Salaam and
Ramadan Kareem

This perfect, thick Sishebo Beef Curry combines layers of rich and complex flavours with its thick and spicy gravy.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp cooking oil
2 ¼lbs stewing beef
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
3 tsp vinegar
1 beef stock cube
4 ¼ cup water
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp mixed dry herbs

Method

- Heat the oil in a pot and fry the beef until browned
- Remove the beef from the pot and add the onion. Fry the onion until soft.
- Return the beef to the pot, and add carrots and potatoes.
- Stir in the vinegar, beef stock cube (dissolved in water), bay leaf and dry spices and herbs.
- Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes
- Place the lidded pot in your Wonderbag for 4 hours to finish cooking.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Stove Time: 15 minutes
Wonderbag Time: 1-2 hours
Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 green deseeded and chopped
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely grated
2 tbsp mild, medium or hot curry powder
3 peppers (mix of red, green or yellow), finely chopped
5-6 large carrots, grated
2 tbsp tomato purée
400g can of chopped tomatoes
400g can of baked beans in tomato sauce
2 tsp piri-piri spice blend
2 thyme sprigs, leaves only

Method

- Heat the oil in a lidded casserole pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it becomes soft and begins to caramelise.
- Stir in the garlic, chillies, and half of the ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the curry powder and stir to form a curry paste. If the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water to prevent burning.
- Add the chopped peppers and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Then, stir through the grated carrots, ensuring they are well coated in the curry paste. Stir in the purée, tomatoes, piri-piri spice and thyme.
- Add the baked beans and then fill the empty can with water halfway. Pour that water into the dish then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for at least 10 minutes until the mixture has thickened.
- Place the sealed casserole pan on a cloth or mat in the Wonderbag and cook for 1- 2 hours.
- Stir in the remaining ginger and season to taste. Finally, sprinkle with coriander and serve hot or cold with rice.

This delicious pap recipe takes just ten minutes to prep and comes out light, fluffy and is the perfect combination for any dish.

Ingredients

2 cups mielie-meal, mixed with 1 cup cold water
2 ½ cups boiling water
Salt

Method

- Pour the boiling water into a pot, add the mielie-meal and salt to taste.
- Boil for 10 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Cover with a lid and place the pot in your Wonderbag for 90 minutes to finish cooking.
- Serve with sishebo or any other dish of your choice.

The perfect Christmas dish! Festive Rolled Beef with Veggies in a Wonderbag has a prep time of 20 minutes and actual time on the stove of only 40 minutes, so you SAVE 4 hours of cooking time. Now that's a Christmas that Counts!!! Serves: 6- 8!

Ingredients

12 baby potatoes
5 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch slices
8 – 10 baby onions, peeled
1 – 1.5kg boneless beef roll
45ml basil pesto
30ml fried onion
2 cloves garlic crushed
500ml beef bouillon
15ml chives, chopped
30ml parsley, chopped
3 sprigs thyme
2,5ml pepper
30ml onion soup mix
30ml Worcestershire sauce
1 x 400g can cream of mushroom soup

Method

- Put potatoes, carrots and onion in a medium sized pot.
- Unroll the roast and spread the basil pesto over the inside, sprinkle with fried onion and chopped garlic and roll up again.
- Place the roast on top of the vegetables, fat side up.
- Pour in the beef bouillon.
- Sprinkle chives, parsley, pepper and Onion Soup mix over the meat.
- Pour Worcestershire sauce and mushroom soup over meat.
- Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes with the lid on.
- Place the sealed pot in the Wonderbag on a mat or cloth and seal.
- Leave to cook for 5 – 8 hours, or overnight.
- Remove the meat and place under the grill for the fat to brown.
- Spoon the vegetables on a platter and thicken some of the juices from the pot with some onion soup to make gravy.

