Rooibos and pork skewers with red grape pilaf

Rooibos and pork skewers with red grape pilaf

We all love a good cuppa of Rooibos every now and again, but ever fancy it in your food?  Why not try something different? Try this Rooibos and pork skewers with red grape pilaf recipe.

 PREP TIME 1 hour 20 minutes | COOK TIME 30 minutes | SERVES 6-8 

INGREDIENTS

ROOIBOS OIL 

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 Rooibos tea bags

RICE PILAF 

• 1⁄2 cup basmati rice
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cardamom pod, bruised
• 1 whole clove
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup water

PORK SKEWERS 

• 250 g ground pork mince
• 1 ½ tbsp korma paste

SERVE 

• 1⁄4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2⁄3 cup (120 g) red grapes, halved
• 1⁄3 cup low-fat greek-style yoghurt
• 2 sprigs fresh mint, leaves picked
• 2 sprigs fresh coriander, leaves picked

METHOD

ROOIBOS OIL 

PLACE oil in a pan over high heat. Once hot, add the tea bags and infuse for 5 minutes, stirring and pressing gently on the bag to release the flavour. Remove from the heat and decant the oil and tea bags into a jar. Seal and set aside for 1 hour to infuse further.

RICE PILAF 

PLACE rice in a bowl, cover with hot water, enough to cover the rice. Stand for 5 minutes, rinse, then drain.

HEAT  2 teaspoons of the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add cinnamon stick, cardamom, clove and seeds. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden brown. 

ADD rice and stir to coat. Add the water and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat. Stand, covered, for 5 minutes; fluff rice with a fork. Stir in peas and grapes.

PORK SKEWERS 

PLACE mince and paste in a bowl, mix well. Divide mince mixture into 12 portions. Shape each portion onto a flat-sided bamboo skewer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

PLACE rooibos oil back into a pan, remove the tea bags and squeeze to drain. Heat over high heat. Cook skewers in batches for 5 minutes or until browned all over and cooked through.

SERVE skewers with rice pilaf, yoghurt and fresh mint and coriander. 

FOOD TEAM TIP: You will need to soak 12 bamboo skewers in cold water for 15 minutes to prevent them from scorching during cooking. To save time, simply cover the skewer ends in foil before placing over heat. 

Print Recipe

Rooibos and pork skewers with red grape pilaf

Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes – Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Rooibos oil
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 Rooibos tea bags
• Pork skewers
• 250 g ground pork mince
• 1 ½ tbsp korma paste
• Rice pilaf
• 1⁄2 cup basmati rice
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cardamom pod, bruised
• 1 whole clove
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup water
• Serve
• 1⁄4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2⁄3 cup (120 g) red grapes, halved
• 1⁄3 cup low-fat greek-style yoghurt
• 2 sprigs fresh mint, leaves picked
• 2 sprigs fresh coriander, leaves picked

Instructions

For the rooibos oil

1

Place oil in a pan over high heat. Once hot, add the tea bags and infuse for 5 minutes, stirring and pressing gently on the bag to release the flavour. Remove from the heat and decant the oil and tea bags into a jar. Seal and set aside for 1 hour to infuse further.

For the rice

2

Place rice in a bowl, cover with hot water, enough to cover the rice. Stand for 5 minutes, rinse, then drain.

3

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add cinnamon stick, cardamom, clove and seeds. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden brown. 

4

Add rice and stir to coat. Add the water and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat. Stand, covered, for 5 minutes; fluff rice with a fork. Stir in peas and grapes.

For the pork skewers

5

Place mince and paste in a bowl, mix well. Divide mince mixture into 12 portions. Shape each portion onto a flat-sided bamboo skewer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

6

Place rooibos oil back into a pan, remove the tea bags and squeeze to drain. Heat over high heat. Cook skewers in batches for 5 minutes or until browned all over and cooked through.

7

Serve skewers with rice pilaf, yoghurt and fresh mint and coriander.

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Feature image: Aremedia