7 colours dishes give Chef Zanele van Zyl the opportunity to do what she does best – to take her own spin on a classic meal. She shows us how it’s done
Zanele van Zyl is a South African chef who needs no introduction. Having risen from an impoverished background, Zanele has worked hard to become a household name; having released an impressive cookbook and hosting a variety of cooking classes across the country. And as we know, 7 Colours is a traditional South African meal that would include rice, chicken or beef, and sides such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes, beetroot, cabbage, beans salad, potato salad, or coleslaw.
Dishes such as 7 Colours give Zanele the opportunity to do what she does best – to take her own spin on a classic meal. “Developing a recipe is very tricky,” says Zanele. “At culinary school, they taught us how to pair this with that – but it must always be in your mind. You must always work around it, twist it, to see…. You don’t have to be a chef to cook this meal – it’s something that will never go out of fashion!”
Zanele’s 7 Colours Recipe:
Zanele’s Special Dumplings
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 spoon sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup chopped spinach
Handful grated carrots
Mix all the ingredients and cook in steam-proved dish for 20 minutes.
Roast Chicken Recipe
Whole roast chicken
1/2 cup mayonnaise
125ml lemon juice
10ml whole grain mustard
10ml chicken spice
5ml paprika
15ml finely chopped fresh rosemary
15 finely chopped thyme
3 cloves of garlic minced
Salt and pepper
In an open bowl mix all the ingredients, marinate the whole chicken on the inside and outside. In a proved baking tray place the chicken, cover with foil and let it cook through for 45 minutes. Take the foil off let it cook for another 10 to 15 minutes to give it a nice golden and crispy on top. Serve with vegetables or rice.
Tune in for The Insider SA every Tuesday at 19.30pm CAT and the repeat every Saturday at 20.00pm CAT on SABC 3, where Zanele opens up about her culinary journey while sharing her twist on the popular 7 Colours dish with viewers.
Image source: Instagram