For many years before my development of the Wonderbag, I used to smell the spices of the Indian markets in central Durban and dream of far off lands. The spice aromas brought visions of exotic islands and lovely long lunches with loud and colorful laughter. But I was not a proficient enough cook to try and make my own curry. When I started using the Wonderbag, I decided I would go to the markets and make up my own recipe, one that would be so delicious that everyone would want seconds. After many attempts, I came up with my own delicious Wonderbag Lamb Curry and my Sunday lunches became famous!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp of sunflower oil
2 ½ pounds lamb chops on the bone
1 medium onion, chopped
4 chilies, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, diced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, crushed
3 Tbsp of mild or medium curry powder
28 oz can chopped, peeled tomatoes
2 Tbsp of tomato paste
1 bay leaf
14 oz cans of butter beans, drained
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup plain yogurt
½ cup cucumber, peeled and shredded
2 bananas, sliced
4 cups cooked white rice

Method

- Brown the lamb in 2 Tbsp of oil, 2 minutes on each side and set aside.
- Brown the onions then add the chilies, garlic, ginger and curry powder. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the lamb back into the pot and stir, season with salt and pepper.
- Add peeled tomatoes and 1 cup of water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Add butter beans and tomato paste, stir, and allow to boil for 15 minutes.
- Place lidded pot into the Wonderbag for 4-5 hours.
- Combine grated cucumber and yogurt in a small bowl, stir to combine.
- Serve curry over rice with yogurt mixture and chopped bananas as toppings.
- Tip: Add carrots or potatoes to this curry for extra texture and flavor.

The Wonderbag Mutton Biryani combines beautifully spiced and fragrant layers of biryani rice mixed in with with juicy, tender mutton pieces. Prep time is 30 minutes with 35 minutes of cooking time. The time in the Wonderbag is 4 hours.

Ingredients

1.5kg mutton pieces with bone
2 cups whole lentils
2 cups rice
2 stick cinnamon
4 cardamom
5ml cumin
4 green chillies
250ml sour milk
30ml fresh grated tomato
2 sprigs mint
2,5ml saffron
2,5ml turmeric
5ml salt
5ml dhania powder
7,5ml crushed red chilli
6 small potatoes
375ml ghee / oil
2 medium onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
5ml grated ginger

Method

- Fry the sliced onions in half the ghee or oil until pale golden. Drain and cool
- Leave aside 1 tablespoon of fried onions aside
- Place the meat in a large bowl. Add the saffron, ginger and garlic, sour milk, tomatoes, spices, remaining fried onions, whole green chillies and mint and leave to marinate for 1 hour
- In the meantime, boil the lentils in salted water until done. Drain off in a colander.
- Boil the rice with 2 cardamom pods and 1 cinnamon stick until half cooked and drain.
- Peel the potatoes and cut each potato in 6. Fry the potatoes until light yellow in the Ghee used for frying the onions. Set aside
- In a large flat bottomed pot, add the ghee used for frying and the half that was kept aside and gently heat.
- Sprinkle a handful of rice and lentils over the base of the pot.
- Arrange the marinating meat and masalas carefully over the rice and lentils
- Spread the remaining lentils over the meat
- Arrange the potatoes on top of the lentils, then spread the rice on top
- Decorate with the fried onions that were set aside, sprinkle with any remaining ghee and 125ml water
- Close the pot and turn up the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes
- Place the sealed pot in the Wonderbag on a cloth or mat and seal.
- Leave for 4 – 5 hours, then open and serve with fresh dhania, poppadum’s and minted sour milk.

A simple Indian Curry recipe which can be adapted using different vegetables, or made vegetarian by simply switching the chicken for lentils or beans.

his recipe creates approximately 8-10 portions.
Time on the hob approx. 20 minutes.
Time in the Wonderbag = Approx. 5 hours.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp cooking oil
500g free range chicken thighs
2 x tin tomatoes
1 x tin coconut milk
1 x tin chickpeas
1 x jar curry paste
1 x courgette (chopped)
1 x onion (diced)
2 x peppers (diced)
Salt & pepper
2 x veg OXO cubes
Optional: 2 x table spoon garam masala

Method

- Fry off the vegetables for five minutes
- Add the curry paste and stir, leave to cook for a few minutes
- Add the tinned tomatoes and coconut milk
- Optional: add OXO cubes, seasoning, and additional curry powder
- Add the chickpeas and leave to boil for five minutes
- Add the chicken thighs (whole or diced), boil for a further ten minutes
- Turn off the gas and transfer the pan to the Wonderbag
- Leave to cook for a approximately five hours
- Serve with rice

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Stove Time: 50 minutes
Wonderbag Time: 4 hours
Serves: 4 - 6


A traditional and comforting casserole using a cheap and cheerful cut of meat - oxtail. While oxtail requires careful preparation and lengthy cooking to become tender, its exceptionally rich flavour makes it well worth the effort. The casserole's hearty gravy and chunky root vegetables is perfect served with a bowl of rice, suet dumplings or slice of crusty bread.

