The Indian version of this would be chilli bites or in our house hold curry balls.

I make mine using spinach, but the other day when I was randomly mining my own business at some old aunty convention, my mother introduced me to this old aunty she was like 80 odd and she had her group.

When I first came into contact with them, it was to ask if they wanted a cup of tea and typical to people their age, they asked me when was I getting married, if I was married and what was I doing with my life, bear in mind we were at a funeral and this was the topic that came about because I asked if they wanted tea. I did try my hardest to avoid that table and then my mother came around and shoved me right back in the thick of things.

I can’t remember how the conversation came about but we landed up talking about chillibites and how their mothers made it this way, how they make it and how I make and then they quickly changed the topic back to my grans baking and how they remember this and remember her making that and how her cream horns always had that surprise filling of chocolate ganache at the bottom of the horn.

Then one of them mentioned that I should try lettuce instead of spinach in my chillibites, it really tastes better and lighter.

I took her advice and the verdict for the first time in history there was actually left over chillibites, the lettuce did not go down very well.

Then I came across a different kind of recipe for chillibites in Cariema’s recipe book and I just had to try it out.

Let me just say, the addiction of potatoe and grated onion actually works better than if the onion was finely chopped, not burnt onions on the outside anymore. The daltjies were delicious and soft and so fluffy and big. They did not last that long .

Everyone loved it and there was fighting when I stole one of my father’s he was sulking like a 5 year old.

Ingredients:

• 6 x spinach leaves, washed and finely chopped.
• 1 x onion, grated.
• 1 x potatoe, peeled and grated.
• 1 x box of Pakco chilli bite mixture.
• 1 x tsp baking powder.
• 1 x cup water.
• Oil for deep frying.

Method:

• Place the chilli bite mixture in a bowl and mix in the baking powder.
• Add the spinach leaves, grated onion and grated potatoe and give it a good mixing.
• Mix in the water and whisk till there are lumps.
• Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the batter and plop into hot oil.
• Deep fry, turning the chilli bites over every couple of seconds.
• Fry till lightly golden brown all around.
• Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen towel.