#HeritageMonth | Pura Soda puts a twist on the Heritage Month braai with three recipes

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This Heritage Month, Pura Soda is coming to the table with a slightly different idea: using its sodas as ingredients as well as drinks.

Three of its flavours: Seville Orange, Cranberry and Lemon & Elderflower are worked into familiar braai dishes, bringing citrus, fruit and floral notes into the cooking itself.

The result is a menu built around three dishes: sticky Seville orange braai chicken, smoky cranberry chakalaka and charred mielies with a lemon and elderflower dressing.

Sticky Seville orange braai chicken

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs or drumsticks
• 330ml Pura Soda Seville Orange
• 2 tbsp apricot jam
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Pour the Pura Soda Seville Orange into a saucepan and reduce by half over medium heat.
2. Add the apricot jam, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, smoked paprika and lemon juice. Stir until combined, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then coat with the cooled glaze.
4. Braai the chicken over medium coals, turning regularly. Baste with more glaze during the final few minutes of cooking.
5. Cook until the chicken is caramelised and cooked through.

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Smoky cranberry chakalaka

Serves 6 as a side

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 2 carrots, grated or finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 chilli, finely chopped
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 150ml Pura Soda Cranberry
• 400g baked beans
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh coriander, to garnish

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion and peppers until softened.
2. Add the carrots, garlic and chilli and cook for a few minutes.
3. Stir in the curry powder and smoked paprika.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and Pura Soda Cranberry. Simmer until the mixture has thickened and the vegetables are tender.
5. Stir through the baked beans and cook for another few minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper and finish with fresh coriander.

Charred mielies with lemon and elderflower dressing

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 6 mielies
• Oil, for brushing
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the dressing

• 150ml Pura Soda Lemon & Elderflower
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• Fresh parsley or mint
• Salt and pepper, to taste

To finish

• 100g feta
• Fresh herbs
• Lemon zest

Method

1. Pour the Pura Soda Lemon & Elderflower into a saucepan and reduce to around 50ml.
2. Whisk the reduced soda with the oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and honey. Add the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
3. Brush the mielies with oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Braai over hot coals, turning regularly, until charred and cooked through.
5. Drizzle with the dressing and finish with crumbled feta, fresh herbs and lemon zest.

From a sticky citrus glaze to a fruity take on chakalaka, the recipes show how familiar braai dishes can be adapted with flavours that might not usually make it onto the grill or into the pot.

For Heritage Month, the menu puts a different spin on traditional braai ingredients while keeping the food firmly at the centre of the gathering.