Ingredients

1kg jointed oxtail
500g bacon (optional)
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp thyme
2 tbsp brown sugar
200ml red wine (optional)
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 beef stock cubes
450g carrots, sliced on the diagonal
450g potatoes, sliced on the diagonal

Method

- Season the flour with the salt and pepper. Toss the oxtail joints in the seasoned flour until they are coated on all sides.
- Heat the oil in a medium-large lidded pot until sizzling. Brown the oxtail in the oil, then add the bacon cubes. Set the browned oxtail and bacon aside.
- Add the onions, garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, thyme, and sugar to the pot. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes. Next, pour half of the wine into the pot, scraping the bottom to loosen any bits of oxtail that may be stuck.
- Add the remaining wine along with the can of tomatoes and stock cubes. Bring the mixture to a boil, then stir in the oxtail, bacon, carrots, and potatoes.
- Allow to boil for 30 minutes with the lid on. Transfer the lidded pot to the Wonderbag and allow it to stand for 4 hours.
- Serve with warm, crusty bread or rice.

A simple, nourishing curry recipe which can be adapted through the seasons using different vegetables, lentils or beans.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Stove Time: 20 minutes
Wonderbag Time: 4-6 hours
Serves: 6 - 8

Ingredients

1 kg Sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
400 g Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
400 g Coconut milk
400 g Tinned chopped tomatoes
1 Onion, peeled and chopped
3 Cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon coconut or vegetable oil
Vegetable stock cube
150 g crunchy peanut butter
3 tsp ground ginger
3 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp Chilli flakes
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

- Pour the coconut oil into the cooking pan, then add the chopped sweet potato and onion. Stir continuously to prevent burning and sauté for about a minute before adding the garlic.
- Mix in the ginger, cumin, chili, and turmeric and sauté briefly. Next, incorporate the stock cube, canned tomatoes, peanut butter, coconut milk, and drained chickpeas. Stir thoroughly.
- Bring to the boil, put the lid on your pan, and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Switch off your gas or electricity source, and place a tea towel at the bottom of your Wonderbag. Swiftly transfer your pan into the Wonderbag, cover the Wonderbag with its fabric lid and secure by pulling the cord tightly. Allow the dish to cook undisturbed for a minimum of four hours.
- Once you're ready to serve, take the pan out of the Wonderbag. Season with salt and black pepper according to your taste. Enjoy with warm rice or bread.

A warming, hearty and delicious tagine perfect for when the weather gets colder. This recipe works just as well vegetarian — swap out the lamb with squash, mushrooms and chestnuts and replace lamb stock with veggie stock. If you've not got a lot of time on your hands, skip the toasting and blending of the spices and use already ground, or try Zaytoun maftoul instead of freekeh.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Stove Time: 45 minutes
Wonderbag Time: 5–6 hours

Recipe courtesy of our friends at Zaytoun, adapted for the Wonderbag.

Ingredients

1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
½ – 1 tsp cayenne pepper, depending on desired heat
1 tsp ground ginger
3 small sticks of cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
4cm fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and diced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp Zaytoun organic extra virgin olive oil
500g lamb neck, cut into large cubes
400g can of chopped tomatoes
400g lamb/chicken stock
½ tsp saffron strands (optional)
250g Zaytoun freekeh, rinsed, soaked for 15 minutes and drained
Knob of unsalted butter
400g can of chickpeas, drained
500g Zaytoun medjoul dates, pitted and roughly chopped

To serve

Handful coriander leaves
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt

Method

- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Toast the coriander and cumin seeds. Once cooled, using a pestle and mortar or spice grinder whizz to a powder with the cayenne pepper and ground ginger and set aside. Then whizz the garlic and fresh ginger to a coarse paste.
- Season the lamb then on a medium heat, add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in an oven proof casserole dish and in 3 batches, brown the lamb for a few minutes on each side and transfer to a plate.
- Without washing the dish, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and 2 cinnamon sticks until fragrant and then add the onions and stir regularly until soft. Add the garlic and ginger paste stirring until combined, then add the spice blend and cook, stirring continuously until aromatic. Return the lamb to the pan along with the chopped tomatoes, lamb/chicken stock, saffron (if using) and salt and pepper, bring to the boil then take off the heat, and transfer to your Wonderbag and allow to slow-cook in the bag for 4–5 hours or until lamb is tender.
- Once the lamb is tender, stir through the soaked freekeh, chickpeas and dates and return to the Wonderbag for 45–60 minutes or until freekeh is al dente.
- Check seasoning and serve with coriander leaves and Greek yoghurt.

