Gathered: Cooking at the Corner

01

Gathered Cooking at the Corner

Gathered

Published by Fotonow CIC publishing@fotonow.org www.fotonow.org All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publishers and copyright owners.

This cook book was the outcome of a project working with participants from Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support; you may not achieve the results desired due to variations in ingredients, cooking temperatures, translation issues, errors or individual cooking skills. Thanks for being flexible in the kitchen and supporting the project.

ISBN: 978-1-908678-20-1 Design by Intercity www.intercitystudio.com Paper by G.F Smith www.gfsmith.com Print by Screaming Colour www.screamingcolour.com

Gathered Cooking at the Corner

01

09

Amy’s Cottage Pie British

Khalid’s Falafel and Mutabbal Levant Region

02

10

Amy’s Vegan Carrot and Lentil Curry British/Indian

Khalid’s Chicken, Rice and Tzatziki Levant Region/Greek

03

11

Emma’s Vegan Lentil Dal British/Indian

Marta’s Salmon or Mushroom Pasta Italian

04

Esther’s Pizza British/Italian 05

Helene’s Swabian Lentils with Spaetzle German 06

Hisham’s Homemade Kebab with Lentil Soup Iraqi 07

Hisham’s Sambosas (Samosas) Iraqi 08

Jury’s Arepas Venezuelan

12

Musakhan’s Flatbreads plus Chicken and Onions with Sumac Levant Region 13

Mzhda’s Marinated Chicken with Bulgar Wheat and Salad Kurdish 14

Rizgar’s Biryani Pakistani 15

Rizgar’s Pasta and Salad Kurdish/Italian 16

Rizgar’s Tepsi Middle East/Iraqi

Sahista’s Chicken Korma Pakistani 18

Saman’s Chicken and Rice Kurdish 19

Simon’s Sudanese Salad with Fava Beans Sudanese 20

Tinyfuris’ Chicken Drumsticks, Rice and Spinach East African 21

TJ’s Aubergine and Boiled Yam with Chicken Gizzards Nigerian 22

TJ’s Fried Plantain and Smoked Turkey Nigerian 23

Yousef’s Chicken and Rice with Mushroom Soup Kurdish

Contents

17

Photo-Food began as a weekly photography session where participants came together to cook, share recipes and learn how to use cameras.

Coming together at Union Corner in Plymouth we cooked, ate together, exchanged stories and learned.

Working with refugees and asylum seekers has brought together a diverse range of food and culture and led to a fascinating project, so much so that it inspired us to make this book.

We hope you enjoy the culinary treats we have gathered for you from around the world!

Introduction

This special recipe book emerged from a creative photography project between Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support and Fotonow CIC.

01

Amy’s Cottage Pie British

A British classic! This is an excellent way of using up leftover meat or vegetables, so feel free to adapt it. The beef can be substituted for soya mince or green lentils to make this vegetarian.

01 Ingredients Serves 8 450g minced beef 2 onions 1 large carrot 1 stick of celery 1 tbsp flour ½ tsp mixed herbs 275ml hot beef stock or vegetable stock 1 tbsp tomato puree 900g potatoes 50g butter A dash of milk Salt and pepper

Method

Start by finely chopping the onions, carrots and celery. In a large pan fry them in a little oil until soft, for about 5 minutes. Next add the minced beef, continuing to cook until the meat is brown, stirring regularly to avoid it sticking. Season with salt and pepper and add the mixed herbs.

Whisk the tomato puree in with the hot stock. Now stir the flour into the vegetables and mince, taking care to break up any lumps. Then add the stock and bring to simmering point.

Let the mixture gently reduce for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, put a large pan of water on to boil with a little salt. Peel then chop the potatoes into evenly sized cubes. Boil the potatoes until cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and return to the pan. Add some butter and a little milk then mash together until soft and creamy.

Transfer the meat mixture into a deep baking dish then top with the mashed potato, using a fork to gently even it out.

Bake for about 25 minutes until the top of the mash has browned a little.

02

Amy’s Vegan Carrot and Lentil Curry British/Indian

This is a simple vegan dish that adapts and scales easily - you could add whatever vegetables are in season.

02 Ingredients Serves 4 4 carrots 1 onion 1 garlic clove 200g of red lentils 1 cube of vegetable stock 500ml of boiling water 1 tbsp of garam masala 1 tsp of medium curry powder 1 tsp of chopped chillies 1 tsp of ground ginger A handful of chopped fresh coriander

Method

Roughly chop up the onion and carrots and add to a large frying pan with a little oil on medium heat. Finely chop the garlic and add to the pan. When the onion and carrots start to soften a little, coat them with the red lentils and stir, being careful to avoid them sticking.

Boil the kettle and add 500ml of hot water to the pan, along with the vegetable stock. Keep stirring well and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the lentils have cooked through.

Add all of the spices, garam masala, curry powder, chopped chillies and ground ginger. If the mixture becomes dry, add more hot water, and keep stirring. Serve with rice and garnish with fresh coriander.

03

Emma’s Vegan Lentil Dal British/Indian

Masoor dal is a really simple, healthy, substantial and cheap meal - an all round winner!

Using red lentils also makes it quicker to put together than dal made from larger split peas.

