IT was thanks to Jamie Oliver that Nadia Pillay decided to become a chef.
The Parsons Ridge, Nelson Mandela Bay, resident is currently a lecturer at Capsicum Culinary Studio and passing on her knowledge and passion to a new generation of chefs.
“I watched Jamie Oliver on television and bought his recipe books and decided that this is what I wanted to do after high school,” said Pillay.
“After graduation from chef school, I worked at various hotels in Port Elizabeth with my best learning experience coming from chef Steward Casson at the Radisson Blu Hotel, who installed the old school method of doing things the right way and giving it 100%.”
Pillay worked at the Radisson, Protea and Sun groups for 11 years, before joining Capsicum three years ago, after she discovered a passion for giving back what she had learnt through the years.
“I am now on a new journey of teaching and getting back from my students as much as I give to them.”
Pillay believes that Capsicum alumni have been successful because they are almost always placed with an industry partner that fits them very well.
“I worked with, and trained, many Capsicum students before I started at the school and they have all been incredibly successful.
“I can proudly say that every Capsicum student I know is still within the hospitality industry, whether they started their own restaurant, are working abroad or running their own catering business.”
Her advice for students: “This is a tough industry and those who choose this journey are here for a reason, and that is because they are artists. But you always have to give it your all.
“Our industry is growing. The restaurants in Nelson Mandela Bay are now full almost every weekend.
“People must eat and are always looking for interesting new places to go. Chefs are now allowed to work abroad and tourism is picking up. It’s all about drive and being fearless.”
So who was Pillay’s biggest food influence growing up?
“There are so many. My paternal grandparents were Indian and Irish and on my mom’s side, Cape Malay and Filipino. I have been exposed to these cultures and their traditional dishes, all of which play a role in my cooking.”
– ISSUED BY JAG
COMMUNICATIONS
Name five things always in your fridge or pantry?
Soy sauce, garlic, noodles, chili and sesame oil.
What would be your last meal?
Japanese ramen.
Is there anything you do not eat?
I wouldn’t say there is something I do not eat but I don’t like anything with a strange texture for example overcooked green beans or jelly that’s not set correctly.
If you had to cook dinner for five famous people, who would they be and what would you make them?
They would be Min Yoon-gi (stage name Suga and with the boyband, BTS), Valentino Rossi (Italian former professional motorcycle champion), artist Frida Kahlo, Jeong Kwan (a Seon Buddhist nun and chef of Korean cuisine) and American poet, memoirist and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou.
What comes to mind is a good old South African braai. The aim of the dinner is conversation and introducing these celebrities to my culture and what we do as South Africans when we get together.
Favourite celebrity chefs?
Marco Pierre White and Jay Fai. Seventy-seven-year-old Fai has been around since the 1980s, has a Michelin star yet remains in a tiny restaurant in Bangkok. She came from not knowing how to cook and has taught herself over the years.
What are three latest food trends?
Plant-based meals seem to be a big trend especially with fast- food chains introducing plant-based burgers.
Cannabis meal restaurants have been popping up in South Africa and African dishes, specifically Nigerian food, have also been popular in the US and Europe.
Given her love for Korean food, Pillay shares her easy-to-make favourite recipe for Korean chicken noodle soup for one.
“The original version of this dish takes a while to make as the broth should be made with a lot of dried vegetables and shrimp which gives it a lot of natural flavours. Depending on how many people you are feeding, you use one packet of noodles per serving. Multiply the ingredients by the number of people for whom you are making the dish.”
Korean chicken noodle soup
Ingredients
1 packet of noodles (any brand is fine but I use Sanyang kimchi ramen noodles as there is a lot of flavour from the packet seasoning, so you do not need to add anything else)
1 chicken breast, cubed
100g cauliflower
100g broccoli
30g carrots, julienned
50g cabbage, shredded
20g sliced brown onion
5g mixed sprouts
Sea salt and ground black pepper
5ml olive oil
400ml boiling water
1 teaspoon sweet soy sauce
If you are not using ramen noodles add
5ml soy sauce
5ml fish sauce
5ml hoisin sauce
1 tsp chili flakes
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan, add the sliced onion and sauté until brown.
- Add the cubed chicken and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes only. Keep your heat level between 3 and 4 or low to medium depending on the make of your stove.
- Add the soup flavouring and dehydrated vegetables from the noodles and stir until the chicken is coated.
- Add the boiling water and the noodles (I normally break the dried noodles into pieces). Cook for about 5 then add all the vegetables except the sprouts. Cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Once plated, drizzle with soy sauce (this is optional) and garnish with the mixed sprouts.
