Table of contents for 2024-04-03 in Post

250g butter (room temperature) ½ cup oil 1 cup icing sugar 1 cup corn flour 2 tbs powdered milk (optional) ½ tsp elachi powder ½ tsp rose essence flour to form a soft dough (add a little at a time) Beat the butter and sugar well. Add the corn flour, essence and oil, and beat. Make a soft dough with the flour. Roll out 1cm thick and cut with biscuit cutters. Bake at 160ºC until crisp but not hard. Watch them as they brown easily. Once cooled top with: 1 slab white chocolate a drop of rose essence a drop of elachi essence decorate with coloured almonds.…

500g powdered milk 125g butter 1 big tin Nestlé cream 1 cup sugar 1 cup icing sugar 1 cup water 1 tsp cardamom powder 1 tsp rose essence 1 tsp cardamom essence 2 tbs almond powder melted chocolate Combine the milk powder and half a tin of the Nestlé cream. Rub together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Grind small amounts of this mixture and press through a sieve. Place the water, butter and sugars in a pot and allow it to thicken on low heat. Add this mixture to the sieved milk powder. Mix well. Leave it to set overnight. It’s not necessary to refrigerate, perhaps only in the hot summer months. After the mixture sets overnight, add the cardamom, rose essence and almond powder. Beat until well combined. Add the…

250g softened butter 1 tsp vanilla essence ½ cup icing sugar ½ cup cornflour 1-1½ cups flour melted chocolate Flake Beat the butter, icing sugar and corn flour until light and creamy. Add the vanilla essence and beat. Then add the flour a little at a time to from a soft dough. Form a log and refrigerate. Cut into slices. Bake on 160ºC for 15 minutes. If you prefer it crispy, leave it for slightly longer. Once cool, dip the corners in chocolate and crushed pistachios. Use some chocolate to place a mini Flake on the biscuit.…

PARIVARTHANAI, translated in English as “Give and Take”, is a poignant rural-based love story based in Tamil Nadu. The movie features a host of Tamil TV soap opera actors. Naveen (Surjith) and Nandini (Rajeshwari) play childhood sweethearts, but they are suddenly separated by circumstances. Naveen is raised by his single- parent father, who works as a milk delivery man in the close-knit community. They are poor and lead a simple life. Nandhini lives with both parents on a large farm. They are well off by village standards and are respected. As children, Naveen and Nandhini were inseparable and as students, their love for each other knows no bounds. They try their best to keep their relationship out of the public domain. But they are spotted by a few snoopy, narrow-minded…

PARINEETI Chopra, who will soon be seen in Amar Singh Chamkila, gave a shout-out to a 12-year-old boy who sells vada pav (vegetarian fast food) on the streets of Delhi. These days, social media is flooded with the videos of a girl named Chandrika Gera Dixit, who has gone viral on the internet for selling vada pav in Delhi’s Sainik Vihar. A video on Instagram shows her crying and claiming she has been pressured by Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials to remove her stall. Days after Chandrika went viral on the internet, some of the food bloggers recorded a 12-year-old boy named Alfez, who runs a vada pav stall with his father, in the Laxmi Nagar area of Delhi. Cheering for the young boy, Chopra took to Instagram stories and…

Aurets is a healer, psychic medium, intuitive mentor, masseuse and regression therapist. She also teaches meditation and breath work. She is passionate about holistic care and offers a small range of holistic products. Aurets practises in the Upper Highway, KZN. Find her on https://www.facebook.com/healing 1920. Contact her at 079 356 4657 or theeternalbreath@gmail.com ARIES (March 21 – April 19) Releasing unresolved issues is needed now. Anger, resentments, hate and disagreements impedes your journey forward. Self-forgiveness allows healing. The suffering of self-sabotaging is over. It’s time to heal. Magic number: 12. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) Consider changing negative thoughts and avoiding negative manifestations. Think before acting. Be more analytical and less impulsive. Space and thoughts are linked. Change your thoughts and improve your space, effecting positive change…

1 packet of square-shaped biscuits (preferably coconut) 500ml milk ½ cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence 3 tbs custard powder 2½ tbs corn flour 1 tsp cinnamon powder Layer the biscuits in a rectangular pan. Heat the milk. Add the sugar and vanilla essence, and stir until diluted. Form a paste with the custard powder and corn flour, using 2 tbs to 3 tbs of water. Add the custard paste to the milk and stir continuously until thick. Stir well. Pour the hot custard mixture on to the biscuit layer. Top the custard with another layer of biscuits and refrigerate. Once set, cut into squares using the biscuit shape as a guide. Sprinkle cinnamon powder on top.…