Ideal for a feast, this freekeh recipe made with chicken, Medjouls, almonds and spices is a crowd-pleasing one-pot wonder.

Servings: 4
Stove Time: 20 minutes
Wonderbag Time: 3 hours

Recipe courtesy of our friends at Zaytoun, adapted for the Wonderbag.

Ingredients

8 chicken pieces, skin on
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 – 4 tbsp Zaytoun olive oil
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
3 bay leaves
10 cardamom pods, lightly bruised
200g Zaytoun freekeh, rinsed
6 Zaytoun Medjoul dates, quartered lengthways and stoned
500ml stock
25g Zaytoun almonds, chopped or sliced, and toasted
Parsley, roughly chopped

Method

- In a large bowl, rub the chicken pieces all over with the paprika, 1 tsp of the cinnamon and a generous pinch of salt and plenty of pepper. If you have time, leave to marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours.
- In a large wide pan (that has a lid), heat the oil and fry the chicken pieces on a medium heat for 10 minutes until the skin is a dark golden brown colour. Take the chicken out of the pan and set to one side.
- Add the onions to the same pan with a splash of olive oil. Turn up the heat and stirring frequently cook until nicely browned. Turn down the heat and add 1 tsp of cinnamon, the bay leaves and the cardamom pods, and fry until the onions are soft and the warming aroma of spices fills your kitchen.
- Add the dates, stock, 100ml water, a generous pinch of salt and then gently return the chicken pieces into the mixture.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then turn off the heat and place your lid on your pan. Transfer to your Wonderbag and allow to slow cook in your Wonderbag for approx 2 hours.
- When the chicken is cooked, add the freekeh, add the lid and allow to slow cook in the Wonderbag for a further 45–60 minutes.
- Remove the lid from your pot, and sprinkle with the toasted almonds and parsley. Take the whole pot to the table and serve at once with a flourish!

Slow-braised lamb shanks simmered in spiced stock with onions, carrots, and an optional splash of brandy that deepens everything it touches. As the meat turns tender and the maftoul drinks up the glossy sauce, the kitchen fills with the scent of cinnamon, allspice, and slow comfort — a dish made for unhurried evenings and good company.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Stove Time: 30 minutes
Wonderbag Time: 5–6 hours

Recipe courtesy of our friends at Zaytoun, adapted for the Wonderbag.

Ingredients

For the Lamb and Maftoul:
4 lamb shanks
1 tsp Sea Salt
2 medium onions, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1½ tbsp tomato paste
100ml brandy (for a non-alcoholic alternative, mix apple juice with a little vinegar)
1.25L chicken stock (you'll likely use around 800ml)
200g maftoul
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cinnamon sticks
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground cardamom
2 bay leaves
Good grind cracked black pepper

To garnish: Toasted almond flakes, chopped parsley, pomegranate seeds
To serve: Thick natural yoghurt, a simple side salad

Method

- Brown the lamb: Heat olive oil in a large, heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Season the lamb shanks generously with the sea salt and brown them on all sides until deeply caramelised. Remove and set aside.
- Soften the vegetables: Add the onions and carrots to the same pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent, scraping up any golden bits as they form.
- Deglaze with brandy: Pour in the brandy and let it bubble for 1–2 minutes, scraping the base of the pan to lift the caramelised residue — this adds a layer of richness and depth to the final sauce.
- Build the flavour: Add the cinnamon sticks, allspice, cardamom, and bay leaves. Stir until fragrant, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute to deepen the colour and flavour.
- Simmer the lamb: Pour in around 800ml of chicken stock, stirring to combine. Return the lamb shanks to the pot, ensuring they're mostly submerged. When the liquid has been brought to a boil, cover with the pan lid and transfer to your Wonderbag. Allow to slow-cook in the Wonderbag for 4–5 hours, until the lamb is meltingly tender and the liquid reduced to a glossy sauce.
- Add the maftoul: Stir in the maftoul, ensuring it's evenly distributed and mostly submerged in the sauce. Cover and slow-cook in your Wonderbag for an hour, stirring after half an hour.
- Finish and serve: When the maftoul is plump and the sauce rich and unctuous, taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves. Scatter over toasted almonds, parsley, and pomegranate seeds for brightness and crunch. Serve straight from the pot with dollops of thick yoghurt and a simple salad to cut through the richness.