Local chef Nasiha Norat inspires kitchen confidence with tasty TikTok dishes

Clare Estate resident and qualified chef, Nasiha Norat, is mixing up flavours and inspiring home cooks through her popular TikTok account @nasi_cooks.

With over 62 000 followers, she's making a name for herself by sharing simple yet delicious recipes that anyone can try at home.

Norat started her TikTok journey during the pandemic. Like many people, she found herself looking for creative outlets to pass the time.

Initially, it was tough to keep up with posting new content once life returned to normal, but since last year, her following has steadily grown, thanks to her relatable approach to cooking.

Her standout recipes include her chicken tikka pasta, which amassed over a million views, while her homemade Nando's chicken has been watched more than 2 million times. One of her most viewed videos, Basics 101, in which she teaches viewers how to measure butter without a scale, earned more than 4 million views. 

"I knew from the time I was in grade 7 that I wanted to be a chef. I completely enjoyed the kitchen from a young age. My sister and I started off easy, by frying burger patties, sausages and potato chips, and from there my love for food grew.

"So I was set on becoming a chef and I made sure I did it," shared Norat.

With valuable experience as an assistant catering manager at a private hospital in Durban and working at boutique hotels, Norat recently transitioned to content creation full-time after getting married. 

"For me, food is really important. Especially if I enjoy your company, or if I like you as a person, the way I show my love is through food, and so, if you are very important to me, you will know."

Currently, Norat has been spoiling her new in-laws and husband, relishing their appreciation for her creations. 

"It's nice to see them enjoying it, and they appreciate it. Even with my videos, the one thing that keeps me going is the fact that everybody really appreciates the work I put into it," she said.

Despite her growing success, Norat initially felt she lacked the aesthetic appeal of other food creators on the platform.

"When I started, I wondered if I needed to be more aesthetically pleasing. Other content creators, especially food ones, make their videos incredibly aesthetic. Their set-ups are stunning, they don't show you their real kitchen, and I asked myself whether my content would take off with me just doing really simple videos."

However, a supportive comment from a follower helped her embrace her authentic style.

"It made me realise that the way I was doing it was the way everybody appreciated, and that's how I just continued.

"I don't compare myself to anyone else or try harder to make it look fancier or more expensive, when this is what everybody likes. I wanted to show people that you don't need it to be fancy; you can do it simply and with everyday ingredients."

Her approach to cooking is about keeping it straightforward and enjoyable.

She said, "I have a staple of maybe 12 spices in my spice cupboard; that is my go-to. It's just about finding new ways to use the ingredients."

Norat encourages anyone feeling overwhelmed in the kitchen to simplify their cooking. "I think a lot of people find it overwhelming. Maybe they think there's just too much to do, so I would say, keep it simple."

Her food journey has been filled with wonderful memories, including learning how to cook curries with her mother and sister. 

Today, she draws inspiration from local chefs who she has worked with.

"Being from a small community, I didn't think I could make such an impact with my food. It still comes as a shock to me. Everytime I see that follower count go up, I get super excited ... I have so many people behind me. It's such an achievement."

Norat plans for the future include creating more content, growing her small food business, Confetti and Crumbs and potentially writing her own cookbook.