butter chicken
I remember vividly when and how I fell in love with Butter Chicken. The month was May, the year 2011 the place a small, ramshackle restaurant in New Delhi, India. I had been in Delhi studying since early March of that year and had months to go before heading back home to Cape Town to finish off my degree. Most of the food I had been exposed to in the city until then had not been to my liking, mainly because I did not at the time have much of a palette for hot and spicy food. One day when my friend and I went out as we often did to get out of the campus, I decided to try out Butter Chicken, which I was assured was the dish with the least heat on the menu. I was immediately hooked. For me it was the creamy texture and how the spices were tempered with yoghurt and tomatoes that made this meal a winner. Fast-forward to 2021, I’ve been enjoying this meal for a decade. The recipe below is my take on this delicious meal and I hope you can use it to switch up your chicken meals once in a while.
Scones, Scones, Scones
This is my recipe for yumminess produced in under an hour. These scones are perfect for a weekend or weekday morning. All you need to do is set your alarm an hour early to make sure that you stay in your family’s good books for an entire week! My scones are light, fluffy and golden. The sugar content ensures that they are sweet enough to enjoy on their own and not too sweet that you can’t add jam and cream. I really like adding ½ a teaspoon of cinnamon for that added bit flavour. You can also add a teaspoon of nutmeg for that additional flavour pop. Go on, give this recipe a try and let me know how popular you become in your home.
WOZA SUMMERTIME
Let’s take it back to the beach
Let’s take it back to the beach.
Well, well, well…the temperatures are starting to edge up again from a miserable and freezing winter in South Africa. We’re starting to get a bit excited about the onset of Spring and soon after that we’ll be rearing for the Summertime. At the same time, other parts of the world are in the throes of scorching temperatures, and with international travel fully open again, we’re ready to go! All of this calls for us to dust off our beachwear and ready ourselves for the Beach. So let me share with you some of my beach essentials to help you prep for your long, lazy, sunny days on the sand.
First and foremost, get your footwear right, and “comfort” is the word. Sandals or Havaianas are the best choice to make sure that you’re comfy. Walking on sand can be a mission so you want the best option for comfort. Also, the fact that you can just kick them off is an added benefit. Cute looking slip-ons don’t have to be expensive either, especially if you have a cute nail colour that’ll draw all the attention anyway.
For me the best beach day is one where I have no care in the world about all of my life’s problems and I can just tuck into a book and get lost in it. My preference is always a lazy, carefree read like a romance novel. There are also times when I feel like catching up on books that I’ve been meaning to read like Michelle Obama’s Becoming, or even re-reading an African classic like Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions. The point is to read something that captures my attention so much that I can just let the world pass me by as I bask in the sun.
Protection, protection protection!! If you’re gonna be in the sun, even if under the shade of an umbrella, make sure you’ve put on sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. You can also add a cute kaftan for an additional layer of protection or if, like me, you’re a bit shy to walk around in a bikini. You know when they say “black don’t crack”? They lied. The sun will do what it does best, it’ll burn you no matter the amount of melanin you have. And while you may not see the results of too much sun exposure immediately, you’ll remember my words when you start getting unwanted wrinkles by the age of 40. And on a more serious note, the risk of cancer is ever present so please make sure you protect yourselves. Ok, thanks for attending my TedTalk.
And finally, beach days aren’t just about the beach, right. Who are we without a cocktail or two enjoyed at the nearest lively beach bar? Think Cape Town and Caprice! For that you’ll definitely need cute shorts to cover up in style, a scent to go with the look and of course a camera to document the fun! No doubt you’ll also want to have your all-weather cross body bag that goes with almost everything you put on!
And just like that, we’re ready for the beach. Thank me later!!