Traditional dishes from the heart

• Published date: 06 May 2023
• Publication title: Weekend Argus

Extract

MEMORIES OF RAMADAAN

In the late afternoon during the month of Ramadaan, my mother would call us to the kitchen to help her with preparing what would be eaten that evening to break our fast. And every night, without fail, it was – and still is to this day – a simple split-pea and vegetable soup with marrow bones. Not a meal like curry and rice, just soup and cakes and savouries. I fondly called them the “usual suspects”: daltjies (chilli bites), fritters, bollas, pancakes, samoosas, koesisters – almost all of them laden with spices. Imagine the aromas filling the kitchen – actually the entire neighbourhood – as we prepared the treats!

We lived on the Cape Flats and times were tough, but during this holy month of Ramadaan the community always pulled together. The tradition of taking small plates of something sweet or savoury to your neighbours, known in the Cape Muslim community as boeka plates, was born from the sincere consideration that this would ensure that they had something to break their fast with, for we do not know the circumstances of another and if they have food to eat at night. This in essence created a strong sense of community and togetherness.

We were eight people in our house: Mom, Dad, five sisters and one brother. We each had a specific task to do; a few would make the food and the others would take the boeka treats to the neighbours. We even took cakes to our cousins, a nice 20-minute walk away ... I can hear it now, the neighbourhood moms ushering the children along, “Maak gou! Maak gou, is amper boeka tyd, dek die tafel!” (Hurry, hurry, it’s almost boeka time, set the table!)

Times have changed. Most moms work now and find it difficult to uphold these traditions, no matter how much they might want to recall the wonderful memories of the customs they grew up with. As we have grown older, we have successfully managed to keep the Cape Town Ramadaan traditions alive with our own children and in our neighbourhood, not an easy task in this modern era ... but we do it.

The midpoint of the month-long fast is a milestone celebrated with boeber, a sweet and warm spiced-milk dessert traditionally made and served on the evening of the 15th day of fasting. It’s even known as boeber night! And everyone gets their share, including our non-Muslim neighbours.

It’s a great thing about our unique culture here in Cape Town that not only could we make something so tasty from the little we had, but that the table would be so filled with treats …...