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Lerotse amagwinya served with lerotse chutney, coconut atchar mousse & lemon sugar 

A unique South African recipe using lerotse and amagwinya / vetkoek. Amagwinya are popular deep-fried dough balls.
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Servings: 6 people
Course: Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: South African
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • Lerotse purée
  • 1 cup cubed lerotse or cantaloupe melon as a substitute
  • Coconut atchar mousse
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup vegetable atchar
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • Lemon sugar
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 lemons
  • Lerotse chutney
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cups lerotse or cantaloupe melon as substitute
  • 2 red onions
  • 1 lime grated peel and juice
  • 1 thumb-size knob of fresh ginger grated
  • 150 ml apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
  • 200 g sugar
  • 1 fresh chili
  • 2 dried chilis
  • aMagwinya
  • 1 cup self-rising flour
  • ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt or vanilla yogurt
  • ⅓ cup lerotse purée or cantaloupe melon purée as a substitute
  • Vegetable or olive oil for frying

Method
 

  1. METHOD
  2. Lerotse chutney
  3. Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat and gently fry the chopped onion together with lime (zest and juice) and the spices. Let it cook for 10 minutes and then add the lerotse (or cantaloupe melon) in cubes. Let it cook for another 10 minutes, mixing now and then. Add the vinegar and sugar and let cook slowly for an hour. Pour into clean glass containers, close the lids and let it cool upside down. Store in a cool, dark and dry place. Will conserve for at least two years. Let it rest for two weeks before using.
  4. Lerotse purée
  5. Bring a large pot filled about ¼ full of water to a vigorous boil. Add in enough lerotse (or cantaloupe melon) to fill the pot, and then cover. When the volume reduces, add more, and continue this process until all the lerotse (or cantaloupe melon) pieces have been added into the pot.  Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook for about half an hour, or until the lerotse (or cantaloupe melon) can be whisked to a smooth consistency. Lerotse has a neutral flavor when raw, but it imparts a unique flavor to the dish when cooked. Drain any water, add to blender, make into a fine purée and set aside.
  6. aMagwinya
  7. Add oil to a medium saucepan, about 5cm. Bring to medium heat, around 170°C. In a medium mixing bowl, add flour, yogurt, and lerotse purée (see method below). Mix with a spatula until yogurt and flour are fully mixed. The dough should be sticky.  Once oil has reached the correct temperature, scoop dough using ice cream scoop. Smooth the surface of the scoop, removing any excess dough (this helps to keep the dough ball round). Gently release the dough ball into the heated oil. Repeat with remaining dough. aMagwinya will float to the surface so only put in enough to fill the surface area. If they sink and get stuck to the bottom of the pan, make sure to quickly release it from the bottom with a kitchen frying utensil. Cook aMagwinya until golden brown, flipping halfway through. Remove from oil and place onto a plate lined with paper towel to soak up excess oil.
  8. Coconut atchar mousse
  9. Add atchar to a blender, with the olive oil and coconut milk.  Blend until very smooth and fluffy (2 to 3 minutes). If necessary, add more coconut milk 1 tbsp at a time (or olive oil ½ tbsp at a time) until frothy. Serve warm.
  10. Lemon sugar
  11. Wash and dry the lemons. Carefully remove the zest (skin), using a serrated vegetable peeler. Remove only the bright yellow part, not the bitter white pith underneath. Put the sugar and zest in a food processor and pulse to combine. Then process until the zest is fully incorporated into the sugar. This will take under a minute. Take a look, the sugar should be fragrant, moist, and pale yellow. If you see chunks of zest, process a little longer. Fine bits of zest are fine. Use sugar right away for freshest flavour, or store in a ziplock freezer bag in the refrigerator and use promptly.