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Women at Bristol's Dhek Bhal on home cooking [OH851]
Please note: A large part of this transcription is in foreign language
Nikesh Shukla [NS]: Thank you. Food is very important to me. When when my. When my mother died, I, I realised how important food was to me and not restaurant food and not not food that you can buy but food. That reminded you of home cooking of of home cooking I didn't have any of that in my life. Soni Kaur [SK]: [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: And I want I want to. I want to spread the word about how important. It's because the kitchen in every household and every family is the is the centre. Of the family. Everything happens in that kitchen. It's where you have all your meals. It's where you go and talk to your mum about your day. It's where it's where you learn about yourself. I grew. I grew up. My bedroom was above the kitchen. And so every night I would hear the pressure cooker and I would smell the onion and garlic. And that's where I feel most at home. SK: Another bedroom kitchen. [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: And so this for this project I want you to tell me about food and why food is important because I want to put together some recipes that we can show to the next generation so they know how to make cooking like their mum’s mummies and their grandmothers used to make, and not just sandwiches. SK: [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: And so I wanted to ask you, is food important? Yeah. Why and why is it. Speaker 3: Why didn't time when my when I was very little my mother and my grandmother never go in the shop and buy chilli, green chilli and he ready sold any vinegar now she everything she brought home and mash in them with special stones tail and she grind all the time and she cook was very 90s and this day is not the same. NS: What's different? Speaker 3: Not because they extra use the electric machine and not the same taste now and so many thing artificial. NS: So many things you can buy like I went to Bristol Sweet Mart, yeah, and I could buy like frozen, frozen everything. Speaker 3: Even chilli, even even chilli, they put lot of things in the chilli. Is not a real thing now. NS: What about everyone else's why is food important. Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: Into different there's lots of chemicals and a lot of foods, pre-packed food… organic foods. NS: And I wanted to ask, how did you learn to cook? Did you learn from recipe books. Speaker 6: Mother is the best. Speaker 3: This is a teacher best teacher for the teacher. NS: Why? Why do you think that? Speaker 3: Because she will teach him. Speaker 6: That his mother is a love child. That's why he said. When you grow up, you can't do for that. You don't know what I what I do. But that's why they give a small portion. They start big. The big portion, you know, for the cooking just like that. Speaker 3: My mother always said to me when I pass away, you will remember me too. NS: What about anyone else? Speaker 7: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: So a lot of their food was farmed. From their, their parent’s own farms, so a lot of. It was sort of. So it was officially grounded as well, sort of pestle and mortar. So they did it themselves. It wasn't like now you can get packet made and so. It was. It was grounded themselves all the ingredients, everything. NS: And does anyone remember their kitchens when they were growing up? Can anyone? SK: [Speaking in foreign language]. Lot of talking at once NS: Tell me about their kitchens. SK: One life near the sweet yard there near the soy. NS: One at a time, one time. SK: They were small, they were small and they didn't have like electrical appliances how we have today. They were really basic. So they all had to do it by hand. Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: For, for me food makes me so happy and so sad, because every now and then when I cook something and it smells like how my mum used to make it, I, I'm there in her kitchen and my mum when she used to cook, she would always cook like this. She would always have one foot up and then she would have this one knife she'd be. And she would be chopping in. Her hand with 1 foot up and that's what I always remember. Speaker 3: Maybe she got bad back. NS: Yeah, but that's, that's the image, whenever I smell something that reminds me of my mum's cooking, I I'm there in that kitchen, sitting at that table, watching her. And it's like she's there again and it's it's very important to me that. And that's why I want, wanted you guys to think about your most famous recipe that you wanted, that you always cook, that you know you could do it with your eyes closed. SK: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: They, they didn't really enjoy cooking no more, they they say it's not the same as how it used to be, so they don't really get the same joy as they used to. SK: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: That's interesting. [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: Favourite dish do you? SK: Angie, she makes everything from fresh, she never uses anything tinned. [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: Freshly cuts yourself, right? NS: So can can you guys tell me some of the your famous dishes that you always used to cook. SK: Favourite [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Or even a dish that you, you used to enjoy, maybe that your, your mother used to make, or an auntie used to. Make as well. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] . Response in foreign language SK: So pilau rice, aubergines, aubergines or curry and aloe gobi Response in foreign language SK: She said everybody loves her aubergine curry as well, and she makes a really good aubergine curry. NS: I want that recipe, yeah. Well, what we'll do is we'll we'll have a little talk about and then. And we'll come round and we'll sit with you and you can we'll talk a little bit more in depth so everyone has more time to talk. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Thank you. Thanks. Any other dishes? SK: [Speaking in foreign language]. Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: Spinach Curry. foreign language speech SK: So the younger generation make some first class food and they said that what they can make today is nothing compared to the. foreign language speech SK: So the people and sort of neighbours that have come from for just to eat food from their houses. Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Does everyone know what Khichdi[?] is Khichdi? Speaker 6: Khichdi. Yeah, it's very nice picture. It's [?] dal. Yeah. NS: My my auntie told me Khichdi is the simplest dish. Speaker 6: Right. NS: You cannot mess up Khichdi and the first time I made it, I. Nearly burnt my house down. So I and now now when I when I make it, it smells like my auntie's kitchen. But that first time. It was terrible. Really terrible, yeah. Speaker 6: Perfect. Two different things if you like. Some people like some people like. Well, [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So they were very clean they were cleaning their homes, also washing their hands, and they make use of sort of homemade things. So yoghurt, milk. So they take made cheese instead of going out and buying cheese so they would use home fresh products to make things rather than going out to the bazaar and buying ingredients. Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: They wake up early. In the morning, make cheese from little bottle or something and then use that for the whole day in there cooking instead of as opposed to going out and buying. Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: So I just. I'm just gonna ask you to think of another thing and then maybe we'll start coming around and talking to you individually what one dish would you want to pass on to the next generation. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: And why? NS: So just we just have to think about that and if anyone, if anyone, can't think of. Speaker: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Alone, kids, these things, each part of the ingredients that they used to cook with anyway, so you know. Kids using a lot of fussy with you or don't like certain cheeses, or don't like having butter, so the diet health. Speaker 5: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: These kids. foreign language speech NS: So has everyone thought of what dish they would like to pass on to the next generation. foreign language speech NS: What we want to do is we want to record these recipes and these dishes as they should be not how kids today, because this is about preserving history because food, the recipes, they're part of our history, part of our families history. So the way the, the way that my mum liked Khichdi and the way we cook Khichdi, that's part of who our family is. foreign language speech NS: So what we're gonna do is we're gonna start with some chicken biryani over here. We're gonna chat, chat to you, take about 5 minutes and just talk through the recipe and yeah and then we'll move around the room at half past twelve we're gonna have some food and then we'll come back and we'll finish up our recipes and then we'll have a little bit more of a talk maybe you guys can teach me some Hindi and then yeah, that that's pretty much it. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: I've talked to you about chicken biryani. SK: What do you want the recipe? NS: On, yeah, it was very quick recipe and then. Interruptions & background noise NS: Chicken biryani. Speaker: [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker: Ingredient and onion, yeah. Onion and tomato tin my fresh tomato everyday like it. Sale Red chilli, Curry powder, tomato powder, doosra, aldi[?]. continues in foreign language. NS: And what what is your. Do you have any memories of your, your Mum teaching you cook to cook when you were younger. foreign language speech SK: But they've never measured that. They've never done anything by measurements. Is just simply by visually learning and watching their mother but she’s had a stoke now so she can’t remember… foreign language speech SK: So obviously she's got some [?] and she says that even simple things as a burger and then go and actually get a burger. She makes lots of burger patties herself at home so that it's fresh. Speaker: [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker 5: Thank you. NS: Thank you. Sounds very nice. NS: Young woman. Thank you. Speaker: Sorry, made long story. Sorry, very story. Very bad, very long. Interruptions & background noise NS: That was [Rakia Bebe ?]. NS: Hello. What's your name Speaker: Saida [Hussain?]. NS: What? What dish? What dish would you pass on? Saida [Speaking in foreign language] NS: What kind of fish. Saida Any fish, Bangladeshi fish Saida [Speaking in foreign language] NS: How do you make? The fish Curry. Saida [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So they put almost all the fish, marinade the fish and then... Saida [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So you find the fried fish … quiet NS: Sounds really nice. Do do you have any memories of when you learn to cook? Saida No, I do myself. My mum's learning and I do it myself. Look, I do look and I this country, I can, I can I do it myself, No other house and nobody. And I do it myself. SK: All right. SK: Came to this country alone and then. NS: And did you learn? From books or? Saida: No, I do it myself. NS: From taste, Saida: Yeah. NS: Thank you. OK, thank you. Are you are you listening? NS: Aubergine curry. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Thank you. [Speaking in foreign language]. It's funny because my mum was making the same thing this morning before I left the house. Aubergine Curry. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: You said you like the sun. So she said she'll make. It for you but… [Speaking in foreign language] So she went from her father, had to cook. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So her mum was diagnosed with TB so her mum couldn't cook, so all her cooking she's learned from her dad and her dad was a wonderful cook and and and now she says she doesn't make as much with age. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So they had a very big family, so sort of, her dad wanted seven. So they used to make a lot of big dishes, big food with big pans and lots of food, basically. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: And now she's passed on her cooking to her daughter. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Does it taste as good as yours? SK: [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Yeah. So she's given she's. Do you want any more? NS: No, no. SK: Thank you. Background noise Speaker 6: My name is [Maxwell?]. NS: What dish would you pass on to generations? Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language], chicken tandoori chicken. Chicken ???. Put lemon and salt on the top. Just leave 5-10 minutes and after make some masala like chicken tikka masala, Kashmiri masala or [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she's talking about sort of passion cooking [unclear] They might actually have the thing that you can put over and kind of what's the split? Yes. NS: And how does how does it is better than restaurant? You have to make it. Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language]. I just learned my own by heart. SK: Alright, so when she was, when she was very young, so she and she, she learned. She just picked it up and. NS: Was it something? That your mum used to make and you made. Speaker 6: Yeah. Yeah, very nice. Yeah, I understand. My own children have learned with me as well you. NS: It from taste. So you understand what I'm trying to do. Speaker 2: And how? NS: Know how long did it take before it tasted like you mum’s? Speaker 6: It's very for 2-3 months. NS: 2-3 months. Speaker 6: No one time I make is no good. Next time I make it, he said. Just little cook. Nice. And when I make third time, she said. It's very nice. Unclear with background noise NS: Do you remember the kitchen. Speaker 6: My… have very big family, the [?] doing together, but I just looked look around and sometimes he said. You go do something else, are still looking at there. Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language] Unclear with background noise NS: I tried that. Before I nearly burnt my house down, thank you. Speaker 6: Oh no, you should be carefully. SK: Thank you. Pause NS: What’s your name. Speaker 5: [unclear]. NS: And what? What dish? Would you pass on to the next generation. We’ve had chicken biryani we had fish curry, aubergine curry. Speaker 5: At the moment I know vegetarian, you know. Unclear with background noise and foreign language NS: What different types of spinach are there? I'd never knew, I always thought there was one SK: No, you can get tinned, fresh, fresh. [Speaking in foreign language] [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So you can get different types of spinach if you go to the supermarket, if you. [Speaking in foreign language] SK: This is little drop of olive oil. She stays quite ill, so she has to take care of her health and there's certain things that you can't eat. So that's why she can't really eat? [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she just keeps on telling the [guys?] what to do first, and this is what you should just guide on what to do. [Speaking in foreign language] SK: How to cut onion? NS; How do you cut onion, what is the best way? [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she says, back in the day they did chop them by hand. It's like in their own hands, where now a lot of people use them chopping boards and have to be finely that, but they didn't really. [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Of course, cooks beyond her years. But she's an amazing cook, not just in sort of Asian cooking, but in English cooking as well. She's very good. [Speaking in foreign language] SK: What else had to cook for? So 450 people and? [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she goes now, and it's, it's a lot easier because it's written down. And so a lot of recipes are written down in books so all sort of kids can follow that and as a guide, but obviously they didn't have their back in the day. NS: So who taught you? [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she just learned by picking up from other people when she came to this country so she didn't learn where she was from me and she just picked up once she came to this country and she met other people, other Asian women and said how do you make this and how do you make that and once she was 17, when she. [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Thank you. NS: Thank you. Thank you everyone. NS: What recipe would you pass on to the next generation? SK: Any recipe, favourite recipe [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Tell me a good dal recipe Speaker 8: Garlic. One cup dal. Any green or yellow lentil. Very easy yellow lentil. Yellow lentil 1 cup in put in the water the little bit. [Speaking in foreign language] Background noise [Speaking in foreign language] NS: And One Cup is for four people. Speaker 8: Yeah, four people. NS: And when you first came to the UK, how easy was it to find dal in our shops. Speaker 8: Oh, my husband got me in. Shopping is a very little shop in there. Yeah, I go in 72. I come in here in 72, very little shop in there. My my husband works then. [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Yeah. So there was a lot of shop that was sort of. They were really small shops but they were able to get what they needed, so ingredients and. NK: And who taught you how to make dal? Speaker 8: My mum NK: How did she teach you, by writing it down or showing? [Speaking in foreign language] SK: By watching so she would start trying to stand there and say right now do this and then he'll do this and. NK: How old Speaker 8: ten or eleven NS: And what was what was her biggest tip that she had taught you? SK: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So there wasn't really one. So these are the food on sort of fire before where it's about electrical, but there wasn't. Really a major tip. NS: Thank you. SK: Thank you. Background noise [Long section of speaking in foreign language] NS: And who taught you how to how to make it? [Speaking in foreign language and quiet reaction] NS: Why did you choose? [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she knows from her mother. NS: And why did you choose this dish? SK: [Speaking in foreign language] [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So spinach dish is also one of her favourites. SK: The previous [?] that she said is for something like they all used to make a lot of. So that's why it's one of my favourites. Speaker 2: Thank you. Speaker 5: Thank you. Background noise Speaker: Kenya NS: Kenya, Speaker: Kenya, Africa. NS: And some of your favourite culinary dishes? Speaker: Maruo favourite Kenyan, Gujarati. ??. NS: OK, recipes. Speaker & NS: [Long passage of speaking in foreign language] NS: Thank you. Thank you very much. What? What dish would you give to her? Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker 9: Lamb, chicken and lamb chicken. [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: And then what are your where, where did you learn to make it? Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she learnt to cook after her mum passed away, basically. Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So, her mum basically, when she would make curry. You know people from all around the area of the streets would come together just to her house with a pot, sorry to say can we have some curry, that's how well known her curry was. NS: Where was this? Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: So when they used to pass, for example, [unclear], they used to provide people with food and pass it over along with veg, [unclear] Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: but where, India Pakistan? Speaker 9: Pakistan, Karachi [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So her parents are in Lahore Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Everyone has to eat… Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Thank you. Background noise and unclear talk in foreign language NS: And when, when we were talking earlier about food and you were talking about your, your mum and nan and your mum? Speaker 3: They never use from the shop any kind of spice. No, they grind in the house. They even [unclear]. We got [chucky?]