South Africa is allegorically a mixture of various cultures adopted from different regions. The dense political and colonized past influenced by Zulu warriors, Indians, Dutch settlers and British settlers fused the flavors of the cuisines brought to South Africa. The ingredients and spices collected by South Africans are from all over the world. There are several districts and provinces in the country, among them Durban is one of the cities that was influenced by Indian cuisines and cooking styles. Many people are unaware of the fact, but some prominent writers have described Durban’s influence on South African dishes on food blogs from Cape Town, Pretoria, Johannesburg and elsewhere. This outstanding article shows the food influence and origin of the people in Durban in South Africa.

History of Durban

People may be surprised by the fact that Durban has the largest population of Indian immigrants. In 1860, during apartheid, labor was imported from India to South Africa to work on the sugar plantations. During that time, Durban became the place where the Indians were kept. Time transformed South Africa into a democratic country and the early colonial city of Durban became densely populated with subcultural and Indian habitats.

Kitchen Foundation

Each cuisine and its ingredients have a specific origin. For example, Thai cuisine focuses on ingredients like ginger, coconut, and lemongrass. Italian cuisine relies heavily on tomato, garlic, and basil. Indian cuisines are a combination of many spices like cardamom, black pepper, chili, cumin, coriander leaves / seeds, bay leaves, etc. Spices and ingredients are the symbols of the cuisines brought to South Africa. However, Durban in South Africa is popular for Indian recipes like curries and spices due to the Indian immigrants to the city.

Previously, the people of South Africa used to avoid coconut milk and cornmeal, but now locals and visitors to the country love Indian food ingredients like coconut and corn flours. Restaurants in South African cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg also serve Indian dishes based on spices.

Here are some examples of South African Indian cuisines available in cities like Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, etc.

1: Bunny Chow

This is a hybrid recipe made from unsliced ​​bread hollowed out like a bowl and filled with spicy curry. The term ‘Bunny’ is derived from the Indian word, ‘Bania’, which means merchant or merchant of spices.

History behind the kitchen

During apartheid, the Indian and Zulu populations worked and lived in KwaZulu Natal, but according to the “law of segregation”, the Indians were not allowed to serve the Zulus, so the Indians were sent to Durban. In the city, they taught the natives of South Africa various cuisines and began preparing Indian dishes like Bunny Chow in restaurants and at home. The locals liked the recipe and later this hybrid food became popular worldwide but known as a South African dish.

2: Samoosas

This food is called Samoosas from an Indian word ‘Samosa’, flour patties stuffed with potatoes and peas. This appetizer can be served as breakfast in the morning and in the evening. Samoosas remain popular in both India and South Africa due to their salty and spicy filling. People of all ages love this food for its crunchy and crunchy texture.

History behind the snack

During Apartheid in Durban in South Africa, the popularity of this cuisine was rich because people were mired in poverty and, at one time, potatoes were cheap and easy to cook like vegetables. Therefore, the immigrants from India began to cook potatoes with salt and some other spices and put them in flour sachets. After the procedure, they used to fry the sandwich in deep oil. The crunchy, crunchy texture became popular all over the world, including Durban and other cities in Africa.

3: Cape Malay curry

Cape Malay is a curry recipe, which can be cooked with chicken or lamb. It is a traditional recipe made by indigenous people. This curry is a stew made with a combination of onions, garlic, coriander leaves, curry leaves, tomato, salt, and other Indian spices such as cumin, coriander seeds, chili, turmeric powder, and curry powder.

History behind the kitchen

Not only in India, but this cuisine was also popular in Afghanistan. The people of India and Afghanistan presented the people of South Africa with this spicy recipe after they arrived in the country. Previously, the name of the recipe was “Malaysian Curry”, but later it became popular in Durban and Cape Town. The people of Cape Town appreciated the recipe and the chefs at the town’s restaurant called ‘Malaysian Curry’ at Cape Malay Curry.

4: Chakalaka

This is a popular dish loved by the South African community that originated in India. Zulu called Chakalaka ‘Amasi’, which is a thick fermented curry combined with lentils, green vegetables, tripe, and Indian spices. Restaurants often serve the nutritious cuisine with rice or porridge.

History behind Chakalaka

During the adverse period of Apartheid, people were growing thin due to the battles, poverty and discriminatory policies carried out between Indians and South Africans. Therefore, the Indian immigrants from Durban tried to gather some vegetables and cook this curry with some spices because eating such nutritious food helped them to gain strength to fight the problems.

conclusion

These points are the main reasons why Durban is famous for Indian spices and its incredible cuisines came from creative minds. Several prominent food blogs from Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria have also mentioned the name of these recipes and ingredients, but few people are familiar with the influence and stories behind these recipes.