3 cups finely-grated carrots 1 cinnamon stick 1 cup semolina ½ tin condensed milk ½ tin Nestlé cream 1 cup sugar 2 tsp elachi powder (cardamom) pinch of saffron 500ml milk 1 cup ghee 2 tbs coconut 2 tbs ground almonds coloured almonds Cook the carrots in the ghee until soft, dark and mushy. Add the cinnamon stick. Add the semolina and braise slightly. Combine the Nestlé cream, condensed milk, sugar, milk and elachi. Add the milk mixture to the carrot-and-semolina mixture. Stir continuously to avoid lumps, until it starts thickening on medium heat. Switch the stove off and leave to cook further. Lastly, add the saffron water, 2 tbs coconut, and 2 tbs ground almonds. Adjust the sweetness as preferred. Add a small amount of milk when heating. Decorate…

4 eggs 1 cup sugar 1¼ cups flour 3 tsp baking powder ½ tsp rose essence ½ tsp elachi powder ½ cup milk ¼ cup oil Beat the eggs and sugar until light and creamy. Add the oil, milk and rose essence. Beat slightly. Sift in the dry ingredients and beat well. Pour into a cake pan and bake at 180ºC for about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool. Icing: ½ cup powdered milk 1½ cups icing sugar 4 tsp softened butter 2 tbs warm milk a drop of rose essence ½ tsp elachi powder Adjust as desired. Beat well. Spread on to the cooled cake and decorate as desired.…

Step: 1 The biscuit dough 250g butter 4 cups flour 4 tsp baking powder 2 eggs ½ cup milk Combine the butter, flour and baking powder. Rub together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk the milk and eggs. Pour into the flour mixture and bind to form a soft dough. Set aside. Step 2: The filling 250g butter 2 cups coconut 2 cups icing sugar 1 tsp cardamom powder 1 tsp rose syrup 1 tbs edible rose petals Stir the coconut and butter over medium heat. Once toasted, add the icing sugar, cardamom powder and rose syrup. Mix well and cool. Step 3: The biscuits Divide the dough into four parts. Roll out into a square shape. Spread with the cooled filling and roll up into a Swiss roll. Cut…

1 litre milk 1 tsp caramel essence 3 tbs custard powder 1½ tsp falooda powder (china grass/gelatine) you can add ½ tsp more for a firmer texture 1 tin condensed milk 1 small tin Nestlé cream ½ cup golden/caramel syrup (make your own syrup by using sugar and water. Allow it to dissolve in a pot until liquid and golden) coconut flakes chocolate Heat the milk in a pot. Make a paste with the custard and falooda powder. Add this to the milk along with the condensed milk, Nestlé cream and caramel essence. Stir well. Use a whisk. Bring to boiling point. Be careful as it burns easily. It must reach boiling point or it won’t set. Pour the golden syrup to the bottom of your mould. I used bowls…

THREE prominent Chatsworth attorneys who have been “falsely” accused of fraud and corruption on social media, have dismissed the “fake and defamatory” claims as cyberbullying by a “disgruntled ex-husband”. In a Facebook post, created on a fake profile, on March 31, allegedly by a man, whose identity is known to the POST, various allegations of Road Accident Fund (RAF) fraud, corruption and murder were levelled against attorneys Nolan Naicker, Dianne Moodley and Shireen Soobrathie. The man claimed that Naicker had been involved in “all the accidents caused on the Chatsworth Higginson Highway”. He alleged that Naicker’s paralegal, Catherine Naidu, “cried out in church, in clear view of the congregation, that Nolan had a monthly target from the RAF …” Naidu’s sister was married to the man. They are now divorced.…

AMID the soaring crime rate, thousands of South Africans are applying for gun licences for self-defence and personal use. Experts have warned that the illegal firearms trade and smuggling of firearms are contributing to the increased crime in the country, saying police need to have a specialised unit to deal with the scourge. Police, on the other hand, believe that they are making progress through Operation Shanela, which has seen the arrest of over 4 000 people with illegal firearms to date. Damian Enslin, the chairperson of the South African Gun Owners’ Association, said between April 1, 2022, and March last year there were approximately 139 451 applications for firearms. He said illegal firearms were having a negative impact on the economy as they fuelled violent and organised crime. “All…

