Taming the beast
While eating her way around SA for the Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards, Mokgadi Itsweng was so impressed by a dish from Belly of the Beast that it inspired her to recreate her own version
As a plant-based diner, my first visit to Belly of the Beast in Cape Town was one for the books. The name alone conjured images of a real butcher’s delight, and I expected a dark, moody space with animal heads and horns adorning the walls.
I knew that my two lunch companions, both big meat-eaters, were super-excited to get acquainted with “the beast”. But I was a little more hesitant. I made sure to call ahead to double-check that I had made my vegetarian diet and allergies clear, and felt reassured when the staff member on the other end of the line seemed completely unperturbed by my dietary requirements.
To my pleasant surprise, the interior of the restaurant was not as I’d imagined, and I was immediately captivated by the openfire kitchen and its tattooed chefs. This gettogether with my sisters promised to be an afternoon filled with good food, good wine, laughter and joy.
I’m happy to say that the six-course tasting menu with wine pairing was filled with some of the most interesting vegetable morsels I’ve ever had. The Cape Malay influence was evident in how the chef had played with spices, pickles and flavour combinations, making each dish a delicious exploration. The wine server also took us on a journey of discovering local, handmade and unfiltered wines, which worked perfectly with the flavourful dishes.
From the delicious roosterkoek bread course to the risotto and the coconut koeksister dessert, every dish was perfectly executed, but my absolute highlight was the fried cabbage. The humble veg, encased in a light, crispy batter, was served with a sweet-and-sour tomato curry sauce, basmati rice foam, tomato-and-onion salsa, and topped with crispy onions and curry leaves. I’d never eaten cabbage like that before. It was so incredibly good that I dreamed of it often, to the point where I simply had to try to replicate it.
My version of the tomato curry sauce has tamarind in it and is based on my granny’s tamarind fish curry recipe (without the fish). I make a tempura-style batter for the cabbage, which lightly coats it and keeps it moist and soft inside the crispy coating.
The crispy cabbage works well with the curry sauce and the creamy basmati rice foam, creating the perfect balance of flavour and texture. Crispy onions and sliced deep-fried curry leaves add extra flavour and crunch.
When I eat this dish, it reminds me of the love and respect the chefs at Belly of The Best have for their produce, which can be tasted in every bite on the menu. And I feel happy, inspired, and excited about the local food industry. W
FRIED CABBAGE WITH TOMATO CURRY, SALSA, AND CRISPY CURRY LEAVES
Serves 4 to 6
A LITTLE EFFORT
GREAT VALUE
Preparation: 1 hour, plus 30 minutes’ marinating time Cooking: 1 hour
For the tomato curry: oil 3T
Cape Malay curry spice 2T cumin seeds 1t fennel seeds ½t dried curry leaves 1T onion 1, finely chopped garlic 3 cloves, crushed fresh ginger 1 t grated chopped tomatoes 1 x 400 g can tomato paste 4T brown sugar 1T tamarind pulp 1 T, dissolved in ½ cup hot water sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the salsa: tomatoes 2, seeded and diced pickled onions 1 t, chopped lemon juice 1T olive oil 2T honey 1t salt ¼t
For the fried cabbage: baby cabbages 2, quartered with the core holding the leaves together water 1½ litres salt 1t
For the batter: flour 120 g cornflour 1T ice-cold sparkling water 1 cup salt 1t pepper 1t ice cube 1
For the basmati rice foam: cooked basmati rice 160 g water 2 cups sunflower oil 1T
sunflower oil 1 cup, for deep-frying crispy onions 30 g, for serving fresh curry leaves 10, sliced and deep fried microgreens 20 g, for serving
1 To make the tomato curry, heat the oil in a pan then add the Cape Malay spice, cumin, fennel and curry leaves and cook over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and tamarind water. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring continuously, adding a little water if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste; the sauce should be
well-reduced and full of flavour. Set aside and keep warm. 2 To make the salsa, mix the tomatoes and onions. In a separate bowl, whisk the lemon juice, oil, honey and salt until well combined. Add the dressing to the tomato mixture. Marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving. 3 Place the cabbage in a wide bowl, with the leaves facing up. Bring the water and salt to a slow boil, then pour over the cabbage, making sure it’s completely submerged. Cover the bowl and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Drain, pat the cabbage dry using kitchen paper and set aside. 4 Mix all the batter ingredients until smooth and light. Add the ice cube to keep it cold. 5 Heat the oil in a deep saucepan. Check the temperature by dropping in a small bit of batter. If it floats and crisps up immediately, the oil is ready.
6 Dip the cabbage quarters into the batter, then gently tap off any excess and place in the oil. Fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon, then drain on kitchen paper. Set aside and keep warm in a low oven.
7 To make the rice foam, blend the rice and water until smooth. Remove from the blender and strain through muslin cloth, squeezing to remove the rice milk from the pulp. Keep the pulp for later use as a thickener for stews or sauces. 8 Place the rice milk and sunflower oil in a blender and blend at high speed until the milk is light and foamy. 9 To serve, place 2 T rice foam on the plate, then place 1 T tomato curry on top of the rice foam. Place the fried cabbage on top of the tomato curry, then the salsa next to the cabbage. Top with the onions, curry leaves and microgreens. HEALTH-CONSCIOUS, DAIRY-FREE, MEAT-FREE
WINE: Jordan Origami Merlot
“When I eat this, it reminds me of the love and respect the chefs at Belly of the Beast have for their produce”