03 Ingredients Serves 4 For the dal 200g dried red lentils, rinsed and drained 4 cloves of garlic 3 big chunks of fresh ginger Juice of half a lemon 8 fresh plum tomatoes A handful of fresh coriander 1 can of coconut milk 500ml of vegan stock 3 tsp of ground turmeric 1 tsp of garam masala Spring onions Salt and pepper

For the salad Cucumber 2 limes Soya sauce

6 roti, or other flat bread

Method

Gently heat the butter in a large pan and add the grated garlic and ginger with the spices and cook for a few minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Finely dice six of the tomatoes and add to the pan along with the lentils, coconut milk and vegan stock, then stir. Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it catching the bottom of the pan.

Lentils can soak up a lot of liquid and you may find you will need to add a little more water during the cooking process.

You’re aiming for a fairly liquid soup-like consistency when cooked.

For the side salad, dice the other two tomatoes and cucumber, squeeze in the juice of the limes and a splash of soy sauce.

After 25 minutes test the lentils in the dal. They should be soft and thoroughly cooked. If you’ve added more water, check the seasoning and adjust if needed.

Splash the roti or wraps with water, cut into triangles and warm in the oven for 6 minutes on each side until lightly toasted and crispy.

To garnish, finely chop and sprinkle the spring onions on the dal and serve with wraps and salad.

04

Esther’s Pizza British/Italian

We used vegetarian toppings in this recipe, but feel free to experiment. Mozzarella is a must if you want stringy melted cheese, but we added some grated cheddar for flavour. Alternatively, you could use goats cheese.

Ingredients Makes 8 large pizzas For the dough

For the sauce

Toppings

1 kg strong white bread flour

4 red onions

Mozzarella

4 cloves garlic

Cheddar, or other other cheeses

1 tbsp sea salt 2 x 7g sachets of dried yeast 1 tbsp of caster sugar 1 tbsp of olive oil 650ml (approx.) warm water

2 tsp dried basil 2 tsp dried oregano 2 tins peeled plum tomatoes 3 tbsp tomato puree 1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar 1½ tsp of sugar 1 tsp of salt 1 tsp of cracked black pepper 3 tbsp olive oil

Mushrooms Pepperami

04 Method

Start by making the pizza dough. Mix the salt, sugar, olive oil and yeast into the 650ml of warm water, stir and allow the dry ingredients to dissolve. Put flour onto clean surface and make pile with a well in the middle. Pour a little water into the well and fold flour into it. Reshape the well and add more water, repeat until all the water is incorporated.

The longer you can leave the sauce to simmer the better and more rounded the flavour will be. The sauce must be reduced to a thick paste; if it’s too liquid it will affect the pizza’s ability to rise. When the sauce is well reduced, either mash with a potato masher in the saucepan, or for a smoother sauce use a hand blender or food processor.

Now you will have quite a sticky ball of dough, continue to knead the dough, dusting the surface with a little flour if need be. Knead the dough for a good 10 minutes until your ball is springy and bounces back when you poke it. Place the dough into a large bowl and dust with a little flour to stop it sticking. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the ball has doubled in size.

Now preheat your oven to 250°C.

Whilst the dough proves, prepare the tomato sauce by finely chopping and frying the onions and garlic slowly in olive oil until soft.

Add in the herbs and black pepper and gently cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Pour the two tins of tomatoes and break up with a wooden spoon, rinse the tins with a little water and add this to the pan. Then add the tomato puree, sugar and salt. Stir well and continue to crush the larger bits of tomatoes as they soften. Add in a splash of balsamic vinegar to taste.

Once the pizza dough has expanded, take it back out of the bowl and divide into 8 even balls on a well flour-dusted surface. Using a rolling pin roll each dough ball out into a circle, turning and dusting when needed so it doesn’t stick and remains a circle shape.

Keep rolling until the dough is about half a centimetre thick.

Depending on how big the pizza base is after rolling, you could place the pizza bases on a baking tray or use tin foil if they are too big for a tray! Next use a ladle to spoon on the sauce and spread in a circular motion. Add your other toppings to the pizza and place in the oven for 7-10 minutes until the dough is crispy.

05

“I’m German, more specifically from a small village near Stuttgart. My dish is something typically Swabian, originally it’s called Linsen mit Spätzle, in English—lentils with noodles.

My grandmother cooks this recipe a lot, so it’s a part of my childhood. Greetings and love from Germany!”

Helene’s Swabian Lentils with Spaetzle German

The cuisine of Swabia in southern Germany is based around down-to-earth homely cooking. Spaetzle are the traditional egg noodles of the region, but you could substitute fusilli pasta. This is a simple, satisfying store cupboard meal; ideal on a colder winter evening!

05 Ingredients Serves 2 300g brown lentils 40g butter 40g flour 200g of spaetzle noodles 1 onion Vegetable stock Salt 1 bay leaf 1 tbsp vinegar

Method

Put the lentils in a large saucepan and cook in salted water until soft, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Finely chop the onion and fry in butter on a medium heat until the onion is translucent and lightly browned. Then weigh the flour and add to the pan, mixing with a whisk and cook until the flour is also lightly browned.

Add a little of the lentil water to the flour and mix carefully with a whisk until it is fully mixed and there are no lumps.

Add the lentils and their water into the saucepan with the flour and mix all together. Add salt, bay leaf, vinegar and vegetable stock according to taste.

