Our Food Our Place

Our Food, Our Place This recipe book was produced by participants of Our Food, Our Place, a virtual engagement programme led by the Making the Future team at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) in April 2021.

Our Food, Our Place brought together 11 participants from minority ethnic and religious backgrounds to share their stories of migration and life in Northern Ireland.

Over the course of five weeks, the group shared family stories, recipes and music and took part in a cooking demo with chef Ellie Kisyombe (Our Table Dublin).

In this recipe book you will find delicious recipes from around the world, a music playlist, and the participants’ life stories and treasured objects. Happy cooking!

Making the Future Facilitators Laura Aguiar, Community Engagement Officer & Creative Producer Lynsey Gillespie, Curator

Recipe Book Design and Illustration Irene de la Mora

Recipe Book Revision Dana Combs Leigh

Thanks also to our PRONI colleagues Lorraine Bourke and Jacob McCreath and Stephen Millar (National Museums NI) for their support during the programme.

Making the Future is a project supported by the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). www.makingthefuture.eu

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) An Archive for Everyone

The story of Northern Ireland is not just a story of any one community, it is a shared story made up of the experiences of every individual that calls this place home.

PRONI serves as the official archive of Northern Ireland, caring for 3.5 million historical records that tell the story of our people and our place.

PRONI’s collections are wide and diverse, including records from official and local government, local businesses, landed estates, clubs and societies, charities, and individuals and families.

However, some communities, such as minority ethnic and minority religious communities, are under-represented in our archives. Through the 100 Shared Stories strand of the Making the Future project and particularly through Our Food, Our Place, we hope to continue to diversify the collections held in PRONI. Our archives must be representative of every community in Northern Ireland and reflect as many lives and viewpoints as possible, so researchers of the future know who we were, what we did and how we felt.

We thank these participants for engaging with us, sharing their recipes and stories, and helping us to build a more inclusive archive.

Laura Aguiar & Lynsey Gillespie

TABLE OF CONTENTS Pav Bhaji

6

Sauerkraut

10

Bhindi Bhaji

14

Chicken Soup

18

Lokshen Kugel

20

Avial

24

Laghmon

28

Chak-Chak (Silk Route Sweets)

30

Chicken Manchurian

34

Poda Pitha

36

Samosa

38

Moqueca de Camarão

42

Sour Pickled Gherkin Soup

46

Tort Makowy (Poppy Seed Cake)

48

Tandoori Chicken

52

Tandoori Paneer Tikka

54

Pindi Choley/Channa

56

Naan Bread

58

Ghormeh Sabzi

62

Colcano (Colcannon)

66

Indian Fish Curry

70

Gooseberry Sweet Pickle

72

Crisp Sandwich

76

Home Treasures

80

Pav Bhaji WESTERN INDIA | DEEPIKA GUPTA

Pav bhaji is a street food dish consisting of a thick vegetable curry (bhaji) served with a soft bread roll (pav). Pav means buns and bhaji means mashed vegetable.

Its origins are in the state of Maharashtra (a part of Western India).

I have lots of childhood memories of this dish. My mom used to make the yummiest pav bhaji. She would make it on my birthday for me and my friends. All my school friends used to gather around to take their share if I brought the pav bhaji in my lunch box. My family used to go to our favourite pav bhaji restaurant every Sunday. It was like Pizza Night for us.

It’s a delicious and wholesome mix of veggies like potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflower, green peas, and capsicum (bell pepper), cooked with onions, ginger, and garlic, then mashed on a griddle and seasoned with pav bhaji masala and butter. Serve hot with pav toasted in more butter!

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>> Cooking playlist I love to listen to music while I am cooking, gardening, or painting. During my college days, I used to play music while studying too. Below are some of my favourite songs, though the playlist keeps changing. While I am dancing, I like more upbeat, groovy, and peppy songs.

• • • • •

‘Illahi’ from the movie Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani ‘Sapna Jahan’ from the movie Brother ‘Iktara’ from the movie Wake Up Sid ‘Closer ‘by The Chainsmokers ‘A Thousand Years’ by Christina Perri

Preparation time: 30-40 minutes Cooking time: 25-30 minutes Serves: 4

Ingredients

Method

• •

1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add ¾ cup chopped onions and sauté. When they turn golden, add ginger-garlic paste and sauté before adding the cauliflower and continuing to sauté.

2. Add the mashed potatoes and mix, then also add fresh tomato puree and readymade tomato puree, mixing well.

3. Add ¾ cup water. Mix, and cook for 3–4 minutes.

4. Add green capsicum and mix well.

Cover and cook for 3–4 minutes.

5. Add green peas, pav bhaji masala, and salt, then let cook for another 2–3 minutes.

6. Turn the flame off. Add the lemon juice and garnish it with coriander leaves.

7. Heat a separate pan. Apply butter to the pav on both sides and place them in the pan for 30 seconds.

8. Serve the pav bhaji with remaining chopped onions and slice of lemon.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

8 pavs 2 cups potatoes, boiled and mashed 3 tbsp cauliflower, grated ¼ cup capsicum, finely chopped 3 tbsp oil 1 cup onions, chopped 1 ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste 1 cup fresh tomato puree ¼ cup readymade tomato puree 1 ½ tbsp pav bhaji masala ½ tsp red chilli powder 2 tsp lemon juice 2 tbsp butter a few sprigs fresh coriander leaves 1 lemon slice salt to taste

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About Deepika “I am Deepika Gupta. Deepika means diya (candle, light). I was born in September 1986 and brought up in the beautiful country of India. I grew up with two other siblings and we were raised equally by our parents. ” I did my bachelor’s in Information Technology in 2010. After a struggle for a few months, I got a job at an investment banking firm in Pune.

I got married to Chintu Gahoi in February 2012. After two years, my husband moved to London and I decided to stay back to continue my job in India. In the same year, I got the opportunity to travel to Brazil and this was my first time travelling outside of my country. I also learnt a little Portuguese to make a little conversation with locals. I couldn’t go to Rio though, sadly. Maybe next time.

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In 2015, my husband invited me to visit him in London to celebrate our third anniversary during the month of love—February. I was so happy to see snow for the very first time. In October, the most precious gift of my life arrived: my son Reyansh.

In March 2016, I decided to move to London with my son and join my husband. We visited almost all of the major historical places, museums, natural scenic beauty spots, lakes and beaches in the UK. After exploring the mainland, we started our adventure around Europe and travelled to countries like France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Czech Republic.

In the Summer of 2017, my husband moved to Belfast due to another job opportunity. This was the very first time we heard of Northern Ireland.

Soon I started to apply for jobs and joined an investment banking firm in freezing November.

“My husband used to travel to London every two weeks for the weekend and would tell us about how beautiful Belfast is.”

I learnt Kathak and Bharatnatyam Indian classical dance form, but just as a beginner. My dance style is free-form Bollywood. I prefer to be a participant rather than an audience member. I have participated and performed dances in many cultural activities organised by different Indian community organisations and I also performed in a Belfast City-organised event, Cultural Day, in Summer 2019.

We had initial settling issues like finding a rental place, and winter made it worse.

After sharing apartments with friends, we finally found our own place. We started to settle and get to know more about the city. A year passed by, and we both got our driving licence. Soon we started to explore Northern Ireland and its beauty and my love for here started to grow. We also explored neighbouring Republic of Ireland.

In 2019, we bought our house, and it became our happiest place in the world.

In lockdown, we had a new member in our family as we were blessed with baby girl Meera in October 2020. We as a family picked up a new hobby, hiking, and went to a few mountains like Cavehill, Black and Divis, Slieve Doan, and Slieve Binnian I like dancing. More than a hobby, it’s my passion. I learnt dancing watching TV and practicing by myself.

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Sauerkraut UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | JACQUELINE MONAHAN

My recipe is for sauerkraut or fermented cabbage, but really, almost any vegetable can be deliciously fermented.

Ingredients • • •

10

1 large (about 2kg) green or white cabbage, rinsed.

Save a large outer leaf, if possible.

3 tsp coarse crystal sea salt 1 tsp caraway seeds or other herbs or spices

You can get really creative with fermenting and almost any vegetable can be fermented, although soft vegetables get mushy quite easily. Kimchi is a Korean-style fermented cabbage, which is always a huge favourite with people. I ferment chilli sauces, wild garlic pesto, cranberry chutney, homemade tomato ketchup, chimichurri, etc.

In my eight years of fermenting, I have had a few disasters—fruit can ferment quickly and turn to alcohol, over fermented vegetables can turn to mush, over salted vegetables can taste terrible and not actually ferment, and under salted food can cause vegetables to not ferment but rot. However, it is a great hobby and a great way to explore the world!

Every country has some fermented food in its history. I lived for three years in Guatemala, and we used to eat papusa (sort of like a small corn cake) with cortido, which traditionally was a fermented grated cabbage, carrot, and onion with thyme. Now it is generally made with vinegar as it is faster.

Method 1. Evenly chop or grate the cabbage and place in a large bowl.

2. Massage the salt into the cabbage for 5 minutes, then wait 15 minutes and massage until the cabbage begins to soften and release water. Eventually you will have a reduced volume of soft cabbage in its own brine (salty water).

