Make a Date with this Salad

I love curry! Not the healthiest food if you go down the butter chicken route or indeed stock up on Chicken Tikka Masala but otherwise, if cooked without too much ghee or fat not too bad. My mom used to do a curry out of Sonia Allisons 'Love of Cooking'.

I’ve since expanded my repertoire but I also quite like to serve the little sambals that she did. Sliced banana, tinned pineapple and Mrs Balls Chutney so nothing too exotic but somehow they just make curry taste nice. Yes, I know this is comfort food of the highest order but I don’t care.

One thing I have added to my list of approved sambals is date salad which is a Cape Malay dish and a perfect accompanyment to bredies and curries.

So lets get started, first take 500g of stoned dates and chop them. If you buy them at an ethnic food store like I did, ask if they are stoned if it doesn’t say so you don’t have do stone them (like I did when I first make this recipee).

Chop two large onions and soak in boiling water for five minutes before draining and allowing to cool. This seems to take the burn out of the onions so don’t miss this step.

Layer chopped dates with the onions in a glass bowl. Then mix 5ml crushed chilli and 250ml brown vinegar with salt and sugar to taste. Pour this mixture over the date and onions. Allow to stand for about two hours to allow the flavours to develop.

Then serve with the curry of your choice.

L xx

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