Meanwhile, boil a large pan of water ready to cook the spaetzle noodles or pasta.

Cook the noodles for 10 minutes or until al dente. Let the lentil mix cook on low heat to allow the flavours to develop whilst the noodles are boiling. Add more vinegar and salt if needed.

Drain the noodles and serve with the lentils, add cheese if you like!

06

Hisham’s Homemade Kebab with Lentil Soup Iraqi

You can make this healthier by using lower fat, lean mince.

The lentil soup provides a really simple staple dish.

“This allowed me to learn and improve my skills in photography. I have also enjoyed eating food from different countries alongside learning how to cook some of them.”

06 Ingredients Serves 2 For the kebab 250g minced beef 1 onion ½ bunch of parsley 1 handful of coriander 1 lettuce 1 large tomato 1 tsp turmeric Salt ½ cup of flour Vegetable oil about 1 inch deep in a frying pan 1 tortilla wrap per person (if you can get Iraqi flatbread use this instead for a more authentic kebab)

For the lentil soup 1 cup of red lentils 1 handful of short vermicelli pasta Pinch of salt 1 tsp turmeric Water A handful of fresh parsley

Method

Dice the onion, parsley, tomato, lettuce and coriander finely and add to the minced beef in a large bowl. Add spices and salt. Add the flour to the mixture and mix well with clean hands.

Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Whilst the kebab mixture is resting, start the soup by rinsing the lentils, then drain and put them into a deep pan. Add water until it completely covers the lentils. Add a pinch of salt and the turmeric. Let the lentils boil until soft, roughly 10 minutes. Add more water if needed and stir occasionally.

Add the vermicelli to the soup just before turning off the heat, leave to simmer for 5 minutes for the pasta to cook through. Set the soup aside.

Preheat the oven to about 100°C. Next separate the kebab mixture into small flat circles and shallow fry with oil in a frying pan. The meat should be just covered by the oil.

Meanwhile, warm the wraps/bread for 2-3 minutes in the oven. Reheat the soup if needed.

When the meat patties are cooked and crispy take them out of the oil and serve wrapped in warmed tortilla wraps/Iraqi bread.

Serve the soup in a bowl and sprinkle chopped parsley on top.

07

“We like to eat them at home or we buy it from the takeaway because they are not expensive and taste delicious.

Enjoy the sambosa!”

Hisham’s Sambosas (Samosas) Iraqi

Indian style samosas are well known in the UK, but these pastry packages also have roots in the cuisines of Africa and the Middle East, where they’re known as ‘sambosas’.

It’s worth making a big batch as they keep well in the fridge and are a great snack. We recommend serving with a cold can of cola, as they do in Iraq!

07 Ingredients Makes 30 sambosas For the sambosas 1 large leek 2 hot green chillies 500g of dried mung beans 1 pack sambosa pastry leaves Salt and pepper Sunflower oil

For the salad 3 large tomatoes 1 iceberg lettuce Half a cucumber 1 bunch of spring onions

1 wrap per person (or Iraqi flatbread if available) 1 can of cola per person - chilled!

Method

Rinse then boil the mung beans in water with a pinch of salt over a medium heat until the beans are soft, about 20-30 minutes. Once the beans are cooked, drain and set aside.

While the mung beans are boiling, chop and fry the leeks and spring onions in oil gently until softened then add in the finely chopped chillies.

Once the leeks are soft, add the mung beans into the pan slowly and combine.

Continue frying for a further 5 minutes and as everything softens, slightly crush the beans. Then set the mixture aside.

On a board lay out the sambosa pastry.

If using rectangular pastry, place the pastry sheet on a surface with the longer side parallel to you. Take the bottom right corner and fold it diagonally to beyond the top centre, so there is an overlap at the top, creating a “flap”. Repeat this fold from the bottom left to the top, making a triangle.

You should now have a triangle with two ‘flaps’ at the top. Then turn the sheet over.

Add the mung bean filling, then fold the flaps over and seal with a little water.

Once all sambosas are filled, check they are well sealed and shallow fry in the oil until the pastry is crispy.

Dice tomatoes, lettuce and cucumber, combine in a large bowl to create a salad.

Fill the wraps with about three sambosas and some salad and roll.

08

“Since I was little I ate arepas, it was part of our diet almost daily. I know from history that it was created by our indigenous people hundreds of years ago.

I remember that I liked to see my mother make the balls of dough and put them in the pan.

When I was about six years old my mother started to let me help her sometimes. I loved it, I laughed and jumped with happiness because I was able to make them. I continue this tradition even now far from my country, arepas remind me of my family and my friends.

Arepas is a tradition full of love.

It’s home, it’s love on a plate.”

Jury’s Arepas Venezuelan

Arepas are unleavened maize patties. The traditional preparation of maize meal is very labor-intensive so for this recipe we are using pre-cooked. The Harina P.A.N. brand areparina is used in Venezuela but you could substitute polenta flour, though the texture is not the same.

08 Ingredients Makes 4-6 arepas For the arepas 500ml of water 1 tsp of salt 200g pre-cooked white maize meal 1 tsp corn oil/ vegetable oil

Fillings Cheese, ham, egg, beans, chicken, beef, tuna, your imagination is the limit!

Method

In a medium bowl add water and salt.

