Table of contents for 2022-10-05 in Post

This recipe from author and chef Romy Gill channels the best of the region's cooking. 3 tbs mustard oil (may substitute vegetable oil) 454g paneer (may substitute extra-firm tofu, drained and patted dry), cut into cubes 8 green cardamom pods 4 black cardamom pods 4 whole cloves 1 tsp cumin seeds 3 dried bay leaves 2 whole Indian green chilles, such as Kashmiri (may substitute Thai green chillies or serrano chilles), halved lengthwise 1½ tsp ground fennel 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp fine salt ½ tsp asafetida powder (hing) 1¼ cups hot water 1¼ cups whole milk (may substitute full-fat coconut milk) 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) cooked rice, for serving In a large skillet, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the…

Traditional spanakopita, a Greek feta and spinach pie, is either baked in a large pan and cut into slices or folded into triangles or rectangles or spirals. If you prefer to use frozen spinach, make sure it's fully defrosted and well drained. This makes a nice brunch dish or main course, perhaps with a grain salad, sliced tomatoes and red onions in a simple vinaigrette. The filling can be made a day ahead. 2 tbs olive oil, plus more for brushing 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced 8 to 10 cups baby spinach ½ teaspoon kosher salt 227g phyllo dough, about half a box, defrosted 1 bunch fresh dill or parsley leaves and tender stems, chopped ½ cup plain breadcrumbs 142g feta, crumbled 1/8 tsp finely ground…

THE family accused of killing Mercisha Tedpaul will remain behind bars. Tedpaul, 24, from Dundee, was a stay-at-home mother who went missing on March 1. She was found strangled on a hill near a railway line on Watt Road, Dundee, on March 4. Soon after her body was found, police arrested Manoj Madhan, 58, his wife Sarika, 47, and their son, Sanjoth, 28. Tedpaul was in a relationship with the couple’s youngest son, Nishkar, 26. They have two children together, aged 7 and 4. The accused were charged with murder. Manoj was also charged with defeating the ends of justice; and Sarika with robbery with aggravating circumstances. Sanjoth was also charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances, and defeating the ends of justice. Their bail applications began in March in the…

TAMICA Moodley, who graduated with 20 distinctions and a diploma in construction management: civil engineering, says her parents are her inspiration. Moodley, 20, of Phoenix, matriculated from Stanmore Secondary School in 2019. “My dad has an aluminium business and my mom works in electronics as a soldering hand. “While growing and watching them work, my love for design and construction grew. I initially juggled between studying civil engineering and architecture but my gut steered me in the direction of civil engineering as it is more technical and in-depth.” She was accepted to study at Berea Technical College and her favourite subject was water engineering. “I learnt how water is purified and the hands-on practicals were fun and informative. Engineering is a male-dominated career, but if women want to pursue this…

THE Gateway Theatre of Shopping has turned 21. It remains one of the largest malls in the southern hemisphere, and the top 100 largest malls in the world. Sakina Nosarka, the chief executive officer for Old Mutual Properties (OMP), said that at its inception Gateway played a fundamental role in the broader R3.5 billion development of the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast. “The R1.4bn Gateway Theatre of Shopping was the anchor tenant to the New Town Centre. Gateway has proven to be one of the biggest retail success stories in the country. OMP’s bold decision in 1998 to build a super-regional mall in a field of sugar cane came with significant risks,” said Nosarka. She said the development of the mall was inspired by the Mall of America and West Edmonton Mall.…

THE developers of the oThongathi Mall are hopeful that their reopening in December will bring much-needed relief to the community. In 2013, construction workers Zwelibanzi Masuku, 51, and Zakithi Nxumalo, 28, died and 29 others were injured when a concrete slab collapsed. An inquiry was launched by the Department of Labour and it was found that a supporting column had broken. The inquiry found that building regulations and safety protocols were flouted during construction. At the time, the mall was owned by Gralio Precast, which belonged to the late businessman, Jay Singh, his ex-wife Shireen Anamalay and son Ravi Jagadasan. Johan Botha, the chief executive of BBB Properties, bought the mall in 2019 from Gralio Precast. Botha said they demolished the previous structure and began to build from scratch in…

THE state of mental well-being in South Africa is in crisis. In an interview with POST, experts have said we are in a mental health pandemic with more young people showing signs of mental distress. They said statistics showed that one in four South Africans had a common mental disorder, like depression, anxiety or substance abuse. Out of these, only one in 10 are able to get medical assistance, while about a quarter of mental health patients are readmitted to a hospital within three months of being discharged. The most recent study, the Ipsos Global Health Service Monitor, found that globally, the majority of people felt that mental health was the biggest health problem facing their respective countries today. This included South Africa, where 35% of the respondents agreed -…