. Two piece of stone, big one and they grind their seed in the house and they use that grind and the roti was lovely soft. My God, you never bought from the shop? Never. NS: Oh wow. amazing. Speaker 3: Yes. Yeah. And my grandmother does same and same is my daddy. Same is my mother. But when is my turn come no I'm too old that’s too old fashioned. NS: And can you give us any memories of your, your mum and cooking? Speaker 3: My mum's very nice cooking and always use [unclear], not the gas cooker, not the oil cooker. Now is would be the use of wooden piece in the [unclear] and she cooks very nice. There was slow cooker. Not a cooker. Slow firing. They must cook weariness, even the Lantern even like just with the small vegetable. She was cooked very nice when I lost my mother last active. There won't be a same taste. Never. NS: And when you started cooking yourself? Speaker 3: After the marriage, after the marriage, not before, my mother always said to me, look, do something, do something, I said I would like tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow, tomorrow, my mother said. I will pass away and never tomorrow come. And you will remember me. NS: It's very it's it's very painful to talk about, but at the same time, it's a nice memory because. Speaker 3: Because I was alone, my brother, my brother and myself. And always there, despite me more than my brother. And I was stupid. Don't take notice. Anybody not know? NS: It's it's, it's it's nice that you know that's how you honour, honour your mum, now by cooking the dishes. Speaker 3: You will. You will remember when she passed away? When she's no more. You will think about. NS: And that's that's why I'm doing this project because. Speaker 3: When I go in Pakistan and I will look her place. NS: And do you do your children cook? Speaker 3: I don't know because I have not seen my children plus 35 years. NS: And final question. So apart from [unclear]. What, what is your favourite dish to, to eat like not not that you could that you cook. Speaker 3: [unclear] Meat I cook that one, I cook everything, but it's most of time I cook meat. Meat with musala and [unclear]. Because I love chawal. NS: Thank you. Thank you very much. SK: Thank you. Background noise NS: Hello. What's your name? Speaker 6: [Hadja?] NS: What is the one dish you want to teach the next generation? Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: Make this sound very easy. Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: You have the nice memories of making that with your, with your mum or with your family. Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: So she would learn from her mother and she would just watch her and then pick it up. Speaker 3: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So her daughter in law, when she got married to her son was like I can't make anything. I don't know what to make and then she was just, like, stand by me and then watched her now and now she knows how to cook everything as well. So... NS: How do you get better with when you don't know how much about measurements? Speaker 3: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: And so they just do it off of their head. They don't measure at all. They just kind of think logically about how much you're going to need and just do it. NS: How do you know? Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: I know, right?` NS: That's how it's so easy. You just know. NS: I don't. I don't know. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So they just basically look and see. You know if it's and I suppose by taste as well, you know, taste. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: Whilst, whilst they're cooking, they're having a little taste and see if it needs more salt and pepper. And then just add more and then keep tasting while it's cooking through and then that's how you just know. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: Her son's favourite is her biryani, especially by made by her so. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: Thank you, Thank you.
NS: Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for sharing their stories and their recipes with us. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Of obviously it for me it's a very emotional subject. And it's it's very good to see that it's an emotional subject for a lot of you as well, so thank you. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] [Speaking in foreign language] NS: But one last question I want to ask everyone. We asked you none of you told me any measurements for anything. How do you how do you know that it's going to, how do you know that it's gonna be OK, if you have no measurements. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker 3: Sometimes you tell your [unclear]. NS: No, but what's the secret? Because everyone, everyone seems to be like. I just thought. I just know. Speaker 3: We are cooking for the long long time and we know. Yes, it's hopefully that was. SK: Just to make them like this. Speaker 3: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Right. OK. So she's saying, you know, one you, you're thinking of making a dish you have a portion so say you're cooking for how many people you're gonna buy a lot of meat or a small amount of meat. So. In that instance, you're gonna know. So you either use a lot of salt or a lot of pepper, or a lot of masala. So it's just by portion size, they they can go by as well. Speaker 3: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Do you? So you marinate your meat so you can put yoghurt, lemon, salt, pepper over your meat, but they just do it by portion size and that and you know and then they stop by a little bit and they keep going. And you? Speaker 6: Have your taste twice, you know. SK: Yeah, that's what I'm saying. NS: And the other thing I wanted to ask is a lot of this project is about sharing knowledge with the next generation and a lot a lot of you guys have been like, oh, they like frozen food and burgers and things like that. You can't beat Mum, Mum's cooking right. So I just wanted to know. What can we do to ensure that these recipes aren't lost. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So, she's saying, basically don’t just stop cooking and she's saying her son for example had learned how to cook food and make everything, even though he necessarily not make it he knows how to make it so just teaching our kids how to cook and obviously that will be passed on generation by generation, so just making sure you're all. Speaker 3: Only use teaspoon. Never use tablespoon, teaspoon. Speaker: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Thank you. Thank you. Speaker 3: Never use tablespoon, only use teaspoon.
