Refugee Week - My plate, your plate

My Plate, Your Plate is a storytelling and community arts cooking project where participants share recipes and stories. The project aims to build relationships between local residents and people from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds, breaking down social isolation, building cultural awareness and solidarity. 

Members of the group share recipes that have a connection to their life or culture and share a short story about the recipe. The stories will be recorded by Caitlin Gibson and we will share these online and through a physical installation in the near future.

Our social designer Tasman Munro has been working with project participants to design a small portable ‘pop up’ style stall to take to events where the general public can listen to a story and try some of the food shared throughout the program. This element of the program contributes to creating a culturally rich community, celebrates positive cross-cultural relationships and harmony. The stall aims to increase cultural awareness and cultural appreciation throughout the inner west and beyond.

We have shared some of our recipes and stories below in celebration of our project and Refugee Week 2020.

Recipes and stories

Delmeh by Maryam

Recipe name: Delmeh / Vegetables Dolma
Contributor: Maryam
Cuisine: Persian

Ingredients: 

• 4 capsicums
• 1 cup rice
• 15g parsley, mint and dill
• ¼ cup barberry
• 1 spoon of salt
• 3 spoons tomato paste
• ½ spoon ground red pepper
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 5 cloves garlic
• ½ cup split peas
• 4 mushrooms
• Tablespoon of oil

Method: 

1. Boil the rice and split peas
2. Chop all the vegetables/herbs (NOT the capsicums)
3. Fry the vegetables and herb with the salt, pepper, 2 spoons tomato, pepper, tomato paste in the oil in a frypan.
4. Mix the ingredients with the rice
5. Empty the inside of the capsicum
6. Fill the capsicums with the fried ingredients
7. Place the stuffed capsicums in a baking dish
8. Pour boiling water about half a cup, remaining tomato paste and lemon juice into the bottom of the baking dish
9. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for half an hour
10. Enjoy your meal!

Maryam's story: 

I love cooking and chopping coloured vegetables. I always wondered what I could do with all these colourful vegetables that others would enjoy eating. Ever since I came to Australia, I have seen people living in this country with different nationalities and religions living together in peace and tranquillity, and it is very beautiful for me. I also decided to cook and eat most of the food I had learned from my mother. All that I can enjoy, eating that food (my Delmeh) is one of the foods that vegetarian friends can also eat.

Fesenjoon by Elham

Recipe name:  Fesenjoon / Chicken stew with walnut and pomegranate sauce
Contributor: Elham
Cuisine: Persian

Ingredients:

• 250g walnuts
• 1.2 litres cold water
• 100ml pomegranate molasses*
• 100ml Tamarind concentrate *
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 800g skinless chicken thighs, on the bone (brown these in a little oil in a pan on all sides until golden

*Please note Persian ingredients available in Merrylands

Method: 

1. In a food processor, grind the walnuts and onion until they are extremely fine and have the consistency of a smooth paste. Place the walnut and onion paste into a saucepan - add the cold water. Bring to the boil and cook on a high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat.
2. Add the pomegranate, tamarind, salt, pepper and turmeric to the saucepan and let it cook for half an hour.
3. Add the golden chicken pieces, place the lid on the pot and continue to cook over a low heat for 2 hours.
   ** The sauce should now have thickened and darkened in colour.
   ** Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust to your preference: to make it a bit sweeter add more sugar, or pomegranate molasses to make it more sour.
4. Cook for a final 10 minutes with the lid off so the sauce thickens around the meat.

We eat this dish with rice 🍚

Elham's story:

When I was a child I didn’t like the taste of this dish. However, it was a dish that my mother cooked for special occasions when we had special guests or when we had big parties or a wedding. Whenever my mum cooked Fesenjoon, I started complaining, but my mum smiled at me patiently saying “this dish is a part of our hospitality, it is a fancy food to warmly welcome guests to our home”.

After I got married, I followed my mum’s tradition. I started to cook this food for my guests and now it’s one of my favourite foods. This dish is originally from the north of Iran.
After weeks of restriction due to the corona pandemic, and with easing restrictions, today I had the first group of my friends coming over for lunch. They happened to be from North Iran and I thought what would be better than cooking Fesenjan for them! We shared the joy of getting together again with the delicious taste of Fesenjan and recalling our childhood memories about our special occasions back home.

For people that are vegetarian they can make this dish without chicken. Some people make another version of this dish with meat balls.

Maldom by Ghada 

Recipe name:  Maldom / Baked eggplant and potato with meat
Contributor: Ghada
Cuisine: Syrian
Ingredients:

• 2 kilos of Eggplant, medium or small size
• One kilo of potato
• One kilo of mince meat
• One kilo of tomato
• One kilo of green and red capsicum
• Black pepper
• Cinnamon
• Salt

Method: 

1. Peel and cut the Eggplant and Potatoes in circles
2. Fry with sunflower oil
3. Add to the mince meat, as you like, of black pepper, cinnamon and salt
4. Place the fried Eggplant and Potatoes with the mince meat, in a circle pattern in the oven proof baking dish
5. Add slices of tomatoes, green and red capsicum between them
6. Put the tray in the oven
7.  Leave it about an hour at 200 degrees in the oven.

Bon appetite.

