Traditional recipes from the women of John Fisher Street

fisher
foods
Traditional recipes from the women
of John Fisher Street
Project management by Joyce Archbold
Words and photography by Tamsin Savage (www.savagewords.com)
Design by D.R. ink (www.d-r-ink.com)
Printed by Orchid Commercial Printers
We’ve tried hard to ensure the recipes in this book are clear and accurate, and we hope you enjoy the
end results. We apologise for any mistakes or oversights.
For further copies or an electronic version of this book, please contact [email protected].
fisher
foods
Traditional recipes from the women
of John Fisher Street
SocietyLinks
Tower Hamlets
Acknowledgements
With huge thanks to:
- all the women who took part in the project, worked so hard, and shared their traditional
cooking secrets
- Peabody for supporting SocietyLinks by allowing us to use their building and providing
other ongoing support
- Shuzina Bilkis and Halima Habib for supporting the delivery of the project
- Tamsin Savage without whose versatile skills this book would not have been possible
- the SocietyLinks’ Management Committee whose encouragement has been
instrumental to this project.
Contents
Introduction
5
Bangladesh
6
Chicken samosas
6
Rice pudding with cardamom
8
Britain
10
Shepherd’s pie
11
Plum crumble
12
Grenada
14
Stewed chicken
14
Fish cakes
17
India
18
Pakoras
18
21
Vegetarian curry with soya
Iraq
22
Kofte with spinach soup
22
Baklava rolls
24
Nigeria
26
Meat pies
26
Jolof rice
28
Sudan
30
Lamb mince stew 30
Sudanese pancakes
31
Uzbekistan
Lamb pilau
The chefs
About SocietyLinks and Near Neighbours
32
32
34
36
4 | Fisher Foods
Fisher Foods | 5
Introduction
In September 2015, a group of women gathered at the SocietyLinks
Community Centre on John Fisher Street in East London for the first session
of a community cookery project. The women involved are all members of
SocietyLinks’ Fisher Foods Coop and most live on the neighbouring Peabody
estate, but between them they represent more than 10 different cultures.
The aim of the project was to produce a cookery book that represented the
diversity of the food cooked in the local area, while highlighting a common
goal among local women to provide healthy, nutritious and tasty food for
their families.
Fisher Foods is about community, good food, diversity and family cooking.
The women each chose their favourite traditional recipes, many of which
have been passed down through their families for generations. During an
intense six-weeks of cooking sessions, they cooked their chosen dishes and
shared them with friends and neighbours at the SocieyLinks centre. In the
background, the myriad of ingredients were frantically noted down and the
final dish photographed before it was eagerly consumed. This book is the result
of 12 weeks of hard work, creativity and delicious cooking by a group of very
talented cooks from John Fisher Street.
Community
Good food
Diversity
Family cooking
Bangladesh
Asma
My samosas are very popular at the SocietyLinks centre! Samosas are a great
snack and an easy finger food to serve guests. Rice pudding is a common dessert in
Bangladesh to round off a meal or at a party. Most people like having something
sweet after a meal.
Chicken samosas
Serves 6-8 people
Ingredients
Chicken
½ whole chicken, jointed
1 cinnamon stick
3 bay leaves
5 cardamom pods
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric
Chilli mixture
14 green chillies, chopped finely
2 onions, chopped finely
1 green pepper, chopped finely
1 red pepper, chopped finely
1 hot red chilli
2 onions, chopped finely
4cm ginger, grated
1 head garlic, grated
6 green chillies, chopped
½ tbsp madras powder
½ tbsp ground cumin
½ tbsp garam masala
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
finely
sunflower or coconut oil
Samosa pastry
750g plain white flour
500ml warm water
1 ½ tbsp oil
pinch of salt
Fisher Foods | 7
Method
1. First make the filling for the samosas. Place the
chicken pieces into a saucepan and cover with
water. Add the spices and stir. Bring to the boil and
simmer for 10 minutes until cooked.
2. While the chicken is cooking, make the chilli
mixture. You can prepare this in advance. Heat 2
tbsp oil in a frying pan, add the chillies, onions and
peppers. Fry on medium heat for 15 minutes until
soft. Remove from pan and put to one side.
