Bajias/ bajies/chilli bites

Chilli bites for the cold winter days, chilli bites with a hot cuppa tea, bajias for that any time treat!

I love sweetcorn bajias, and that is what I began making until I realised I don’t have eggs! Even though the shops are near by, I really did not want to stop my cooking marathon. Hmm… what shall I do?

Grab the pea flour from the freezer, add what you always thought would work, and think of the usual chilli bite mixture and voila! Soft, delicious, full of flavour little bites! Perfect!

Give these a whirl and let me known what you think!

1/2 cup plain flour

1 cup pea flour

1 medium onion

1 tin creamstyle corn

1 teaspoon coriander powder (coarse)

1 heaped teaspoon cummin powder

1 teaspoon cummin seeds

1 heaped teaspoon salt

1 heaped teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon crushed dried red chillies

1/4 cup buttermilk

Crushed green chillies

Chopped fresh coriander

Slice onion and place in a bowl of boiling water. Leave aside.

In another dish, add the rest of the ingredients. Drain the water from the onions and add to the rest of the ingredients. Mix well to get a thick batter.

Heat oil and drop spoonfuls of batter into hot oil. Fry until lightly golden.

These bajias stay soft even after its cold. Super easy and super delicious!

10 Minute Dinner Wonder

Home from work! Tired! Not feeling the need to cook? Hungry faces staring back at you! Wish the ground would just swallow you… Look no further!

These items are sure to be in your pantry. No cooking involved. Just turn on the oven to 200 degrees first. Now go to the grocery cupboard and fridge for the following:

1 tin sweetcorn

Bread

Cheese

Mixed / italian herbs

Green chilli (optional)

Lay the bread on an oven tray. Take about 2Tblsp sweetcorn – spread on bread. Grate cheese over. Sprinkle with herbs and bake till bubbly. Don’t overload the sweetcorn because it will just drip off the bread cheese and all!

You could also do this with baked beans – straight out the tin or leftovers.

Creamy Vegetables

2 gem squash

1 butternut (medium sized)

1 tray yellow corn (usually 4 pieces on cob)

2 sweet potatoes

1 cinnamon stick (4cm long)

1 small green pepper

1 small red pepper

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tblsp butter

1 tin creamed style sweetcorn

1 cup fresh cream

Crushed garlic

Salt & pepper

Italian herbs

Cheese (optional)

Wash and cut vegetables and peppers into chunky pieces. The corn should be sliced to 3cm pieces.

Put all the vegetables and cinnamon into a big pot. Add 2 cups water and let the vegetables steam on a medium heat adding more water as you need. Let the water dry up completely once the veggies are cooked through.

Empty veggies into a casserole. Sprinkle salt and pepper.

Saute onion in butter with garlic. Add sweetcorn. Stir well. Then add the fresh cream. Pour over vegetables. Top with cheese and sprinkle italian herbs over. Bake in oven for approximately 30 minutes – 200 degrees.

Serve with saucy chicken, steak or even at your next BBQ/braai.