Mix in the caraway seeds or whatever herbs and spices you are using.

3. Stuff the cabbage into a sterilised 1-litre jar (I use flip top jars as they release air). Pour all the brine into the jar. Cover the top of the cabbage with the outer leaf you saved to ensure that all the bits of cabbage are submerged under the brine.

4. It can sometimes be tricky to keep wee bits of herbs and spices from escaping, but the bits that are exposed to air may be prone to contamination and cause mould to form. If you were not able to save an outer leaf, you can use a smaller glass jar or even a sterilised stone to weigh down the vegetable.

5. Put the lid on the jar, ensuring you’ve left a bit of air space between the top of the brine and the lid. If not using a flip top jar and using a jar with a screw top lid, do not completely tighten the lid. As the cabbage ferments, it will bubble, releasing gas, and liquid will leak out. You can occasionally loosen the lid to ‘burp’ the jar, but be sure to place the jar in a bowl. Leave the jar somewhere out of the way. How quickly the cabbage ferments will depend on how warm the kitchen is and how finely chopped the cabbage is.

6. In a room that is about 18–20 °C, the cabbage will be fermented and edible after about a week, but for better taste and maximum fermentation (and production of good bacteria) wait 2–6 weeks, ideally when the fermentation is complete (i.e., when the bubbling stops) or when the flavour suits your tastes. Store in the fridge or a cool dark room.

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About Jacqueline “I didn’t start making sauerkraut until I was in my forties, but it played a role in my life long before. I was reared in the USA in a typical Irish American family. Like many Americans our common choice of home cooked dinners spanned the globe (though not necessarily authentic)—Italian, Irish, Mexican. One of my favourites was German because I loved sauerkraut, which was yummy on buttered rye toast.

This sauerkraut came in a tin and didn’t retain all the wonderful health properties that the raw live sauerkraut I now make has. ” 12

My most memorable experience with sauerkraut was when I was sixteen and had glandular fever and was home for a number of weeks from school. I got a terrible craving for sauerkraut so I dashed to the shops to buy some and of course my car broke down en route. This was long before mobile phones, so there I was, quite ill, not suitably dressed, and stuck on the side of the road for several hours. All for the love of sauerkraut.

I arrived in Ireland at age twenty. I wasn’t really coming because I had distant family, it just sort of happened. And although I did travel and work overseas for years, I always came back ‘home’ to Ireland and eventually landed in Northern Ireland in 2003. My mother moved from the USA to the south of Ireland a few years ago and I hope to join her before too long.

She’s not a fan of sauerkraut however.

>> Cooking Playlist ‘Only You’ reminds me of my strange early teens when I was one of few people in the USA who loved English music. We sing this song every Christmas when we raise money for charity by singing carols, although it is not a Christmas song. I remember when I first saw the ‘Bloody Sunday’ video in 1983. This song has had a profound impact on my life and literally helped to shape me and my decision to dedicate my life to social justice and human rights. ‘Kilkelly, Ireland’ is amazing and is so indicative of the many people who emigrated from Ireland during and after the famine and who eventually lost touch with their family in Ireland. The backstory to the song is described in the introduction of this video and even still, I often cry when hearing this song. The village of Kilkelly is very close to where my mummy lives in County Mayo. My father died when I was sixteen and ‘Redemption Song’ was one of his favourite songs. Only Bob Marley can sing about slavery and make people feel uplifted and empowered. ‘The Wind’ reminds me of my 1970s childhood with a hippy mother. ‘The Parting Glass’ is one of the best, most wonderful traditional Irish songs that has been sung by many artists. A treasure. The Hozier version was dedicated to the lives lost to COVID. • • • • • •

‘Only You’ by Yazoo ‘Bloody Sunday’ by U2 ‘Kilkelly, Ireland’ by Robbie O’Connell & Finbar Clancy ‘Redemption Song’ by Bob Marley ‘The Wind’ by Yusuf/Cat Stevens ‘The Parting Glass’ by Hozier

13

Bhindi Bhaji WESTERN INDIA | SANJAY GHOSH

Bhindi, also known as lady’s finger (okra), is a type of green vegetable and is largely used in Indian cooking. It is long, thin, and finger-shaped, with a pod tip at the top. For someone who is always on the move, I choose to keep my cooking as easy as possible with the simplest ingredients at home. One can easily replace okra with some other vegetable and use the same recipe to get the authentic taste of Indian food.

14

>> Cooking Playlist This playlist reflects the diversity of India. It is a mixture of classical songs, such as ‘Awara Hoon’, and songs for weddings. It also includes a song from Lagaan, a film about cricket. As much as I love Western and other regional songs, the Indian playlist does make me feel nostalgic and brings back the memories of India. Indian food tastes better with Indian music.

• • • • •

‘Awaara Hoon’ from the movie Awaara ‘Hungama Kyon Hai Barpa’, Akbar Allahbadi’s famous gazal sung by Manjari ‘Chunari Chunari’ from the movie Monsoon Wedding R’adha Kaise Na Jale’ from the movie Lagaan ‘Bhalle Bhalle’ from the movie Bride and Prejudice

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes Serves: 2

Ingredients • • • •

½kg bhindi (okra), diced 1 tsp salt 1 pinch turmeric 1½ tsp vegetable oil

Method 1. Mix salt and turmeric with the diced bhindi.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and add okra.

Stir it for 3–4 minutes.

3. Close the lid and continue cooking for 8–10 minutes.

4. You will see the bhindi change colour as it becomes cooked.

5. Your bhindi bhaji is ready to be served and is best enjoyed with boiled rice and lentils.

For flavour enthusiasts, you can add onions and more spices:

Ingredients

Method

• • • •

1. After heating the oil in the pan, add chopped onion.

2. Add cumin powder, chilli powder and garlic and ginger paste.

3. Stir the spices and leave it for 3–4 minutes.

4. Add bhindi, mix well, and finish as above.

1 large onion, chopped 1 tbsp cumin powder 1 pinch chilli powder 2 tsp garlic and ginger paste

15

About Sanjay “My journey to Belfast was out of curiosity and an interest in visiting and discovering Northern Ireland. It started with a month-long trip around 2005. One month led to six months, then to a year. I have now made Northern Ireland my home. ” I completed a PG Dip in Business Administration at the University of Roehampton.

To complement my education, I did further management courses, including from The Chartered Management Institute to gain the title of Chartered Manager.

16

The courses helped me further my career and encouraged me to develop my skills in marketing, project development, and events organisation.

I decided to live here because of the people in Northern Ireland and how I could use my skills to bring communities together.

Irrespective of the weather and despite the history, I found people in Northern Ireland very welcoming and friendly.

Over the years, I have volunteered with The Prince’s Trust as a mentor and worked with The Extras Department. The Prince’s Trust helped me understand the local community and gave me the opportunity to serve the young people of Belfast. The Extras Department gave me my moments of fame on the big screen through various productions.

As an Indian, I am proud of my culture and heritage. In 2008, I organised my first event and probably the first Indian event in Antrim town, eighteen miles from Belfast, ‘The Indian Cultural Night’. Antrim town was filled with the sounds of Bollywood and classical Indian music and dance, and the smells and tastes of Indian food.

I was encouraged by family and friends to continue and ImageNation NI was born. We work at grassroots level, understanding the community needs and demands, and started organising multi-cultural events. In 2019, we held possibly the only Bollywood DJ night in Northern Ireland, ‘Belfast in Conversation’, and organised coastal and other tours of Northern Ireland for members of the Indian community to come together and see more of beautiful Northern Ireland. We enjoy celebrating the important festivals and dates such as Diwali and national celebrations. We were privileged

and blessed to bring back ‘The Belfast Rath Yatra’, also known as Festival of Chariots.

Over the years we have integrated with the local community. In 2019, we introduced ‘Namaste Belfast’ for the first Belfast Cultural Day. We also became stakeholders with The Arts Council Northern Ireland for The Jaipur Literature Festival Belfast and collaborated (during the pandemic) with CRAICNI (Cultivate Respect, Appreciate Inclusion in Communities in Northern Ireland), a social enterprise that supports inclusion and diversity training and offers educational services.

Their previous work includes the Big Virtual Lunch in 2020, as well as the Belonging Project, a musical collaboration between India and Northern Ireland.

This year we have decided to become a community group, facilitated by CRAICNI through strategic planning. We invited the diverse community members from the Indian, indigenous, and other ethnic and local communities to be part of the stakeholder engagement to form our vision. We have developed a vision of the Indian community being integrated into Northern Ireland through an intercultural approach. Our mission is to support and connect the Indian community. We aim to integrate and build bridges between the local and ethnic communities.

“It has been a good fifteen years and I can see myself living in Northern Ireland for a long while. I have developed a love for Northern Ireland and the people, and I am very proud of living here. ‘The craic is ninety’, and if not India, Northern Ireland will be my home.”

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Chicken soup NORTHERN IRELAND | KATHY SINCLAIR

I am sharing chicken soup, which is the classic dish served in every Jewish house on a Friday evening—beginning of Shabbat. I am also sharing lokshen kugel which is a pudding made from noodles. Both are traditional Jewish foods and absolutely delicious!