Nikesh Shukla [NS]: Thank you. Food is very important to me. When when my. When my mother died, I, I realised how important food was to me and not restaurant food and not not food that you can buy but food. That reminded you of home cooking of of home cooking I didn't have any of that in my life. Soni Kaur [SK]: [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: And I want I want to. I want to spread the word about how important. It's because the kitchen in every household and every family is the is the centre. Of the family. Everything happens in that kitchen. It's where you have all your meals. It's where you go and talk to your mum about your day. It's where it's where you learn about yourself. I grew. I grew up. My bedroom was above the kitchen. And so every night I would hear the pressure cooker and I would smell the onion and garlic. And that's where I feel most at home. SK: Another bedroom kitchen. [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: And so this for this project I want you to tell me about food and why food is important because I want to put together some recipes that we can show to the next generation so they know how to make cooking like their mum’s mummies and their grandmothers used to make, and not just sandwiches. SK: [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: And so I wanted to ask you, is food important? Yeah. Why and why is it. Speaker 3: Why didn't time when my when I was very little my mother and my grandmother never go in the shop and buy chilli, green chilli and he ready sold any vinegar now she everything she brought home and mash in them with special stones tail and she grind all the time and she cook was very 90s and this day is not the same. NS: What's different? Speaker 3: Not because they extra use the electric machine and not the same taste now and so many thing artificial. NS: So many things you can buy like I went to Bristol Sweet Mart, yeah, and I could buy like frozen, frozen everything. Speaker 3: Even chilli, even even chilli, they put lot of things in the chilli. Is not a real thing now. NS: What about everyone else's why is food important. Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: Into different there's lots of chemicals and a lot of foods, pre-packed food… organic foods. NS: And I wanted to ask, how did you learn to cook? Did you learn from recipe books. Speaker 6: Mother is the best. Speaker 3: This is a teacher best teacher for the teacher. NS: Why? Why do you think that? Speaker 3: Because she will teach him. Speaker 6: That his mother is a love child. That's why he said. When you grow up, you can't do for that. You don't know what I what I do. But that's why they give a small portion. They start big. The big portion, you know, for the cooking just like that. Speaker 3: My mother always said to me when I pass away, you will remember me too. NS: What about anyone else? Speaker 7: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: So a lot of their food was farmed. From their, their parent’s own farms, so a lot of. It was sort of. So it was officially grounded as well, sort of pestle and mortar. So they did it themselves. It wasn't like now you can get packet made and so. It was. It was grounded themselves all the ingredients, everything. NS: And does anyone remember their kitchens when they were growing up? Can anyone? SK: [Speaking in foreign language]. Lot of talking at once NS: Tell me about their kitchens. SK: One life near the sweet yard there near the soy. NS: One at a time, one time. SK: They were small, they were small and they didn't have like electrical appliances how we have today. They were really basic. So they all had to do it by hand. Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: For, for me food makes me so happy and so sad, because every now and then when I cook something and it smells like how my mum used to make it, I, I'm there in her kitchen and my mum when she used to cook, she would always cook like this. She would always have one foot up and then she would have this one knife she'd be. And she would be chopping in. Her hand with 1 foot up and that's what I always remember. Speaker 3: Maybe she got bad back. NS: Yeah, but that's, that's the image, whenever I smell something that reminds me of my mum's cooking, I I'm there in that kitchen, sitting at that table, watching her. And it's like she's there again and it's it's very important to me that. And that's why I want, wanted you guys to think about your most famous recipe that you wanted, that you always cook, that you know you could do it with your eyes closed. SK: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: They, they didn't really enjoy cooking no more, they they say it's not the same as how it used to be, so they don't really get the same joy as they used to. SK: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: That's interesting. [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: Favourite dish do you? SK: Angie, she makes everything from fresh, she never uses anything tinned. [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: Freshly cuts yourself, right? NS: So can can you guys tell me some of the your famous dishes that you always used to cook. SK: Favourite [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Or even a dish that you, you used to enjoy, maybe that your, your mother used to make, or an auntie used to. Make as well. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] . Response in foreign language SK: So pilau rice, aubergines, aubergines or curry and aloe gobi Response in foreign language SK: She said everybody loves her aubergine curry as well, and she makes a really good aubergine curry. NS: I want that recipe, yeah. Well, what we'll do is we'll we'll have a little talk about and then. And we'll come round and we'll sit with you and you can we'll talk a little bit more in depth so everyone has more time to talk. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Thank you. Thanks. Any other dishes? SK: [Speaking in foreign language]. Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: Spinach Curry. foreign language speech SK: So the younger generation make some first class food and they said that what they can make today is nothing compared to the. foreign language speech SK: So the people and sort of neighbours that have come from for just to eat food from their houses. Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Does everyone know what Khichdi[?] is Khichdi? Speaker 6: Khichdi. Yeah, it's very nice picture. It's [?] dal. Yeah. NS: My my auntie told me Khichdi is the simplest dish. Speaker 6: Right. NS: You cannot mess up Khichdi and the first time I made it, I. Nearly burnt my house down. So I and now now when I when I make it, it smells like my auntie's kitchen. But that first time. It was terrible. Really terrible, yeah. Speaker 6: Perfect. Two different things if you like. Some people like some people like. Well, [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So they were very clean they were cleaning their homes, also washing their hands, and they make use of sort of homemade things. So yoghurt, milk. So they take made cheese instead of going out and buying cheese so they would use home fresh products to make things rather than going out to the bazaar and buying ingredients. Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: They wake up early. In the morning, make cheese from little bottle or something and then use that for the whole day in there cooking instead of as opposed to going out and buying. Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: So I just. I'm just gonna ask you to think of another thing and then maybe we'll start coming around and talking to you individually what one dish would you want to pass on to the next generation. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: And why? NS: So just we just have to think about that and if anyone, if anyone, can't think of. Speaker: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Alone, kids, these things, each part of the ingredients that they used to cook with anyway, so you know. Kids using a lot of fussy with you or don't like certain cheeses, or don't like having butter, so the diet health. Speaker 5: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: These kids. foreign language speech NS: So has everyone thought of what dish they would like to pass on to the next generation. foreign language speech NS: What we want to do is we want to record these recipes and these dishes as they should be not how kids today, because this is about preserving history because food, the recipes, they're part of our history, part of our families history. So the way the, the way that my mum liked Khichdi and the way we cook Khichdi, that's part of who our family is. foreign language speech NS: So what we're gonna do is we're gonna start with some chicken biryani over here. We're gonna chat, chat to you, take about 5 minutes and just talk through the recipe and yeah and then we'll move around the room at half past twelve we're gonna have some food and then we'll come back and we'll finish up our recipes and then we'll have a little bit more of a talk maybe you guys can teach me some Hindi and then yeah, that that's pretty much it. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: I've talked to you about chicken biryani. SK: What do you want the recipe? NS: On, yeah, it was very quick recipe and then. Interruptions & background noise NS: Chicken biryani. Speaker: [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker: Ingredient and onion, yeah. Onion and tomato tin my fresh tomato everyday like it. Sale Red chilli, Curry powder, tomato powder, doosra, aldi[?]. continues in foreign language. NS: And what what is your. Do you have any memories of your, your Mum teaching you cook to cook when you were younger. foreign language speech SK: But they've never measured that. They've never done anything by measurements. Is just simply by visually learning and watching their mother but she’s had a stoke now so she can’t remember… foreign language speech SK: So obviously she's got some [?] and she says that even simple things as a burger and then go and actually get a burger. She makes lots of burger patties herself at home so that it's fresh. Speaker: [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker 5: Thank you. NS: Thank you. Sounds very nice. NS: Young woman. Thank you. Speaker: Sorry, made long story. Sorry, very story. Very bad, very long. Interruptions & background noise NS: That was [Rakia Bebe ?]. NS: Hello. What's your name Speaker: Saida [Hussain?]. NS: What? What dish? What dish would you pass on? Saida [Speaking in foreign language] NS: What kind of fish. Saida Any fish, Bangladeshi fish Saida [Speaking in foreign language] NS: How do you make? The fish Curry. Saida [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So they put almost all the fish, marinade the fish and then... Saida [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So you find the fried fish … quiet NS: Sounds really nice. Do do you have any memories of when you learn to cook? Saida No, I do myself. My mum's learning and I do it myself. Look, I do look and I this country, I can, I can I do it myself, No other house and nobody. And I do it myself. SK: All right. SK: Came to this country alone and then. NS: And did you learn? From books or? Saida: No, I do it myself. NS: From taste, Saida: Yeah. NS: Thank you. OK, thank you. Are you are you listening? NS: Aubergine curry. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Thank you. [Speaking in foreign language]. It's funny because my mum was making the same thing this morning before I left the house. Aubergine Curry. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: You said you like the sun. So she said she'll make. It for you but… [Speaking in foreign language] So she went from her father, had to cook. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So her mum was diagnosed with TB so her mum couldn't cook, so all her cooking she's learned from her dad and her dad was a wonderful cook and and and now she says she doesn't make as much with age. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So they had a very big family, so sort of, her dad wanted seven. So they used to make a lot of big dishes, big food with big pans and lots of food, basically. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: And now she's passed on her cooking to her daughter. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Does it taste as good as yours? SK: [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Yeah. So she's given she's. Do you want any more? NS: No, no. SK: Thank you. Background noise Speaker 6: My name is [Maxwell?]. NS: What dish would you pass on to generations? Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language], chicken tandoori chicken. Chicken ???. Put lemon and salt on the top. Just leave 5-10 minutes and after make some masala like chicken tikka masala, Kashmiri masala or [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she's talking about sort of passion cooking [unclear] They might actually have the thing that you can put over and kind of what's the split? Yes. NS: And how does how does it is better than restaurant? You have to make it. Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language]. I just learned my own by heart. SK: Alright, so when she was, when she was very young, so she and she, she learned. She just picked it up and. NS: Was it something? That your mum used to make and you made. Speaker 6: Yeah. Yeah, very nice. Yeah, I understand. My own children have learned with me as well you. NS: It from taste. So you understand what I'm trying to do. Speaker 2: And how? NS: Know how long did it take before it tasted like you mum’s? Speaker 6: It's very for 2-3 months. NS: 2-3 months. Speaker 6: No one time I make is no good. Next time I make it, he said. Just little cook. Nice. And when I make third time, she said. It's very nice. Unclear with background noise NS: Do you remember the kitchen. Speaker 6: My… have very big family, the [?] doing together, but I just looked look around and sometimes he said. You go do something else, are still looking at there. Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language] Unclear with background noise NS: I tried that. Before I nearly burnt my house down, thank you. Speaker 6: Oh no, you should be carefully. SK: Thank you. Pause NS: What’s your name. Speaker 5: [unclear]. NS: And what? What dish? Would you pass on to the next generation. We’ve had chicken biryani we had fish curry, aubergine curry. Speaker 5: At the moment I know vegetarian, you know. Unclear with background noise and foreign language NS: What different types of spinach are there? I'd never knew, I always thought there was one SK: No, you can get tinned, fresh, fresh. [Speaking in foreign language] [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So you can get different types of spinach if you go to the supermarket, if you. [Speaking in foreign language] SK: This is little drop of olive oil. She stays quite ill, so she has to take care of her health and there's certain things that you can't eat. So that's why she can't really eat? [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she just keeps on telling the [guys?] what to do first, and this is what you should just guide on what to do. [Speaking in foreign language] SK: How to cut onion? NS; How do you cut onion, what is the best way? [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she says, back in the day they did chop them by hand. It's like in their own hands, where now a lot of people use them chopping boards and have to be finely that, but they didn't really. [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Of course, cooks beyond her years. But she's an amazing cook, not just in sort of Asian cooking, but in English cooking as well. She's very good. [Speaking in foreign language] SK: What else had to cook for? So 450 people and? [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she goes now, and it's, it's a lot easier because it's written down. And so a lot of recipes are written down in books so all sort of kids can follow that and as a guide, but obviously they didn't have their back in the day. NS: So who taught you? [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she just learned by picking up from other people when she came to this country so she didn't learn where she was from me and she just picked up once she came to this country and she met other people, other Asian women and said how do you make this and how do you make that and once she was 17, when she. [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Thank you. NS: Thank you. Thank you everyone. NS: What recipe would you pass on to the next generation? SK: Any recipe, favourite recipe [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Tell me a good dal recipe Speaker 8: Garlic. One cup dal. Any green or yellow lentil. Very easy yellow lentil. Yellow lentil 1 cup in put in the water the little bit. [Speaking in foreign language] Background noise [Speaking in foreign language] NS: And One Cup is for four people. Speaker 8: Yeah, four people. NS: And when you first came to the UK, how easy was it to find dal in our shops. Speaker 8: Oh, my husband got me in. Shopping is a very little shop in there. Yeah, I go in 72. I come in here in 72, very little shop in there. My my husband works then. [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Yeah. So there was a lot of shop that was sort of. They were really small shops but they were able to get what they needed, so ingredients and. NK: And who taught you how to make dal? Speaker 8: My mum NK: How did she teach you, by writing it down or showing? [Speaking in foreign language] SK: By watching so she would start trying to stand there and say right now do this and then he'll do this and. NK: How old Speaker 8: ten or eleven NS: And what was what was her biggest tip that she had taught you? SK: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So there wasn't really one. So these are the food on sort of fire before where it's about electrical, but there wasn't. Really a major tip. NS: Thank you. SK: Thank you. Background noise [Long section of speaking in foreign language] NS: And who taught you how to how to make it? [Speaking in foreign language and quiet reaction] NS: Why did you choose? [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she knows from her mother. NS: And why did you choose this dish? SK: [Speaking in foreign language] [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So spinach dish is also one of her favourites. SK: The previous [?] that she said is for something like they all used to make a lot of. So that's why it's one of my favourites. Speaker 2: Thank you. Speaker 5: Thank you. Background noise Speaker: Kenya NS: Kenya, Speaker: Kenya, Africa. NS: And some of your favourite culinary dishes? Speaker: Maruo favourite Kenyan, Gujarati. ??. NS: OK, recipes. Speaker & NS: [Long passage of speaking in foreign language] NS: Thank you. Thank you very much. What? What dish would you give to her? Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker 9: Lamb, chicken and lamb chicken. [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: And then what are your where, where did you learn to make it? Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So she learnt to cook after her mum passed away, basically. Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So, her mum basically, when she would make curry. You know people from all around the area of the streets would come together just to her house with a pot, sorry to say can we have some curry, that's how well known her curry was. NS: Where was this? Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: So when they used to pass, for example, [unclear], they used to provide people with food and pass it over along with veg, [unclear] Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: but where, India Pakistan? Speaker 9: Pakistan, Karachi [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So her parents are in Lahore Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Everyone has to eat… Speaker 9: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Thank you. Background noise and unclear talk in foreign language NS: And when, when we were talking earlier about food and you were talking about your, your mum and nan and your mum? Speaker 3: They never use from the shop any kind of spice. No, they grind in the house. They even [unclear]. We got [chucky?]