Food & Home Entertaining

Blogger of the month
icecreameveryday.co.za
Saaleha Idrees Bamjee is the creative mind behind must-visit blog,
IceCreamEveryday–aninspirationalhavenforcrafts,cookingandother
creative-nestingendeavours,intheformofnarratives,recipesandtutorials.
Sheshareswithusalittleextrainsightaswellasherfavouriterecipe...
I started blogging because Iwantedto
document my culinary journey and also
sharesomeofthecraftythingsIgetupto.
Having never really cooked a meal until I got
married, but always being fascinated by the
theory, I wanted to peel away the mystery of
goodcooking,moreformyselfthanothers.
Ihavetwoearlyfoodmemories.The irst
wasattheageofthree,whenmyparents
tookmetoafancyrestaurantwherethe
smell of the Parmesan made me retch.
I eat it quite happily now, but that was
my irst lesson in giving ingredients a fair
chance. My second memory is of sitting
before a plate of khuri kitchrie (an indian rice
dish served with a spiced sour-milk gravy
andsavouryaccompaniments)andthinking
that Indian food, to other cultures, is quite
intricate as a cuisine, and I was fortunate
to have it as part of my lineage.
Thewayweprepareandconsumefood
is the narrative of how we’ve evolved
as a species. We’ve elevated eating from
a biological necessity to a reined creative
pursuitthatcelebratesourcultureandour
individuality. That is just magical to me.
I’m also a freelance photographer and
writer, currently working/procrastinating
on the draft manuscript of my irst novel.
My favourite thing to cook and eat is a
luffyomelettewithlotsofchilliandcheese.
In five years’ time, Ihopetobeinmy
tastefully ‘KonMaried’ home, going
through the publisher’s revisions on
my second manuscript while a big
potofbiryanisteamsonmystove.
Recipe
Pineapple and
coconut sojee
(semolina pudding)
Serves 6 EASY 45 mins
250ml(1cup)milk
400ml light coconut milk
1egg
3,75ml (¾ tsp) saffron strands,
crushed + extra, to garnish
2,5ml(½tsp)groundcardamom
50g ghee (clarified butter)
250g semolina
100g sugar
1x432gtincrushedpineapple
in syrup
50g dried coconut flakes, slightly
crushed + extra, to garnish
1Mix the milk, coconut milk, egg,
saffron and cardamom together
untilblended.Setaside.
2 Meltthegheeinapotover
medium heat. Add the semolina
and braise, stirring, until it begins
to take on a pink-brown tinge.
3Add the milk blend to the
braised semolina.
4Once the mixture has combined
and thickened, add the
sugar, crushed pineapple along
with its syrup, and the coconut
lakes. Keep stirring to prevent
it from scorching.
5The sojee is ready once the
semolina softens and the
mixture starts to come together.
6Serve garnished with extra
saffron and coconut lakes.
18 JUNE 2016