Rita Sooklall knows her way around a good pot of curry.
The 47-year-old Durban-born chef is the curry specialist at the Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom in uMhlanga.
“They were looking for a curry specialist and the role was given to me when I arrived at Sibaya in 2018,” says Sooklall.
“What gives curry its unique taste and flavour is a combination of natural ingredients and spices, fresh herbs and passion.”
Before working in the kitchens of Sibaya, Sooklall ran a mobile kitchen she would park at construction sites and call centres near Ottawa, north of Durban. She sold an assortment of sandwiches and hearty curries served with the options of roti and rice.
“Working in an industrial kitchen is exhilarating. It’s exciting to be among a lot of people, working with a lot of people, learning and teaching people,” she says.
“I often advise the youngsters that the real thing about cooking is having the passion for it. To love cooking, you must have a love for food, which comes with patience and devotion. Not forgetting the shared joy in making meals for the diners and yourself.
“Even though I have never received formal culinary training, I’ve always let my passion for food shine through, and I’ve come this far.”
Sooklall recalls as a child watching her grandmother cook delicious meals for her family.
“I would be inspired and would get excited about watching and trying to learn while they were cooking. I remember I would ask questions about the different types of curry powders, spices and herbs she used when she made her curries,” Sooklall says.
“At age 12, I started to learn, and my dad taught me the basic recipes like tomato chutney and potato curry. Then I went deeper into mutton and chicken curry.
“I was excited to be in the kitchen, and at the same time, I was a bit scared because I remember that at that time we didn’t have an electric stove, so we were using this little gas stove.
“My dad was telling me what to do and how to do it, and how to stir and, you know, things like that. It was the best day of my life, and I’ve never looked back.”
Tempura masala softshell crab
Ingredients
Crab
- 2 small soft-shell crabs (150g)
- 125g flour
- 125g cornflour
- 250ml sparkling water
- 15ml masala spice
- 2g salt
- 2g black pepper
- 250g rice
- 375ml water
Chutney
- 30g oil
- 150g onion, chopped
- 365g tomato, chopped
- 15g masala spice powder
- 10g curry leaves
- 10g fresh coriander leaves
- 5g garlic
- 5g sugar
- 3g salt
- 2g black pepper
Method
- Rinse the rice under cold water until clear.
- Place in a pot, add water and a pinch of salt.
- Bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for 10-15 minutes till the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
- For the tempura crab, combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl, then whisk in the sparkling water to form a light batter.
- Dust the crabs lightly in flour, then dip them into the batter. Heat oil in a pot to 180°C and fry the crabs for 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp.
- For the chutney, heat oil in a pot and sauté the onion for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, curry leaves and half the coriander, and sauté for 1 minute.
- Follow with masala and sauté for another minute. Add the tomato and sugar, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Once the tomato has broken down, add a splash of water and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until thickened.
- To serve, spoon the rice onto a shallow dish, add the chutney, place the crab on top, and garnish with fresh coriander.
