Autumn is here – a season that calls for hearty, home-cooked meals that warm body and soul.
Food content creator and stylist Palesa Sauhatsi knows how powerful those simple comfort foods can be. She is the creative force behind Plated by Palesa, where she shares family-inspired recipes and reimagines classic kasi favourites, presenting them in a mouthwatering way that sparks appetite and memory.
“If you really love cooking, you’re going to put effort into it and it was easy for me to grow to love and be in the kitchen,” Sauhatsi says.
“I started Plated by Palesa because I knew that it would be the easiest way to share my experiences and recipes with my audience.”
The 32-year-old former insurance consultant was drawn back into the kitchen during the Covid-19 lockdown when she started posting her food recipes and photos on social media.
“I’ve always been a nine-to-five girlie, and at some point, it got tedious, and I thought, ‘Why not do something that I’m truly passionate about?’” she says.
“I knew cooking would not drain me and would offer me comfort and peace. In 2021, I started Plated by Palesa as an escape.”
Five years since her first post featuring a pilchards and pap dish, Sauhatsi has grown her following and confidence in her culinary skills. She has since added “entrepreneur” to her title with the catering company and aspires to be a professional chef.
“My first video was a basic recipe for pilchards, I remember, tinned fish with tomato relish and pap, the way my mother used to prepare it — and the video blew up," Sauhatsi says.
“People commented saying that it brought them so many memories and we’re all sharing the same sentiments. I was happy with that and asked myself what more I could do and put out there.
“I ventured into catering last year for the customers who want to taste my food but would rather buy it than make it themselves, and so far it’s been well received.”
Sauhatsi grew up surrounded by food and family.
“I come from a family of great cooks and my father had an African cuisine restaurant called Glenn’s Kitchen in Diepkloof Zone 3,” she says.
“My grandmothers also inspired me to love cooking because they were the best cooks. They were creative in the kitchen, and as much as we grew up eating the most basic meals, they really put a lot of effort into making every meal memorable.”
Sauhatsi says her favourite childhood dish, and one of her signature meals, is meaty bones and cabbage, an inexpensive and nourishing meal that is both hearty and delicious.
“On a very cold winter day, I knew for a fact I would either get some soup or meaty bones and cabbage. It’s the one meal that I will always value and cherish because it’s filling and hearty. It’s that hug that you need, you know? It’s one of the recipes that I share with everyone because I feel that everyone needs it,” she says.
“It’s the most affordable meal that you could ever have. I mean, growing up, we knew that you could buy cabbage on the side of the road from the aunties for about R5, and meaty bones cost you R50, and you could whip up such a heartwarming meal. Where I come in is I make it look appealing and pretty on camera.”
Meaty Bones and Shredded Cabbage
Ingredients
- 1kg lamb bones
- 1 small head of cabbage, chopped
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp Aromat
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 1 small onion, diced
- 15ml cooking oil
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 250ml beef stock
- 350ml boiling water
Method
- Pat the bones dry, then coat them in paprika and cornflour
- In a pan, heat up the oil and brown the bones on all sides for 2-3 minutes or until crispy
- Remove from the pan and set aside on a paper towel
- Place the pan back on the stove and sauté the diced onion and crushed garlic
- Once the onions are translucent, season with paprika and lamb spice
- Put the bones back in the pot with the sautéed onions
- Gently pour in the beef stock and about 1 cup of boiling water
- Cook until the meat is soft and tender
- When the bones are soft, add the chopped cabbage and 100ml of water
- Generously season with Aromat and cook the cabbage until it is soft.
