A true veteran of the airwaves

Dudu Khoza is not only a radio legend, but also an influencer. Buhle Mbonambi spoke to her about radio and her food.

Iticked off my bucket list by interviewing Ukhozi FM’S legendary broadcaster, Dudu Khoza, recently. The radio personality is currently celebrating 25 years as an on-air personality, a feat which earned her a Lifetime Achievement at the Liberty Radio Awards and saw her inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame.

And yet, even with her experience and longevity on radio, she still sounds like the cool aunt you go to for advice about everything. She is able to relate to an older person about serious issues afflicting society, and then 10 minutes later she’s talking to rapper Nasty C. She is able to relate to all age groups, which explains why she’s one of the most loved radio personalities in the country.

It’s also due to her ability to appeal to various audiences and ages, that has made her an influencer, something she never thought would ever happen. “I only recently found out that I could leverage my brand and work with other brands. These are things that weren’t possible a few years ago. Even being an ambassador for something was almost never heard of.”

She’s currently the face of maize meal brand, White Star, where she hosts cookoffs, lunches and other food-centric events for her listeners and users of the brand.

“Maize meal has gone a long way – it’s not just about cooking pap anymore. You can really make some gourmet food. I’m always surprised when I have the deep fried pap balls. If I didn’t know it was pap, I wouldn’t believe it was.”

And since it’s Africa month and maize meal is a staple food in the continent, I asked Dudu to share her favourite maize meal recipes. Some organic sweetcorn 1 onion, finely chopped 1 chilli, de-seed it and chop 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 5 tsp of cooking oil

360g White Star Maize Meal (3 cups), depending on the serving

1 chicken stock

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chopped chives

3 tsp butter

100g grated cheddar cheese Cornflour, for dusting

Char-grill the corn ears over a hot grill until cooked. Cut the kernels from the cob and set aside to rub or roll the maize balls in.

Grease an oven dish and line with greaseproof paper.

In a large pot, fry onion, garlic and chilli in oil for 2 minutes over high heat. Add white wine and boil for about 3 minutes.

Add maize meal and stir. While at it, add 2 cups of chicken stock and continue stirring. When it has mixed well, add another 2 cups of chicken stock while stirring.

Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking while stirring for about 5 minutes. Add the salt and the reserved corn kernels and stir through.

Remove from the heat. Add chopped chives, butter and cheddar cheese. Stir vigorously to melt the butter and cheese without allowing the mixture to split.

Cook the pap normally and cut into small balls or roll it once cold.

Transfer the mixture and roll in the corn. Cover with a piece of buttered greaseproof paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to

200°C. Heat 3 tbs of oil in a large frying or griddle pan until smoking hot. Gently fry the dusted squares on both sides until golden and crispy. Transfer back to the oven dish and place in the preheated oven for 4-7 minutes until heated through.