. Two piece of stone, big one and they grind their seed in the house and they use that grind and the roti was lovely soft. My God, you never bought from the shop? Never. NS: Oh wow. amazing. Speaker 3: Yes. Yeah. And my grandmother does same and same is my daddy. Same is my mother. But when is my turn come no I'm too old that’s too old fashioned. NS: And can you give us any memories of your, your mum and cooking? Speaker 3: My mum's very nice cooking and always use [unclear], not the gas cooker, not the oil cooker. Now is would be the use of wooden piece in the [unclear] and she cooks very nice. There was slow cooker. Not a cooker. Slow firing. They must cook weariness, even the Lantern even like just with the small vegetable. She was cooked very nice when I lost my mother last active. There won't be a same taste. Never. NS: And when you started cooking yourself? Speaker 3: After the marriage, after the marriage, not before, my mother always said to me, look, do something, do something, I said I would like tomorrow. Yeah, tomorrow, tomorrow, my mother said. I will pass away and never tomorrow come. And you will remember me. NS: It's very it's it's very painful to talk about, but at the same time, it's a nice memory because. Speaker 3: Because I was alone, my brother, my brother and myself. And always there, despite me more than my brother. And I was stupid. Don't take notice. Anybody not know? NS: It's it's, it's it's nice that you know that's how you honour, honour your mum, now by cooking the dishes. Speaker 3: You will. You will remember when she passed away? When she's no more. You will think about. NS: And that's that's why I'm doing this project because. Speaker 3: When I go in Pakistan and I will look her place. NS: And do you do your children cook? Speaker 3: I don't know because I have not seen my children plus 35 years. NS: And final question. So apart from [unclear]. What, what is your favourite dish to, to eat like not not that you could that you cook. Speaker 3: [unclear] Meat I cook that one, I cook everything, but it's most of time I cook meat. Meat with musala and [unclear]. Because I love chawal. NS: Thank you. Thank you very much. SK: Thank you. Background noise NS: Hello. What's your name? Speaker 6: [Hadja?] NS: What is the one dish you want to teach the next generation? Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language]. NS: Make this sound very easy. Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: You have the nice memories of making that with your, with your mum or with your family. Speaker 6: [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: So she would learn from her mother and she would just watch her and then pick it up. Speaker 3: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So her daughter in law, when she got married to her son was like I can't make anything. I don't know what to make and then she was just, like, stand by me and then watched her now and now she knows how to cook everything as well. So... NS: How do you get better with when you don't know how much about measurements? Speaker 3: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: And so they just do it off of their head. They don't measure at all. They just kind of think logically about how much you're going to need and just do it. NS: How do you know? Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: I know, right?` NS: That's how it's so easy. You just know. NS: I don't. I don't know. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So they just basically look and see. You know if it's and I suppose by taste as well, you know, taste. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: Whilst, whilst they're cooking, they're having a little taste and see if it needs more salt and pepper. And then just add more and then keep tasting while it's cooking through and then that's how you just know. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: Her son's favourite is her biryani, especially by made by her so. Speaker [Speaking in foreign language]. SK: Thank you, Thank you.
NS: Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for sharing their stories and their recipes with us. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Of obviously it for me it's a very emotional subject. And it's it's very good to see that it's an emotional subject for a lot of you as well, so thank you. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] [Speaking in foreign language] NS: But one last question I want to ask everyone. We asked you none of you told me any measurements for anything. How do you how do you know that it's going to, how do you know that it's gonna be OK, if you have no measurements. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker 3: Sometimes you tell your [unclear]. NS: No, but what's the secret? Because everyone, everyone seems to be like. I just thought. I just know. Speaker 3: We are cooking for the long long time and we know. Yes, it's hopefully that was. SK: Just to make them like this. Speaker 3: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Right. OK. So she's saying, you know, one you, you're thinking of making a dish you have a portion so say you're cooking for how many people you're gonna buy a lot of meat or a small amount of meat. So. In that instance, you're gonna know. So you either use a lot of salt or a lot of pepper, or a lot of masala. So it's just by portion size, they they can go by as well. Speaker 3: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: Do you? So you marinate your meat so you can put yoghurt, lemon, salt, pepper over your meat, but they just do it by portion size and that and you know and then they stop by a little bit and they keep going. And you? Speaker 6: Have your taste twice, you know. SK: Yeah, that's what I'm saying. NS: And the other thing I wanted to ask is a lot of this project is about sharing knowledge with the next generation and a lot a lot of you guys have been like, oh, they like frozen food and burgers and things like that. You can't beat Mum, Mum's cooking right. So I just wanted to know. What can we do to ensure that these recipes aren't lost. SK: [Speaking in foreign language] Speaker: [Speaking in foreign language] SK: So, she's saying, basically don’t just stop cooking and she's saying her son for example had learned how to cook food and make everything, even though he necessarily not make it he knows how to make it so just teaching our kids how to cook and obviously that will be passed on generation by generation, so just making sure you're all. Speaker 3: Only use teaspoon. Never use tablespoon, teaspoon. Speaker: [Speaking in foreign language] NS: Thank you. Thank you. Speaker 3: Never use tablespoon, only use teaspoon.