These dumplings are easy to make and go very well with one-pot, stew and potjie recipes. The dumplings are also great alternatives to rice or other starchy choices.
All you have to do is pop them on top of your stew as it is cooking, about half an hour before you plan to serve the meal.
You can make smaller dough balls or larger ones, depending on how many people there are and how you feel. All in all, making the dumplings should only take about 15 minutes, then they are ready to cook.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
60 g butter
3 Tablespoons milk
1 Cup grated cheese
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
pinch of salt
METHOD
How to make your savoury dumplings
1.Get out a mixing bowl and add the one cup of flour and the baking powder. Make sure you have washed your hands for the next part. Take the butter and cut up into small pieces and place into the flour. You can soften the butter by leaving it out of the fridge for a while. Cut the butter up when you take it out of the fridge, this helps to soften the butter faster.
2.Once the butter has been added to the flour, use your hands to rub the butter into the flour until it becomes crumbly. You then add in your herbs, cheese, salt, and milk. You can also add in your own herbs or spices (I like to add paprika to mine).
3.Mix this all in until it forms a dough. Pull pieces of the dough apart and make into small balls. Once your food has been cooking and you think it is almost ready, you can add the dough balls or dumplings to the surface of your meal. Space the balls out a bit around the top of your pot. Place a lid over the pot and allow the stew, and the dumplings, to cook for a further 30 minutes.
4.After 30 minutes, lift the lid and the dumplings should be cooked. They should not be too sticky or doughy to the touch but firm and spongy. We decided to make a beef potjie, as seen in the image. However, I made these dumplings a bit too big. I would recommend making them a bit smaller as they tend to expand a bit when cooking. The dumplings are best served with a dish that has a nice sauce to go with it. Serve and enjoy.
recipe by Charlene Lewis southafrican.com