Cooking Time: 4 hours Serves: 4

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Ingredients

Method

• Small chicken (or bones of chicken/chicken pieces) • 1 large onion peeled • Approx. 6 large carrots peeled and cut into large chunks

1. Put all ingredients in large soup pot (I use 7 litre pot). Cover with cold water. Bring to gentle simmer and skim off any foam.

2. Keep simmering gently for about 3-4 hours.

3. Remove chicken, onion, and carrots and set aside. Strain the soup and skim any fat (more obvious when soup gets cold).

4. Remove bones, cut chicken up, and put chicken pieces back into soup with carrot.

5. Add some pasta (lokshen–any shape) and salt, pepper, and chicken stock cubes to taste.

6. Heat until pasta is soft. Don’t let the soup boil.

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Lokshen Kugel Cooking Time: 1.5 hours Serves: 2

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Ingredients • • • • • • •

115g lokshen (I use vermicelli or pasta) 2 eggs, beaten pinch cinnamon 2 tbsp sugar 2 dstsp fat (spread/fat/whatever) 85g sultanas strawberry jam

Method 1. Grease ovenproof bowl and spread jam on bottom.

2. Boil and drain the lokshen.

3. Mix boiled lokshen with other ingredients and place on top of jam in bowl.

4. Bake in oven for 1–1.5 hours at 150–180°C.

21

About Kathy “With the exception of my two grandfathers who were born in Glasgow, my grandparents, parents, siblings and I were all born and raised in Belfast within the local Jewish community which, at the time of my birth (1957), was thriving. ” My great-great grandparents came from various parts of Eastern Europe—mainly Lithuania as far as I know. They, like many Jewish people, were forced to relocate and many came to the United Kingdom. On their arrival in Northern Ireland, they had to learn to speak a new language and to live in an entirely new place with a different culture and ways of living. Most changed their foreign family names to more Englishsounding names to blend in and assimilate.

Being Jewish is much more than just a 22

matter of religion. There is a lot about culture and belonging. Growing up in the local Belfast community was wonderful—the size (then approximately one and a half thousand people) was small enough to foster a wonderful closeness which has stayed with me to this day. Unfortunately, the community has recently contracted sharply. Many families left Belfast so that their children could meet and marry Jewish partners—still a requirement for strict Orthodox Jews.

It is encouraging now to see the development of a new trend of young Jewish people coming to Belfast, largely to work or study. The new arrivals tend to live ‘outside’ rather than ‘within’ the community, but nevertheless share the religion, culture, and roots. It is hoped that this new trend will somehow help to augment the now failing community.

Recently, my family has discovered a branch of our family hitherto unknown to us. It seems that one of my greatgreat-grandfathers had a brother whose descendants now largely live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It has been wonderful to ‘meet’ on Zoom, learn about this new strand of the family, and

hear more about the history of those emigrating to Europe (and obviously also to the USA) from Eastern Europe. We have the internet to thank for making genealogy more accessible than ever.

Today, I am the only one of my siblings left living in Belfast. Two of my own children have also left to live in England. It seems that there are attractions in living further afield.

“Unfortunately, history has shown that once a community such as ours slips deeply into decline, the pattern is difficult to reverse.”

Image on the left: Northern Ireland, UK

>> Cooking Playlist ‘Hatikva’ is the national anthem of Israel. It means ‘The Hope’, i.e., the hope of returning to Israel, which is a wish dear to the hearts of many Jewish people. Although it is the Israeli anthem, Jewish people all over the world sing this. ‘Yerushalayim Shel Zahav’ also describes the wish (held by many) to return to Israel. ‘Hava Nagila’ is sung at joyous celebrations such as weddings. People dance the hora and elevate the bride and groom on chairs. Great fun! ‘Echad Mi Yodea’ is one of the songs we sing at the celebratory meal, known as a Seder, which commemorates the Jews being freed from slavery in Egypt. ‘Sunrise Sunset’ is a song from the musical Fiddler on the Roof, which is set in 1905 in Anatevka, a small Russian town. Tevye, a Jewish milkman, is trying hard to hold on to all his familiar Jewish traditions despite the difficult times in which they live.

• • • • •

‘Hatikva’ ‘Yerushalayim Shel Zahav’ sung by female cantors of various nationalities ‘Hava Nagila’ ‘Echad Mi Yodea ‘ ‘Sunrise Sunset’ from the musical Fiddler on the Roof

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Avial SOUTHERN INDIA | SUCHITRA VARMA

Avial is a traditional vegan recipe with mixed vegetables in coconut and yoghurt gravy from Kerala, which is in the southern part of India. It is part of a traditional sadya, or a feast.

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Serves: 4 24

Ingredients

Method

• • • • • • • • •

1. Cook the vegetables in a pan with a little water and turmeric.

2. Meanwhile, coarsely grind the coconut, green chillies, and cumin to a coarse paste in a food processor.

3. When the vegetables are cooked but still hold their shape, add the salt and red chilli powder. Allow it to cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add the yoghurt and mix well.

5. Now add the ground coconut mixture. Mix well.

6. Once it’s heated through, take it off the heat.

7. Add the coconut oil and curry leaves.

8. Cover and allow it to rest for some time.

9. Serve with rice or roti.

1 tbsp cumin seeds 1 cup desiccated/grated coconut 4 tbsp yoghurt 2 green chillies 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp red chilli powder 1 tbsp coconut oil 1 bunch of curry leaves (optional) a mixture of vegetables like potato, courgettes, green beans, butternut squash, carrots, marrow, and swede, cut into 2-inch batons. Traditionally we use vegetables like green beans, carrot, green plantain, pumpkin, ash guard, snake guard, elephant foot yam, drumstick, and more.

25

About Suchitra I’m an engineer from India with experience in the education sector. In 2009, my husband, who is an IT Consultant, got transferred to Belfast on a short six-month contract. Shortly, we joined him as a family.

We found this place very welcoming and the people very friendly. My husband’s contract kept on extending and I started volunteering in a school and later started working there. The kids are well settled and flourishing in their schools. So, we decided to settle down here in Belfast.

26

As a trained Bharatanatyam dancer (Indian classical dance), I teach Bharatanatyam and Bollywood dancing to children and adults. I am a trustee with Mudra Academy of Performing Arts UK and through this I organise various fundraisers for Action Cancer as well as for other social causes.

I am also part of Sudarshanam NI Hindu Samajam, an organisation aiming to impart knowledge about Indian culture, particularly Kerala, to the younger generation of the Indian diaspora. I am passionate about making people aware of the rich and diverse Indian culture through performances and workshops, and to further the Indo–Northern Irish bond. I believe in contributing positively to Northern Irish society as it is my new home.

>> Cooking Playlist I mainly listen to Bollywood music, Malayalam and Tamil film music, ghazals and some Carnatic classical music. Singer Lata Mangeshka is a legend in the Indian subcontinent.

Salil Choudhary is my dad’s favourite music director, so his songs would always be played at home. ‘O Sajana Barkha Bahaar AAyi’ is my all-time favourite. I just love ‘Kabira’— the lyrics, the singing, the visuals. It’s an emotion, a feeling. The ghazal ‘Hoshwalon Ko Khabar Kya‘ is for the romantic in me! ‘Ambalappuzhe Unnikkannanodu’ is a Malayalam movie song (Malayalam is my mother tongue). It’s very soothing, very traditional, and it’s a romantic song with devotional undertones. ‘Kannamoochi Yenada’ is my favourite song from AR Rahman’s vast collection of masterpieces. The singer KS Chitra is another legend, especially in South India. The picturisation of the song is beautiful as well.

• • • • •

‘O Sajana Barkha Bahaar Aayi’ by Lata Mangeshkar (from the movie Parakh) ‘Kabira’ by Tochi Raina & Rekha Bhardwaj (from the movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani) ‘Hoshwalon Ko Khabar Kya’ by Aamir Khan & Sonali Bendre (from the movie Sarfarosh) ‘Ambalappuzhe Unnikkannanodu’ by K. S. Chithra & G. Sreekumar ‘Kannamoochi Yenada’ by Chitra

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Laghmon CENTRAL ASIA | SARA H.

Laghmon is an amazing introduction to Silk Route food. You’ll find all sorts of variations of laghmon from Japan to Central Asia (lagman, ramyon) and all of them are incredibly delicious!

Cooking time: 2 hours Preparation time: 2 hours Serves: 6

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Ingredients for the noodles • • • •

670g flour 1 egg 100ml water 1 tsp salt

Ingredients for the magical sauce • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

200g steak meat, cut into strips pinches (to taste) of salt, black pepper, star of anise, sugar, combined 4–5 medium sized tomatoes 4 garlic cloves 4 celery stems paprika chilli powder 1 tsp tomato paste 2 large carrots, sliced into strips 2 onions, sliced 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 bell pepper, sliced into strips dill or any herbs of your choice 200g white cabbage (or any other available cabbage), sliced into strips

Method 1. Mix wet ingredients.

2. Add flour and knead into dough. If the water isn’t enough you can add more as you knead, but make sure the dough is quite stiff. After kneading for 20 minutes, cover and leave it to rest.