“WE ARE back. Stronger. Better. More Value,” said management at the Springfield Value Centre on Thursday during a soft launch ribbon-cutting event for a limited number of people. The centre was extensively damaged during last year’s July unrest. Seventy percent of the premises reopened last week. In a statement, Donald Mclellan, SA Corporate Real Estate (Limited) national marketing manager, said the damage during the riots and looting meant the centre had to be demolished and rebuilt. “Now, over a year later, we have made some excellent progress and have taken this time to strategise key movements during the rebuild. “The project team has been working tirelessly to have the centre reopened as soon as possible. “The balance of the centre will be reopened by the end of the year,” said…

Rassie Erasmus will get back into formal coaching and team up with Mzwandile Stick to coach the South African ‘A’ side in their two tour matches on the November trip to Europe. SA Rugby announced yesterday that Springbok assistant coach Stick will be the head coach of the SA ‘A’ team for their fixtures against Munster (November 10) at Thomond Park and Bristol Bears (November 17) at Ashton Gate. Erasmus will “oversee” the coaching team, which will also include a number of younger mentors such as Junior Springbok boss Bafana Nhleko, Sharks Currie Cup coach Joey Mongalo and Griquas scrum coach Wian du Preez. The Bok and SA ‘A’ squads will be announced within three weeks, and will kick off with the Test team taking on Ireland in Dublin on…

This dish treats cashews more like legumes, simmering them until softened in an aromatic, creamy curry. To make this recipe go faster, start by soaking cashews in the boiling water, then prep the rest of the ingredients. NOTES To make your own white curry powder for this dish, toast 6 curry leaves in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, then cool and combine in a spice grinder with 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds and 2 teaspoons each of nigella seeds, cumin seeds and turmeric powder. Grind to a fine powder. Makes about 2 tablespoons. If you can’t find coconut cream, substitute an equal amount of full-fat coconut milk and reduce the amount of water to ½ cup. 3 cups boiling water, plus more as…

THIS smoky-sweet combination of quinoa, red beans and spices can be piled on buns to make sloppy Joes, or used as a taco filling with your favourite fixings. Serve with chips, pickles and/or coleslaw. 1 cup water ½ cup dried quinoa 1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped ½ medium red bell pepper, chopped 1 (425g) can small red beans (may substitute red kidney beans), drained, rinsed and coarsely mashed 1 (425g) can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes 1 tbs low-sodium soy sauce 2 tsp chilli powder 2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp agave or maple syrup ½ tsp dried oregano 8 soft burger buns, lightly toasted In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and quinoa. Bring to a gentle boil. Lower…

The Food Bank initiative, launched last Thursday at the Habibia Soofie Mosque in Springfield, aims to one day feed the hungry across South Africa. Muhammad Masoom Bagdadi, the chairperson of the Khidmatul Khalq Foundation (Foundation for the Service to Humanity), said the food bank project was founded by Mohamed Jinna, the founding chairperson of United World Halaal Development, Singapore. In 2016, Jinna launched a food bank in Pondicherry, India. According to cochinherald.com, restaurants, banquets and hotels in the area donate leftover or excess food to the food bank and this is fed to people who cannot afford a meal in a day. Bagdadi said that at a World Halaal Day conference at the ICC in Durban earlier this year, the event organisers and the Department of Trade and Industry in…

RODNEY Moodley is a third-generation devotee of the Umhlatuzana Hindu Temple in Chatsworth. In April, during the heavy rains and floods, a river overflowed and washed away parts of the land and temple. The temple's insurance company did not compensate them because the temple was built near a floodplain. But through the generosity of devotees and the community, the temple was rebuilt and will reopen next week. A Hanuman jundha prayer will be observed on October 15, Diwali on October 24, and Skanda Sasthi from October 25 to 30. “Seeing what the generations before me built being washed away in a matter of minutes brought tears to my eyes and heartache. It was like I had lost part of my heritage,” said Moodley, the temple chairperson. The temple was built…