Mix until the salt is dissolved. Slowly add the maize flour and mix with your hands, making circular movements and breaking the lumps that may form with your fingers.

Let it rest for 5 minutes to thicken.

Preheat a non-stick, 11-inch griddle or frying pan over medium heat. After 5 minutes add the oil to the dough and work it in with your hands for 2 minutes.

The dough should be firm enough to hold its shape without cracking when moulded. If it is too soft add a little more maize flour; if too hard add more water.

Form balls and flatten them gently until they’re about 1/2-inch thick discs.

Place the discs on the preheated griddle and cook the arepas for 5-7 minutes on each side or until lightly golden brown.

Split each arepa in half and fill them with whatever you like! It is common to spread butter inside the arepa before filling. Totally optional but highly recommended! Serve hot.

09

“Falafel is popular and simple dish for which the countries of the Levant are famed for.

It is an easy dish to prepare that is favoured and served in most Arabic restaurants and households in the region. The ingredients are both cheap and readily available.�

Khalid’s Falafel and Mutabbal Levant Region

This falafel recipe uses dried chickpeas which you will need to soak the night before.

Mutabbal is a very popular aubergine dip and excellent alternative to hummus.

09 Ingredients Makes 12 falafel For the falafel 500g dried chickpeas 1 medium onion 3-4 garlic cloves 1 handful of parsley 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda Salt and pepper to taste Vegetable oil

For the mutabbal 2 aubergines 3-4 garlic cloves 200g tahini 2 lemons Chopped parsley Tomatoes Olive oil

Naan bread Âź per person

Method

Place the chickpeas in cold water for about 12 hours, or overnight to soak.

To make the dip, put the whole aubergines under the grill and cook until they are soft. Let them cool a little then peel and discard the skin. Cut the flesh up into small chunks.

Combine the tahini, lemon juice and well crushed garlic in a bowl with the aubergine. Finally, add the decorative toppings. These are chopped tomatoes, chopped parsley and a generous glug of olive oil.

To make the falafel start by roughly chopping the onion into quarters. Peel the garlic cloves and roughly chop the parsley. Drain the chickpeas and add them to a food blender with the onion, garlic and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste then blend it all together to make a paste. Add the bicarbonate of soda and give the mixture a final whiz.

When you’re ready to cook, heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan until very hot.

Make small (5-6cm) balls with the falafel mixture - you could use an ice cream scoop if you like. Carefully add the falafel balls and cook until golden brown.

Serve with naan bread.

10

Khalid’s Chicken, Rice and Tzatziki Levant Region/ Greek

Chicken and rice is great comfort food! You can easily swap in different vegetables if you like.

“I like meeting people and enjoy the food they cook; from South America, Africa and Asia. I have learned to take photographs, probably I’ll cook my own dish and everybody will help me. As an asylum seeker I get confidence and support here, before these sessions I felt quite low.”

10 Ingredients Serves 8 For the chicken 8 chicken drumsticks 3 garlic cloves 1 onion ½ green pepper ½ red pepper 1 green chilli 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp of curry powder Vegetable oil

For the tzatziki 450g greek yoghurt 1 garlic clove 1 bunch of fresh mint leaves ½ a cucumber Salt to taste

600g white rice

Method

Finely chop the onion, green and red peppers. Crush the three cloves of garlic.

Heat a little oil in a large deep pan. Add the vegetables, black pepper and curry powder and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the chicken drumsticks to the pan and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add enough hot water to the pan so that it covers the ingredients. Leave the mixture to simmer for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the tzatziki by crushing one clove of garlic and mixing it with the yoghurt.

Next, finely dice the cucumber into tiny cubes and add to the yoghurt along with the finely chopped mint. Add salt to taste.

Rinse the rice under cold water to remove the starch, then add to a large pan with double the amount of water.

Boil for 10 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pan and bake it in the oven for 10 minutes or until the chicken is gold and crispy. Set aside the remaining vegetable mixture.

Drain the rice and mix it with the vegetables. Serve the rice and chicken together, with tzatziki on the side.

11

Marta’s Salmon or Mushroom Pasta Italian

This rich, simple recipe can easily be adapted. There’s a vegetarian version with mushrooms, or swap in salmon instead. To keep this a quick meal, we’ve suggested serving pre-prepared garlic bread - though it’s simple to make your own.

11 Ingredients Serves 6-8 500g penne pasta 300g of mushrooms or smoked salmon slices 2 red onions 200ml of double cream 3 cloves of garlic 1 tbsp olive oil Knob of butter Salt and pepper

Garlic bread to serve

Method

Preheat the oven and prepare the garlic bread as per the instructions on the pack.

Place pasta in a large pan of boiling water with a little salt and set to boil until the pasta is al dente, usually about 8 minutes.

Finely chop the onions. Melt the butter with olive oil in a large pan and add the onions, frying them until they are softened.

Chop the salmon or mushrooms into small pieces and add to the onions along with the crushed and finely chopped garlic. Add a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper.

Let the onions and salmon/mushrooms cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, then slowly add the cream to make a sauce.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to the pan to combine with the sauce.

Serve with garlic bread.

12

Musakhan’s Flatbreads plus Chicken and Onions with Sumac Levant Region

This slow-cooking aromatic recipe takes some time to prepare, but is totally worth it! Sumac provides a tangy flavour which gives an extra depth to the dish.

