Catering for religious groups requires commitment and consideration. Susan Reynard reports.

Many religions come with dietary requirements. Meat, dairy and vegan ingredients are primary focus areas.

We chatted to operators who service some of the major religious cuisines, from Kosher and Halaal typical of countries in the Middle East to Halaal, Hindu and other religions coming out of India.

Middle Eastern cuisine
Demand for Kosher food is diminishing as the Jewish community in South Africa shrinks. By contrast, demand for Halaal cuisine is growing fast in South Africa and the export market, says Richard Pearce, chef and owner of Totally Kosher and Amaanah in Johannesburg.

Pearce has long been considered an expert in the field, with his specialised facilities perfectly catering to the religious requirements of these two faiths. He says the common ground in religious cuisine, coupled with the move to healthier, meat-free eating is vegetarian and vegan cuisine, which are the fastest growing among his customers.

“Parev foods are versatile across the different religions. Also, people are eating less meat and looking for proteins in pulses, chickpeas, soy beans and lentils. We’ve expanded our protein base without losing the flavour of the taste and texture profiles, and this also reduces costs for our customers,” Richard explains.

“We’ve also been focusing on vegan desserts – we have an excellent vegan cheesecake – and expanding our range to cater for the gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free market using soy-based products. These can go ‘meat’ or ‘milk’, depending on what they’re served with. It’s taken us almost a year to develop these products. New to the range is peppermint crisp, tiramisu and banoffee pie in full size and miniatures, with a combo box for the retail market.”

Totally Kosher is currently undergoing a rebranding exercise, back to its roots as Divine Food Solutions. They’ve brought in a food technologist and done a lot of research and development into their existing and new markets.

Fellow director Tony Koen is working on expanding the savoury offering to include puff pastry and pizza bases that are dairy-free and ideal for the Jewish community and retail market.

Savoury items include sesame paste, hummus, tofu, muffin mixes and other “lifesavers in the freezer”, Richard adds. The response from suppliers, clients and retailers has been positive.

Indian cuisine
Thava Restaurant chain was founded by Mathew Abraham, originally from Kerala in south India, with Philippe Frydman consulting. Philippe is co-founder of Retro Food Consulting and a member of the SA Chefs’ Academy of Chefs.

The menu was carefully researched and curated to include a range of foods that meet the needs of religious diners, although Thava is not registered as Halaal as it has a full bar.

Mathew describes the cuisine: “Kerala is a blend of different cultures and religions – Hindu, Christian and Muslim – and these influences are reflected in the blend of flavours that make the food from this part of the world so divine. My passion for food comes from my mother, who is an incredible cook, and whose recipes and hours of consultation on the dishes via telephone to India have resulted in a menu that is truly divine.”

Philippe says all meat prepared on the premises is Halaal and no pork is served at all. The menu has a wide range of vegetarian dishes aimed at its religious clients who do not even eat Halaal meat, clearly marked with lists of ingredients and flavours. Dishes are available in standard and tapas sizes, allowing guests to order and share several aromatic and delicious dishes. Just a few popular items include:

• Vegetable Makhni: Mixed vegetables cooked in a spicy tomato and cashew nut gravy, cream and butter
• Spinach and Toor Dhal: Yellow dhal cooked with spinach, garlic, chilli, tomatoes and tamarind
• Dhingri Mattar: Mushrooms and peas cooked in an onion, cashew nut sauce
• Dhal Makhni: Black lentil curry with kidney beans in cream and butter
• Paneer Vindaloo: A hot Goanese curry cooked with paneer (fresh, soft cheese) and a mixture of red chillies, vinegar, cinnamon, cloves and cumin
• Indian flatbreads: Wide range of flavours of naan, chapatti, roti and paratha

“We make our own chickpea flour and all of the doughs for the flatbreads are made in house. To get the mix of flavours and spices just right, Mathew was in constant contact with his mother in Kerala. There is a knowledge and interest gap among many Western chefs, who don’t know how to cook these products and what the religious requirements are, so we have chefs from India who are familiar with both the ingredients and religious rules going back to childhood,” Philippe notes.