Get ready to usher in the Jewish New Year with a symphony of flavours and traditions! Our curated collection of 18 delightful recipes captures the essence of Rosh Hashanah, blending sweet and savoury ingredients to ensure a joyous and delicious celebration. These recipes will inspire your holiday feast and leave your loved ones craving seconds. Embrace the spirit of renewal and feast your way into a sweet and prosperous year ahead!
SIDES & STARTERS
Smoked Salmon Oat Blinis with Beetroot & Celeriac Remoulade
"Beets and celeriac are a great combo, but feel free to swap in other crunchy numbers like fennel, carrot, white cabbage, or even a little apple or pear. For a veggie alternative, torn buffalo mozzarella and crushed toasted hazelnuts instead of the salmon will be a joy."
Couscous with Pistachio & Pomegranate
From It's All About the Food by Estelle Sacharowitz
“Couscous is a wonderfully nutty Middle Eastern grain made from semolina. I invariably serve it in a small bowl with dishes inspired by the flavours of the region, such as Moroccan fish. In this recipe, which could be used as a salad, it provides little pops of pink. It’s easy to assemble and can be refrigerated. Fluff it up with a fork before serving, or sprinkle over roasted vegetables that have been baked with a Moroccan rub. It embodies the aromas of North Africa as well as its warm and molten topographical colours. Couscous also harbours a little secret – it contains selenium, which is so good for us. Overall it is delicate and satisfying, and looks inviting with chopped fresh Italian parsley."
Loaded Hummus
From Cape Mediterranean by Ilse van der Merwe
"I am a huge fan of Yotam Ottolenghi, the famous British-Israeli restaurateur and food writer. His recipe for hummus in his awardwinning cookbook Jerusalem changed the way I eat and serve hummus: he processes his hummus until it is super-smooth and creamy, then tops it with chopped olives, parsley, roasted pine nuts and olive oil. It is simply dreamy – this simple yet opulent dip, spread out wide on a shallow dish. Making hummus from raw chickpeas is, in my opinion, far superior to using canned chickpeas. Once you’ve seen and tasted the results, you’ll agree that it is truly worth the extra time it takes to make. Served with fresh, crusty bread, it’s all you need for a simple meal but it also makes a fabulous informal starter. Note: This recipe requires a few hours of soaking, so start the previous day if you want to make it for lunch."
MAINS – VEGETARIAN
Sunshine Egg Salad
Melting Caramelised Cabbage with Ginger-Fennel Smoor
“This is a hug of a dish. Sometimes we need a reassuring dish to let us know that everything is going to be OK – different to what we might have planned – and that there are sunrises and sunsets, sometimes aching hearts and grief but also bowls of melting cabbage for comfort and restoration. This smoor is a great one to have in your arsenal.”
Countryside Asparagus & Leek Pie
"Leeks are a good source of vitamins A, C and K, and are a beautiful substitute for the traditionally used onion, which can aggravate the digestive system."
MAINS – FISH
Amina's Wonder Spice Tandoori-Glazed Salmon
From Curried by Cariema Isaacs
"The story of Amina’s Wonder Spice is an endearing one. Abdulgani Rahman was working for a clothing retailer in Durban, South Africa, and found it difficult to survive on his salary. After being asked to arrange a barbecue for his then employers, the guests complimented his marinade and some even suggested he bottle and then sell it. With an initial outlay of just R375 ($60), Abdulgani and his wife, Amina, bottled their first two products – Chicken Tikka and Steak & Chops – and started selling them. The rest, as they say, is history. The essence of this quality-based company is that all its products are ‘ready mixed’ and ‘ready to use’, making cooking simpler, easier and less time-consuming. My kitchen pantry is incomplete without Amina’s Wonder Spice range!"
Baked Fish with Tomatoes, Olives & Capers
From Thrive by Nicci Robertson
Baked Salmon Steak Parcels
From Welcome to my Table by Siba Mtongana
"I love the simple flavours of this dish and the fact that it's served in the parchment parcel it's baked in. It's a bit of a novelty to have your guests unwrapping their parcels themselves."
