Let’s face it, most South Africans love rich, traditional food with lots of meaty chunks. The thing is, not everyone can afford to eat meat every night. Meat is expensive and we don’t all have the budget to include it in the weekly shopping.

So, what is the answer to getting that nyama flavour adored by young and old family members alike, without breaking the bank? In this article we share clever tricks to make your meatless meals taste delicious, without the expense of adding actual meat, thanks to Knorrox. Read on to learn more.

Five Ways to Give your Meatless Meals Nyama Flavour

It might surprise you that there are clever solutions that will make meat lovers lick their fingers after eating meatless food. Knorrox has found five ways to prepare meatless meals for meat lovers that are hearty, filling and nourishing. Here they are:

Try Knorrox Soya Mince
Add seasoning with a meaty flavour
Get clever with vegetables
Use a meaty stock
Try a new sauce

1. Try Knorrox Soya Mince

If you haven’t yet discovered Knorrox Soya Mince you are in for a treat. It is inexpensive, easy to prepare and gives your dinner the taste and texture of nyama in ten quick minutes. It is available in five mouth-watering, savoury flavours so you can play around with different dinner recipes and serve meatless meals that are both nourishing and tasty.

Yes you heard us right, Knorrox Soya Mince is nourishing too. With added zinc to boost your immune system as well as fibre and protein, you can rely on this awesome new product to keep your family well fed and happy.

Top Tip: Ready to try Knorrox Soya Mince for yourself? Here is a kid-friendly meatless meal to get your started: Knorrox Roasted Butternut Stuffed with Soya Mince. With ginger, garlic and chopped peppers, this recipe is a generous meatless meal that can be enjoyed for dinner with fresh bread on the side.

Want more good news? Knorrox Soya Mince can also be added to meaty dishes to stretch the meal and feed a larger family. Use half the meat you would usually add to a sishebo and add some soya mince to bulk it up. Clever, right?

2. Add Seasoning with Meaty Flavour

Seasoning mixes can go a long way to adding rich flavour to meatless meals. Vegetables can be boring if they are not seasoned well. The right choice of seasoning mix can give your dinner a terrific nyama taste.

Top Tip: Buy a seasoning mix that has a combination of herbs, spices and seasoning and is well balanced. A good seasoning mix should be versatile enough to use in many different dishes throughout the month.

A memorable seasoning mix made with coriander, garlic, nutmeg, black pepper and paprika extract is Knorrox Barbeque Spice. As a meat lover you’d be surprised just how scrumptious it can make a vegetable-based meal. Try using it to give samp and beans a heartier taste and add some broccoli to the pot for extra nourishment.

3. Get Clever with Vegetables

In 2002 scientists discovered that in addition to the four known tastes (salty, bitter, sweet, and sour), humans have a fifth taste receptor which has been called “umami”. This is the part of the tongue that tastes glutamate, a savoury flavour. When you are trying to cook meatless dinners that taste great, it is important to add vegetables with an umami taste.

Veggies that have an umami taste will make your meatless meals rich and salty. Try adding mushrooms, green peas, broccoli, onions, and tomatoes to your sauce as these veggies are all high in umami flavour.

4. Use A Meaty Stock

Good stock works wonders in improving the taste of a meatless meal. Take this Sweet Potato Sugar Bean Stew for example, Knorrox Beef Stock Cubes make the gravy so delicious, you’d never realise that this dish has zero meat added. Sweet potato, chopped tomatoes and Knorrox Soya Mince in beef and onion flavour blend together in a hearty sauce.

Another superb recipe using a Knorrox Beef Stock Cube to do the heavy lifting in terms of meaty flavour is Slow Cooked Jugo Beans Stew. The beans in this recipe are full of protein and highly nourishing - another reason why we think it is a great meatless dinner idea.

5. Try a New Sauce

Finally, we would suggest you try a new sauce to make your meatless meals taste better. The best ingredients to add to create a hearty, savoury sauce is tomato paste, garlic, mushrooms, origanum and onions. In combination, these ingredients go a long way to coat rice, pap, or freshly baked bread in a surprisingly meaty flavour. Another ingredient that adds umami to the pot is chickpeas.

Top Tip: Chickpeas can be used to stretch any sauce when unexpected visitors arrive at dinnertime. They are available from most supermarkets in canned or dried form.

Talking about legumes, why not give lentils a try? This recipe Butternut, Spinach and Lentil Curry is a good one to keep because your family is getting vitamins and minerals from lentils as well as vegetables in one, simple-to-prepare dish.

We hope these meatless meals will help you to cook rich flavour into your dishes and impress the meat lovers in your home.