Strengthen neighbourhood watch programmes: Encourage residents to participate in neighbourhood watch programmes to enhance surveillance and report suspicious activities promptly. This will create a stronger sense of community and deter criminal behaviour. Install CCTV cameras: Consider installing strategically placed CCTV cameras in areas where copper pipes are frequently targeted. This surveillance can help identify perpetrators and serve as evidence for law enforcement. Improved lighting: Ensure that the neighbourhood is well-lit, particularly at night. Good lighting can serve as a deterrent and make it harder for thieves to operate undetected. Secure vacant or abandoned buildings: Many copper pipe thefts occur in vacant or abandoned properties. Collaborate with local authorities and property owners to secure these buildings with sturdy fences, boarded-up windows, and alarms. Limiting access will make it more challenging for…

LOVE him or hate him, Amichand Rajbansi was certainly a larger-than-life character. I never had a conversation or breyani with him, but there was that one awkward, potentially explosive encounter … I was around 20 years old at a print shop in town, anxiously waiting for the printing of my book, Flipside – The Nation in Therapy. In walks Rajbansi in his three-piece suit and sits down next to me. Very, very awkward … one of the cartoons in the book featured the Tiger (Rajbansi’s nickname) and other political parties in an election race. It featured Raj as a blind man running in the opposite direction to the race, into the political wilderness so to speak. I sat there very quietly without making eye contact. The following are encounters with…

THE ruling party is in political shambles as the edifice of a once magnificent movement shatters into pieces. President Cyril Ramaphosa has administered his party’s last rites as it hurtles towards a painful death and spirals into political oblivion. Our embattled nation is being rocked by gargantuan revelations about the state of the nation and its shattered institutions. Parliament’s Speaker, Mapisa-Nqakula, the most powerful woman in South Africa, is the latest casualty. Money is the root of all politics. Our politics was about passion, imagination and foresight. In today’s bizarre political environment, it’s all about greed, lust for power and malignant accountancy. In our nation’s political discourse, it is impossible to avoid the smell of cash. Many in our fractured land have become disorientated with the business of politics. The…

THANK you Narend Singh for your comments about bringing back the death penalty, in the article, “Trusted uncle who sold sweets allegedly raped, killed girl (9)”, the POST, March 27-31. The brutal murder of young Lusanda Nkomo has sent shock waves throughout the South Coast. We are encountering the most uncertain times of our lives with the number of children being raped and murdered. Reading this article and various other crime related stories in the POST made a part of me die. I never thought this type of crime would happen in our rainbow nation. Our forefathers will be turning in their graves. These murders and rape, especially of children, have evoked extreme anger in all law abiding citizens. We, as South Africans must stop…

TWO police officers accused of assaulting a Ballito businesswoman with a chair and punching her twice in the face, have been arrested and charged. Gerald Reddy, an SAPS officer, and his brother, Jarryd Reddy, a metro police officer, were arrested on March 15 and charged with assault GBH, extortion and pointing a firearm. The brothers appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on the same day and were released on bail. Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KZN, said the accused were released on R3 000 bail each and would appear again in court in May. The men are accused of assaulting Viloshini Chengadu at her recycling business in Mount Edgecombe on March 5. At the time, Chengadu had said that one of her trucks was…

IT IS not often possible to draw parallels between a four-time World Cup-winning team and one that is yet to win a major international trophy. However, in the case of the Springboks and the Proteas, there is one common denominator in the stories behind the national selections of Nandre Burger and Manie Libbok (to single out one Springbok). In Chasing the Sun 2, Springboks backline coach Mzwandile Stick explained how they opted for “warriors” in selecting the 2023 World Cup squad and that Libbok’s rise embodied the same principle in that he showed perseverance having emerged from Humansdorp, a small town in the Eastern Cape. In Burger’s case, the road to international cricket has been full of challenges and has seen the fast bowler endure a season-ending lower back injury…

FOR our rock and surf anglers, the inedibles are giving a good account of themselves. The kingfish have been around in good numbers with most being taken on lures. The upper reaches of KZN have been a bit quiet for the summer but the days that have produced fish have seen good hauls of raggies with a splash of diamonds in between. The raggies have mainly come out at Tugela with bigger head baits getting the best results. The rest of the North Coast has been hit or miss with some spots producing amazing action and others that are seemingly perfect, not seeing fish. Your best bet is to line up the conditions as best as possible and go check out the spot you want to fish on a low…

1½ cups flaked coconut 1 cup chopped almonds (pecans optional) 3 tbs soumph (fennel seeds) (you can use the coloured soumph as well) 1 cup sugar 1 heaped tbs butter 1 tsp vinegar Chop the almonds. Roast the coconut, almonds and soumph in the oven on low heat. Melt the sugar on high in a heavy-based pot. Move the pot from the heat and tilt it around until the sugar has melted. Don’t use a spoon. Add the butter and vinegar. Stir quickly. Lastly, add the nuts, coconut and almonds. Mix well. Pour on to a tray and flatten. Break and store in an airtight container.…

