MISCHU’S MOM’S BRINJALAND-CHICKPEA STEW
“I met Mikhael – or Mischu, as we like to call him – in Cape Town. He is married to the beautiful Angelique and owns a few Lebanese eateries around town. One day I asked him about the war and what they generally ate during those difficult times, and he began to tell me about his mother, Florinda, and a vegan stew she would make because of the lack of meat. He spoke of this dish with such tenderness that I asked if I could share it here. We enjoy it both hot or chilled, depending on the temperature outside. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.”
Serves 10 to 12
EASY
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 30 minutes Cooking: 30 minutes
brinjals 1 kg salt, to taste canola oil 2 cups, for frying (plus a little extra) ripe tomatoes 1½ kg onions 3, peeled and roughly chopped garlic 5 cloves, peeled chickpeas 1 x 400 g can, drained and rinsed tomato paste 200 g chilli powder 1¼ t (optional) water ½ cup dried mint 1T
1 Peel the brinjals, keeping a third of the peel on the brinjals – just because it looks much nicer. 2 Quarter and sprinkle with salt and set aside for 20 minutes. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the brinjal in batches until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper. 3 Cut a cross into the bottom of each tomato and cover with boiling water. Leave for a few minutes so that the skin pulls away. Peel and chop finely. Set aside. 4 Heat the extra oil in a heavy-based saucepan and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and chickpeas and sauté for a few minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, chilli powder and salt and cook for 5 minutes. Add the water and bring to the boil. 5 Arrange the brinjal in the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with the dried mint. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 25–30 minutes. Serve warm or cold. HEALTH-CONSCIOUS, DAIRY-FREE, MEAT-FREE, WHEAT- AND GLUTEN-FREE WINE: Spier Creative Block 2 2019
GREAT VALUE Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking: 1½ hours
whole free-range chicken 1 olive oil 3T za’atar 2T sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste lemon 1 shallots 6, peeled and quartered garlic 1 head honey 2T
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Rub the chicken with the olive oil and za’atar.
2 Place in a roasting pan and season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. 3 Place the quartered shallots and the garlic in the pan and drizzle with more olive oil. 4 Drizzle the chicken with the honey and roast, uncovered, for 1½ hours. Serve with spicy potatoes, stuffed vegetables and toum. CARB-CONSCIOUS, DAIRY-FREE, WHEAT- AND GLUTEN-FREE
WINE: Rustenberg Stellenbosch Chardonnay 2019
Author Sophia Lindop learnt to cook by watching her Lebanese grandmother and Afrikaans ouma. She grew up on a farm in the Northern Cape and now lives in Cape Town, where she runs Lebanese cooking classes. Find out more about her classes and culinary tours to Lebanon at