3. Flatten the dough to about about 2cm thick, covering it with oil to avoid sticking. Then cut into 2cm long strips. Roll each strip out into strings of dough, then place the strip onto a large oiled flat plate in a spiral. Repeat with all strips which were left to rest.

Method 1. Cut the tomatoes into halves, soak them in spice mix, and fry them facing down until beautifully caramelised. Pick them up gently and leave to rest.

2. Add oil to your hot pot, heat the pot further to 180°C, add the strips of meat, and fry.

3. Add cloves of garlic and diced celery, and fry for 2–3 minutes, then add green beans.

4. Add paprika and chilli to taste as well as tomato paste.

5. Add cabbage to the pot, give a good stir and keep frying.

6. Add carrots, keep frying.

7. Add thick cut onions and fry everything together.

8. Add the bell pepper.

9. Add any stock available so that it covers the meat and veggies.

10. Let it boil for a minute or two.

11. Turn the heat off and add fried tomatoes to the sauce.

Noodles preparation: Add your noodles into salted boiling water, small portions at a time, and boil them for 2 minutes or until they float to the surface. Remove and put the noodles in cold water for 50–60 seconds, then place your noodles into bowls. Add the glorious sauce onto noodles, top it up with chopped herbs and enjoy it!

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Chak-chak (Silk Route Sweets) Preparation time: 1 hour Cooking time: 20 minutes Serves: 6-12

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Ingredients

Method

• • • • • • •

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

2 eggs 300g flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 pinch salt 300g honey (or syrup) 300g walnuts, chopped 100g raisins

Knead flour, eggs, baking powder, and salt into dough.

Leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Roll dough out thinly.

Cut dough into 1cm strips.

Deep fry in butter or neutral tasting oil.

Leave to cool.

Add very hot honey (or syrup), mix with walnuts and raisins.

8. Pour the mix into a tray and press it in.

9. Leave to rest in the fridge.

10. Take it out of the tray and slice into bitesize pieces.

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About Sara “I moved here from Israel due to my Father-in-law's health complications.

I fell in love with Northern Ireland's countryside, people and culture. ” I especially love coastal villages and peninsulas in the island of Ireland.

The breathtaking nature, picturesque loughs, stunning cathedrals, areas of outstanding natural beauty where thick forests are so luscious green, beautiful heather fields, high mountains all contribute to my increasing love for Ulster.

Image above: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel Image on the right: Masada, Israel

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>> Cooking playlist The following are songs you can listen to while making the dish or eating it. The lyrics will give you insight into my culture and the music will transfer you to a place you could imagine from fairytales.

• • • •

‘Yakumin Ki Medonad’ (Bukharian Jewish version of the traditional Passover song ‘Echad Mi Yodea’) ‘Нигина Амонкулова ва Дамирбек Олимов’– Мавриги ‘Shoxrux Jamol Lola’ (Full Version Rubob Mix) ‘Oseh Shalom’

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Chicken manchurian NORTHEAST INDIA | RAJIV PRASAD

Chicken Manchurian was my all-time favourite during COVID lockdown. It is liked by my daughter and wife as well. It’s a quick recipe with Indo-Chinese fusion and a great taste.

Cooking Time: 20–25 minutes Serves: 3–4

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Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Method

500g boneless chicken* Marinating 2 eggs 1. Dice the chicken into small pieces 2–3 green chillies, and keep it in a bowl.

2. Add the eggs, 2 tablespoons each of corn flour sliced (optional) 3 tbsp corn flour and plain flour, 1 tablespoon dark soya sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar and salt to taste, and mix 2 tbsp plain flour well together. Keep in fridge for 30 minutes.

6–8 garlic cloves, finely chopped Cooking 2 medium onions, diced

2–3 spring onions, chopped 1. Heat cooking oil in a frying pan and ½ of each—green, red, and deep fry the chicken pieces. Drain on yellow pepper, chopped kitchen towel to remove excess oil. ½ tsp MSG/Chinese salt 2. Take another pan and add 2–3 tablespoons ½ tsp black of oil on medium flame. peppercorns, crushed 3. Add chopped green chillies and garlic to 2 tbsp vinegar pan. Now keep flame high and add onions 2 tbsp dark soya sauce and peppers, then cook until soft.

1 tbsp chilli sauce 4.

Add some salt, dark soya sauce, chilli salt to taste sauce, and MSG or Chinese salt, mix well, then cook for 2–3 minutes. oil for deep-frying 5. Take a small bowl or cup, add 2 tablespoons corn flour, and mix with water. Add some of this mixture and sauté; keep some for adding before final step.

6. Now add fried chicken pieces to pan with remaining vinegar and dark soya sauce and mix well until sauce coats the chicken pieces.

7. Add remaining corn flour mix and chopped spring onion and mix finally again for 1 minute. Finish with crushed black peppercorn before serving.

* For vegetarian version, replace chicken with paneer (cottage cheese) and exclude eggs while marinating. * For vegan version, replace chicken with tofu and exclude eggs while marinating.

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Poda Pitha Poda pitha is our traditional cake-making process. During my childhood, our grandmother used to prepare it on the occasion of any festival. Once cooked it will stay good for a couple of days to eat later.

Cooking Time: 60 minutes Serves: 3-4

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Ingredients

Method

•

1. Soak the rice and black gram lentil overnight in a bowl.

2. In the morning, use a grinder to make a smooth paste using a little water. Keep the batter for at least 6-7 hours in a warm place to ferment.

3. Add green cardamom powder, cashew nuts, raisins, jaggery (or sugar), and shredded coconut. Use a spoon or spatula to mix well all together. Pre-heat oven to 170°C . Use butter paper or grease a baking tray with clarified butter. Transfer the batter from your mixing bowl to the baking tray and bake for 45 minutes.

4. Once cooked, keep the tray outside to cool down.

Make small pieces of the poda pitha to serve.

• •

• • •

½ cup black gram lentil (also called urad dal) 1 cup rice 1 cup jaggery (an unrefined sugar, for best results, but other sugar can be substituted) 1 cup shredded or desiccated coconut 2 tbsp chopped raisins 1 tsp of green cardamom powder

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Samosa Samosa is a deep-fried pastry snack stuffed with potato and peas or mixed vegetables in a triangle shape. It is very popular in all parts of India, and in Middle Eastern and Asian countries. It originated from the Middle East and was brought to India by the merchants.

It’s usually served with mint, coriander, and a sweet tamarind sauce or chutney.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes Serves: 4–5

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Dough Ingredients

Method

•

1. Take a large bowl, add flour, kalonji/black cumin seeds, salt and mix well.

2. Add oil to it and start mixing with your hand until the oil is well incorporated into the flour.

3. After 3–4 minutes of mixing, add water little by little to form the dough.

4. Cover the dough with a moist cloth and let it rest for 30–40 minutes.

• • • •

2 cups all-purpose flour (maida) 1 tsp kalonji (black cumin) ¼ tsp salt 4 tbs oil water to knead the dough, around 6 tbsp

Filling Ingredients

Method

• • • • •

1. Boil the potatoes until done and peel the skin when they are cold. Mash the potatoes in a bowl and keep them aside.

2. Take a pan and heat on medium flame. Add 2 tablespoons of oil when the pan is hot, add the cumin seeds, crushed coriander seeds and fennel seeds. Add the green chilli after few seconds.

3. Add the boiled potato and cooked peas to the pan and mix everything together. Add the rest of the spices (coriander powder, dry mango powder, garam masala, chilli powder, etc.), salt, and combine all together.

4. Make small dough balls of the same size. Roll one dough ball into a circle or oval shape and then cut into two equal parts using a knife.

5. Take one part and apply some water on the edge to form a nice glue. Make a cone by joining the edges together and now fill the cone with potato and peas filling. Keep some space to seal the cone and make a triangle shape.

6. Add cooking/sunflower oil into the pan for deep frying. Remember to keep the oil at a low heat to make the samosa crispy. Keep the fried samosa on kitchen towel to remove excess oil.

• • • • • • • •

500–550g potatoes 2 tbsp oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed 1 green chilli, chopped ½ cup green peas or mixed vegetables 1 tsp coriander powder ½ tsp garam masala ½ tsp dried mango powder ¼ tsp red chilli powder ¾ tsp salt, or to taste 1 litre cooking/sunflower oil for deep frying

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About Rajiv “My name is Rajiv Prasad and I work as an IT Engineer in Belfast. I was born and brought up in the northeastern part of India. After completing my post-graduate education in computer science, I worked in different cities of India for two or three years. Travelling is my hobby and I wanted to travel the world for either a new job opportunity or for holidays. I have travelled to twenty-one states of India from north to south, east to west.”

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In 2008, I got the opportunity to visit Tokyo, Japan for work. I was so excited as it was my first international trip. I went back to India and again got a new opportunity to work in Singapore with a different company. I visited Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Malaysia between 2010 and 2014.

I finally got another job opportunity in Belfast in 2014 and moved here with my family. Initially, it felt lonely and boring; it was new weather for us and we didn’t have many friends here.

