Chachupa is the national dish of Cape Verde and  there are many ways to cook this tasty dish. It remains to be the distinct style of food for really practical reasons. The version of making Chachupa that we have here is called Chachupa Rica. It uses all of the ingredients on hand that we are providing below to make a rich meaty flavourful dish.

• Two cups of hominy

• Half a cup of kidney beans

• Half a cup lima beans

• Quarter cup shell beans

• Half lbs. chourico sliced

• ½ lbs of blood sausage sliced (morcella)

• 1 lbs of chopped cabbage

• ¼ sliced bacon

• 1 lbs chopped tomatoes

• 1lbs peeled and sliced plantains

• 1 lbs peeled & chunked yams

• 1 lbs peeled and chunked sweet potatoes

• 1 lbs peeled and chunked squash

• 1 chopped onion

• 2 cloves chopped garlic

• One bay leaf

• One tablespoon of chopped coriander

1. Soak the beans and hominy in a large bowl of water overnight.
2. On the next day heat six cups of water in a sauce pan. Add in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic, onions & bay leaf. Bring to the boil and add in the beans and hominy. 
3. In another separate saucepan, cook the Chourico , blood sausage , bacon and all the vegetables together. 
4. Once you are done with this let it simmer till the beans and hominy are almost tender. 
5. Add in the cooked meats and vegetables to the large saucepan on top of the beans & hominy. Cook this on low heat for at least one hour. 
6. After an hour turn off the heat and let it sit in the covered pan for approximately one and a half hours.

If you want to learn how to make biltong then you have definitely come to the right place. Making biltong the South African way can be extremely gratifying and not only will you win friends over especially the pub loving ones, but you will also save money from buying it in stores.

Ingredients you will need for Biltong

• Meat 2 kilos or more( your choice of meat but I recommend beef)

• 250 mls of Vinegar (for basting)

• Half a cup ground coriander

• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons salt

• 2 teaspoons of paprika

1. You will have to start by removing  the excess fat if any from your meat. This ensures a better drying process and a longer life of the final biltong product. You can still leave a little bit of fat for some extra flavor.   
   
2. Cut your meat into slices but not to thick as these will take longer to dry. Make them roughly 20 centimeters in length and 1 centimeter thick. Get rid of the sinews and gristle in the meat as these tend to become very tough to chew once dry.
   
3. Now make your basting by adding up all the ingredients in the list above in a wide flat dish or tray. One of the easiest ways to prepare your meat for drying is to season and baste simultaneously.
   
4. Add your seasoning spices and basting mix to the bottom of your tray and lay your meat flat in the dish. Add another layer of basting and spices on top of the meat. Some additional spices like peri peri and paprika can be added according to your taste. Now let the steak marinade in the fridge for two hours before you begin to dry it.
   

Bobotie is a traditional South African dish that is taken with yellow rice and can be traced to the eastern influence on South African culture. Especially from the malay society. Bobotie is not very hard to prepare and now I will give you the whole process of its preparation for your enjoyment.

• Minced Lamb (1 KG)

• Milk 125Mls

• One thick slice white bread with the crust removed and soaked in milk

• 2 onions roughly chopped plus salt and butter

• Curry powder 1 tablespoon

• One piece of Chilli finely chopped( optional that’s if you like your food extra hot)

• Half a cup of vinegar

• Lemon juic 1 tablespoon

• Brown sugar 1 teaspoon

• One tablespoon Chutney

• 8 to 10 almonds crushed(optional)

• 2 tablespoons korma paste

• 3 Eggs

• One clove of Garlic finely chopped and crushed.

• Six Bay leaves

• One Orange sliced in Wheels

• One lemon Sliced in wheels

• Vegetable oil for cooking

1. Heat some oil in a pan and add in the minced lamb to brown it and break larger lumps with a spoon. Add in the chopped garlic,onions, curry powder and some korma paste and cook on medium heat for at least 3 minutes.
2. Add in the grated carrot, chutney and vinegar plus the raisins. Add in a little bit of water and let it simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the raisins swell up and the carrot is soft. Add in some salt and black pepper to season.
3. Now pour 125 mls of milk over your bread until it is saturated and mix the remaining milk & eggs together till well combined.
4. Now mash the soggy bread into your minced lamb until it is no longer visible. Now add the mince mixture into an oven proof pyrex dish spreading evenly with a spoon. Pour the egg custard over your mince and put a bay leaf in the middle.
5. Bake your mixture at 160 degrees celius for 25 to 30 minutes until your egg custard has settled.