3. Remove the chicken from the water and leave to
cool. Once cool enough to handle, remove bones
and shred the meat finely with your fingers.
4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan and fry the onions for
5-10 minutes until soft. Add the shredded chicken,
spices and salt. Fry for 10-15 minutes until soft
and well combined. Crush the mixture with the
back of a wooden spoon so it is all soft and broken
down. Add the chilli mixture and cook for 10 more
minutes, then stir in the fresh coriander. Remove
from the heat and leave to cool.
5. Now make the pastry for the samosas. Mix the flour
and water. Knead for five minutes to make a smooth
dough. If too sticky, add a little bit more flour.
6. To make the samosas, take a piece of dough the
size of an orange. Dust the work surface with flour.
Roll into a ball, then flatten into a circle that is
about 5mm thick and 25cm in diameter. Cut the
circle into quarters. Spoon 1-2 tbsp of the chicken
filling into the middle of a quarter piece. Wet the
edges and pull two corners together. Press the filling down and pull the third corner in to the others.
Press the three pairs of edges together until well
sealed. Repeat until all the filling has been used.
7. Fill a frying pan with oil so that it is 5cm deep.
Heat the oil over a medium heat until hot. Place
4-5 samosas in the hot oil (depending on the size of
your pan – don’t overcrowd them) and deep fry for
five minutes until the pastry is golden and crispy.
Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and
leave to drain on a plate lined with kitchen roll.
Bangladesh
Rice pudding with cardamom (‘firni’)
Serves 6-8 people
Ingredients
Infused milk
500ml whole milk
3 bay leaves
4 cardamom pods
3 tbsp rice flour
4 ½ tbsp couscous
3 tbsp coconut flour
3 tbsp semolina
1.75l whole milk
100g sugar
25 almond flakes, chopped
1 tsp cashew nuts, chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sultanas
3 tbsp pistachio nuts, chopped
Method
1. Prepare the infused milk. Warm the milk, cardamom pods and bay
leaves in a pan. Leave overnight, or at least for a few hours, to allow
the flavours to infuse. Remove the leaves and cardamom pods before
using.
2. Put the dry ingredients in a large saucepan. Add the plain and infused
milk, and the sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer for around 15
minutes until reduced by 2cm, stirring regularly. The mixture will start
to thicken.
3. Add the chopped cashew nuts and almond flakes. Simmer on a low
heat for a further 20 minutes.
4. While the milk mixture is simmering, melt the butter in a frying pan
and add the sultanas. Fry until brown and add to the milk mixture.
5. The pudding is ready when it has the consistency of thick custard.
Pour into a serving bowl to cool. Sprinkle with the pistachio nuts.
Fisher Foods | 9
Britain
Fisher Foods | 11
Tamsin
Shepherd’s pie is a very traditional British dish. It’s an easy, healthy, nutritious
meal that the whole family will enjoy. Fruit crumble is a classic British pudding
and universally popular. Here it’s made with plums, but you can use apples or other
fruit instead. Try it warm with vanilla ice cream…
Shepherd’s pie
Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients
500g lamb mince (or beef mince to
make a cottage pie)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 medium carrot, chopped into
small cubes
1 red pepper, chopped into small
cubes
2 tbsp of tomato paste
1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400g)
250ml vegetable stock
4 large potatoes (or swap half for
sweet potatoes for a healthier
option)
30g butter, melted
50g cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper
Method
1. Warm a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the lamb mince.
Stir-fry until brown all over, breaking up the mince as you stir. Add the
onion and cook for five minutes until soft and translucent.
2. Add the garlic, carrot and red pepper and cook for 10 minutes until the
carrot is soft. Add the tomato paste and cook for five minutes. Then
add the tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock. Simmer for 30 minutes
until thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
4. Meanwhile peel and quarter the potatoes, and put them in a saucepan
of boiling water. Simmer for 20 minutes until cooked. Drain and leave
in the colander for five minutes to dry out. Mash until smooth and add
the butter and half the grated cheese. Season to taste.
5. Pour the meat sauce into an ovenproof dish and spoon the mashed
potato on top, making sure the meat sauce is covered evenly. Gently
smooth the potato topping with a fork. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese
on top and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the meat sauce
is bubbling and the top is golden. Serve with steamed or stir-fried
vegetables.
