This fresh take on a South African favourite is great for sharing. Find more veggie braai recipes in The Vegetarian Option by Jan Braai, R370, Bookstorm. (Available in English and Afrikaans).

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE TOMATO RELISH

1 tot olive oil

1 onion (chopped)

2 bell peppers (any colour), chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped

1 tot paprika

½t chilli powder

1t cumin

1t ground coriander

1t mixed dried herbs

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tin red kidney beans

¼ beer (roughly 80 ml, drink the rest)

salt and pepper, to taste

300 g Cheddar cheese, grated

TO SERVE

1 pack tortilla chips (I use normal triangle shaped tortilla corn chips, such as Doritos)

2 mealies

2 avocados, skinned and chopped into blocks

sour cream

fresh coriander

METHOD

1. Place your potjie on the fire and heat the oil, add the onion and peppers, and cook until soft. Add the garlic, paprika, chilli powder, cumin, ground coriander and dried herbs, and cook for another minute.

2. Add the tomatoes, beans and beer and let this simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to simmer so that the sauce can reduce until it is thick. Regularly stir and scrape along the bottom of the potjie to ensure the sauce doesn’t burn.

3. Add the grated cheese, place the lid on the potjie and let this melt for a few minutes.

4. While you’re preparing the relish in the potjie, also braai the mealies on a grid over hot coals, turning them often and letting the kernels char a bit. Time step 3 and 4 to be finished at the same time.

5. When the mealies are done, after about 15 minutes, remove from the fire and then use a sharp knife to cut off all the kernels. Mealies straight off the fire are quite hot so hold them with gloves or tongs.

6. Serve the meal by using a big spoon to scrape the tomato relish to one side of the potjie and then placing the chips in the space that you formed. Now artfully add the avocado, sour cream and mealies, and then garnish with fresh coriander.