Dill’s talent is homemade continental fusion food

Dill Shaikh has a passion for cooking fusion continental food and every dish is prepared fresh in her kitchen at home. She uses fresh ingredients and is known among Tzaneen’s foodies for her fragrant, spiced-to-perfection food, all homemade. “I make every dish for my family first. They have to taste it and approve it before I will make it for a customer,” explains Dill, who enjoys experimenting with new dishes and preparation techniques.

She started out five years ago and prepared lunches for her husband and his friends and co-workers. “I made lunches for the bachelor boys for a year, I would start cooking at 03:00 to have it ready by the time they leave at 06:00,” says Dill. She explains that the local community supported her well and that eventually, she started doing small-scale catering for birthday parties. Today she runs her business on WhatsApp where foodies can order fresh meals every day selected from a wide menu, that includes a range of cakes, Indian sweets, and of course biriyani, momo dumplings, Rogan josh, paneer dishes, kofta beef curries, dragon chicken to name but a few.

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“Everything ordered is made from scratch and is freshly prepared here at home. The secret to the great taste is that all the spices I use are not ready-made, it is freshly prepared and homemade with some secret ingredients to add to the fragrance, spice, and tanginess,” says Dill. Her butter chicken with garlic naan is the best seller and the foodie favourite in Tzaneen where she also prepares fresh food for two local cafes. Dill is a South African citizen and has lived here for 15 years. She was born in Ahmedabad in India and all her brothers and sisters still live in India.

Her husband, Zubair, hails from Baruch and is a food lover. “He enjoys eating and eating well. He enjoys spice and food. My son, Talha wants to be a chef and enjoys preparing dishes with me,” says Dill. She explains that her family is her biggest supporter and that she expanded her knowledge of spices, tastes, and skills when she travelled to India in April last year for a wedding and a funeral. Dill enjoys making a range of Turkish, Indian, and Chinese dishes.

Her favourite dish is tikka chicken masala, while her husband enjoys chicken majoul and her 15-year-old son enjoys tikka paneer dishes. She is currently saving to buy a food truck and expand her business. She takes orders daily ranging from dishes for the family to cooking for dinner parties with up to 50 guests. To go on a culinary adventure, look at the catalogue by contacting Dill by sending a WhatsApp to Food Fusion at 078 637 8165 or contact Zubair at 061 667 5533.