12 Ingredients Serves 6-8 1 whole chicken, quartered 1-2 cinnamon sticks 5 cardamom pods 3 tbsp cumac 1 tsp whole black peppercorns Salt to taste 4 onions 1 bay leaf Flat bread or plain naan (1 per person) Olive oil 1 tbsp sumac

Method

Start by preparing the chicken. Firstly, place the quartered chicken, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, and 1 tsp of salt in a large pot, cover with water and bring to boil. Boil for 1-1½ hours, until very soft and tender. If foamy scum forms on top of the water during cooking, you can scoop this out.

While the chicken is boiling, chop three white onions and gently fry in olive oil.

Cover and let soften for about 20 minutes.

Add ½ tsp of salt and around 3 tbsp of sumac, you can be generous with this if you like! Cover and continue to cook for a further 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom. Cook until the onions are very soft and have turned pink from the sumac.

Once the chicken is cooked, reserve at least a cup full of the cooking water, drain the rest and let the chicken cool. When the chicken has cooled down, remove the bones and shred it with a fork. Mix the fried pink onions with the chicken and drizzle some olive oil to the mixture - it should be tangy, soft, and moist but not too wet. Add some more cooking water, salt, sumac and oil if needed.

Meanwhile, lay the breads on a tray, cut slits in them, dust with sumac and brush with stock. Pop them in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 200°C until warm through. Wrap a big spoonful of the chicken in tortilla bread and serve.

13

Mzhda’s Marinated Chicken with Bulgar Wheat and Salad Kurdish

Another chicken recipe, this time with an overnight marinade to enhance the flavour.

“I get to socialise with people from different countries who speak different languages.

The project has helped me, every Monday I come in here and enjoy seeing new friends that I meet and the skills I learn. I feel happy.”

13 Ingredients Serves 4 For the chicken and marinade 500g diced chicken breast 1 tsp ginger 1 onion 2 cloves of garlic 2 tsp turmeric 2 tsp curry powder 2 tsp coriander 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 2 tbsp oil Juice of 1 lemon

For the salad ½ an aubergine 1 onion 200g tomatoes 1 iceberg lettuce 1 pepper (any color) ½ cucumber A handful of coriander 5 tbsp ketchup 5 tbsp brown sauce

For the bulgur wheat 300g bulgur wheat 3 tbsp tomato puree 500ml water 1 tsp salt 2 tbsp of oil

Method

Make the marinade the night before.

Finely chop the onions, crush the garlic and grate the ginger. Add these and the spices to the diced chicken, making sure to spread the marinade evenly over the chicken. Cover and leave the chicken in the fridge overnight.

The next day preheat the oven to 200°C. Roast the marinated chicken on a tray for about 20 minutes until cooked.

To prepare the bulgar wheat rinse it under cold water then place in a saucepan along with the tomato puree, oil and salt. Cover the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes until cooked, all the water should be absorbed by the wheat.

Meanwhile, dice the aubergine and fry in a little oil until cooked.

For the salad, finely chop the onions, dice the tomatoes, cucumber and pepper. Shred the lettuce and mix all together in a big bowl. Add in the fried aubergine. Make a simple dressing by blending the ketchup and brown sauce and mixing into the salad.

Once the chicken is cooked serve with the bulgar wheat and the salad on the side.

14

Rizgar’s Biryani Pakistani

This biryani uses thin vermicelli pasta as well as rice.

“It’s an opportunity for people like us, to learn to take pictures. Sometimes, we are destitute and vulnerable and the people running these sessions are really helpful, you can come and get advice. In my opinion this is a very important project - we always meet new people in this session and it teaches us a lot. I came to Plymouth and I haven’t any family so this is an improvement for me, integration.”

14 Ingredients Serves 8 For the biryani 1 carrot 4 potatoes 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas A handful of raisins A handful of skinless almonds 500g diced lamb or chicken breast 350g of white rice 250g of vermicelli pasta 1 tbsp turmeric 1 tbsp curry powder 1 tbsp mixed spice A pinch of salt Olive oil

For the salad 1 large lettuce 5 large tomatoes 1 cucumber 15 small radishes 3 salad onions Juice of a lemon

Method

Put the rice in double the volume of water, add a pinch of salt and once it has come to simmer cook for 8 minutes.

Peel the carrots and potatoes and dice into small cubes.

Fry the almonds on medium heat in a little olive oil, then add the raisins and stir. Add the carrots, potatoes and chickpeas and fry for a couple of minutes.

Next, add the chicken and the spices.

Keep stirring until the meat is cooked through, and the vegetables become soft.

Once the rice and vermicelli are cooked but still al dente drain and rinse with cold water, then add them to the vegetables and meat.

Break up the vermicelli into small pieces, then add to the pan with a small amount of boiling water. Simmer at a low temperature with a lid on for about 20 minutes, or until the liquid has absorbed and the vermicelli and chicken are cooked. Make sure to keep stirring regularly, so the mixture does not catch on the pan.

Make up the salad whilst the biryani is cooking. Shred the lettuce then chop the tomatoes, cucumber and the salad onions. Combine them all with the lemon juice and set aside.

Serve the biryani with the side salad.

15

Rizgar’s Pasta and Salad Kurdish/Italian

The aubergine can soak up a lot of oil and it’s tempting to keep adding oil when you fry it.