Britain
Plum crumble
Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients
8 plums, quartered and stones
removed (or 3 cooking apples,
peeled and sliced)
2 tbsp golden caster sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Crumble
100g plain flour
75g porridge oats (or 40g oats
and 35g ground almonds)
75g golden caster sugar
110g cold butter, in cubes
Method
1. Place the plums in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the sugar. If
you are making apple crumble instead, place the sliced apples in a
saucepan with the sugar and 50ml of water. Simmer with the lid on for
about 10 minutes until the apples are soft. Spoon into an ovenproof
dish. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Place the flour, oats and sugar (and almonds, if using) in a bowl and
mix well. Add the butter and using your fingers work into the flour until
well combined and the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. You don’t
want your crumble too fine though – make sure you have some bigger
lumps.
3. Pour the crumble mixture on top of the plums or stewed apples,
spreading with a knife to make sure you have an even layer.
4. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the crumble is golden. Serve
straight from the oven or at room temperature with a large blob of
cream, custard or vanilla ice cream.
Fisher Foods | 13
Grenada
Cecilia
Stewed chicken, rice and peas, and macaroni cheese is a traditional West Indian
Sunday lunch. It’s what everyone in my house expects on Sundays! These bitesize
fish cakes are great as a quick snack or finger food at a party, and they’re easy
to make.
Stewed chicken with rice and peas
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
4 tbsp sunflower or coconut oil
2 tbsp sugar
1 chicken, jointed and skin
removed
4 potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes
50g creamed coconut
1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 125ml
water
Rice and peas
1 onion, chopped
400g rice
1 400g tin gungo peas (or blackeyed beans), well-rinsed and
drained
50g coconut cream
1 vegetable stock cube
½ tbsp dried thyme/mixed herbs
Method
1. Put the oil and sugar in a large pan and cook for five minutes until brown
and bubbling. Add the chicken and stir so the chicken is well coated with
the sugar mixture. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
2. Add the potato cubes. Stir to coat with the sauce and simmer,
covered, for 10 minutes. Add the creamed coconut and stir until
melted. Finally, stir in the cornflour mixture and simmer, covered, for a
further 10 minutes until the chicken and potatoes are cooked. Remove
from heat. You can prepare this in advance and reheat to serve.
3. To make the rice and peas, heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan over a
medium heat and add the onions. Cook for five minutes. Rinse the rice
thoroughly and add to the onions along with the thyme/mixed herbs
and coconut cream. Stir until the coconut is melted and stir in the
gungo peas. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Dissolve the stock cube in a cup of water and add to the rice. Pour
in enough boiling water to cover the rice. Cover with a lid (put foil
underneath the lid to make your rice fluffier) and simmer for 15
minutes. Check to see whether the rice is cooked and the water all
gone. If the rice needs more cooking, you may need to add a little bit
more water. Once cooked and all the water gone, toss the rice gently
with a fork.
5. Serve the rice with the chicken stew and some vegetables. For a full
West Indian Sunday lunch, have a dish of macaroni cheese on the
table too!
Fisher Foods | 15
Grenada
Fisher Foods | 17
Fishcakes
Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients
150g dried salt codfish (or tinned
tuna, well-drained)
½ onion, chopped finely
1 red pepper, chopped finely
½ tsp all purpose seasoning
½ tsp fish seasoning
¼ tsp curry powder
¼ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp chilli powder
¼ tsp thyme
60g plain flour
125ml water
coconut or sunflower oil
Method
1. Wash the dried fish thoroughly to remove salt crystals. Place in a
bowl and pour over boiling water until all the fish is covered. Leave
overnight to soften and remove the salt. If you don’t have time, you
can put the fish in a pan of boiling water and boil for two minutes.
Drain the fish and flake it into a bowl, checking carefully for bones.
2. Add the onions, peppers and spices to the fish and mix. Add half the
water and stir to combine well.
3. Pour the flour into the mixture gradually, stirring with a wooden spoon
as you pour. Add more water a tablespoon at a time until you have a
thick batter. If it becomes too runny, add a tablespoon of flour.
4. Pour sunflower or coconut oil into a frying pan until it is 1cm deep.
Heat the oil until medium hot.
