STIR! it Up is the brainchild of Stellenbosch-based Nini Jerman whose pantry was always stocked with ready-made packaged sauces to add to her family meals. Until she became aware of the ingredients that went into these products!
“It read more like a science lab experiment than something I wanted to put into my children’s tummies,” says Jerman.
Fast forward a couple of years and, after feeding her long-suffering family and friends a thousand different sauces – tasting and tweaking for months and months – STIR! it Up was born, combining the convenience of ready-made, all natural sauces with home-cooked peace of mind and meals bursting with flavour, aroma and goodness. And not a preservative or chemical ingredient in sight!
Jerman and her team make their sauces by hand, air-drying the various ingredients, before drying in solar ovens to remove all moisture and extend the shelf-life without adding any non-natural ingredients.
To use, liquid is simpy added to the dried sauce, whether it be water, stock, coconut cream or milk, then add browned meat, chicken, fish or vegetables and hey presto, a fabulous dish awaits!
To date Jarman has created 11 different dried sauces – five that fall into what she calls the Global Range (Asian with Rice Wine Vinegar and Sesame Oil, Italian Sun Dried Tomato & Basil, Mediterranean Wild Mushroom, Smokey Curry, Thai Ginger) and six varieties in the African Range (Moroccan Tagine, North African Chermoula, South African Braai, West African Maffé, Tunisian Harissa and West African Yassa).
STIR! it UP sauces are available to purchase from www.stir-it-up.co.za and orders can now be delivered during lockdown by The Courier Guy.
STIR! it Up recipes
Beef in Maffé Sauce (Serves 4)
Ingredients
- 500g stewing beef, cubed
- 100g Stir! it Up Maffe Sauce
- ¼ cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
- 3 tbs peanut butter
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 400ml coconut milk
- salt & pepper
Method
Heat the oil in a saucepan. Season the beef and add to the hot saucepan turning the meat regularly until browned all over. Remove the meat from the pan. In a separate bowl, mix the dried Maffé sauce with the coconut milk and then add it to the same pan the beef was in. Heat through and then add the meat back into the pan. Stir, simmer gently until the meat is tender. Add chopped peanuts and stir through.
Serve on rice, couscous or pasta with plain yogurt and fresh coriander
Substitute equal quantities of chicken, fish, pork or tofu for the stewing beef. Reduce cooking time when using fish or tofu
Chermoula Aubergine with Bulgar Wheat and Yogurt (serves 4)
Ingredients
- 2 – 3 medium aubergines
- 100g Stir! it Up Chermoula Sauce
- 400ml coconut milk
- 150g bulgar wheat
- 10g fresh coriander, chopped plus a few extra leaves to serve
- 10g fresh mint, chopped
- 50g pitted green olives, chopped or halved
- 30g flaked almonds, toasted
- 3 spring onions chopped (white and green part)
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice
- 120g Greek yogurt
- salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a bowl mix the dried Chermoula Sauce with the coconut milk. Cut the aubergines lengthways keeping the stalk attached. Cut a criss-cross pattern down the length of the flesh, ensuring you don’t pierce the skin, and place them on a baking tray facing up. Spread the Chermoula Sauce evenly across all aubergines and roast in the oven for 40 minutes until they are soft. If you are using smaller ones, around 35 minutes will do the trick.
While the aubergines are roasting, place the bulgar wheat in a bowl and cover with 140ml boiling water and leave to stand for about 10 minutes to soak up the liquid. Add the rest of the ingredients except the yogurt, and season with salt to taste. Fluff up the grains with a fork.
Serve the aubergines on a platter with the bulgar wheat salad piled on top and the Greek yogurt drizzled over. Sprinkle some more olive oil and scatter a few fresh coriander leaves as garnish.
Chef’s Tip: For a vegan option, omit the yogurt or use Vegan-friendly yogurt.