If you dry the chopped aubergine with some paper towel before cooking that will help reduce the amount of oil it absorbs.

15 Ingredients Serves 6 For the sauce 2 onions 1 large red pepper 1 aubergine 250g mushrooms 1 large potato 1 tin of plum tomatoes 1 tbsp tomato puree 500g penne pasta 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp salt Olive oil

For the salad ½ cucumber ½ jar of olives 1 iceberg lettuce 3 large tomatoes

Method

Chop the aubergine, red peppers, onions, mushrooms and potatoes to a similar size and fry all the vegetables in a pan with a good dash of olive oil. Once the vegetables start to soften slightly add the tinned tomatoes and the puree and stir well. Add the turmeric and season with salt and pepper. Let the sauce simmer gently, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat a saucepan of hot water and salt and add the pasta once at a steady boil. Cook until al dente - cooked but still firm, usually about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce and olives for the salad, mix well in a large bowl then set aside.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and mix in with the sauce. Serve it along with the salad.

16

“I think the photography group shows me the best from people, English culture. Because for me this is the first time I meet people from this country. They are making refugees happy, learning new things - like how you can take photographs. I am remembering things I work with before in my country and learn new words in English. Here I can be happy.”

Rizgar’s Tepsi Middle East/ Iraqi

Tepsi is a nourishing traditional aubergine casserole dish from Iraq. This is a vegetarian version.

16 Ingredients Serves 4-6

Method

2 onions

Wash, peel and chop up all of the vegetables, cutting them into similarly sized shapes. Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the vegetables separately.

Fry the onions until soft then set aside.

Next individually fry the aubergines, courgettes and peppers, leaving the potatoes until last.

4 large potatoes 2 aubergines 2 courgettes 2 green peppers 2 large tomatoes or a can of chopped tomatoes 2 cloves of garlic A handful of parsley ½ tsp of dried ginger ½ tsp of cinnamon ½ tsp turmeric Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 180°C

Once all the vegetables have been fried, add them all to a large oven safe pan or casserole dish, along with the tomatoes, crushed garlic, spices and seasoning. Sprinkle with parsley.

If the mixture looks a little dry add a splash of water.

Bake the contents in the oven for 30 minutes.

Serve with fresh bread.

17

Sahista’s Chicken Korma Pakistani

Many British korma recipes use coconut milk, but authentic kormas are made with a mix of yogurt and ground almonds. Kewra water is a subtle fragrant plant extract that can be found in most international supermarkets.

17 Ingredients Serves 4-6 500g diced chicken breast 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 large white onions 5 cloves garlic 2 tbsp korma spice mix 1 tsp turmeric 1 bunch of coriander 1 inch piece of fresh ginger 2 tins of chopped tomatoes 4-6 tbsp of grounded almond 4 tbsp plain yoghurt 2 tbsp kewra water 75g rice per person

Naan bread

Method

Roughly dice the onions and crush the garlic. Gently fry them in a large pan with a good dash of oil until golden and soft, being careful not to burn the garlic. Place the onions and garlic into a blender with the yoghurt and whizz until smooth, place to one side.

Add the diced chicken, korma spice mix, turmeric, coriander and ginger to the pan with some more oil and fry until the meat and spices are cooked and infused.

Next, add the chopped tomatoes and stir well, continuing to cook on medium heat. Finally add the yoghurt and onion puree to the meat and tomato mix, stirring through well to avoid it catching. Simmer gently for 20 – 30 minutes on a low heat to avoid the yoghurt curdling.

Finally, stir in the ground almonds and kewra water.

Serve with boiled rice and/or warmed naan bread.

18

“I’ve learnt how to take pictures, how to use camera and I have learned how to cook! Now I can be healthier and eat new kinds of food.”

Saman’s Chicken and Rice Kurdish

This is a spicy ovenroasted chicken dish.

18 Ingredients Serves 4-6

Method

1 whole chicken

Dice two of the onions then fry in a very large pan (you’ll be adding the chicken whole!) until soft. Add the turmeric and black pepper to the onions and mix well.

2 courgettes 3 onions 4 thin green chilli peppers 1 aubergine 3 tomatoes 1 can of chickpeas ½ tsp of mixed herbs 1 tbsp of black pepper 2 tsp of turmeric powder 4 tbsp oil 300g basmati rice

Preheat the oven to 200°C

Add the chicken and simmer for 10-15 minutes until outer is seared. Add the chickpeas and mixed herbs and fry a little longer.

Whilst the chicken is cooking, chop the courgettes, the remaining onion, aubergine and tomatoes and place in a baking tray. Drizzle with oil and a ¼ cup of water. Add the diced chilli peppers.

Add the chicken mix to the vegetable baking tray and bake at 200°C for 1 hour 15 minutes. Check regularly to make sure the chicken is cooked, and the vegetables are soft.

After the chicken has been cooking for about an hour, rinse then cook the rice for 10-12 minutes in its volume of water with a little salt.

19

Simon’s Sudanese Salad with Fava Beans Sudanese

This is a really filling bean dish. Fava is another name for broad beans. Canned fava beans can be found in most international supermarkets, or in the summer you can use local fresh broad beans instead - blanch fresh beans for five minutes before using them.

