Indians are very particular about what they eat,” observes South African chef Mohammed Mustafa as he walks us through the buffet counters at Lotus Café, JW Marriott, Juhu. The chef, who has temporarily taken over the restaurant’s kitchen, explains that South African cuisine uses the same spices and flavours as Indian cuisine. But the spices — nutmeg, cumin, turmeric, chilli and coriander — “are used in a very different way.”

Chef Mohammed Mustafa at the live grill counter at Lotus Cafe, JW Marriott Hotel in Juhu. PICs/SAMEER MARKANDEu00a0

Often termed as “rainbow cuisine”, South African food is a fusion of Dutch, British, indigenous African and Asian (primarily Indian) styles of cooking. Pointing at the dish of Babotie at the buffet counter, the chef explains, “This is a minced meat pie, just like a British Shepherd’s Pie. But we use a lot more spices, raisins and almonds. It is traditionally eaten with a sweet and sour apricot sauce.” Extremely popular in Cape Town, Babotie would usually be made with beef, but the chef decided to use chicken to cater to Indian preferences.