Durban - "Ready, steady, cook.” With these words from comedian Masood Boomgaard, the contestants in The Curry Cook Off at the Springfield Retail Centre last Saturday had an hour to get the perfect curry to the table.
Onions sizzled, garlic fried and spices added a heady aroma over the inaugural cook-off of which Independent Media is a partner.
Three contestants were selected in each of four categories - seafood, chicken, vegetarian and mutton - for the big cook off. The finalists were chosen from thousands of entries judged on the originality of their recipes. They brought all their own ingredients and equipment.
Boomgaard tried to prise out all the state secrets as they were cooking and Radio Hindvani pumped out the tunes.
Shoppers could get in on the act too. Once the judges had tasted, the public tucked in, and added their views.
Presentation counted and contestants stepped up, delivering beautiful platters of food. There were gold-tinted rotis, a glass fountain cascading with prawns, and pickles served in banana leaves. The Flaming Flamingos team even made their own T-shirts.
Zora Bee Khan, who clinched the seafood category, produced a delicious Goan-inspired crab and prawn curry with Durban spicing.
“Whenever I travel overseas, I always meet with the chef. It is, after all, my interest,” she said. “In 2004 I was staying at the Royal Goan Beach Club above the kitchen with all these beautiful smells. The chef became a special friend.”
She said Goan curries were sweeter because of the crab and the coconut. “I wanted to bring it home but add a touch of Durban, which has its own tradition of crab curry, but a very spicy tradition. So I created a green masala with green chillies, curry leaves, dhania and garlic in oil.”
Zora Bee Khan with her Goan inspired prawn and crab curry. Pictures: Zanele Zulu/African News Agency (ANA)
Khan, a financial broker from Shallcross, grew up in the kitchen. “My mom was a very good cook. My dad died early, and as a widow at 38 with five children in Dannhauser, the kitchen was her survival at the time. She would sell samoosas and bake pies for the local shops. The aroma out of the kitchen was always there.
“I married into a big family and there were always 10 to 12 people at my table. Last night I did the crab curry and it gets better each time.”
Hitesh Gef and William Miala with a forgiveness curry for husbands. Pictures: Zanele Zulu/African News Agency (ANA)
Inspirational speaker and author of seven books, Hitesh Gef, wowed with his Forgiveness Curry for Husbands. It was paneer which he made himself within the hour in a spicy tomato, onion and cashew nut sauce.
For Hitesh, husbands are always doing something wrong. “So instead of coming up with a clever answer, just say sorry. And actions do speak louder than words, so if you can cook something for your wife, she’s definitely going to forgive you.”
The eManzimtoti man, who has his own YouTube channel and Facebook page, How To Cook So She Loves You, said: “The way to a woman’s heart, is through her stomach. And a loving relationship is forged in the kitchen. You learn to work as a team together, to be creative together, and the kitchen leads to the bedroom, so you can stay happy together.”
Devendra and Roshini Parshuram. Pictures: Zanele Zulu/African News Agency (ANA)
Pravina Pillay is a busy area manager for Standard Bank, but cooking is her passion. Her lamb curry with calabash stole the judges’ hearts.
“My mom was a master chef,” she says. “I started in the kitchen at nine, always experiencing it and always experimenting. Today, after a hectic day at the office and coming home at 6.30 or 7pm, I still like to cook, or make some gourmet meals as my husband calls them,” she says.
Devendra and Rohini Parsuram came up with a Clucking Good chicken curry.
“Chicken curry is my speciality,” said the project manager from Engen. “I love helping out in the kitchen. I was inspired by my mother and have been mentored by my wife.”