Sheana made Roti. This was different from the Indian roti I’m accustomed to, which is a griddled flatbread. As opposed to that softer bread, this roti was fried so it had a great crisp outside and chewy inside. Curry and coconut milk in the batter gave it wonderful flavor and a bright color.

Ann made Cumin Braai Bread. As you can see, these were gorgeous golden loaves. The interior was pillowy, and the cumin flavor was nicely present without being overpowering. This bread was a great vehicle for the Spiced Egg Salad.

Ann also made Mango Couscous. I liked all of the flavors in this couscous, but wished they came through a bit stronger. It felt like it just needed a little bit more of everything that went into the couscous, or perhaps just a touch more salt to enhance those flavors.

John made Corn Mashed Potatoes. When I first looked at this dish, I thought it was refried beans with corn. It was actually a combination of sweet and regular potatoes. There was a fair amount of coconut milk, which made it looser than typical mashed potatoes. I found this one a tad on the bland side.

Melanie made Pomegranate Rice. A quarter of the rice was toasted, but not cooked through. I’ve never had rice made like that before, but the crunchy bits it added grew on me. This dish was really tasty, especially with the nuttiness of the pistachios against the tang of the pomegranate.

I made Spiced Egg Salad. It actually had more tomato than egg, which I think was unfortunate because the liquid that the tomatoes released watered down the amazing flavors of the spiced onions and dissolved all the egg yolks. I would make this again, but with only one tomato that I salted ahead of time to release the juices.

Shayna made Shrimp Piri Piri. I’m a fan of a lettuce wrap, and this was a tasty one. The piri piri was a delicious combo of spicy bird’s-eye chilies with lemon, herbs, and garlic. Since the sauce was both a marinade for the shrimp and spread onto each lettuce leaf, we got double the opportunity to enjoy it!

Cindy made Jerk Chicken. I liked the jerk taste, but wished it was amped up with more spice and salt. My favorite thing about this dish surprisingly turned out to be the bed of roasted vegetables that the chicken sat on. Usually I feel like these are sort of a throwaway component of a meat dish, but in addition to the typical potato and onion, there was quince, pear, parsnip, and sweet potato. Really yummy, especially the pear!

Jeff made Chocolate-Coconut Sorbet with Peanut Butter. This was a terrific sorbet. It had ginger, which was a fresh and spicy complement to the chocolate. The peanut butter was dolloped on top rather than mixed in, so I tried the sorbet with and without it. Both were great. Despite being in the freezer, the sorbet was a bit melty (maybe because of the coconut milk, or just the drive to the party?) but that just made it easier for me to eat more 🙂