Slowly, we started making new friends and got together with them at the weekends, cooking food and playing games. After a few months of staying here, we decided to make Belfast our new home and we settled here.

I also love to take part in cultural events and raise funds for charity. A few of the events where I have participated are Belfast Rath Yatra, Jaipur Literature Festival, Durga Puja, Diwali, and The Big Lunch.

During the COVID lockdown I ran a number of online Zoom events for festivals and cultural events with my technical skills.

The best part of Belfast is its size. We save lots of travel time, whether you want to go for work or shopping. The cost of living is also very low compared to other cities. Local people are very welcoming, helpful and friendly. The hospitality in every sector is awesome. There are employees from forty nationalities working at my Belfast workplace. This shows how multicultural Belfast is.

I really enjoyed the programme with PRONI. It was nice to meet people from different cultures and countries, and to learn about what PRONI does through their hard work to archive the records for Northern Ireland.

>> Cooking playlist My favourite songs are from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, from Bollywood movies. It’s very hard to select five songs for a playlist and there are many songs by Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, and A.R Rehman which are on my all-time favourite list.

• • • • •

‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ (from the movie Kal Ho Naa Ho) ‘Sauda Khara Khara’ (from the movie Good News) ‘Aisa Sama Na Hota’ by Lata Mangeshkar ‘Jiya Jale’ by Lata Mangeshkar (from the movie Dil Se) ‘Bahon Ke Darmiyan’ by Alka Yagnik, Hariharan

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Moqueca de camarão BRAZIL | LAURA AGUIAR

This is one of my favourite Brazilian dishes: moqueca de camarão (shrimp coconut stew). Brazilian cuisine is very varied and has been mostly influenced by our Portuguese colonisers, Italian immigrants, and African slaves.

Moqueca is a non-spicy curry dish and there are different types. It’s made with seafood, tomatoes, garlic, onion, coconut milk, dendê palm oil, and coriander, and is usually accompanied by rice and farofa (cassava root flour). The one I make is with shrimp and on the day I made it, the sun was shining so nicely that it made me feel much closer to home. You can make it vegan by replacing the seafood with other veggies.

Cooking Time: 40–50 minutes Serves: 8 42

Ingredients

Method

• • • • • • • • • • •

1. Coat the shrimp with lime juice, salt, and pepper, and let it sit in a bowl.

2. In a large covered pan, coat the bottom of pan with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat on medium. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook a few minutes until softened.

3. Add the peppers, tomatoes, and coconut milk.

Stir everything until it starts to boil and then add the shrimp and the paprika powder.

4. Bring soup to a simmer, reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes until the shrimp are cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings (salt, coriander, parsley, and black pepper).

5. Serve it with cooked basmati rice.

• •

½ kg shrimp 1 lime 2 onions, chopped 3 garlic cloves 1 red pepper 1 green pepper 4 tomatoes, chopped 4 tbsp olive oil coriander parsley paprika powder (I used a little bit of this to replace dendê oil as I couldn’t find it in Belfast) salt and black pepper 300ml (1 can) coconut milk

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About Laura “My name is Laura Aguiar and I am one of the facilitators in this project. I am currently working as a Community Engagement Officer & Creative Producer for the Making the Future project in PRONI.” My ‘Irish’ journey began in 2001 when I left Brazil for the first time at the tender age of fifteen to visit my aunt and her family in Rathmullan, County Donegal.

I spent the summer there improving my English and helping look after my cousin, Kate, who was three at the time.

Five years later, while doing a BA in Journalism and working as a journalist in my hometown of Belo Horizonte (southeast of the country), I decided to take a six44

month break to return to Donegal to continue improving my English and also to realise my dream of backpacking around Europe. After that, I knew that I wanted to live and settle in Ireland—north, south, east, west, it didn’t matter, I had to return.

I left Brazil for good in 2008, first going to Galway city for a year to undertake a preparatory course to sit the the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) and then to Stockholm,

in Sweden, for two years to do a master’s in Media and Communication Studies.

A practice-based PhD in Film Studies brought me back to the island of Ireland, this time to Belfast, in 2011. The PhD gave me the opportunity to not only enhance my research and teaching skills, but also to discover a passion for archives and make a documentary film called We Were There. The film was about the women’s experiences of the Maze/ Long Kesh Prison, and it was screened across the world at festivals, universities, schools, and community groups.

After a four-year stint working as a postdoctoral researcher in Cork city, I decided to ‘payback’ all the love and welcoming I have received in Rathmullan, my ‘Irish

hometown’, by founding and setting up the Rathmullan Film Festival with the local community. I run this participatory, notfor-profit festival remotely on a pro-bono basis and 2021 was our fourth year. It’s wonderful to see locals getting involved in filmmaking and the festival going from strength to strength each year.

In 2018, I returned to Belfast to work on the wonderful Making the Future project.

The project has enabled me to work with individuals and groups in engagement programmes like Our Food, Our Place and I feel very blessed to engage with so many interesting people and stories and capture them in creative ways for PRONI’s archives.

I think that’s me settled in the North now!

>> Cooking playlist Brazil has a HUGE musical diversity and there are some genres that I really like and others that I don’t. So my top five are songs from artists of the genres that I really like.

Chico Buarque is one of our most famous singers and a lot of his songs are about the Brazilian dictatorship period (1964-85). Vai Passar is a lively samba song. Falamansa plays forró music, a genre from the Northeast of Brazil which I love, though I am not a good dancer. Elis Regina had a wonderful voice and she was one of our main representatives of the MPB genre (a.k.a Brazilian popular music). My hometown has a band called Skank and their songs are a mixture between alternative rock, ska, and reggae genres.

Tanto is their Portuguese version of Bob Dylan’s ‘I Want You’. The band Nação Zumbi emerged from the manguebeat movement of the ‘90s in Recife (Northeast of Brazil). This genre mixes regional rhythms of the Northeast including maracatu, frevo, forró, rock, and electronic music. Some of you may find their songs a bit too noisy, but I love them!

• • • • •

‘Vai Passar’ by Chico Buarque ‘Xote dos Milagres’ by Falamansa ‘Como Nossos Pais’ by Elis Regina Any song from the band Skank ‘Samba Makossa’ by Nação Zumbi

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Sour Pickled

Gherkin Soup POLAND | BARBARA SNOWARSKA

My grandmother passed on to my mother a firm belief in a soup being the one dish that makes children grow and stay healthy. Growing up, we usually had a two-course dinner. But if we didn’t, a soup was the preferred one served. One of my favourites was either a tomato soup or a sour pickled gherkin soup. This was much like a vegetable soup with grated sour cucumbers (fermented in the same process as sauerkraut would be) added to it.

Cooking Time: 1 hour Serves: 4–5

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Ingredients

Method

• • • • • • • • •

1. Prepare the chicken or vegetable broth by adding half of the leek or onion, carrots, parsnip, and celeriac.

2. Place the broth into a crock pot, bring to quick boil, add the potatoes and boil them in the broth until soft.

3. Add the bay leaf, salt, pepper, and marjoram.

4. Peel the pickles and grate them coarsely.

Simmer them for 20 minutes or alternatively fry them in a little butter.

5. Fry separately the other half of the diced vegetables. Add to the soup and boil for approximately 10 minutes.

6. Add the grated pickles to the soup.

Taste and add a little more pickle juice if necessary—the soup should have a pleasantly sour taste. Boil shortly.

7. Mix the sour cream with the flour and slowly stir into the soup. Allow to simmer until soup is lightly thickened. Alternatively, top the soup with a tablespoon of heavy cream once served in the bowl.

8. Decorate and season with chopped dill.

9. Serve with thick, crusty bread.

• • • • •

2 litres chicken or vegetable broth 3–4 potatoes, peeled and diced 2 carrots, diced 1 parsnip, diced 1 small piece of celeriac, diced 1 leek or onion, diced 1 stick of butter 1 tbsp oil salt, pepper, bay leaf, marjoram to taste some sour cream or heavy cream 1 tbsp flour 4 sour pickled gherkins (from a Polish shop) ¼ – ½ cup pickle juice chopped fresh or dried dill

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Tort Makowy (Poppy Seed Cake)

My mother would make this cake usually at Christmas and Easter. Poppy seeds are very popular in Poland and we would have many different cakes with poppy seeds in them, but this one is indulging all-out on them and I love it!

Preparation Time: 45 minutes–1 hour Cooking Time: 1 hour 10 minutes Serves: 12

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Ingredients

Method

• • •

1. Separate the eggs. Put whites into a bowl and set aside.

2. Cream the butter, custard, sugar, and egg yolks.

3. Put the poppy seeds in a pot and pour a small amount of boiling water (or milk) over it and brew for about half an hour, then grind twice (best by hand-grinder, like one used for mincing meat).

4. Finely grate the apples.

5. Gradually add the poppy seeds and apples to the creamed mass, then the baking powder.

6. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Mix the whites gently with a spatula into the mixture – try not to deflate the whites.

7. Add almond flavouring and optionally raisins and nuts.

8. Pour the mixture into a round baking pan and level.

9. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes in an oven heated at 250°C. 10. Cool for 30 minutes.