1 cup flour 1½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 5 eggs separated 1 cup sugar 1 tsp rose essence 1 tsp cardamom 1 tbs rose syrup 1 tbs elachi syrup (pink tint) 1/3 cup milk Beat the egg yolks with ¾ cup sugar until pale yellow. Stir in the milk and your choice of flavours. Combine the dry ingredients. Add the beaten yolks to the flour and mix well. Beat the egg whites with the other ¼ cup sugar until soft peaks form. Fold the egg white mixture into the flour mixture until well combined. Pour into a greased square or rectangular dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until done and then cool. three-milk cream: 1 cup condensed milk 1 cup fresh cream 1 cup Ideal milk 1…

2 packets Lady Fingers or Bodour Biscuits 1 tin Caramel Treat 250ml fresh cream 1 tsp coffee diluted in 2 cups boiling water or warm milk Peppermint Crisp chocolate Beat the fresh cream until soft peaks form. Beat the Caramel Treat until smooth. Fold in the cream and Caramel Treat. Ensure the mixture is smooth and well combined. Line a loaf pan with a layer of plastic. Dip each biscuit in the warm coffee mixture and layer. Spread the cream caramel mixture over. Top with a sprinkle of grated chocolate. Continue layering, alternating the caramel, chocolate and biscuit. End off with a biscuit layer. Refrigerate overnight or for a few hours. Turn over and top with the remaining caramel cream mixture and grated chocolate.…

KAREENA Kapoor Khan, who is receiving a lot of positive response to her theatrical film Crew, has shared that her iconic character of Geet from the cult-classic film Jab We Met, inspired a lot of people owing to her confidence. Khan recently appeared on the Beer Biceps podcast and said: “Geet has inspired people because she is lovable but also has a certain level of confidence. She thought, ‘I’ll run away, I’ll get married to that guy’. That’s the level of confidence. And I guess that is in me as well.” She said Geet thought from her heart, and in current times people had started thinking through their minds more and had cut down on thinking through the heart. Khan also spoke about the impact of Jab We Met and…

SHOOTING for Malayalam superstar Mohanlal’s 360th film is set to begin this month. The film’s producer, Renjith, said the movie’s title was yet to be finalised. “It will see Mohanlal playing the role of a taxi driver. The character harks back to the roles he played in his mid-career. It’s the Lal we all know and love,” Renjith said. The untitled film, Renjith’s 14th, will be directed by Tarun Murthy. “We will shoot the film in and around the central districts of Kerala. It will be ready for release in October. The cast is being finalised, and will be announced very soon. It has its problems too, but we will overcome them,” Renjith added. Renjith’s wife Chippy, incidentally, is a popular actress in the state.…

1 cup semolina ¾ cup sugar or 1 tin condensed milk ½ tsp cardamom (elachi powder 1 cinnamon stick 2 cardamom pods 1 cup ghee/butter (you can add more) 1 tsp vanilla essence 2½ cups ready-made custard 1½ cups milk On low heat, braise the semolina in the ghee with the cinnamon and cardamom. Combine the custard, sugar and milk. Beat well. Once the sojee is light and toasted, add the milk mixture. Stir well to avoid lumps. Add more milk if necessary. Cook on low heat for a few minutes. Once the sojee starts thickening, remove from the heat. When reheating, add about half a cup of custard or milk if necessary. Top with custard and almonds.…

2 packets Tennis Biscuits 1 tin Caramel Treat 1 tin Nestlé cream or fresh cream pecan nuts milk chocolate Beat the Nestlé cream and Caramel Treat until smooth. Layer the biscuits into a loaf pan (place a layer of cling wrap in, and over lapping out of the pan) or dessert cups. Spread the caramel-cream mixture. Continue alternating with biscuit and caramel. End with a biscuit layer. Refrigerate. Unmould and decorate with caramel, cream and chocolate. Add pecan nuts and mint chocolate between the layers. Note: The tart can be layered in dessert cups alternating with the crushed biscuits, caramel mixture and mint chocolate.…

1 litre milk 1½ tsp china grass powder 1 tsp cardamom powder 3 Tetley Masala Chai tea bags pinch of cinnamon powder 1 cup Nestlé cream 1 cup condensed milk almonds Heat the milk in a pot. Make a paste with the falooda (china grass powder) and add to the milk. Allow to boil. Add the teabags, cardamom and cinnamon. Lastly, add the Nestlé cream and condensed milk. Whisk well. The mixture must reach boiling point. Pour into chai cups or a mould. Refrigerate for a few hours. Once set, decorate with Nestlé cream, almonds and roses.…

