From teaching groups of people how to cook African cuisines to releasing a cookbook, Chef Mogau Seshoene the founder of the cooking lessons and african cuisine business The Lazy Makoti is making serious moves in the industry.
She got her education at The Chef Training and Innovation Academy after having left the corporate space to pursue cooking as a passion and career.
“A friend had asked me to give them cooking lessons which sparked the idea of The Lazy Makoti. I have always loved cooking and spent most of my childhood cooking with my mother and grandmother.”
She shared the origins of the name the lazy makoti saying, “The name is how the business started. A friend needed cooking lessons as she was due to get married and feared she would be called “The Lazy makoti” because she cant prepare some of the more traditional cuisines. I found that funny and decided to keep the name, its fun and funny and witty and best of all, all South Africans can relate to it.”
Years later she now has a cookbook called ‘The Lazy Makoti’s: Guide to the Kitchen’.
“I have wanted to create this cookbook for years. I realized through giving the cooking classes that many people own cookbooks that have dozens of recipes but use only a couple. So I wanted to curate delicious and easy recipes that every South African loves and enjoys,” said Seshoene.
She draws inspiration from women like Dorah Sitole who has headed up magazines and inspired many with her cooking.
The Turfloop born Chef said young people should experiment as much as they can in the kitchen to keep things interesting.
“We have so much more access to information and ingredients so young people should experiment and try new things like buying a cookbook (mine) or take a cooking class or even watch a cooking video online,” she said.
Whenever she cooks she said she listens to music, “It can be an upbeat hip hop song or gospel, I’m usually in a good mood when I cook so I play something fitting.”
Her favourite meals to cook are traditional meals that remind her of home, Curried tripe and Dombolo are at the top of the list.