11. You can top it with a chocolate glaze (I prefer dark chocolate).

• • • • • •

300g poppy seeds 0.25kg butter 450g powdered sugar (or less sugar—down to 100g) 9 eggs 9 tbsp semolina (kasza manna) 1 ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp almond flavouring oil 600g cider apples (optional—raisins and small pieces of walnuts)

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About Barbara “I came to visit a friend from my church in Poland who was studying for a year at Queen’s University Belfast. It was during the Easter break in 1999 and little did I know the visit would lead to my return to Belfast five months later to do an MA in Theology via BBC (Belfast Bible College). All down to a wee dander on the north coast organised by the college lecturer and a chat with a walker who, as I was to find out later, was BBC’s Director of Studies.”

Two years later, just as I was thinking I quite enjoyed being single, another student came to the BBC and upset my plans so that the Belfast Bible College could live up to its secret name—Belfast Bridal College. We got married at Lisburn Civic Centre in June 2002. We went to live in Poland for a couple of years but decided to return to Northern Ireland in June 2005 and have lived here since then.

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My husband, Salah, is originally from Iraq, near Ur, but he left Iraq in 1991 and after spending four years in Rafha refugee camp, was accepted by Canada. We have two sons, Aleksander, who was born in Poland, and Christopher, born in Northern Ireland. We do not have any other family members living here, but over the years we have made many good friends.

My husband is a trained army cook and he likes cooking. At home we take turns to cook, some Middle Eastern and some Polish dishes, but Easter and Christmas go entirely by Polish traditions and I am proud our sons are keen to help with the preparations.

Ever since coming to Northern Ireland I have been involved in the Polish community and have helped to set up and run two Polish Saturday Schools in Belfast where children aged three to fifteen have the opportunity to develop their mother tongue and heritage language skills.

Northern Ireland is our home now and I only occasionally miss the sun and the warmth, as well as the snow, that I had in Poland.

I personally don’t mind a walk in the rain, especially with friends, and it is always with a grateful heart that we build a snowman in winter or have a picnic under clear blue skies in the summer. I count as a blessing not being able to take things for granted.

>> Cooking playlist I’ve picked five Polish songs I never tire listening to. The first one is a protest song from 1967 called ‘Dziwny jest ten świat’ (It is a Strange World). Some believe it got its inspiration from James Brown’s ‘It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World’. ‘Dni których jeszcze nie znamy’ (The Days, that are Still to Come) is an example of sung poetry – a popular genre in Poland. The third is a jazz hit, ‘Papaya’, where the singer’s voice sounds like an instrument. It has a catchy beat and became a worldwide hit in 1971. The fourth is ‘Ale Jestem’ (But I Am) about the meaning of life, and finally, a beautiful song about love called Psalm dla Ciebie (Psalm for You). You can find all the lyrics and their English translations on www.tekstowo.pl. Enjoy!

• • • • •

‘Dziwny jest ten świat’ by Czesław Niemen.

‘Dni których jeszcze nie znamy’ by Marek Grechuta ‘Papaya’ by Urszula Dudziak ‘Ale Jestem’ by Maria Anna Jopek ‘Psalm dla Ciebie’ by Piotr Rubik

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Tandoori Chicken NORTHERN INDIA | NISHA TANDON

Tandoor is a cylindrical oven made of clay, heated over charcoal or wood, and used in North India and Pakistan for baking bread and roasting or barbecuing meat and vegetarian dishes.

Chef’s Tip: all tandoori dishes are traditionally marinated overnight and cooked in a tandoor until they are fully dry.

Cooking Time: 1 hour Serves: 2-4

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Ingredients

Method

•

1. Rub the salt on the chicken pieces and let them sit for a while.

2. In a bowl, mix the yoghurt, lemon juice, chilli powder, paprika, ginger, garlic, fenugreek, and orange food colouring.

3. Add the chicken pieces into the mixture and let it marinate for a few hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the chicken on a baking tray and cook for 20–30 minutes.

5. Once the chicken is cooked, glaze with oil and grill it for 5–10 minutes. Serve it as a starter with crisp, fresh salad and mint yoghurt.

• • • • • • • • •

Approx. 8 pieces of chicken, cleaned and skinned salt to taste 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated 2 tsp paprika ½ pint natural yoghurt 1 tbsp lemon juice tiny amount of orange food colouring 2 tsp oil fenugreek leaves (methi)

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Tandoori Paneer Tikka Cooking Time: 30 minutes Serves: 2-4

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Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

400g paneer pieces salt to taste 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated 2 tsp paprika 1 tbsp mint (fresh or from the jar) 250g natural yoghurt 1 tbsp lemon juice tiny amount of orange food colouring 1 tsp asafoetida 1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain), optional 2–3 tbsp fenugreek leaves (methi) fresh coriander leaves, chopped fine

Method 1. In a bowl, mix the yoghurt, lemon juice, chilli powder, paprika, ginger, garlic, fenugreek, and orange food colouring. Add the paneer pieces into it. Let it marinate for 6–7 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the paneer pieces on a baking tray and cook for 20–30 minutes.

3. Serve it as a starter with mint yoghurt and mustard seeds or carrot salad.

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Pindi Choley/ Channa Pindi Choley/ Channa is a traditional chickpea recipe from North India.

Cooking Time: 30 minutes Serves: 2-4

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Step 1

Step 2

For pressure cooking or cooking the chickpeas for a few hours in a saucepan, add all of these ingredients together:

For chana masala spice powder, grind all these items together:

• • • • • • • • •

3 cups chickpeas (soaked overnight or tinned chickpeas) 2 tea bags 1 inch cinnamon 1 bay leaf 3 green cardamom seed pods 4 garlic cloves ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 6–7 cups water

• • • • • • • • • •

1 tsp roasted cumin 1 tsp coriander seeds ¼ tsp fennel seeds 1 tbsp fenugreek leaves (dried) 3 garlic cloves 2 black cardamom pods 3 dried red chillies 1 tbsp turmeric powder ½ tsp mango powder ½ tsp pomegranate powder

Step 3

Step 4

For the sauce, add the oil and onion in the frying pan and cook until light brown.

Add ginger and garlic, and cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes, chillies, coriander, the dried spice mix, and chickpeas.

Cook for 30 minutes or so, until all the liquid dries and the chickpeas are all very well cooked with the sauce.

For tempering, pour the cooked chickpeas in a shallow serving dish. Heat the oil or ghee and pour it over the cooked peas just before serving. Garnish it with chilli, ginger, red chilli, coriander, and some lemon wedges. Serve with special deep-fried bread—poori, or naan bread.

• • • • • • • •

3 tsp oil 1 bay leaf 1 onion, finely chopped 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste 1 green chilli, finely chopped fine or slit in two halves 2 tomatoes, finely chopped half a bunch fresh coriander salt to taste

• • • • • •

1 tbsp ghee or oil 1 green chilli, slit in two halves for garnishing 1 inch ginger, julienned ½ tsp red chilli powder coriander, chopped, for garnish half a lemon sliced into halves

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Naan Bread Cooking Time: 1 hour Serves: 2-4

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Ingredients

Method

• • • • • • • • • •

•

450g plain flour 140ml lukewarm milk 1 tsp sugar 2 tsp dried active yeast ½ tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 2 tbsp oil (2 tsp extra) 100ml natural yoghurt 1 large egg, beaten lightly poppy or sesame seeds for garnish

•

• • •

•

In the lukewarm milk, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and the yeast.

Leave aside for 15 minutes.

In a bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder; add the yeast mix, yoghurt, oil, and egg. Mix them well to make a soft dough. Pour the remaining (2 teaspoons extra) oil over the dough and cover it with a damp cloth. Place it in a warm place for a few hours for it to prove.

Take a little bit of the dough and make a small round ball. Roll it out into a long oval shape.

Preheat the grill to a high temperature and heat the griddle or nonstick pan simultaneously.

Cook one side on the griddle and lift it with a spatula. Give the bread a good soak with water on the top side and put the garnish on. Place it in the hot grill until light brown specks start to appear.

Butter and serve with any curry.

>> Cooking playlist Here are the songs of my choice from North India as the recipes are all influenced by the clay oven cooking (tandoor).

• • • • •

‘Hui Malang’ by Asees Kaur, Fed Sharma (From Malang - Unleash the Madness) ‘Suit Suit’ by Guru Randhawa featuring Arjun ‘Moorni’ by Panjabi MC ‘Lamberghini’ by The Doorbeen featuring Ragini ‘Qaafirana’ by Amit Trivedi

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About Nisha “I am currently Executive Director of ArtsEkta—one of the only organisations on the island of Ireland promoting ethnic arts, culture, and heritage. I founded this organisation in 2006 following two decades of experience in the arts and after discovering a critical gap for quality ethnic arts engagement in the sector. Originally from New Delhi, India, I have a degree from the National School of Drama in New Delhi and I am a trained Bharatanatyam Indian classical dancer.”

I moved to Northern Ireland in 1977, in my early twenties, as a result of an arranged marriage to a local Belfast Indian. As a direct result of feelings of isolation and cultural barriers, I quickly developed the strength to integrate into society by forging ahead and participating in community life.

