“I remember when I was still in primary school I used to go with my Uncle Yusuf on the weekends to deliver foods to the Madrassi and Bengali Captains when they docked at the Cape Town Harbour.
We used to carry the food to the crew as they looked forward to a taste they were familiar with. Madrassi and South Indian food have a distinct fiery and tangy flavour and smell. The aroma of the food carried through the corridors of the vessel by the sea breeze is a fond memory I treasure.
I recall having a lot of fun spending the whole day on the ship. There is nothing as good as a taste of home food and it was a pleasure bringing the spice and distinct flavours of the East to the captains and the wonderful city of Cape Town and District Six.”
THE EARLY DAYS
Julekha Gama, fondly known as Julie-Bhen or Aunty Julie by family, friends and the community. Aunty Julie was born in India and came to South Africa at the age of four. Her parents settled in Cape Town in District Six where she was raised by her uncle, Yusuf Vallie Omar, also known as “Duiweltjie”, and his two wives, Julekha Maasie and Dija Nanie.
Aunty Julie recalls her first memories of learning how to cook as she helped her two dear aunts. In those years Aunty Julie used to fill around nine hundred samoosas a day! She also learned the art of making Suterfeni, an Indian sweetmeat, and made rolls upon rolls thereof.
Growing up in Cape Town Aunty Julie has an interesting background and fond memories recalled with humour and love. One of Aunty Julies fondest childhood memories.
Aunty Julie has been living in Roshnee, a small town south of Johannesburg for almost 50 years. She was one of the first residents to move from Vereeniging to Roshnee. At that time, Roshnee had no gravel roads or telephones. They used the party lines to communicate with each other, whoever lived on the same street was connected to
ELEVEN-YEAR OLD DREAM FULLFILLED
In 2015 Aunty Julie collaborated with Lilac Design Studio,a Creative Marketing Agency who published Food For Royalty Cookbook. This was her eleven-year- old dream which she was working towards that came to life. Over the years the book has become well-known and an intentional seller. It is available as a hard copy as well as an E-Book Edition via Amazon
DEDICATION
“This book is dedicated to my dearest aunts, Julekha Maasie and Dija Nanie who have passed on. These two women steered my life in the direction leading to where I am today… Maasie for inspiring me with her passion for cooking and Dija Nanie for teaching me the importance of commitment to your craft.”
JULEKHA GAMA
