COOK
Chef Cola’s signature vegan sadza nuggets
‘Here I have taken a traditional Shona dish and modernised it. Still leaving the flavour and nutritional value. Think of it as new-school pap and relish.’ – Chef Cola
mealie meal
bunch of rape
bunch of spring onions
1 onion, diced
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt & black pepper to taste
oil for frying
Start by making the sadza – bring water to the boil and add your desired quantity of mealie meal gradually until desired consistency. Stir occasionally until cooked.
Remove from the pot and spread out onto a baking sheet to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, for the sauce, caramelise a diced onion, add the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook for 30-40 minutes. Add water if it gets too reduced.
For the filling of the nugget, wilt the chopped bunch of rape and some of the spring onion in a pan with a little oil. Season to taste. Set aside.
Once the sadza has cooled enough to handle, form into disks, add a spoonful of the greens, and shape into a ball.
In a deep frying pan add enough oil to cover and heat until shimmering.
Fry off the nuggets until golden brown and crispy all over – remove and place on kitchen towel to drain extra oil.
Before serving, blend the sauce until smooth.
To plate, add a ladleful of sauce into a bowl and top with three nuggets and garnish with sliced spring onion. DM