Beat hard times with good food from Erica Platter

Some good local news to brighten up the miserable faces on the North Coast with one thing we all love and have in common – great food.

Erica Platter, our local Ballito author and chef extraordinaire, has had her homegrown book ‘Durban Curry Up2Date’ return home from the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards with a second place world series finish for the competition’s Peace prize.

The famous book’s photographer, Clinton Friedman, also won second place in the Photography category.

Asked about local sales of her books, Platter laughs.

“Were bookshops being besieged like bottle stores? Sadly not. Now, if only our book had been printed on loo paper,” joked the chuckling chef.

Platter, a local celebrity and story teller, maintains that curries can be used to uplift the spirit in dark times and has decided to offer up what she calls an Isolation Curry recipe, featuring her favourite chilli bite mix to pump up the blood and get the juices flowing.

While she and her husband, John, are on lockdown in the Kruger National Park, Platter said this recipe can help us through challenging times.

“Using the store cupboard is essential,” said Platter.

Platter said her next book will possibly be titled ‘The iCurry Files’, featuring recipes made, adapted and invented for hard times, with dried, tinned and long-life or stretchable ingredients.

“These won’t be conventional curries, as these will vary in herbs, spices and chillis, but we will stick to the recipes we know and love!”

Watch this space, North Coasters!

Isolation Chilli Bites 

Method:

1. Combine Pakco chilli bite mix with chopped salad leftovers such as lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber and peppers. Cooked mielie kernels are also a good addition, together with leftover mash and rice. Any bits and pieces lurking in the fridge are welcome to the mix.

2. Add water and turn into a good batter in the usual method.

3. Shallow fry in oil.

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