A glass of ice cold water, a slice of lemon and some fresh mint. That's what Manoj Rama, the Executive Chef at Suncoast Towers Hotel told IOL Lifestyle when we spoke to him ahead of Diwali. "You can't avoid the food on Diwali day," he said. "From the time you wake up, until you go to bed, there will be so much food to eat and you don't even have a choice. So as a chef I suggest you drink cold water, lemon and mint and it will help you handle the food. And it's good for your health."
Some of the Indian sweetmeats and savoury dishes served at Jeera's Indian food inspired high tea at Suncoast Towers Hotel in Durban. Picture: Supplied
He also shared with us how commercialised the Diwali sweetmeats market has become, simply because people don't have time to spend hours making burfi, chana magaj and other sweetmeats during the auspicious day. He loves how interesting the sweetmeats have become, even sharing that he has created his own spin on burfi, by creating a burfi cheesecake. He reveals this and more in the video, below.
Having served in various hospitality food and beverage positions in the Tsogo Sun group, Rama is a seasoned culinary professional with over 11 years of experience. He graduated Cum Laude during his studies. He has grown tremendously during his time at Tsogo Sun, with a passion for leading and grooming upcoming chefs.