2 cups fresh cream 1 tin condensed milk Beat the cream until soft peaks form. Fold in the condensed milk. Flavours: Burfee: 1 tsp cardamom powder 1 tsp rose essence coloured almonds Oreo: 1 packet crushed Oreos set aside a few for decorating Mango: 2 cups mango purée 1 cup cubed mango Choc chip mint: 2 tsp mint syrup or 1 tsp mint essence 1 to 2 tsp green colouring a handful of chocolate chips Coconut: ½ cup coconut cream/milk 1 tsp coconut essence (optional) ½ cup fresh grated coconut 2 tsp toasted coconut for decorating Fold in your choice of ingredients. Pour into the desired mould. Freeze overnight and unmould. Decorate as preferred.…

FIVE months ago, the family of a Durban woman was led to believe that she had taken her own life after she was found dead in her North Beach flat. On October 26 last year, Julie Rajpaul, 48, a correctional services officer at the Westville Prison, was found slumped over the toilet seat. At the time, it was believed that Rajpaul had used a jacket, tied to the burglar guard on the window above the toilet, to “commit suicide”. She was the mother to a daughter, 23, and sons, aged 21 and 15. However, it has now emerged that Rajpaul was allegedly assaulted and strangled by her live-in boyfriend of seven years, Ashley Mahadeo. He was arrested after a post-mortem report confirmed her death had been caused by manual strangulation.…

TRIBUTES have poured in for Pietermaritzburg advocate and recently conferred senior counsel, Vershen Moodley, who died while on a flight from Johannesburg to Hong Kong on Sunday. Advocate Mergen Chetty, the family’s spokesperson and long-time friend, said Moodley, 42, was attending the 4th International Advocacy Training Council Conference set to take place on April 8 and 9, “when tragedy struck”. He said Moodley was travelling with his wife, Edesha, and their 11-year-old daughter, Leyah. “They were about 15 minutes into the flight when he became critically ill. The flight crew attempted to resuscitate him. However, they were unsuccessful. The plane had to turn back,” he said. Chetty said they met about 15 years ago, and shared an enduring friendship. Senior counsel Rajesh Choudree said he was still recovering from the…

GUNS are the leading cause of murder in South Africa: On average, 34 people are shot and killed every day. Over the last decade, there has been a steady year-on-year increase in the rate of overall murders, including gun- related murders. In 2011/2012, approximately 6 570 gun deaths were reported (18 a day), whereas the most recent crime statistics, for 2022/2023, show a significant increase with over 13 300-gun deaths reported. While murder most often involves a gun, other crimes such as attempted murder, carjacking and truck hijacking also involve firearms, and these crimes have steadily increased over this same period. Although most gun crimes in South Africa are committed with illegal guns, almost all illegal guns were legal before getting into criminals’ hands through loss or theft. SAPS annual…

COPPER thieves are leaving homeowners frustrated and out of pocket, as copper pipe theft soars in residential areas. Despite crime prevention operations to clamp down on copper thieves and illegal scrap dealers, the problem continues unabated with many residents complaining it is “not a petty crime anymore”. Roland Naidoo, a pensioner from Bayview, said despite the many measures he had put in place to keep thieves out of his yard, his copper pipes were stolen three times in two months. “The damages were extensive as the geyser had also been damaged during the second and third robbery. “We spent over R10 000 to repair the geyser and replace the pipes. After the third robbery, we installed plastic pipes. We just cannot afford to continuously incur these costs,” he said. Mellissia…

AS WE all know, former US president Donald Trump has been going through some trying times. There literally seem to be new challenges every day. Apart from hordes of ex-staff turning on him, he has been accused of insurrection, espionage and defeating the ends of justice. On top of this, he has lost consecutive cases, one for defamation and sexual harassment and another for financial fraud. In the first, he had to cough up some $91 million and in the latter, he has been forced to find $464m in bond money. Of all his cases, the $464m one probably gives him the biggest headache. To the man in the street, this case sounds long-winded and technical. But on closer examination it is fascinating, with at its source something you would…

DURING my days as a journalist, my photographer friend, the late Morris Reddy, and I were chased with pangas from the Isipingo Temple when I went to investigate that the fruit, milk, other prayer items and live fowls offered to the deities were being recycled. That was more than 40 years ago. I am not sure if it still happens that a chicken offered to Goddess Mariamman to cure one of a serious illness is then resold and offered to the deity to help a childless woman conceive, or if the same chicken must also help one find employment, bring back a lost lover and deliver good fortune. I have not been to the temple since my last close encounter with irate officials who took offence that prying journalists were…