In the face of deep inequality, unemployment, high rates of crime and violence, and the social and economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic, the mental health trajectory for young South Africans looks bleak. When people face social and economic adversity, their risk of developing mental illness increases if they don’t have support that could protect them. Data on the exact burden of child and adolescent mental disorders in South Africa is limited. But it’s clear that many children are failing to thrive, due to widespread violence, discrimination and poverty. Since 2005, UCT’s Children’s Institute has published an annual report, the South African Child Gauge. The publication has a different theme every year and strives to bring into sharp focus the rights of South African children. The latest issue of the…

MOST of the stores at the Springfield Retail Centre, which were damaged during the July 2021 unrest, reopened on Thursday. Donald Mclellan, SA Corporate Real Estate (Limited) national marketing manager, said customers had often reached out to them via social media to find out when the centre would reopen. “We would like to thank you for your support and patience,” he said. “The damage at the centre was extensive and the project team has been working tirelessly to have the centre reopened as soon as possible. We are excited to announce that 70% of the centre reopened last Thursday. The balance will reopen by the end of the year.” According to some of the tenants, business over the months has been slow. They are hoping sales improve during the festive…

Cricket SA director of cricket Enoch Nkwe has pledged his full support for under-pressure Proteas T20 captain Temba Bavuma. Nkwe, who worked with Bavuma over the years at the Lions and oversaw him strike a T20 hundred to lead the Joburg franchise to the domestic championship in 2019, believes the skipper just needs more time at the crease since returning from injury to rediscover his form. Bavuma has been dismissed for two ducks in India in the last two matches, while his international career T20 strike-rate of 117.81 has constantly been under scrutiny. “We know he had a hand injury, and he would have loved to be in England,” Nkwe told IOL Sport at the launch of the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup at Newlands. “But we all know Temba’s…

kevin De Bruyne has tipped Phil Foden to reach new heights once the Manchester City star is allowed to take a leading role later in his career. Foden hit a hat-trick in City’s 6-3 rout of arch rivals Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday. The England forward’s goal-scoring feats at the Etihad Stadium were only part of an outstanding all-round display that underlined his emergence as one of City’s key players. With Erling Haaland also scoring a treble in the Manchester derby to maintain his blistering form, City’s firepower looks even more formidable than last season. But City midfielder De Bruyne says the best is still to come from Foden, who currently plays on the flanks for Pep Guardiola's team. The Belgian believes the 22-year-old will flourish as…

A simple and healthy meal, brimming with flavour. Za’atar can be found in Middle Eastern grocery stores, supermarkets or online. two (425g cans) no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed or 3 cups cooked chickpeas 2 tbs plus 2 tsp olive oil, divided 2 tbs fresh lemon juice 2 tbs za’atar (see NOTE) kosher salt (optional) four whole-wheat pitas ½ cup crumbled feta cheese 1 cup quartered tomatoes 2/3 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish Preheat the oven to 230ºC. Place the chickpeas in a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and the lemon juice. Then use a fork or a potato masher to mash the chickpeas coarsely, until about half of them are broken down and the mixture comes together. Stir in the za’atar. Taste…

Rajma, or red bean-based dishes, are a staple in many Indian homes. This dish is served as a side dish at a larger meal, but can be eaten as an entrée. The finished dish tastes better after it has rested overnight in the refrigerator. 2 tbs vegetable oil 1 cup finely chopped red or white onion (optional) 1 tbs finely grated or minced ginger 1 tbs finely grated or minced garlic 1 (5cm) cinnamon stick 2 to 3 whole cloves 2 green cardamom pods 1 Indian bay leaf (see Notes) 2 tbs cayenne pepper (may substitute with Kashmiri chilli for milder heat) 1 cup finely diced or crushed fresh tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes 3 cups cooked kidney beans; or use two 425g cans, rinsed and drained 1 cup water,…

RYAN and Shobana Pillay came face to face with their son’s alleged killers in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday. Their son, Keenan Pillay, 20, was sitting with two friends in a taxi outside his home in Mayville on September 22 when he was shot multiple times. His friends were also shot but they survived. A neighbour drove them to hospital but Pillay died soon after arriving. Shortly after the shooting, police arrested Yoshlin Chetty, 31, and Kyle John, 27, also from Mayville. They were charged with murder and attempted murder. Prior to the matter being heard in court, Pillay’s parents, family and friends held a placard demonstration. They demanded that bail be denied. “When I saw the accused, I felt angry. I did not know how to control my…