5. Using a tablespoon, gently place a spoonful of the mixture into the hot
oil. If it bubbles, the oil is hot enough. The mixture will spread a little.
Spoon as many fishcakes in as you can fit easily in the pan. You will
have to do them in batches.
6. Cook for five minutes until golden all over, turning half way through.
Place on a plate lined with kitchen towel to drain the excess oil before
serving.
India
Ujala
Pakora are a very popular Indian snack. They are quick and easy to make, and always
a favourite with guests. You can make them with different kinds of vegetables. I chose
vegetarian curry with soya because not everyone likes meat and it is healthy to eat
vegetarian food. The soya means this dish has plenty of protein though.
Pakora
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
1 onion, chopped roughly
½ tbsp curry powder (medium)
½ tsp chilli powder
1 green chilli, chopped finely
small handful fresh coriander,
chopped finely
150g gram flour
75g rice flour
25g sesame seeds
60g red lentils
1 tsp lemon juice
sunflower or coconut oil
(for deep frying)
salt
Method
1. Place the red lentils in a bowl of water, making sure they are well
covered. Leave to soak for two hours until soft, then drain. Blend until
smooth.
2. Meanwhile, put the onion, coriander, chilli and spices in a bowl and mix.
Add the sesame seeds, 1 tbsp salt and both types of flour and mix. Add
the lentil puree and lemon juice and 1 tbsp of water. Mix well with your
hands.
3. To cook, heat 500ml of oil in a deep frying pan over a medium heat. Once
the oil is hot, place walnut-sized balls of the mixture into the oil to cook.
Test with one first to check the oil is hot enough. Don’t overfill the frying
pan, you will have to cook the pakoras in batches.
4. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning half way through, until the balls are
golden brown all over. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and
drain on a plate lined with kitchen towel.
Fisher Foods | 19
India
Fisher Foods | 21
Vegetarian curry with soya
Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients
2 medium potatoes, chopped
into 2cm pieces
200g soya chunks
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp cumin seeds
4 cardamom pods
¼ cinnamon stick
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3cm ginger, crushed/grated
½ tbsp chilli powder
½ tbsp turmeric powder, plus a
pinch for the potatoes
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp butter
1 large tomato, chopped (or half
a tin of chopped tomatoes)
1 tsp garam masala
sunflower or coconut oil
Method
1. Soak the soya chunks in cold water for two hours or boil for six
minutes until soft.
2. Warm 3 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan. Add the potatoes to the oil
with a pinch of turmeric and fry for five minutes. Remove the potatoes
from the pan with a slotted spoon and put to one side.
3. Add the soya to the same pan and fry for a few minutes to dry out.
Remove and put to one side.
4. Wipe the pan clean and warm 3 tbsp of fresh oil. Place the onions, bay
leaves and spices in the pan and fry for five minutes. Add the garlic
and ginger and fry for a further two minutes.
5. In a small bowl, add the turmeric, chilli powder and cumin to 50ml of
boiling water. Mix well and add to the onion mixture with the butter,
tomato and 1 tbsp salt. Fry for five minutes.
6. Return the fried potatoes and soya to the pan and cook for five
minutes, stirring gently to combine all the ingredients.
7. Pour 500ml of water into the pan, add the garam masala and stir
gently. Simmer covered for 20 minutes. If you prefer your curry runnier,
you can add more water.
8. Serve with steamed basmati rice.
Iraq
Taban and Sazgar
We chose this dish because it is our favourite meal. It’s also very healthy. In Iraq
we would prepare this as part of a big family meal with lots of other dishes, but it’s
a very good dish on its own too. It takes time to prepare but it’s worth it. Baklava
look impressive but they’re actually easy to make. They taste great too!
Kofte with spinach soup
Serves 6-8 people
Ingredients
Kofte casing
500g fine bulgar wheat (available
in Middle Eastern shops)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chopped celery leaf or flatleaf parsley
200ml water
Kofte filling
Large handful of chopped celery
leaf or flat-leaf parsley
2 onions, chopped finely
500g lamb mince
1 tsp salt
35g flaked almonds
35g sultanas
1 tbsp garam masala (or Iraqi
‘kofte masala’)
Soup
1 onion, chopped finely
480g cooked chickpeas (800g tin,
drained)
3l water
2 tsp salt
300g swiss chard or big spinach
leaves, chopped finely
1 tbsp fine bulgar wheat
4 tbsp tomato puree
½ lemon, quartered
sunflower or coconut oil
salt and pepper
Fisher Foods | 23
Method
1. First, you need to make the kofte casing. Add all
the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix. Add the
water, a little at a time, mixing well after each
addition until you have a firm dough. Knead the
mixture with your fist for 10 minutes until you have
a smooth dough. Put aside.