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I found that use of the arts and raising awareness about my culture was an important way to achieve this. In particular, I began to teach cookery and dance to many women’s groups in the deprived areas of Belfast during the height of The Troubles while volunteering in my own Indian community. Through these experiences I recognised the importance of interacting with people to break down barriers, create positive relationships and friendships, and realised the impact of artistic expression on my own personal development and confidence.

I faced many hurdles yet possessed the tenacity to cross barriers into unknown communities and situations and used the power of the arts as a basis to start a conversation and develop

relationships. Today, this has transcended into an intrinsic understanding of the minority ethnic and locally deprived communities in Northern Ireland, which is reflected in my current work as Executive Director of ArtsEkta.

Prior to working in the arts and community sector, I developed my passion for cookery into a business venture—‘Faraway Foods’—of which I was Managing Director and shareholder. This company, which specialised in the sale of ethnic food products, was the first of its kind in Northern Ireland and was supported

by Invest Northern Ireland. I learned hard entrepreneurial lessons working to develop and grow an SME within the private sector which are constantly applied to my current work. My small business development has enabled me to think ‘outside of the box’ and to use my sales skills to communicate ideas to those who create change, in a similar way you sell your products to acquire new clients.

With a degree from the National School of Drama in India, I am a natural artist and have the unique ability to use my creative flair to address some of our most prevalent societal issues. I advocate for the importance of the arts to break down barriers, create positive relationships and friendships, and increase personal development and confidence. I sought to position ArtsEkta as an innovative ‘mixed economy’ enterprise that was selfsustainable. Resultantly, I worked closely with other UK and Scottish Melas to develop Belfast’s Mela. The event has become a flagship cultural festival for Northern Ireland which has introduced new methods for the positive exploration of diversity.

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Ghormeh Sabzi IRAN | FATEMEH KAHRIZI

This is the most famous Iranian food that 99.9% of Iranian people love.

We serve it with saffron rice, salad, yoghurt, or pickle, and more.

Cooking Time: 4.5 hours Serves: 2-4

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Ingredients

Method

• • • •

1. Fry onion in oil in hot pan. Add the diced beef and herbs and fry them for 5 minutes, stirring.

2. Add 3 glasses of water and the beans. Cover the pot with a lid and let it cook for 2 hours.

3. Add dried limes, salt, turmeric, and black pepper.

4. Let it cook for 2 more hours, adding more water if needed, and serve it with rice.

• •

1 onion, chopped 500g beef, diced ¾ glass kidney beans 1 ½ glass herbs (parsley, coriander, spinach, fenugreek), very finely chopped 3 dried limes pinches of pepper, salt, turmeric

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About Fatemeh “I am Fatemeh from Iran. I'm an architect and I love art, any kind of art. I play the piano and harmonica. Sometimes I sing and I'm interested in singing in different languages. I believe that nature is the greatest gift to humans and we have to respect it and take care of it for the people who will be born in the future.”

I lived in my country for about thirty-six years and in the United Kingdom for less than three years. I enjoy communicating with people from different cultures and countries and here I have more chances of meeting new people from other countries. Sometimes I cook Iranian food for my new friends and all of them love Iranian food; that's the way our friendship starts.

Image above: Vakil Mosque, Shiraz, Iran Image on the right: Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran

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>> Cooking playlist Hayedeh is a singer with a strong voice and lovely songs. When I listen to her songs, I feel like they come from heaven. Wa also have another singer, Ebi, and his voice is nice and I like his songs. If you’d like to hear traditional Iranian songs, we have a great singer, Mohammad Reza Shajarian, and his son, Homayoun Shajarian.

They are fantastic in traditional songs. Another female singer is Googoosh. Lots of people love her voice and her face as well. She is a beautiful singer.

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‘Soghati’ by Hayedeh ‘Setarehaye Sorbi’ by Ebi ‫ نایرجش نویامه‬.‫متشگ هناوید وت قشع زک ایب‬ ‘Chenan Mastam’ by Shajarian ‘Nimeye Gomshode Man’ by Googoosh

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Colcano (Colcannon) NORTHERN IRELAND | STEPHEN MILLAR

Instead of colcannon I’ve made a ‘colcano’—traditional colcannon sculpted into a volcano with baked bean lava.

Cooking Time: 35–40 minutes Serves: 4–5 (or one very hungover person)

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Ingredients

Method

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1. Peel those potatoes. Chop them into quarters and soak them in cold water for 10 minutes.

2. Wash and finely chop 4–5 large cabbage leaves.

3. Place the potatoes in a large pot of boiling water.

Bring to boil and then simmer for 10 or so minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Be careful not to overcook.

4. Parboil cabbage in a pan. Drain and then fry with some butter.

5. Drain potatoes, add a splash of milk, and begin to mash. It helps to have a potato masher, which I do not. I do however have several bent forks.

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potatoes (the more the merrier) cabbage (I like savoy) scallions butter (or vegan alternative spread) dash of milk (or vegan alternative, make sure it is unsweetened)

*This stage of making colcannon requires bravery.

6.

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Add butter, then mash.

Add scallions, more butter, and mash and mix.

Add cabbage, more butter, and mash and mix.

You might be thinking you're finished now but you need to add more butter. Be brave.

10. Give it a taste. It probably needs more butter.

11. Go to the shop and get more butter if you need to.

12. To finish, sculpt your potatoes into the shape of a volcano.

13. You can add optional baked beans to act as lava or if you do not like baked beans your 'colcano' can be dormant.

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About Stephen “Stephen Millar, born in Belfast and still live here... though I have lived in a number of other places in between. Belfast for all its problems, which there are many, is very much home.”

I currently work with Making the Future as a Community Engagement Officer for National Museums NI. I am also a HCPC registered Art Psychotherapist and a visual artist. I and ten of my comrades make up the Array Collective. Array Collective is a group of individual artists rooted in Belfast, who join together to create collaborative actions in response to the socio-political issues affecting the North of Ireland. In May 2021, Array were nominated for the Turner Prize.

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>> Cooking playlist • • • • •

‘The Wild Rover’ by Lankum—a fantastic modern take on a class Irish traditional tune ‘Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór’ by Planxty—actually anything by Planxty but this is a fave ‘Dance to Yer Daddy’ by Horslips—especially if you are cooking fish ’Mars Bar’ by The Undertones—who doesn’t like a Mars bar?

Anything by Thin Lizzy

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Indian Fish curry CENTRAL INDIA | RITU SHRIVASTAVA

This is my family’s fish curry recipe. I am a vegan and have not tasted it, but everyone says it is very delicious. The fish is cleaned and marinated by my husband as I do not touch the fish.

Everyone loves this in my family. This is my mother-in-law’s recipe and I have learned from her.

Cooking Time: 4.5 hours Serves: 2-4

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Ingredients

Method

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1. Mix salt, turmeric powder, and mango powder. Rub on all sides of the fish and set aside for 20 minutes.

2. In a shallow saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over a medium-high heat. If you are using mustard oil, heat until it is smoking hot – this removes the bitter pungency of the oil – then bring it down to a medium-high heat.

3. Add the fish to the pan and fry to seal each piece, but do not let the fillets cook through. Remove the fish fillets from the pan to a plate and set it aside.

4. Next add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil/mustard oil to the same pan.

5. Add fenugreek seed and bay leaf. Immediately after that, add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté them until golden brown in colour.

6. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, mustard powder, and diced tomatoes. Mix and fry for 3 to 5 minutes.

7. Pour hot water in and cook. Keeping the pan on a medium-high heat, let the liquid reduce for 7 minutes or until the oil comes to the surface and seeps to the sides of the pan.

8. Add the fish and mix well to combine, ensuring all sides of each fillet are cooking evenly. If possible, cook the fish fillets in a single layer in the pan as this will prevent them from breaking up into flakes and cook it uncovered. Lower the heat, until the fillets are cooked through— this should take no longer than 5 minutes.

9. Add the coriander leaves for garnishing.

10. Serve with rice or chapati (bread).

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500g fish 1 tsp turmeric powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp red chilli powder 5-6 fenugreek seeds ½ tsp mustard powder 2 medium onions, finely chopped 10–15 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 medium tomato, diced coriander leaves for garnishing 1 small bay leaf 3 tbsp mustard oil or any vegetable oil ½ tsp mango powder (optional) ½ tsp salt half litre hot water

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Gooseberry

Sweet Pickle I am going to share recipe of gooseberry sweet pickle (amla murraba, gooseberry jam). This is my mother’s signature recipe. It is authentic, delicious, and healthy, boosting immunity and controlling cholesterol levels. Gooseberry is rich with iron and vitamin C, which are good for the body. One piece of gooseberry murraba consumed during summers gives us the strength to bear the heat throughout the day.