A DURBAN photographer is demanding answers from Qatar Airlines after four hard drives, containing pictures of 15 clients, were allegedly stolen. Arun Prasad Ganesan, 42, from Malvern, is formerly from Chennai in India. He owns Arun In and Out Stills, and has been working in Durban since 2010. Ganesan travels to Chennai to have photo books made for his clients. He said on March 11, he boarded a Qatar Airlines flight from Durban to Chennai. “When I received my bag after landing in Chennai, I discovered the locks had been tampered with. I found four hard drives missing.” Ganesan said the discs contained pictures for 15 clients. “I was taking the pictures to Chennai to have them made into photo books. The discs contained back-up images as well, and were…

MANCHESTER City midfielder Jack Grealish, often the target of heckling since moving to the Premier League champions, says he endeavours to take the jeers from opposition supporters as a compliment. Grealish won the treble with the Manchester club last season during which he was booed at Stamford Bridge, at Leeds United and at other games. The 28-year-old, who joined City from Aston Villa for a fee of around £100 million in 2021, has been sidelined with injury over the last few months but is hoping to play his part in City’s bid to win the treble again this season. “I always wonder, ‘why do they boo me?’ and my mum always asks me about it as well,” Grealish told the club’s online magazine. “At every single away ground I go…

GOLF has become increasingly popular in the past few years. Despite the Covid pandemic, more tours have opened, more equipment has been launched and the biggest news is the all new Liv golf tour. I wish to share with you some golfing tips which are important to understand as each golfer has his or her own unique swing. Body composition and dynamics forces different swing paths and planes. The key to any golf shot is making sure the club arrives square to the ball. Achieve this and your consistency is increased. We look at the modern era of golf and the world number one, Scottie Scheffler, does everything the golfing books don’t suggest but he keeps his game played within himself. To help improve your game, your equipment first needs…

COMBINE: 1 cup oats 1 cup cake flour 1 cup sugar ¾ cup dessicated coconut 1 tsp cinnamon powder Combine the above 125g butter 2 tbs golden syrup Stir the above on low heat. 2 tbs boiling water ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda Combine the boiling water and bicarbonate of soda, and add to the butter mixture. Add a little at a time until a soft dough is formed. Bind to form a dough. Make rounds and flatten slightly. Bake at 160ºC for about 20 minutes. Variations: Add chopped pecan nuts, almonds or sesame seeds.…

2 cups basmati rice pinch of turmeric a cinnamon stick 2 cups sugar 1 cup water 1 small pineapple, grated 1 tsp cardamom powder pinch of saffron 4 tbs ghee 2 tbs chopped dates or sultanas almonds and coconut for garnish Boil the rice with a pinch of turmeric, a cinnamon stick and cardamom powder. Once cooked, strain and set aside. Prepare the syrup with sugar, water, saffron, cardamom and ghee. Once the sugar syrup starts bubbling, add the pineapple, dates or sultanas, and the rice. Cook on low heat until the rice is fluffy and moist. Garnish with almonds and coconut.…

ACTOR TC Balaji, known by his screen name Daniel Balaji, has died in Chennai at the age of 48. Balaji died of cardiac arrest at a private hospital in Kottivakkam. He worked in Tamil and Malayalam cinema. Balaji, who started his career as a unit production manager in Kamal Haasan’s unfinished dream project, Marudhanayagam, played a memorable role in Radikaa Sarathkumar’s television show Chithi. His portrayal of Daniel earned him the screen name, Daniel Balaji. He also played the antagonist in Vetri Maaran’s Polladhavan. After Kaakha Kaakha, he once again collaborated with Gautham Menon for Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, where he played the role of Amudhan with style. Among his famous films are Ajith’s Yennai Arindhaal, Simbu’s Achcham Yenbadhu Madamaiyada, Thalapathy Vijay’s Bairavaa, Dhanush’s Vada Chennai, and Vijay’s Bigil. He was last…

SARA Ali Khan was spotted giving food boxes to the indigent at the Shani temple in Juhu. She opted for no make-up, with her hair loosely tied in a braid. She rounded off the look with white slippers. The video shows her requesting the cameraman to not film her. Meanwhile, on the work front, Khan’s two projects, Murder Mubarak and Ae Watan Mere Watan, have recently been released on OTT platforms. Ae Watan Mere Watan features Sachin Khedekar, Abhay Verma, Sparsh Shrivastav, Alexx O'Neil and Anand Tiwari in pivotal roles. It is available on Prime Video. Murder Mubarak stars Vijay Varma, Karisma Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Dimple Kapadia and Sanjay Kapoor, and is airing on Netflix.…