2. Next, make the filling for the kofte. Heat a frying
pan and add the lamb mince with the salt. Fry the
lamb until browned. You won’t need any oil in the
pan. Add the garam masala, celery leaf, onion,
almonds and sultanas. Cook for a further 10-15
minutes, stirring. Leave to cool.
3. While the kofte filling is cooling, start on the soup.
Chop the chard and onion finely. Heat 2 tbsp of oil
in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the
onion and cook until softened, then add the water
and bring to the boil. Drain and rinse the chickpeas,
and add to the onion and water with the salt.
Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
4. To make the kofte balls, divide the mixture into
nine equal pieces and roll into balls. Fill a bowl
with water and have it beside you so you can keep
your hands wet while you are working with the
kofte dough. Take a ball and flatten it. Rotating the
disc in the palm of one hand press it flat until you
have a circle 15cm across and 5mm thick. Spoon
4 tbsp of the meat filling into the middle and fold
the edges of the casing in to cover the meat. Pinch
the edges together and smooth the join with wet
fingers until your kofte is a neat ball. Don’t worry if
the casing breaks a bit, just smooth over the break
with water to rejoin.
5. When you have all nine balls ready, place them
carefully into the soup. If they are not covered by
the soup liquid, add more water until they are.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add the chard and bulgar wheat to the soup and
bring to the boil.
7. Stir in the tomato puree and add the lemon
quarters. Check the kofte are still covered by liquid
and simmer for 35 minutes. Some of the soup
liquid will evaporate, so don’t worry if the kofte are
no longer covered after 15 minutes of cooking.
8. Serve the soup in bowls with one or two kofte in
each bowl.
Iraq
Baklava rolls (‘birma’)
Serves 6-8 people.
For this recipe you’ll need a thin rolling pin about 1cm diameter. You can find these in Middle
Eastern shops or online.
Ingredients
Filling
150g walnuts
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp caster sugar
150g raw shelled pistachios
(unsalted)
6 sheets filo pastry
100ml sunflower oil or melted
butter
Syrup
50g sugar
50ml water
½ tsp lemon juice, freshly
squeezed
Method
1. First prepare the filling. Place the walnuts, cinnamon and sugar in
a food processor and grind until finely chopped. Pour into a bowl.
Process the pistachios until finely ground and pour into another bowl.
It is important that the nuts are chopped into very small pieces or they
will tear the filo pastry. Pour 50ml of the sunflower oil or melted butter
into a third bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 180˚C and grease or line a baking dish.
3. Brush oil/butter thinly over an area of the worktop the size of the filo
pastry sheets. Take one sheet of filo and place onto the oiled area
with a short edge facing you. Sprinkle a tablespoonful of ground
walnuts and pistachios evenly over the half of the filo sheet furthest
away from you, leaving the furthest 2cm clear. Fold the half of the filo
sheet nearest to you over the half covered in nuts so the nut filling is
sandwiched by filo.
4. Brush the rolling pin with oil and place along the folded edge. Wrap
the folded edge of filo over the rolling pin and roll away from you until
the filo and nut sandwich is wrapped tightly around the rolling pin
with only 2cm exposed. Brush remaining edge with oil and wrap round
the rest of the filo roll.
5. Grip the rolling pin with one hand at each end of the filo roll. Gently
push your hands towards each other along the rolling pin so the filo
roll starts to wrinkle. Keep going until the filo roll is half its original
length. Slide the roll carefully off the rolling pin into the baking dish.
Repeat with the rest of the filo sheets. Warm the rest of the oil or
butter and brush over the filo rolls in the baking dish. Cook in the oven
for 15-20 minutes until golden.