LEANDRA Govender was determined to succeed and graduated with 27 distinctions – and a diploma in human resource management. Govender, 25, who hails from Phoenix, matriculated in 2014 at Greenbury Secondary School. “Nursing was my first choice of study. I was passionate about this field because I loved caring for people. “But my career choice changed when my dad was involved in a car accident. “When I saw him enmeshed with tubes and watched him die, it left me reeling. I realised I was too sensitive to handle the life and death reality of nursing.” She decided that human resource management was a better fit where she could still help people – but with career decisions. Govender, who was raised by her grandparents, enrolled at Berea Technical College. “Since HR…

Jay Behari Ram, of uMhlanga Ridge, was recently named Shoprite Group’s divisional manager of the year. As a child, Ram dreamt of serving his community and wanted to become a policeman. But his career took a different path. He was born in Sydenham, Durban, but his family later moved to Havenside, Chatsworth. He attended Oceanview Primary and Southlands Secondary schools. His father worked as a bus driver and his mother stayed at home to take care of him, his four brothers and five sisters. As a child, Ram was determined to break away from his tough socio-economic background and create a better life. Straight out of school, he started working for a retail company. Years later, his now late wife, Annie, spotted an advertisement for a trainee manager position at…

THE Crescent at uMhlanga Ridge, which has 56 shops, celebrates its 20th birthday this month. Kalpana Ramsamy, the marketing manager for the mall, said Pick n Pay, Food Lovers Market, Builders Express, Baby City, Clicks and West Pack Lifestyle were among its flagship stores. “The mall has employed more than 2 000 people and over the years the facility has been upgraded. We are currently incorporating new additions to the upper and lower levels,” said Ramsamy. She said the theme for their birthday celebration was ‘Reap your rewards at The Crescent’. “The Crescent’s paparazzi will roam the centre from October 24 to 29 from 11am to 2pm randomly selecting 20 shoppers a day to be rewarded with amazing prizes just for shopping with us. “Some of the prizes are sponsored…

PSYCHOLOGISTS and psychiatrists speak to Nathan Craig about mental health and well-being challenges they are seeing at their practices. l Suntosh Pillay, a clinical psychologist at a public hospital in Durban, said complicated grief was now common due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “This is because people did not mourn in culturally appropriate ways, or did not have access to extended family and friends as a support network. ‘This was likely because of the physical distancing and the lockdown. Even though Covid-19 restrictions are gone, the after-effects of unprocessed grief may manifest as depression, anxiety or loneliness.” Pillay said although they were called mental disorders, the causes were not solely confined to the mind. “Living in poverty can lead to mental illness, but mental illness can also lead to poverty.…

ARE Durban restaurants really recovering after the pandemic, riots and the floods? During the Covid-19 pandemic the hospitality sector attracted substantial focus. Media reports documented the financial hardships of employees and employers within this sector. Journalists often detailed the challenges restaurateurs encountered to sustain their businesses during the periods of stringent lockdown regulations and reported that the financial loss to the economy was detrimental. To illustrate the impact of the global lockdown regulations, according to Statistics South Africa, in 2019 about 15.8 million international tourists visited South Africa. In 2020, there were only 5 million international tourists. These numbers declined drastically when the first lockdown regulations were imposed. South African restaurants experienced huge losses, which resulted in restaurant closures, job losses and increasing debt. At varying lockdown levels, initiatives to…

A NEW and improved Brookside Mall in Pietermaritzburg reopened following structural damage during the July 2021 unrest. In the immediate aftermath of the unrest, the Shoprite Group – which owns the Brookside Mall – worked day and night to restore operations. “Customers can look forward to a superior shopping destination with a world-class Checkers Hyper FreshX concept store – the first one in KwaZulu-Natal – as an anchor tenant,” said Willem Hunlun, the chief operating officer for Checkers. He said 45 new jobs were created as a result of the upgrades to Checkers Hyper. This, said Hunlun, brought the store’s staff complement to 164. “The photographs and video footage of this mall burning down has largely become symbolic of the unrest, and that’s why its relaunch is such a significant…

Arsenal underlined their emergence as genuine Premier League title contenders with an impressive 3-1 win against Tottenham. But champions Manchester City look the cream of the crop again after crushing Manchester United 6-3, while spluttering Liverpool’s expected challenge is yet to materialise. AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the Premier League this weekend: Haaland's hat-trick haul As Cristiano Ronaldo watched on from the Manchester United bench, Erling Haaland matched the Portuguese’s number of Premier League hat-tricks in City’s latest rout of their local rivals. Ronaldo’s three hat-tricks in the English top flight took the five-time Ballon d’Or winner 232 games. Haaland has needed just eight. The Norwegian looks set to destroy the record books if he maintains a blistering start to his City career. Haaland has scored…