Grilled Fish with Lemon & Caper Butter
From Low Carb Express by Vikki de Beer
"Flavoured butters are one of the quickest ways to add flavour to dishes. You can even make them in advance and keep them in the fridge in little rolls."
Za’atar Salmon & Tahini
From Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Yotam Ottolenghi
"If you haven’t yet paired fish with tahini, then you’re in for a real treat. This version combines tahini with herbaceous za’atar and sour sumac, our ever familiar but much treasured test kitchen staples. We strongly recommend using creamy, nutty tahini that’s sourced from countries within the Levant. Eat this shortly after cooking, as cooked tahini doesn’t sit or reheat very well."
MAINS – MEAT
Cold Leg of Lamb with Green Sauce
From Home Cooking by Herman Lensing
OOK BESKIKBAAR IN AFRIKAANS >>
“If you’re from the Kalahari, you’ll know that you prepare lamb for every possible occasion. There doesn’t have to be a reason, but for Easter, lamb must be on the table. My mom got up early on Sunday mornings to start preparing the feast. It was usually the same menu. She roasted the leg of lamb in an oven roasting bag. I still remember the sound these thin bags made when she placed the meat in it. She then sealed it with the nylon ties you get with the bags. The highlight was when we got home after church and the bag would be puffed up and roasted brown. Inside, you knew, something fabulous would be waiting. Oven roasting bags are long forgotten, but it’s time they make a comeback. Especially when serving meat cold, because then it will be extra juicy.”
Lemony Chicken & Leeks
From Cooking with Love by Trish van der Nest
"Roasted chicken and lemons is one of my favourite flavour combinations, and the addition of leeks takes this easy one-pot dish to a new level."
Slow-Roasted Lamb & Mint Dressing
From Delish Sisters by Kate & Rebecca Lund
“Slow-roasted lamb was always our first choice for dinner when we came home from boarding school for holidays. We have cooked this lamb dish loads of times over the past few years and it’s always a crowd-pleaser.”
DESSERTS
Carrot Cake
From Spice Odyssey by Cariema Isaacs
"This is one of my signature cakes and a hit every time I serve it! It took me close to a year to get this recipe to a point where it was perfect. It’s been tested and tweaked, baked as a loaf cake, a round tea-time cake and as cupcakes. My determination to perfect this recipe gives you insight into my need to find a carrot cake that ticked all the boxes for me. Some were too spicy, some were lacklustre, some were too fruity, others just too spongy, but finally it all came together. In fact, an Emirate friend of mine, Khulood Qayed, cannot be impressed by any of my other cakes (she says this gleefully) and often jokes that if it’s not this carrot cake, then I simply shouldn’t offer her anything else!"
Individual Apple Tarts
From Dinner at Matloha's by Liziwe Matloha
"Serve these for tea or as a dessert, topped with a spoon of whipped cream or ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce."
24 Station Street Carrot, Coconut, Date & Pineapple Cake with Beetroot Frosting
From My Station Street Kitchen by Mynhardt Joubert
OOK BESKIKBAAR IN AFRIKAANS >>
"I have been infatuated with carrot cake all my life - almost a holy grail search for me. One birthday, a cake was delivered to my home, without card or message, the most beautiful, moist, luxurious and delicious carrot cake ever! It haunted me to the point where I set myself on a course to perfect the carrot cake of my dreams. Here it is - laden with fruit, dates, uts and a quirky beetroot-flavoured icing to boot. I love everything about it."
Happy Heart'beet' Cupcakes
From Low Carb is Lekker 3 by Ine Reynierse
OOK BESKIKBAAR IN AFRIKAANS >>
“Your heart will thank you for supporting it with these cupcakes, which are full of the goodness of beetroot.”
YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY
Our 10 Most Popular Recipes So Far This Year