6. Meanwhile, make the sugar syrup. Mix the sugar, water and lemon
juice in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved
and the syrup has reduced to the consistency of runny honey. Pour
evenly over the baklava rolls as soon as they are cooked.
Fisher Foods | 25
Nigeria
Rosaline
Meat pies and jolof rice are traditional dishes in Nigeria, usually served at special
occasions or weekends. Jolof rice can be served with meat, fish or vegetables – it
goes with everything. Meat pies are great finger food for when you have guests over.
You can make the filling in advance and freeze it.
Meat pies
Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients
Pie dough
500g plain flour (or use self-raising
and no baking powder)
1 tsp baking powder
250g butter, cold, cubed
1 egg
pinch of salt
cold water
Meat filling
2 potatoes, chopped into 1cm
cubes
2 carrots, chopped into small
cubes
500g beef or lamb mince
1 medium onion, sliced finely
vegetable stock cube
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp plain flour
250ml water
salt
sunflower or coconut oil
1 egg, beaten, to glaze the pies
Fisher Foods | 27
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. First prepare the pastry. Put the flour and salt (and
baking powder if using) in a bowl and add the butter.
Mix with your fingers until the mixture resembles
bread crumbs. Add the egg and mix to form a smooth
dough. If it is too dry and not coming together, add a
spoonful of cold water, more if necessary. Take care
not to overwork the pastry. Cover with cling film and
leave in the fridge for half an hour to rest.
3. While the pastry is resting, make the filling. Heat the
oil in a pan and fry the onions for five minutes, then
add the minced meat. Cook until the meat is browned
all over, breaking up the mince with a wooden spoon
as it cooks.
4. Dissolve the stock cube in 125ml of water and add
to the pan with the thyme. Stir and bring to the boil.
Add the carrots and potatoes, cover and simmer
for 25 minutes until the vegetables are cooked. Stir
occasionally during cooking to check it is not catching
on the bottom of the pan. Add some more water if
necessary. Once cooked, take off the heat, season
with salt and pepper and put to one side.
5. To make the pies, take a small ball of pastry (the size
of a clementine) and roll out on a floured surface until
5mm thick. Place two heaped spoonfuls of the mince
mixture in the middle of the pastry circle and fold one
half of the circle over the other to make a semi-circle
shape. Brush the edges to be joined with beaten egg
and press along the edge with a fork to join.
6. Place the pie on a lightly-greased baking tray. Prick
the top with a fork and brush with egg. Repeat until
you have used up all the pastry. You should end up
with about 10 pies.
7. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden. Best
served straight from the oven.
Nigeria
Jolof rice
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
Method
Tomato stew
1. First prepare the tomato stew. Chop the onion, chilli, red pepper and
fresh tomatoes roughly. Put half the onion and one tomato to one side,
and blend the rest of the vegetables until fairly smooth.
1 onion
1 red chilli
1 red pepper
2 fresh tomatoes, plus extra to
garnish
100g tomato puree
sunflower or coconut oil
300g long-grain rice, white or
brown
fresh parsley or coriander,
chopped, to garnish
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan and cook the half onion and
tomato for 10 minutes. Add the blended vegetables and the tomato
puree. Stir well, then simmer covered for 30 minutes.
3. Wash the rice, drain well and add to the tomato sauce with 250ml of
water, stirring to combine well. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the
rice is cooked. Add more water if necessary but take care not to add
too much.
5. Serve in a large dish, garnished with chopped fresh tomato and
parsley or coriander.
Fisher Foods | 29
Sudan
Afaf and Rania
We chose to make tggalia (“tagalia”) and ggorassa – lamb mince stew and pancakes –
because they are probably the most popular dishes in Sudan. They are purely Sudanese
traditional dishes without the Turkish influence that is found in much of Sudanese
food. Sudanese people eat this meal a lot during Ramadan because it is easy to eat.
Lamb mince stew (‘tggalia’)
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
4 tbsp dried onion
500g minced lamb
500g jar of passata (pureed
tomatoes)
800ml chicken or vegetable stock
4 chillies (optional)
1 tbsp butter or ghee
2 tbsp dried okra (see step 1)
sunflower or coconut oil
Method
1. To make your own dried okra, chop two large handfuls of okra, place on
a baking tray and put in the oven for 12 hours at 50°C. They should be
completely dry and crumbly. Alternatively, you can use a dehydrator.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saucepan and add the dried onion. Cook for one
minute until the onion turns dark brown. Add the minced meat and 1 tsp
of salt and brown all over, breaking the meat up as you stir.