19 Ingredients Serves 4 For the salad 3 large tomatoes 1 cucumber 2 avocados 1 lemon

For the beans 1 large onion 4 cloves of garlic 3 x 400g tins of fava beans (or 600g of fresh broad beans) 3 eggs Grated cheese

Method

Dice the avocado, tomatoes, cucumber and mix in a large bowl, squeeze the lemon juice over the salad and set it aside.

Finely chop the onion and the garlic.

Fry the onion gently and once softened add all the fava beans, cook for a couple of minutes then add the garlic.

Continue to cook until the beans are heated through and have become a little mushy, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the eggs in a small pan and boil for about 10 minutes until they are hard-boiled. Cool the eggs a little under cold water then shell them.

Place the bean mix on a platter, grate the eggs over the beans and sprinkle with cheese and serve it with the salad.

20

Tinyfuris’ Chicken Drumsticks, Rice and Spinach East African “I love the integration of different cultures within this project - photography and food is a perfect combination.”

20 Ingredients Serves 4 8 chicken drumsticks 1 carrot 2 potatoes 2 onions 4 large tomatoes 1 red pepper 400g frozen spinach 1 tbsp tomato purĂŠe 1 tbsp turmeric 1 tbsp ground nutmeg 1 tbsp chicken stock powder 1 tbsp chicken spices Salt and pepper to taste 300g of basmati rice

2 naan bread half per person

Method

Chop the onions, carrots, peppers and tomatoes into chunks.

Fry the onions in oil until softened.

Add the tomatoes along with half of the spices and continue to fry gently until cooked through.

Meanwhile, soak the frozen spinach in warm water and when defrosted squeeze out excess water. Add the spinach to the onion and tomatoes, stir through then set aside.

Place chicken drumsticks into a separate large pan with the rest of the spices and seasoning, carrots, onions, peppers and potatoes, and mix well.

Add boiling water to the chicken and boil until everything is cooked through.

Then add tomato puree to chicken.

Cook until the chicken is cooked through, and vegetables are softened nicely. This should be about 25 minutes.

Rinse the rice under cold water then place in a pan with a pinch of salt and enough water to cover it. Simmer the rice for about 10 minutes. Place the naan bread in the oven to warm through.

Serve everything together.

21

“It was one of my favourite dishes growing up like your classic ‘roast dinner’. I remember picking the ripe aubergine from the little vegetable patch at the back of my house.

We would have this meal on a Saturday for tea with the whole family sat around the table.”

TJ’s Aubergine and Boiled Yam with Chicken Gizzards Nigerian

Gizzards are popular in cuisines around the world, but are an often wasted byproduct in the UK. Because grit can be present in gizzards it’s important for them to be cleaned before cooking.

Boiling the aubergine has the advantage of it not soaking up a lot of oil, as it is prone to do when roasted or fried.

21 Ingredients Serves 6 2 red onions 1 bag spinach 2 green peppers 1 yam 2 aubergine 500g of chicken gizzards 1 can of chopped tomatoes 4 cloves of garlic

Method

Chop the yam into slices, then in half and place into a large pan. Next, chop off the tops of the aubergine and place them whole into the pan with the yam. Add enough water to cover the yam and aubergine, add a pinch of salt and sugar to the pan and boil for 2 minutes. Set the pan aside and leave the yam and aubergine in the water they should continue to gently cook in the residual heat.

1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Salt and pepper to taste

Meanwhile, dice onions and green pepper and crush the garlic. Place the chicken gizzards into a baking tray, add the crushed garlic and season with salt and pepper. Place the tray into the oven for half an hour.

1 tsp sugar 200ml vegetable stock

Place chopped onions and peppers into another pan and fry gently in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add in tinned tomatoes, continue to cook for 10 minutes, then add vegetable stock. Cook slowly until the stock has reduced down.

Remove the aubergines and yam from the water, put the yam to one side then mash the aubergine. Combine the mashed aubergine with the tomato sauce.

Rinse then add the spinach and continue to cook gently until the spinach has wilted. Add the yam to the sauce, then serve with gizzards.

22

TJ’s Fried Plantain and Smoked Turkey Nigerian

Plantains are not commonly used in the UK but are a really popular ingredient in Nigeria.

They’re available in most international supermarkets, but do make sure to buy plantain not bananas! You’re looking for the plantain to be ripe but still firm.

22 Ingredients Serves 6

Method

For the plantain and turkey

Place the pieces of turkey on an oven tray in the middle of the oven and roast for 40-45 minutes. Check the turkey pieces after 20 minutes and turn over.

4 plantain 140ml of vegetable oil 1kg bag of frozen smoked turkey

For the salad Tomato Cucumber Juice of a lemon

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Meanwhile, peel the plantain then cut into 2 cm diagonal slices. Heat the oil in a large frying pan to a medium heat and once the oil is ready, usually about 3 minutes, shallow fry the sliced plantain pieces.

Turn over each piece once colour turns golden and do the same for the other side. Remove the plantain from the pan once it is golden brown and crispy, then place on some kitchen roll to absorb the excess oil.

When the turkey is cooked, serve together with the plantain.

Serve with salad. Would taste great with Venezuelan Arepas (see Jury’s Arepas recipe).

23

Yousef ’s Chicken and Rice with Mushroom Soup Kurdish

Barberries are sour little red berries used in lots of middle eastern cooking. You can usually find them in international supermarkets. Together with the saffron they make beautifully colourful rice.

