Tangy tomato breedie with basmati a winner

Are you tired of hamburgers and chicken every night? Do you like tomatoes and crave a really new taste bud experience? Here is a hearty recipe with bite just like my mother made. When the slaves arrived in South Africa in the 1600s they brought their own recipes. Tomato breedie is one of them. Cape Town is known as the city of many cultures and recipes abound. Here is one where you can choose either beef or chicken; I prefer lean lamb knuckles which have no fat. This is a real easy meal if you follow the steps below. 

Ingredients:

·        

·         1 kilo lamb knuckles OR trimmed lamb

·         1 tin tomato paste

·         1 packet of sweet red ripe tomatoes

·         2 finely chopped onions

·         3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed garlic,

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1 tablespoon sugar

·         2 fat chillies chopped up

·         1-1/2 cups white Basmati rice

Soak Basmati rice in a dish. Wash the lamb knuckles and give a 20 minute medium cook with a half cup of water. This is to soften the meat. Stir the meat often at this point. While this is cooking at medium heat, peal a big onion or two small ones. Cut and chop up the tomatoes. Put one side. Clean four big cloves of garlic and chop up too. Stir the pot frequently so as not to burn the meat. After twenty-minutes add the tomato paste and the chopped-up tomatoes, add one teaspoon of salt, the three tablespoons of sugar and the chopped-chillies and garlic. Add another half cup of water. The meat in the pot should look very red now when you stir.  

Slow cook the secret

Turn the stove down to a slow cook. At this point boil the Basmati rice for twenty minutes. Towards the end of the rice cycle open the dish and stir. Put the lid back on the rice, turn the microwave off and leave the rice in the microwave to steam. Check on the breedie. There should be a lot of thick juice in the pot. Add bits of water and slow cook. With a knife check to see if the meat is soft. In all, the process should not take more than an hour from beginning to end. Taste the sauce. Is it sweet and tangy with a bite? If it is, your meal is ready. The recommended way to eat this is to spoon some rice onto your plate, and two or three knuckles with lots of sauce. The sauce should be sour sweet and hot. Tomato breedie is a very popular dish for South Africans in winter. Bon appetit!

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