If the aromatic smell of a rich breyani, the smooth velvet touch of a sweet soojee and the tantalising richness of a chicken or mutton kalya is what tickles your taste buds then ANVER THE COOK is your man.
Some of the dishes Anver prepared
Anver Sheikh, a man renowned for many things, but more famously known for one of the best traditional cooks in the Johannesburg area. What does one say for a man whose cooking is more famous than his colourful life? Cooking has been in his blood since birth. The grandson of renowned Nabie and Dawood Sheik, whose names were synonymous with the traditional Indian style cooking back in the days. Anver developed his passion observing his dad mixing richly smelling spices and flavour, preparing meals the traditional Indian way over an open fire in a huge pot famously known as a degh. May Allah grant them and all other marhooms Jannat-ul-Firdous InshaAllah.
Anver checking on his deghs
I was very happy and excited as a 19 year old when I cooked my 1st degh of breyani for a family function. As time progressed I started helping other renowned cooks in the greater Durban area. I then started cooking for all functions, weddings etc. I can safely say that I am a qualified cook specifically in traditional cuisine. I remember as a 9 year old boy sitting around the fire with my late granddad and late dad discussing the time it takes to steam a degh of breyani. I used to help help out as a fire boy and mixer, peeling potatoes and cutting onions. I soon developed a passion for what I was doing. As I was learning to cook in degh from two of the qualified cooks with a wealth of knowledge and experience when it came to cooking for the masses. My granddad, the late Nabie Sheik, as well as my dad, the late Dawood Sheik, were renown cooks in their respective era’s. Taking inspiration from their knowledge, style and flair for cooking I have created my own unique tastes putting an “Anver Sheikh” twist on the average North Indian Dish.
Experimenting with an array of spices and combination of ingredients, Anvers dishes leaves the mouth-watering for much more. It is this talent and guaranteed quality of excellent service and food that saw him travelling to Saudi Arabia where he was contracted by the Al Anwar Haj group to feed ± 850 pilgrims daily. If quantity coupled with guaranteed quality and taste of good homely food is what you are looking for, then Anver Sheik can offer you that personal service and touch. Anver’s Specialities include:
- Breyani
- Kalyas
- Aknis
- Curry and rice
- Dhall Gos and Rice
- Gajar Halwa Sooji
- and many more tasty dishes
He has taken his cooking a step further by experimenting with various different spices as well as creating different dishes such as butter chicken, creamy steaks and pasta, dry masala chicken.