Creating special memories to cherish forever

Published Jan 19, 2016

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Fatima Sydow remembers the first time her mother called her to the kitchen to help her with the cooking. She describes herself as a shy, scruffy, wavy-haired nine-year old girl at the time

Her mother Wasiela Sydow, a talented cook and baker, was well known in their Manenberg community.

The young Sydow could not get enough of how the ingredients would come together, like magic, to produce a delicious meal.

Every day, family and friends would stream into their home and there would be “something cooking on the stove or baking in the oven”. During those gatherings, food was shared and stories told… creating special memories that Sydow will cherish forever.

Now she has documented some of her family’s moments and her mother’s recipes in a book, The Journey of Cape Malay Cooking:with Fatima Sydow.

I meet Sydow and her sister Hadjira at a café in the city centre. Sydow’s three-year-old Facebook page, where she shares her recipes, has gained her a following across the world.

“I’ve loved cooking from a young age because my mom was into food,” she says.

“We are a big family of six children, 18 grandkids and great grandchildren and when she cooked it was always big pots of food. In those days, by tradition in our family, us children had to assist with the cooking.

“My mother would call us in the kitchen to come help her peel potatoes and onions. And in doing so she carried over the tradition and passed on the recipes as the years went by. We cooked traditional Cape Malay food which ranges from curry and breyani to soups and Ramadaan treats such as samoosas and the biscuits,” says Sydow.

Her book includes a range of meat and vegetarian stews and curries, as well as cakes and puddings. Most of the recipes are dedicated to Sydow’s siblings and family friends, accompanied by a short note that tells a story about the person associated with the recipe.

“We didn’t grow up with a Cape Malay book in our home, but we knew how to make just about everything. My mom worked in a library as a cleaner and after school we would rush to her workplace and I found myself gravitating towards the cookbook section.

“With her teaching me her skills and me loving what I was seeing in the cookbook, something happened, something magical almost and I was completely in love and it has never stopped,” says Sydow.

“I started a catering company, followed by my Facebook page. I wanted to create a platform where I could share my recipes and interact with people. My page is so busy that I sometimes stay up late at night giving people advice. When I created the page the idea of a book was already there.”

With the help of close friends and family, Sydow self-published her book last month with an initial print run of 500 copies, this later increased to 2 000 because of the demand.

Sydow did everything herself, including styling and photographing the dishes.

“I just asked myself one day: ‘How long am I going to wait for a big publishing house to recognise me or reach out to me?’ I couldn’t wait because I felt that I needed to trust my gut instinct. I went into it with guns blazing, with very little money, resources and no idea how to put a book together.

“But with the help of my very close friends and family and everyone who was behind me, we made it happen…

“Everyone just wanted to help in making my dream come true,” she explains.

The 42 year-old is on a roadshow across Cape Town to meet and greet her fans, with some having travelled from other parts of South Africa to meet her.

“Through my Facebook page I have created online friendships with a number of people from around the world. Some of the people that come to my book signings say things like I have changed their lives and that their family dynamic is different or the foundation between the family members is stronger because of the time they spend in the kitchen trying my recipes.

“I wouldn’t have written this book if it wasn’t for the memories of my mother and family. Hopefully there will be a series of books because it’s a legacy… something I am very proud of.

“With it I also hope to inspire others, even if it’s one person. I want someone to look at my story and be inspired that no matter at what age, if you have a dream and you don’t have the resources, but you have the drive, the determination, the motivation and support from family and friends… anything is possible.”

***

Here are two recipes from Sydow’s book:

MINCE CURRY

3 tbs oil

3 onions, peeled and finely chopped

3 cardamom pods

4 cinnamon sticks

5 curry leaves

1 kg of steak mince

3 tbs fresh garlic & ginger finely grated

1 tsp turmeric

3 tbs roasted masala

1 tsp of chilli powder

salt to taste

6 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

1 cup peas

3 tbs fresh coriander roughly chopped

Heat the oil in a large pot on medium to high heat. Add the onions, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks and curry leaves and fry until golden. Add the minced meat and garlic and ginger and braise for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, add a cup of warm water to the minced meat and cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes. Add the spices and salt then cook and stir for 10 minutes, adding a little water at a time to prevent the spices from burning. Add the potatoes with 2 cups of warm water and cook until almost tender, add the peas and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle over the fresh coriander. Serve with basmati rice or roti.

...

BOLLAS

5 tbs castor sugar

2 eggs

5 tbs oil

1 tbs of vanilla essence

2¾ cups cake flour

3 tsp baking powder

300ml buttermilk

Syrup

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

In a large bowl, beat the castor sugar and eggs with a hand whisk until creamy.

Add the oil and vanilla essence and whisk until fluffy.

Sift in dry ingredients and add the buttermilk and mix until well combined. Don’t over mix.

Cover the bowl of batter with cling wrap or a tea towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Once ready, use a tablespoon to scoop the batter and shape into a round ball. Deep fry in a deep saucepan on medium heat.

Fry until golden brown on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel.

In a separate pot, cook your water with sugar for 15 minutes to make a sugar syrup.

Dunk the bollas into the warm syrup just once and remove with a slotted spoon.

Sprinkle with desiccated coconut and serve.

* The Journey of Cape Malay Cooking: with Fatima Sydow is available nationwide. Price R250. To purchase, e-mail Sydow at [email protected], or visit her Facebook page: Cape Malay Cooking With Fatima Sydow.

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