IF YOU look at the poster of the movie Crew with Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Kriti Sanon in their designer airline hostess outfits, you know immediately that this is the crew of the title. The three, playing struggling middle- class workers who have not been paid their salaries for six months because they work for an embattled private airline, are cast as Geeta Sethi, Jasmine Kohli and Divya Rana respectively. Crew is a novel take on the classic Robin Hood tale of someone stealing from the rich to aid the poor, and in the case of this trio to help themselves as well. Geeta and her jobless husband (Kapil Sharma) dream of starting up a restaurant in Goa. Jasmine has been raised by her aged maternal grandfather (Kulbhushan Kharbhanda),…

250g butter (room temperature) 3 tbs oil 1 cup icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence 3 tbs corn flour or semolina 1½ -2 cups flour castor sugar white chocolate Beat the butter. Add the sugar, and beat until light and creamy. Add the oil and the vanilla essence. Make a dough with the dry ingredients. Add the flour a little at a time until the dough is soft and manageable. Pat down on to a baking tray. Prick the top with a fork. Bake at 160°C until done. Slice into fingers. Remove gently and place on a rack. Dip in castor sugar and cool. I dipped one side in white chocolate. Store in an airtight container.…

1 cup semolina ¾ cup sugar /1 cup condensed milk (according to your preference) ½ tsp elachi powder 2 tbs to 3 tbs powdered milk ½ tsp rose essence 2 cardamom pods ¾ cup ghee or butter 1 cup Nestlé cream 2 cups milk approximately 1 cup water almonds On low heat, braise the semolina in the ghee with the cardamom until light and golden. Add the powdered milk. Combine the Nestlé cream, condensed milk, milk, water, rose essence and cardamom powder. Once the semolina is lightly toasted, add the milk mixture. Stir continuously to avoid lumps. Add more water if necessary. Cook on a low heat for a few minutes. Once cooked, remove from the heat. Add 3 tbs to 4 tbs of burfee once slightly cooled and mix…

250g butter, softened 2 tbs oil 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 3 tsp baking powder 2-3 cups flour 2 tsp vanilla essence Topping: 2 tbs-3 tbs coconut 1½ cups apricot jam (or any smooth jam of your choice) icing sugar Cream the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla essence, and beat. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Add enough flour to form a soft dough. Cut circles and place them into individual cupcake pans. Place 2 tbs of jam on to the base. Sprinkle coconut. Grate the remaining dough over the jam. Bake at 180ºC for 10 minutes. Reduce to 160ºC until golden and crisp. It can also be made in a tray. The tray will take longer to bake. Top with a…

1 litre milk 1 tin Ideal milk 1 tin Nestlé cream (optional) 1 tin condensed milk 1 tsp elachi powder 2 tbs coconut 2 tbs vermicelli 2 tbs sago a few cardamom pods 2 tbs almond powder a handful of pistachios and almonds Place all the above ingredients, excluding the condensed milk and a handful of pistachios and almonds, in a non-stick pot. Cook on medium-to-low heat. Add the condensed milk. Leave on low heat until thick and creamy. Adjust the sweetness as desired. Top with pistachios and almonds.…

1 litre milk 1 cup Ideal Milk 1 cup Nestlé cream (optional) 1 cup condensed milk 1 tsp cardamom powder 1 tsp rose essence 2 tbs rose or elachi syrup (pink colour) 2 tsp coconut 2 tbs vermicelli 3 tbs sago (soak for a few minutes) a few cardamom pods 2 tbs almond powder a handful of pistachios and almonds Place all the ingredients, excluding the condensed milk, in a non-stick pot. Cook on medium-to-low heat. Stir occasionally to avoid scorching. Once the mixture starts thickening, add the condensed milk. Leave on low heat until thick and creamy. Adjust the sweetness according to preference. Decorate with almonds and edible rose petals.…

AN ALTERCATION between two brothers-in-law turned deadly when one of them pulled a gun and allegedly shot dead the other. Gungapersad Nash Singh, 62, a retired teacher, was shot four times outside his home in Newlands East on Saturday night. His brother-in-law, Rojhay Doolabh, of Effingham Heights, has been charged with his murder. The accused has also been charged with the attempted murder of his sister Seema (Singh’s wife). Doolabh, 52, who is employed at Fidelity ADT, appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday (Tuesday). He was remanded in custody and the matter was adjourned for a formal bail application next week. Charnel Hattingh, of the Fidelity Services Group, said the alleged incident occurred during the employee’s personal time and no company property was used in the crime. Doolabh…

