Watercress are common salad greens - in our home it was a hearty vegetable meal on Mondays- our primary day of prayer and abstinence from meat, long before the term 'Meatless Monday' became fashionable. Watercress Herbs Curry was one of the many herb curries made by Amma – which she termed ‘braised’. Although these dishes do not contain any powdered spice-the term braised in this instance implies cooked dry (i.e. until all water has evaporated). Back then acquiring watercress was not as simple as visiting the local supermarket –like most special foods it was acquired by a system of exchange between family members or perhaps one of Amma’s ‘friends’ who worked in the fields. Amma was well known for being a gentle heart-always giving food to the Zulu women called 'mabayis'- whose living quarters were located close to our house. It was common practice for some women to bring Amma watercress or other herbs in exchange for food or clothes.