Cooking Time: 1 hour Serves: 7

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Ingredients

Method

• • •

1. Wash the gooseberries and let dry completely.

2. Prick gooseberries with a fork. Dissolve slaked lime (limewater) in water and soak gooseberries overnight.

3. Remove and wash well. Drain thoroughly.

4. Squeeze and rinse to eliminate lime remains and let dry completely.

5. Boil water then add gooseberries and cook for 7–8 minutes with covered lid.

6. Once gooseberries are transparent, drain the water and keep aside. Let dry completely.

7. Make sugar syrup with 5 cups of water.

8. Maintain one thread consistency, skimming off any scum that keeps forming.

9. Add gooseberries, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

10. Let it cool, then store in a clean airtight jar.

1kg gooseberries 2 tsp slaked lime 1 ½ kg sugar/jaggery water

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About Ritu “I have a lot of things to pen down here about me and my country. I was born and brought up in the middle state of India (Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh).”

I made friends from all parts of India during my engineering degree and got a job through the campus selection. While working as Application Support Engineer in Gurgon (Haryana), I got to know the diversity of India. I also won a prize at the national level for a paper I presented.

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I used to play table tennis and carrom, and I won many prizes during my time at school and college. In particular, I received a silver trophy in carrom at my job. I used to go for morning walks in my childhood and now I love swimming and yoga. I do yoga daily.

My papa taught me the exercises, such as sheershaaasan, a headstand.

I got married to a true gentleman and we like to spend time listening to light music.

I have an eight-year-old son called Kiyaan.

I feel blessed to be surrounded by a lovely family and diverse friends.

I moved to Belfast with my husband and son in late 2019 and felt lucky to get involved with ImageNation NI. Through it, I got to know people, not only from India but from all over the world.

I really love to share my food and thoughts with people. I look for every single opportunity to get involved in activities with lots of people. I joined Sustrans activities to increase my confidence in cycling and love the rides.

After losing my father due to the coronavirus recently, I have a loving maa, my sister and her cute son Atharv, and younger brothers. I was the favorite and pampered child of my father. He loved me a lot. Love you and miss you so much, Papa.

I know Papa will never come back, but his blessings and encouragement will always be with me. He has given me the strength and always said: 'Do the new things and roam around the world. You’ll get the knowledge and you'll learn a lot.’ I always keep these golden words in my mind.

>> Cooking playlist My husband and I love to listen to music while cooking.

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‘Yeh Raaten Yeh Mausam‘ by Sanam featuring Simran Sehgal ‘Tujh Mein Rab Dikhta Hai‘ by Roop Kumar Rathod ‘Tere Liye’ by Lata Mangeshkar, Roop Kumar Rathod ‘Main Yahaan Hoon’ by Udit Narayan ‘Tumhi Ho Bandhu’ by Saif Ai Khan, Deepika Padukone & Diana Penty (from the movie Cocktail) ‘Mere Rashke Qamar Tu Ne Pehli Nazar’ by Junaid Asghar ‘Dil To Bachcha Hai’ Ji by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (from the movie Ishqiya) ‘Kabira’ by Ranbir kapoor, Deepika Padukone (from the movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani) ‘Bulleya’ by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor & Anushka Sharma (from the movie Ae Dil Hai Mushkil)

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Crisp sandwich NORTHERN IRELAND | LYNSEY GILLESPIE

‘Crisp Sandwich‘ or more specifically, ‘Jean Gillespie’s Crisp Sandwich’. Crisp sandwiches are a Northern Irish favourite, but my mum has very specific rules about them. She always made me one as a child if I’d been sick and not eating or just feeling a bit down! Also, I can’t cook to save my life!

Cooking Time: 5 minutes of prep time Serves: Just yourself!

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Ingredients

Method

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1. Get your two slices of soft white FRESH bread (the freshness is vital, or you’ll ruin it and nobody wants that).

2. Butter BOTH sides of the bread.

3. Open the crisps and load them on to one slice of bread (as high as you like, the higher the better!).

4. Take the second slice of bread and squash it down over the crisps (hear that crackle).

5. Stick it on a plate and enjoy!

•

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soft white bread, always fresh—this is important crisps (always Tayto Cheese and Onion, and always the Northern Tayto for me, no offence to the Southern ones!) butter (Flora Light in the Gillespie house, but other brands are available)

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About Lynsey “Born and bred right here in Comber, a small town on the Ards Peninsula/North Down/just outside Belfast, where I still live.”

If you’ve any cooking skills yourself, look up something good to do with Comber New Potatoes for me other than just boiling them. They have European protected status, and we are rightly proud of them!

I’ve been working for PRONI, and in heritage, for the guts of ten years. I believe the key 78

to understanding who and where we are is learning our own stories and sharing them as much as possible. This book, with so many people coming here and making NI their home, fills my heart with pride. For all our complicated history, and all our faults, I believe we really are a beautiful place full of incredible people.

>> Cooking playlist • • • •

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‘Guiding Ligh’t by Foy Vance—he hails from just up the road from me and this song settles the soul ‘Signal Fire’ by Snow Patrol—I can’t be from North Down and not pick a song by them, and this is my favourite ‘Shining Light’ by Ash—these guys were the first big band I remember being aware of from Northern Ireland.

‘I Can’t Give You Anything but Love’ by Ottilie Patterson & Chris Barber—Ottilie was an incredible jazz and blues singer that came from my own hometown. Her personal papers are held in PRONI and I’m ashamed to say she’s only been a recent discovery, but she’s great!

‘Game of Love’ by Santana—forgive me, he’s not Irish, but this song in the kitchen is the best!

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Home Treasures Barbara (1) - Special things I wouldn’t like to lose wherever I settle are letters my friends and family have been sending me from Poland over the years. I also treasure a hand-painted silk scarf my friend made for me (my husband had a matching tie done).

I wore it for my wedding in Northern Ireland and later at a blessing in Poland. It has Arabic art motives as my husband is from the Middle East and a verse from Hosea.

Jacqueline (2) - A few weeks ago, I took this photo of jewellery I have been given by friends or collected when away.

There are necklaces from Guatemala, Cuba, Burundi, Tunisia, Eritrea, Thailand, Afghanistan, Mexico, Romania, Kosovo, France, Spain, and Greece.

Deepika (3) - My mom gifted me a lord Krishna idol on my marriage. I always take him with me. I have been worshiping him from my childhood and it makes me feel so much confidence and positivity.

Kathy (4) - My home treasure is a set of candlesticks that has been passed down the generations of my family — I remember seeing these when I was a child in my maternal grandmother’s house. Traditionally, these go to the eldest girl. The candles are lit on Friday evenings to herald the Sabbath (the Shabbat) which starts at sundown. The lighting of the candles is a woman’s role, unlike many roles in traditional Judaism which are fulfilled by men. In a Jewish home, the woman is sacrosanct. My picture also shows challah, which is the special plaited bread we eat to celebrate the Shabbat.

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Ritu (5) - The chunari, a symbol of marriage in India. My mother-in-law gifted it to me at my marriage ceremony.

I could never leave it when I migrated to Belfast. It is so precious to me and a bundle of emotions and memories. It keeps me connected to the family and reminds me of that beautiful time.

I wear it on every Indian festival to have the authentic look in this very different culture. Definitely, it’s a long-lasting connection with people back in India.

Nisha (6) - The ghungroos shown in the picture were given to me as a blessing from my dance teacher (guru) so they have a very special place in my heart and life. After ten years of full training, you are presented these as a gift from your teacher and special prayers are held to bless them called arangetram during the debut on-stage performance of an Indian classical dancer.

Once a dancer has completed training, they should understand classical music and full confidence of the stage performance. The jewellery is also a very important part of our costume. The saree which I had brought with me unfortunately got damaged so I don’t have that to show.

Rajiv (7, 8) - I would like to share two items here. The first one is a thermos flask which we used to keep hot tea or coffee during train journeys in India during our childhood.

There are so many memories with the train journey with family. It still works perfectly and keeps hot for almost ten hours, and we use it here in Belfast. The second item is a camera film reel negative which reminds me of the non-digital world during our school life. We used to have limited numbers of clicks from the camera to save the film!

Sanjay (9) - I had this coin for a very long time. It is a silver coin of Goddess Vaishno Devi. I have this coin most of the times in my wallet and have carried it everywhere with me.

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Sara (10) - My Havdalah set from Israel. We had to leave Israel because my father-in-law had suffered a series of heart attacks and we couldn’t bring much, but the first thing in our minds was Havdalah. It is our religion and traditions that have worked as a glue and kept our nation alive despite genocides, persecutions, and prejudices while in exile for many centuries, and lighting the candles for Havdalah has always been with us. It is so important that our sages have taught us that we merit a place in the world to come by doing at least one of the following: to bring their children up in the study of Torah, to live in the land of Israel, or to recite Havdalah after every Sabbath (end of Saturday).

Bringing this set and doing our tradition gives me so much inspiration. It also helps me feel connected to the Christians around me who also do the Havdalah, which they call Mass because their Rabbi told them to do it in memory of him. I think everybody is connected somehow. Finding how similar we are to each other depends on the desire of a person to investigate or not.

Suchitra (12, 13) - This is my autograph book from 10th Std (GCSE equivalent in Mumbai, India). It was a tradition to have an autograph book and get messages or autographs from your classmates and teachers. It has travelled with me through the different cities in India and now Belfast. One of the pages that I have shown here is the one from my English teacher who I loved dearly.

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Making the Future is a project supported by the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

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