ILLEGAL firearms sold on the black market are being used in areas like Phoenix and Chatsworth to commit drive-by shootings and other violent crimes. This is making it difficult for police to identify who is behind these crimes. Dhevan Govindasamy from PT Alarms said it was easy to get an illegal firearm on the street. “There is a black market that operates not only in Chatsworth but other areas like Merebank, Wentworth and Isipingo, and you can get a gun at a very cheap price. For example, to purchase a revolver legally will cost between R7 000 and R8 000. To purchase it on the black market will cost between R2 000 and R3 000.” Govindasamy said there was no need for training or paperwork and it was due…

IN THE early hours, Mrs Singh, a Shallcross pensioner, heard a sound outside her bathroom window, and upon looking out, saw thieves running away. Later when examining the wall running alongside the house, she discovered that her copper pipes had been stolen. This is an all too common problem in residential and other areas in Durban and nationally. Copper thieves have caused havoc in many sectors of the country. They have virtually disabled our railway system, stealing overhead copper wires, thereby crippling Transnet and the passenger rail system. Transnet’s financial records show that 1 121km of cable was stolen in the 2023 financial year. Our municipalities, Telkom and State-owned entities – in short our entire country’s infrastructure – is being crippled by these organised criminal gangs, supported by some notorious…

POLICE sources tasked to investigate the increase in copper theft are adamant that illegal scrap metal dealers are contributing to the rise in the number of cases by creating a market for the stolen goods. “If there is no market for the stolen copper, thieves would not steal it. The root of the problem is that these scrap dealers are buying stolen copper and breaking the law. They are just looking for easy money. Dealing in copper is lucrative,” said a police source. He said once the copper reached the scrap metal dealers, it was difficult to pinpoint where it had been stolen from. He urged people to report illegal scrap dealers to the police, or if they notice strange activities at the legal scrap yards. “We know that petty…

JUST a disclaimer first: Today’s column is not my usual light and funny kind, simply because there is nothing funny about missing children. The country is awaiting positive news of six-year-old Saldanha child Joshlin Smith, who is still missing. I will not make a judgement call on whodunit as this is still an ongoing investigation. But this little baby’s disappearance is the catalyst for my column. This story is haunting an entire nation. The title of this column is a pivotal line in the 2003 film The Sound of Freedom, which starred Jim Caviezel. He played Jesus in the Mel Gibson-directed film The Passion of the Christ. In the former film, he plays Tim Ballard, an ex-US government agent who embarks on a mission to rescue children from sex traffickers…

The South African judiciary has been an unshakeable pillar of strength for our democracy. When the whole country was falling apart, we could always trust the judiciary to deliver fair and equitable justice without fear or favour. The judges were of impeccable character and beyond reproach, and stood head and shoulders above all of us. But recently several judges have brought the judiciary into disrepute. First on the firing line was retired Judge Nkola Motata who was found guilty of gross misconduct for a drunken driving offence committed in 2009. Next was none other than Judge President John Hlophe, who was found guilty of trying to influence two Constitutional Court judges to violate their oath of office in the Zuma corruption case matter. The Judicial Services Commission recommended Parliament to…

MANCHESTER United and former French international defender Raphael Varane yesterday called for better concussion care for players after several scares during his career. “When we look at three of the worst matches of my career, there are at least two before which I had a concussion a few days earlier,” Varane told French sports daily L’Equipe. Varane pointed to France’s 1-0 quarter- final defeat to Germany at the 2014 World Cup and a 2-1 Champions League last 16 second leg loss while playing for Real Madrid in 2020 against Manchester City. A few days before the Germany game the 30-year-old said he took a ball to the side of the head during a last-16 match against Nigeria. “At the start of the second half, there’s a cross where I take…

THE Proteas Women’s T20 World Cup preparations will be put to the test in the series-decider against Sri Lanka in East London today (Wednesday, start 6pm). Hilton Moreeng’s team have been on a downward spiral in the shortest format since that balmy day at Newlands last February when they fell just short of toppling the mighty Australians in their first-ever T20 World Cup final. There are, of course, a myriad reasons for the decline, ranging from the retirement of influential fast bowler Shabnim Ismail and the uncertainty around long-serving coach Moreeng’s future. However, arguably the greatest stumbling block has been the team’s failure to advance their gameplay, especially in the batting department. While world champions Australia have always been aggressive and dominant with the bat, there are now a number…