ENJOYING THE TREATS OF EID

EID-AL-FITR marks the end of the Holy month of Ramadaan and food plays a central role in the celebrations.

My childhood memories of Eid is peppered with food, especially the decadent desserts.

Eid remains a time for family and friends to get together after a month of spiritual reflection, charitable work and renewing of 1 kg chicken fillets cubed 2 tbsp Spice Mecca curry powder

(yellow/mild) 1 tbsp garlic paste Salt to taste (about 1 tsp) Oil to stir-fry Sauce ingredients: 1 tbsp garlic paste 10 curry leaves 4 tbsp olive oil About 300g tomato puree 2 tsp origanum 1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp Spice Mecca curry powder

(yellow/mild) 500 ml fresh cream Fresh coriander, chopped 500 g penne pasta, cooked al dente Parmesan shavings For the chicken: 2 tbsp Spice Mecca South Indian

seafood masala 1 tbsp crushed garlic 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp oil 1 lemon, juice and zest 2 large onions, finely chopped About 50g butter 2 tsp tomato paste ¼ cup of water 1 kg crayfish tails, trimmed and cut

lengthwise 250 ml fresh cream Make a paste with masala, garlic paste, salt, oil and lemon juice and zest. Marinate the crayfish.

Saute onions in butter until golden brown.

Stir in tomato paste and water and cook for about 5 minutes. the spirit. For me it was always a joyous time when I would spend time with my Muslim cousins and aunt who ensured we had all treats before and after lunch and dinner. Very little has changed, and the traditions of Eid-Al-Fitr remain the same.

Muslims offer alms in the form of sadaqah al fitr or Zakatal-Fitr (charity of breaking fast) and it often includes a charitable donation in the form of food to those in need. together the spice, garlic paste and salt. Marinate the chicken. Stir-fry and set aside.

For the sauce: Fry the garlic and curry leaves in olive oil for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree, origanum, sugar, salt and curry powder. Cook on a low-

Add crayfish and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in fresh cream.

Food is and always will remain a hallmark of the manner in which Muslims celebrate the festival of breaking the fast.

Curries and stews are also part and parcel of meals, especially when Eid takes place in winter.

But the sweet treats are never an “afterthought “and are usually the highlight of every meal – butter cookies, spice cakes and date-filled pastries, to name a few. medium heat until oil floats to the top. Switch off heat.

Add fresh cream. Stir through and adjust salt.

Add chicken and pasta. Stir to combine. Garnish with coriander and Parmesan shavings. – Spice Mecca

Serve on a bed of saffron rice garnished with coriander. – Courtesy of Spice Mecca For the chocolate cake 14 tbs flour (½ cup plus 6 tbsp) 1 cup sugar 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ¾ tsp baking soda ¾ tsp baking powder pinch of salt 1 large egg ½ cup brewed coffee (or ½ cup boiling water if you don’t like coffee in cake) ½ cup milk ¼ cup vegetable oil ½ tsp vanilla extract For chocolate fudge sauce ½ can (198g) condensed milk ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips For cheesecake layer 150g cream cheese/ 9 Kiri cheese

blocks at room temperature 4 tbsp Nutella/ cookie butter/

sweetened condensed milk 250ml whipping cream 1 kg butternut, cubed ± 1 tsp salt ± 50ml olive oil 1 tbsp crushed garlic 1 tbsp crushed ginger 1-2 green chillies, sliced 1 tbsp green curry paste ± 1 cup fresh coriander 1 tsp turmeric 3 onions, finely chopped 6-8 curry leaves ± 50ml olive oil 1 cube chicken stock ½ cup boiled water 2 cups coconut milk Garnish: Chopped coriander Toasted coconut 4 tbsp powdered sugar 1tbsp gelatine dissolved in ¼ cup hot

water To make cake: Preheat oven to 1806C. Grease a 27x17cm rectangular baking dish and set aside.

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt). In another bowl combine eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Add the flour mix to the eggs, mix gradually and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add coffee (or boiling water) and mix to combine (the batter will look runny). Pour it in the baking dish and smooth the top. Tap the pan on the table few times to remove air bubbles. Bake 35 to 40 minutes (until toothpick inserted into centre comes out Place butternut in a roasting pan and drizzle with salt and oil. Bake at 200°C for ± 30-35 minutes.

Blitz the following in a food processor – the garlic, ginger, chillies, green curry paste, coriander and turmeric and set paste aside.

Braise onions and curry leaves in oil until golden brown. Add the paste and fry for 1-2 minutes.

Dissolve the chicken stock in water and add together with the coconut milk. Simmer in an open pot on medium heat for ± 20 min.

Add roasted butternut, stir to coat and garnish with coriander and toasted coconut. Serve with basmati rice. – Spice Mecca 1 pack of tennis biscuits ( I only used

half for my square dish) 250ml smooth cream cheese ( medium

or full fat), room temperature 1 tin of condensed milk 250ml fresh cream whipped to soft

peaks 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice Blueberry sauce 1 cup of fresh blueberries 3 tbsp of sugar 1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice 4 tbsp of water 1 tbsp of cornflour mixed with a tbsp

of water. Blueberry sauce: In a saucepan boil the blueberries,water, sugar and lemon juice for 8-10 minutes, stirring when required. Add the cornflour mix and stir. It will thicken. Remove from the heat, transfer to a small bowl and cool completely. Cheesecake: Take the tennis biscuits and dunk one by one in a little water and layer them neatly next to each other in a round or square deep dish.

In a clean bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese for about 30 seconds, next add the condensed milk and beat further for a minute or until well combined and smooth.

Add your already whipped cream and lemon juice and beat for about a minute or two. The mixture will thicken and become Notes: If you want a stiffer cheesecake layer, increase the amount of cream cheese and reduce the amount of whipping cream. The fudge sauce tends to harden. Just before you pour it over the cake, heat it up in a microwave for 20-second bursts, stirring in between until you get a smooth sauce. – www. savoryandsweetfood.com silky smooth.

Pour this mixture over the tennis biscuits and level it with the back of a spoon or spatula.

Cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge to set for 4-6 hours.

Once set, remove from the fridge and spoon over the blueberry sauce. If the sauce is too thick, simply stir in a tablespoon of cold water.

Cut and serve. – Cape Malay Cooking with Fatima Sydow