ml milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 500 g lean minced beef
- 4 g salt
- freshly grated black pepper
- 100 ml blatjang*
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
For brushing:
- 1 beaten egg
The abolition of ‘Apartheid’ in South Africa had from a culinary point of view the same effect as the gaining of independence in European countries: suddenly cookbooks were published, that showed the multi-coloured cuisine of the nation. A good example is Van Wyk/Barton, Kos wat ons ken (The food we know, Kaapstad 1993). They write: ‘The Malaysians added probably the largest contribution. From them we learned to develop a preference for mixing sweet and sour .. and also for the sauces, curries, blatjang and atjar, so typical of our cuisine.’ The Dutch are credited with the South African pies ‘much favoured in 17th century Holland’. But these kerriemaalvleispasteitjies are an African invention.
- Sift flour and salt in a bowl. Grate the butter coarsly over it, mix with finger tips. Stir in the lemon juice with a knife and add so much water that all dry flour is just absorbed. Press this crumbly dough into a ball. Cover and chill.
- For the filling soak the bread in the milk. Sauté onion in butter, add curry powder, fry for a moment then add the minced beef with salt and pepper. Sauté while stirring until the mince is light brown and crumbly. Add blatjang, fry for 5 minutes more. Leave to cool then mix with the bread porridge.
- Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/gas 6.
- Roll out half the dough on a floured working surface translucently thin. Cut with the bicuit cutter 12 circles. Divide them onto the lined baking trays and spread with one tablespoon mince. Brush the rims with egg, cover with 12 circles rolled from the rest of the dough. Press the rims with a fork. Prick in the top, brush with egg.
- Bake 20-25 minutes on the middle shelf of the preheated oven. Serve with cherry tomatoes and mixed salad dressed with vinaigrette.
*Mix for a simplified Blatjang (normally made in large quantities):
- 50 g dried apricots
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger race
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon squeezed garlic
- Put in a dish covered with microwave cling film in micro wave. Cook for 4 minutes at highest power.