Smoky Pilchard Stew with Steamed Spinach Dombolo
Prep: 30 minutes + 1 hour 20 minutes rising time
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
SERVES 4-6
Ingredients
Dombolo with Spinach & Carrot
- 1 medium carrot, finely grated
- 1 cup (250 ml) spinach (or morogo greens), washed and very finely chopped
- 3 cups (450 g) cake flour or bread flour
- 2 tsp (10 ml) instant dry yeast
- 1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) cooking oil
- Approximately 1¼–1½ cups (310–375 ml) warm water
Smoky Pilchard and Tomato Stew
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) cooking oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1½ Tbsp (22.5 ml) mild curry powder
- 3 tsp (15 ml) smoked paprika
- 1 x 410 g tin chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup (125 ml) water
- 1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 x 400 g tins Saldanha Pilchards in Tomato Sauce, sliced lengthways and deboned
- Small handful fresh coriander, chopped
To Serve
- Small handful fresh parsley (optional)
Method
Dombolo with Spinach & Carrot
- Finely grate the carrot. Wash the spinach thoroughly and chop very finely. If the carrot or spinach is particularly wet, gently squeeze out any excess moisture.
- Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the carrot and spinach and mix until evenly distributed.
- Add the oil, then gradually mix in 1¼ cups (310 ml) of the warm water to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Add a little more water as necessary; depending on the moisture in the vegetables, the full 1½ cups (375 ml) may not be required.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 5–7 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
- Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 45–60 minutes, or until roughly doubled in size.
- Gently knock the air out of the dough, turn onto a lightly floured or greased surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape each into a smooth ball and arrange in a lightly greased heatproof dish or steamer basket, leaving space between them to expand. Cover and leave to rise for a further 20–30 minutes.
- Bring 3–4 cm of water to a gentle simmer in a large saucepan. Place the dish or steamer basket containing the dombolo over the water, ensuring that the water does not touch the dough.
- Cover tightly and steam for 25–30 minutes. Avoid lifting the lid during the first 20 minutes. The dombolo are ready when risen and firm and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Smoky Pilchard and Tomato Stew
- While the dombolo are proving, heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and peppers, and cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to caramelise.
- Add the garlic, curry powder and smoked paprika, and cook for 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes, water and sugar. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the peppers are tender.
- Gently add the Saldanha Pilchards in Tomato Sauce to the pan, including the tomato sauce. Break a few pieces into the stew while leaving plenty of larger pieces intact. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes, just until the pilchards are heated through. Check the seasoning and stir through the coriander immediately before serving.
To Serve
- Serve the hot smoky pilchard and tomato stew with the freshly steamed dombolo and chopped parsley, if using.