23 Ingredients Serves 6 For the chicken 500g chicken breast pieces 1 cabbage 2 onions 2 cloves of garlic 1 lemon 400g of mushrooms 4 carrots 4 potatoes 1 inch piece of fresh turmeric 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp hot curry powder

For the coloured rice Basmati rice 75g per person - cook and seperate into 3 equal amounts (for colouring) Red: 50g dried barberries Yellow: 1 tbsp saffron

For the salad Tomato Cucumber Lettuce Juice of a lemon

Method

Mash up the turmeric into small pieces, add some water and put in the fridge for 1 hour.

Shred the cabbage and finely chop the onions. Add the soaked turmeric, black pepper, onions, garlic, chilli powder and hot curry powder to a large pan with oil and cook for 3 minutes. Next add the chicken, cabbage and juice of the lemon. Add boiling water and cook gently until chicken is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Now slice the mushrooms, finely chop the carrots and dice the potato into cubes. Fry them all together in a separate pan in a little oil until soft and then add to the soup pan.

Boil the rice in double the volume of water for 15 minutes. When it is cooked place into a large bowl. Whilst the rice cooks, make the salad by shredding the lettuce, dicing the tomatoes and cucumber and dressing with lemon juice.

When the chicken is cooked remove it and set aside to keep warm. Stir in a tablespoon of tomato puree.

To colour the rice, wash the barberries and add a small amount of oil to a frying pan and fry for 1 minute. Mix the barberries with a third of the cooked rice. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl mix the saffron with another third of the rice until it picks up the yellow colour.

Once complete, arrange the red, yellow and white rice on a serving plate.

Amy Griffin Fotonow Project Lead

I feel so honoured and privileged to have been involved in running this amazing participatory photography and food project alongside Esther Scali and all of the other wonderful DCRS and Fotonow volunteers. What fun we have all had! I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who taught us a delicious recipe along the way. Collectively we have all learnt so much (from cooking, photography and even a little bit of dancing!) and I will always look back at this book with an enormous amount of pride for what we have all achieved.

Esther Scali Fotonow Community Arts Practitioner

I am a lover of food and its ability to bring people together which has made this project possibly the most rewarding thing I have ever been involved in. The love and appreciation of participants has truly shown me that this kind of project provides a place in which people in difficult circumstances can come together, make new friends, learn, and most importantly integrate into the city without the barriers.

Suvi Rehell DCRS Activities and Wellbeing Coordinator

Photo-Food has been an absolute privilege to be part of. In many ways it stands as a model for what makes an effective and successful activity: easy to access and it allows for people to take part in a variety of ways, enables people to learn new useful skills thus making it well worth everyone’s time, it is a relaxed social event which brings people to work together, facilitated by skilled and caring individuals, oh, and it involves food – and sharing a meal is never a bad idea.

Pauline Winants Fotonow Marketing Intern

This book is the success of a few human beings that gets together every week to share their stories, their knowledge and their good mood and all that through cooking!

This is beyond nationalities, religion, and all the characteristics that drift us apart!

I feel blessed and proud to have been a part of that project full of joy and discoveries.

Team

Crowd that funded the project

Amy Griffin Esther Scali Suvi Rehell Helene Schweizer Marta Chironi Pauline Winants Emma Winslet

James Taylor Alison Pedlar Imogen Wood Louis Lucy Barbour Alison Thorpe Fred Stallard Jemma Knowles Oliver Cook Vivian Scott Jilly Hemmings Ewan O’Sullivan H Poad Pat Mee G Poad Gill Godfrey Diana Bale Clare Shearman Esther Pat Hill Jenny Strang Anne Clarke Plymouth City Council Esther Alan Qualtrough Ian Gasper Waleed Salih Arnold and Jane Melhuish Alex Estrella Gretchen James Ellwood Rupert Blomfield Emma Wright Barbara Kate Kirkwood Lauren Greville Heather Sabel Val Foot Ann Gude Laura Kelly Hannah Sloggett Rachel Hall

Organisations Devon and Cornwall Refugee Support Fotonow CIC Plymouth City Council Aviva Community Fund Union Corner

Participants Hisham Jury Saber Benny Chico Khaled Osman Rizgar Sarmand Surbeer TJ Mahdi Frman Aram Saman Abdou Mr Kool Fred Shaista Avin Layla Mzhda Yousef

Lisa Chakhmoukhametov Hannah Williams Heather French Gemma Ward Bethany Hodnett Lizzy Orcutt David White Rishi Bates Saf T Ben Perry Lesley Flowers Julie Griffin Stacey Rees Mark Harris Gideon Mendel Jean Milner Prue O’Sullivan Susan Turner Wendy Hart Michele Kiernan Hannah Griffin Steph Smith Heather Didcote Penny Smith Louisa Goldsmith Alison Ruth Mcmillan Rachida Azaitraoui Omar Elseedawy James Ryan Monika Fischbein Janice McLaren Faye West Khalil Madbak Penny Tarrant Lia Krochmal Ann Gude Martin Zaple Hilary Phillips Kolinsky Dictynna Hood

01 “This allowed me to learn and improve my skills in photography. I have also enjoyed eating food from different countries alongside learning how to cook some of them.