Last week I visited my friend Amina at her house in Overport, Durban. I’ve always known Amina to be a great cook – probably the best amongst my friends. I recall our campus days, when Amina would bring the most exotic lunch – samoosas, mince pies, sweetcorn springrolls, kebab and roti, poli, and butter chicken and pita bread. Amina always shared her lunch with us after we’d performed our Dhuhr salah (early afternoon prayer) in the campus JK (Jama`at Khana).

What I didn’t know, was that Amina’s aunt, Farida Khala, who lived with her, had taught her to cook when she was just 10 years old!

Farida Khala shared with us some delightful tales about growing up in Overport. My favourite was the one about how Amina got her name.

“I recall the time my sister Shamima was pregnant with Amina,” she began. “While at work one afternoon, she began craving chilli powder to sprinkle on to the green mangoes a colleague had brought to share with us staff. (Shamima and I had both been working at the same company – only she was in the marketing department and I was in finance.)

Shamima summoned me downstairs to her office, gave me a 5-cent coin she’d found on her desk, and said: ‘Please scream for the aunty next door, give her this money and ask her for some chilli powder.’ (I later learned the only reason Shamima had sent for me, was because none of the staff who shared an office with my sister, was even remotely willing to do her bidding.)

I ran across the car park to the wall that separated our offices from the house next door. ‘Hello, hello!’ I yelled, hoping like hell that one of the occupants would hear me and come outside. My voice appeared to be masked by the sound of the TV and children playing inside. ‘Hello, hello!’ I called again and again.

Finally, a middle-aged Indian woman came out to greet me. ‘Excuse me Aunty, but my sister is pregnant and she’s craving for chilli powder to sprinkle on some green mangoes she’s cut. She’s given me this 5-cent piece to offer you in exchange for a tablespoon of chilli powder.’

‘No need to pay me for the chilli powder, lovey. Give me a minute.’ She returned a short time later bearing a plastic Amina’s Wonder Spice bottle with what seemed like six tablespoons of chilli powder. (I could hear her mother telling her to fill the bottle in the background.)

Shamima was so relieved upon seeing the chilli powder that she sprinkled some on to her mangoes, and safely locked the remainder in her desk drawer. I could never forget her words: ‘Thank you so much, Farida. If I have a daughter, I’m going to name her Amina – to remind us of the Amina’s Wonder Spice episode!’”

And that’s how my friend Amina got her name.

I’d always wanted to learn how to make good butter chicken, so I arrived at Amina’s house early that morning to benefit from Farida Khala’s culinary expertise.

I’ve used this butter chicken recipe on many an occasion – from Mother’s and Father’s Day to birthday anniversary dinners.  Here is Farida Khala’s recipe – guaranteed to tantalise your taste buds!

Spicy Butter Chicken:
125g butter
2kg chicken fillets
1 ½ tsp turmeric
4 tsp dhania jeera (coriander & cumin) powder
3 tsp salt
4 tsp fine red chillies
2 tsp rough chillies
4 crushed tomatoes
½ tin tomato puree
250ml fresh cream
A handful of crushed cashew nuts

Heat butter in wok.
Add chicken and spices and mix.
Allow chicken to cook; then add tomatoes and puree.
Lastly add fresh cream and crushed cashew nuts.
Serve with pita bread.