BY Aurelia Mbokazi-Kashe
Diwali is a special holiday for TV and radio personality, Kriya Gangiah. The self-confessed petrolhead who lives for Formula 1, says Diwali marks a coming together of family and loved ones, something she deeply cherishes. Each year she goes all out and prepares a feast from start to finish. She caught up with Xploreza to share what Diwali, coming up on Sunday, 12 November, means to her as well as some of the activities she loves most.
I come from 4th generation SA Indian family. We celebrate our heritage in the South African context. I love that every culture in SA is different and therefore the celebrations are different. We observe most celebrations as a family and Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is no different.
For me, Diwali is the coming together of family. It is a time for sharing and celebrating with our loved ones. I love bringing people together the cooking for them. I cook up a storm during Diwali and also do all the baking. This will be the first Diwali in five years that I will not be hosting because I will be working.
“My Burfee Lamingtons are a fusion of South African and Indian flavours, blending the sweetness of traditional Burfee with the soft, spongy texture of Lamingtons. It’s a unique and mouth-watering combination that I’m thrilled to share with everyone. May this Diwali bring you warmth, love, and the joy of good food!”
I have always loved entertaining and creating conversations between people. This is what motivated me to go to study at University of Pretoria so I could join Tuks FM and ended up on Craze on eTV. I love it when I bring people from different locations together to be involved in one conversation while I sit in the studio.
I grew up in a family that is sports-oriented and we love our cars and Formula 1. The sport became our passion as a family and it was the only thing we were able to watch on Sunday afternoons.
In the last of couple of years I’ve formed great relationships with companies in the motoring industry and have been able to bring my love for cars to my work. I’ve been part of Top Gear Car of The Year and got to test drive sport cars that cost R4,5 million , and the experience was totally amazing.
My personal car is a Haval H6. I love the brand so much. From a power and cost perspective, they have killed the market. Their hybrids are amazing.
When I’m not working, I love getting away to Dullstroom, in Mpumalanga. It my favourite local holiday destination and I never get tired of it. I can take my dog and I go fishing, it is my way of relaxation.
Dullstroom is closely followed by the winelands in the Western Cape. When I land in Cape Town, my first stop is to visit my nieces in Somerset West. We go to food markets that are child friendly. Then I visit different winelands in Stellenbosch or Franschoek for some much needed me time.
RECIPE
Burfee Lamingtons
Ingredients:
- 300ml castor sugar
- 500ml cake flour
- 15ml baking powder
- 1ml salt
- 500ml milk
- 100g butter or margarine
- 5ml vanilla essence
- 4 eggs
- 250ml icing sugar
- Ground cardamom, to taste
- 5ml vanilla essence
- 45ml butter
- 15ml Klim (dried milk powder)
- To finish: desiccated coconut, coloured almonds for garnish
Method:
Hot Milk Sponge Cake
- Beat eggs and sugar together until the mixture is light and creamy.
- Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add this mixture to the beaten eggs and sugar, folding lightly until well combined.
- In a small, heavy-based saucepan, heat 250ml milk and butter without boiling, stirring until the butter is fully melted. Remove from heat and add vanilla essence.
- Combine the milk mixture with the cake mixture, ensuring thorough mixing. Spoon the mixture into two greased 20 cm round cake pans or one rectangular pan.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 25–30 minutes. After baking, allow the cakes to cool in the pans for a few minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Syrup
- Warm the remaining 250ml of milk and butter for the syrup. Be cautious not to bring it to a boil.
- Add icing sugar, Klim, vanilla essence, and cardamom to the warm milk and butter mixture.
- Remove from heat once all the ingredients are well combined.
Assembly
- Cut the cooled cake into equal-sized squares.
- Dip each side of the cake pieces into the prepared syrup, but avoid over-soaking.
- Roll the syrup-soaked cake squares in desiccated coconut, ensuring even coverage.
- Decorate each Burfee Lamington with coloured almonds for that extra touch of festive delight.