3. Add the pureed tomatoes/passata and the stock. Stir well. Add the
chillies, whole, if using. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer,
covered, for 15 minutes.
4. Add the dried okra and cook for a further five minutes. Stir in the butter or
ghee. Check the seasoning. You can either serve the meat sauce like this
or you can blend to make a smoother sauce. Both methods are common
in Sudan. Put to one side while you prepare the pancakes.
5. Serve hot spooned on top of a pancake.
Fisher Foods | 31
Sudanese pancakes (‘ggorassa’)
Serves 4 people
Ingredients
1 tbsp dried yeast
1 tsp salt
500g self-raising flour
700ml water
sunflower or coconut oil
Method
1. Dissolve the yeast in 2-3 tbsp of hot water.
2. Put the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Pour the yeast over the
flour and add the water. Mix well with your hands until the batter is
smooth and runny like cream.
3. Heat 1-2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and rub around
with kitchen towel so the pan is greased all over. Pour enough batter
into the pan so that the bottom of the pan is covered by 1cm of batter.
Spread the batter evenly around with a spoon.
4. Cook for three minutes or until golden underneath then turn over. Cook
for a further five minutes. Remove and place on a plate. Cover with a
tea towel to keep warm while you make the rest of the pancakes.
5. Serve with a pancake on each plate and the hot lamb mince stew
spooned in the middle. Place the extra pancakes on a plate in the
middle of the table.
Uzbekistan
Laziza
Lamb pilau is the most traditional dish in Uzbekistan – and it’s delicious! My family
used to eat this every week back home. This dish was always served if we had guests
over. In Uzbekistan we make it with a special type of black oil called ‘zirih’, which
has a very strong distinctive taste, but it works with ordinary cooking oils too.
Lamb pilau
Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients
60ml sunflower or olive oil (or
‘zirih’ oil)
2 medium onions, sliced
500g lamb or beef steaks
700g carrots, peeled and cut into
sticks
1 head of garlic, whole
1 400g tin chickpeas
1 handful of raisins
700g short-grain or Turkish rice,
washed
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
salt and black pepper
Fisher Foods | 33
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large pan. When hot, add the
steaks and brown for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes until
golden. Remove the meat from the pan with a
slotted spoon and put to one side.
2. Add one-third of the carrots to the onions and put
the browned steaks back on top. Put the rest of the
carrots on top of the meat and pour over 75ml of
water. Place a whole head of garlic on top. Cover
and simmer over a medium heat for 30 minutes.
5. With the handle of a wooden spoon poke holes
through the rice and carrots to allow the steam to
come up from the bottom of the pan.
6. O
nce the water has all evaporated, gently turn
the rice and chickpea layer with a spoon, taking
care not to disturb the carrots. Shape the rice
and chickpeas into a mound on top of the carrots
away from the edges of the pan. Poke a hole in
the middle with the handle of a spoon. Over a
low heat, simmer for a further 15 minutes with
the lid on.
3. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pour into the
pan. Add the raisins (if using), the rice and the
spices.
7. Turn the rice layer again and cook for a further 15
minutes. Taste the rice to see if it is cooked. If it is,
turn the heat off and leave to rest for five minutes
with the lid on.
4. Pour 1 litre of boiling water into the pan through a
slotted spoon to avoid disturbing the layers. Gently
mix the chickpeas, rice, spices and raisins without
disturbing the carrots. Bring to the boil and simmer
until the extra water has gone, about 10-15 minutes.
8. Transfer to a serving dish with the rice and
chickpeas on the bottom, then the carrots. Chop
the steaks and place on top of the carrots. Serve
with the whole garlic head on the side of the dish
so people can help themselves.
The chefs
Asma
Tamsin
Cecilia
Ujala
Bangladesh
Grenada
Britain
India
Fisher Foods | 35
Taban and Sazgar
Iraq
Afaf and Rania
Sudan
Rosaline
Nigeria
Laziza
Uzbekistan
36 | Fisher Foods
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SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets is a vibrant community charity committed to
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