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Chicken tikka masala and lil bits about my life story so far.

The first recipe i have decided to attempt is Chicken tikka masala. I got the recipe from tiktok and i can say that it tastes extremely delicious. My dad even said that he would pay me to make it again for him.

For all of the recipes i’m going to add the recipe, the method i used to make the food and also a little bit about my life.

So let’s start this journey

Bismillah

Chicken tikka masala (tiktok version)

ingredients

2 Chicken breasts, cubed

Chicken marination:

1 Tbsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp salt

2 large spoons yogurt

1/2 tsp garlic ginger paste

the juice of half a lemon

Set aside overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours.

Half an onion, finely chopped

Method

Cook chicken on medium heat in oil

Remove chicken from the pan and add it to a different bowl to rest while the sauce is being made.

Add onions to the pan

Add 3 large spoons of tomato paste

Add half a cup of water

Add one cup of cream

Stir the above ingredients together

Add the spices

1tsp of red chili

1 tbsp of paprika

1tsp of cumin

1 tsp of coriander

1 tsp of garam masala

1/2 tsp of black pepper

1/2 tsp tumeric

Cook all in medium heat until the mixture bubbles and the spices stop being raw.

Add the chicken back in and put the pan on low heat and incorporate everything together.

Garnish with dhanya and enjoy :)

And here begins my first story.

I was raised in a loving home. My most beautiful memories are with my mom, she’d do my hair into all different kinds of hairstyles when i was little, they always had to have cute little “goggles” as she’d call them at the ends of them. She’d plait my hair every day. And put little plastic flowers, or whatever pretty looking thing at the end of them.

I grew up Christian, my parents used to regularly attend an Afrikaans church close to tygerberg high school, and if they didn’t, then gospel songs would ring out every sunday from the TV and little me knew all the words.

Primary school, i kept the nice hairstyles until my mom said i was old enough to do my hair myself. Endless alice bands. I was obsessed with alice bands. I was extremely academically inclined, i was third in the grade in grade 5, grade 6 i was seventh in the grade and grade 7 i was fifth in the grade. I was a monitor for the primary school passages, patrolling all around to tell naughty little boys to tuck their shirts in and to walk in a single file line. I was in the representative council of learners where i’d run meetings, patrol every day during breaks around the school while hoping that all i was doing was enough for me to get into Rhenish girls high. It was.

I accidentally forgot a little part, well…not so little, In grade R i did ballet, then i decided to do the 360° switch to karate after i watched the karate kid for the first time. I carried on with karate throughout primary school.

Now, Rhenish girls high.

Driving to stellenbosch from brackenfell everyday was a challenge, tiring bus rides, but i knew that the education that i’d get at that school would be worth it all. And it was.

I got my black belt when i was in grade 9, i ended up quitting karate because balancing school, and it ended up being a challenge as my sensei wanted me to teach some classes to little children as well.

Grade 10 i dropped pure math, i begged my dad to do that, he looked like he wanted to cry but the decision was worth it in the end. Grade 10 was also when i went with raadiah to her Islamic society meetings, just as an observer.

Grade 11. A busy year, i was captain of 2nd team soccer. i was elected into the matric dance committee. That’s when my journey with graphic design began. I attended more islamic society meetings. I helped raadiah with hijab day, when i put the scarf on my head for the first time i somehow knew where my life would end up. End of grade 11 i was elected into the learner council.

Grade 12 i was…extremely busy? too busy? I was the school’s designated graphic designer, i converted to islam in january of that year so i was still learning a lot, I studied hard. I ended up with 6 distinctions Alhamdulilah. I had full academic colors, and full colors for culture since i did choir for all 5 years of high school

January of 2023 i was left to decide on UCT or Stellenbosch.

UCT offered me a scholarship for Bachelor of social sciences, i was also accepted for LLB but no scholarship for that.

Stellenbosch accepted me for BA law (my dream course), and seemingly didn’t give me a scholarship (they did, but their systems were so bad they only sent the money in may).

I picked stellenbosch, it was home.

Anyways, the food tasted amazing, my parents keep on asking it to make it again.

Maybe aunty can teach me how to make it taste better?

Next time, i’m going to speak about my revert story.