We will nourish our bodies with good, hearty food that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg and doesn’t require us to spend hours in the kitchen.

Yes, spending more time at home has inspired me to try my hand at dishes I’ve always thought were too difficult or time consuming to try after a busy day. There is definitely a time and a place for mastering the art of sourdough bread made with your own yeast starter, but leave that to lazy Saturdays and Sundays.

When we’re all feeling the economic pinch and just getting out of bed and taking a shower feels like an accomplishment, something quick, cheap and tasty is just what the doctor ordered. Or Tannie Evita Bezuidenhout for that matter.

POTATO AND PEA CURRY (EVITA SE KOSSIE SIKELELA)

Once you have all the spices you need in your cupboard, you’ll be hard pressed to find a dish that is as cheap and flavourful as this one. I made two small changes – I added some diced courgette which I had in the fridge and had to be used up, and I added about half a tin of coconut milk, because I prefer a creamy curry. Tannie Evita also adds a little bit of fresh mint to the curry while it’s cooking, but mint and I… I’m still figuring out our cooking relationship.

Serves 4

6 medium potatoes

2 teaspoons of mustard seeds

2 onions, sliced

1 tablespoon of fresh ginger

1 teaspoon of turmeric

1 chilli, chopped

1 teaspoon of curry powder

1 teaspoon of fennel seeds

1 teaspoon of cumin

Garlic

1 cup of frozen peas

Dice the potatoes. Heat the mustard seeds in a dry pan until they become fragrant and start to pop.  Add oil, onions and ginger and cook until the onions are translucent. Stir in the rest of the spices and then add the potatoes. Add half a cup of water, cover the pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft (keep an eye on it and add more water if it starts to catch on the bottom of the pan - this is also where I added the coconut milk). Add the peas and let at cook for another five minutes or until everything is heated through.

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ooOoo