Two suppers, two "breads", two continents: a ramble

Because yesterday's post was about the approaching Hive Power Up day, I didn't get to post my usual meatfree Monday meal. I am quite glad I didn't, and I will come to that.

Market Monday fusion meal

Often Monday's meal is courtesy of my market fare and this is especially so in January which is notoriously slow; given my penchant for not wasting, we eat what I don't sell at the market.

Also, the weekly meal in the jar is often part of my planning for Monday's meal. It doesn't always work out because it's consciously plant-based. I seem to be the only stall holder that not only offers a meal in a jar and one that is guaranteed to be vegan. If I sell them all, it's back to the drawing board.

This week's meal was a (pro)fusion of cuisines: Thai rainbow slaw, hummus (Lebanese) and naan (Indian) bread. A break away from the plant focus was the cottage cheese which is found, in various guises, in many cultures. All of those, except the naan is part of my market offering.

Wrapping me softly

Last night, I had planned naan breads for last night using sourdough. Again. Yes. Monday's had been out of the deep freeze.

Planned being the operative word: I should have started them - the dough, that is - yesterday morning. I forgot.
So I made flour tortilla instead. The best yet. Some will remember my epic fail last November. I have made a couple more still unsuccessful attempts.

Again following the advice of my southern US blog pal, @steelthong, I both added a little baking powder and used hot instead of cold water when mixing the ingredients. The resulting dough is softer and easier to roll.

The resulting tortillas? The best yet. Thank you, Allan.

Again, it was a fajita filling. This time, vegetarian using Cecil's capsicums and cooked while the dough rested. They were supposed to go into harissa...

This time, the tortillas made the perfect, soft wrap.

I was delighted.

About the breads

As @tengolotodo and I noted the other day, bread is a unifier. Basic flour and water, with or without some sort of leavening bring people and meals together. These two meals are based (in more ways than one) on breads.

The naan is a new addition to the repertoire and a traditional and staple in India.

When we ate them on Monday, I was taken back to the chapati that an Indian friend would make for my Mum. They are also similar to the roti that is a feature of Malay and in South Africa, Cape Malay cooking. Wraps, perhaps, but with a texture and flavour that is totally different from the southern American flour tortilla.

Two meals in Africa with roots on other continents. How amazingly big, and how intimately connected is our world.

Until next time, be well
Fiona
The Sandbag House
McGregor, South Africa

Photo: Selma
Post script
If this post might seem familiar, it's because I'm doing two things:

• re-vamping old recipes. As I do this, I am adding them in a file format that you can download and print. If you download recipes, buy me a coffee. Or better yet, a glass of wine....?
• and "re-capturing" nearly two years' worth of posts.

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Original artwork: @artywink

• lastly, graphics are created using partly my own photographs, images available freely available on @hive.blog and Canva.