For Women’s Month in August, Leopard’s Leap celebrates the women who taught us how to cook – whether with a secret blend of spices, over an open fire or simply because of a passion to feed their loved ones. This week, South African chef Cariema Isaacs reminisces on her father’s cooking and shares her version of a classic Indian curry, with a South African twist.

SA’s Spice Queen, Cariema Isaacs

Cariema Isaacs is a South African food writer, chef and entrepreneur based in Dubai, where she attained her culinary diploma at the International Centre for Culinary Arts. An active food blogger on social media, she has published two cookbooks. Her first book, Cooking for my Father in My Cape Malay Kitchen,  a heartfelt tribute to her father, was inspired by recollections of growing up in Bo-Kaap, the Cape Malay Quarter of Cape Town.

Her second, Spice Odyssey, was nominated for the Gourmand Culinary Awards 2020 in the category of spices. Cariema lives in Dubai with her two sons and her husband Turhaan Samodien, a budding photographer. Curried is their first collaboration together.

Cariema Reminisces…

One of the reasons I am so fond of this curry is because it reminds me of a beef dish my late father used to make. It was made with blade beef, which was prepared the night before, lightly salted but generously seasoned with freshly ground black pepper and slow cooked, not a single minute rushed. Such care was always taken when he cooked beef to ensure  the meat was tender enough to just fall off the bone. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to recreate it the way he did! I drew on his adoration and love of beef with this recipe and my heritage as a meat-loving South African.

I travelled to India and visited Mumbai and Delhi, and never got to see Goa. Goa is a state on the southwestern coast of India, situated within a region known as the Konkan, which is geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats.  Like many Goan dishes, this one originated in Portugal and was adapted later to accommodate the local Indian palate. The traditional Portuguese ‘vinha d’alhos’ was made with pork braised in garlic and wine. Later, Goans substituted the pork and wine with beef (or lamb), vinegar and lots of chilli and aromatics to create vindaloo as we know it today. This recipe contains two of the ingredients Goans, just like South Africans, adore: meat and heat!

I feel compelled to mention here that when I sit down to eat with my friends from Goa, they don’t even break a sweat when they eat anything spicy – and I mean really spicy!

TIP: Vindaloo is known to be one of the hottest curries in the world and as much as I thrive on hot and spicy curries, even I had to adjust the heat from the original recipe! This curry is also calls for good quality spices and ingredients, so take the time to toast the whole spices and grind them into a fine powder.

Get the recipe for Cariema Isaac’s Goan Beef Vindaloo Curry 

Pair with …

Cariema pairs her Vindaloo with the 2021 Leopard’s Leap Unwooded Chardonnay. One of the most versatile white wines, as it is refreshing on its own while also complementing a dinner table. The 2021 vintage works perfectly with a hot curry, like Cariema’s Vindaloo, as it has enough substance to stand up against the bold flavours while also having plenty of freshness to cool down the palate.

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