Ghada's story: 

I'm Ghada from Syria. I came to Australia 2 years and 3 months ago.
I like so much this dish (Eggplant and Potato with meat) since I was a child.
In our country there is no eggplant in winter, so when the Summer came my mother always cooked it for me.
I cook this now also for my children who like it too much.😀😋

Ashe Jou by Shadi

Recipe name: Ashe Jou / Barley Stew with Beans and Herbs
Contributor: Shadi
Cuisine: Persian
Ingredients:

• 1 litre water
• 250-300g of pearl barley
• 1 litre water extra
• 1 x 400g can of four bean mix (chickpeas and red kidney beans)
• 1 teaspoon Salt (or to your taste)
• ½ teaspoon Pepper (to your taste)
• ½ teaspoon Red pepper (to your taste)
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric (to your taste)
• 100g Fresh Coriander (cut very finely)
• 100g Fresh Parsley (cut very finely)
• 200g Fresh Spinach (cut very finely)
• 1 cup whey* mix 3 tablespoons of whey with 1 tablespoon boiling water to loosen, repeat as needed (you need enough to cover barley mixture in bowls by about 1 centimetre)
• ½ cup sunflower oil divided into three portions for the onion, garlic and mint to be fried in
• 1 large onion
• 1 head of garlic
• 4-5 tablespoons dried mint

Method: 

1. Boil the 1L of water and pour it into a large saucepan then add 250-300g of barley and let it cook for 2.30-3hours or maybe 4, during this time don’t forget to stir it otherwise the bottom will burn.
2. When the barley is cooked for an hour add: the extra litre of water, the chickpeas and red beans, salt, pepper, red pepper, turmeric, the fresh herbs and spinach.
3. After that leave it on the low gas and keep stirring for 2 more hours.
4. check the taste and see if it needs more spice/salt/pepper or not.
5. 20-30 minutes before serving cut one big onion and the head of garlic (into discs). Fry them separately in oil until it looks a bit crispy.
6. Then separately fry the dried mint in oil until it looks dark.
7. Serve the barley mixture into bowls, add the whey and water mixture and then design it with the last things you prepared and it’s ready to eat (onions, garlic, mint).🤗
   Take any extra toppings to the table for people to add as they like

Shadi's story

When I was a little girl my grandma was always cook this dish and this is one of my favourite! When she had big gathering she was asking me to watch the pot and stir it so it doesn’t burn, and when I was doing that I always had a small bowl in my hand and eat in the same time and my grandma were always say you will finish the pot before the guest comes. On that time I wasn’t understanding how hard it is to cook this dish in a really large amount for 50-60 ppl and now I totally feel and understand. I miss my grandma so much and I wish to see her again and ask her to cook this dish and I promise that I’ll help! it never taste the same when I cook and still after 8 years I remember the taste and have that imagination of my granny cooking that dish and I watch and help her like the time I was little.

Tabrizi by Zahra 

Recipe name: Tabrizi / Meatballs
Contributor: Zahra
Cuisine: Persian
Ingredients:

• 2 onions diced
• 250g minced meat
• 4 Tbs split chickpeas
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbs flour
• 2 Tbs rice (soaked overnight in cold water)
• 2 Tbs bulgur (soaked overnight in cold water)
• Oil
• About a teaspoon of salt, pepper, turmeric)
• Boiling water (about 3 cups)
• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• 2 Tbs each fresh (tarragon, basil, chives) – finely chop these

Method: 

For the ingredients to be placed inside the meatballs you can choose from dried plums, walnuts, and barberry or a mix of each.

1. In a large bowl mix the rice and split chickpeas and then add the meat and eggs, herbs, flour, bulgur, salt, pepper and turmeric – knead well. Set aside.
2. Fry the onion and tomato paste in the bottom of a large saucepan in about a tablespoon or 2 of oil until onion is soft.
3. Boil water and add it into the fry onion mixture (about 3 cups).
4. The important thing with the meatballs is that the ingredients are thoroughly chopped and hand kneaded. That way it tastes better and doesn't fall apart when cooking.
5. Scoop up the meat mixture with your hands a few times to make a flat mound in your hands and tap it into the bowl, removing any loose pieces. Place a mixture of the barberry, walnuts and prunes in the centre. Firmly shape the meatballs until the ingredients are completely enclosed and you can easily make a round ball with it.
6. Gently place the meatballs in the saucepan with the onion and tomato paste and boiling water on a gentle heat. It is better to immerse the meatballs completely in water. But I don't do that because I want to have thick water to make a nice sauce.
7. Another point is that the temperature of the meatballs should not be too high and we put the lid on half open. It will be ready in about an hour. After half an hour, go to the saucepan and move the meatballs a little and turn them over. You can also spoon the sauce over the meatballs. Of course, do it very slowly and gently.

Zahra's story: 

در شهر من تبریز زمانی که جشن و مراسم خاصی برگزار میشه غذای مخصوصی پخته میشه به نام کوفته تبریزی .
بهترین قسمت این سنت اینکه برای مهمان ها سوپرایزی در نظر گرفته میشه که در وسط کوفته قرار داده میشه این سوپرایز شامل میشه از آلو ، زرشک و گردو .
مادر من بیشتر این غذا را برای مهمان هایش در نظر میگیره و با شادی پذیرای مهمان هایش است .

In my hometown of Tabriz, when a special celebration is held, a special dish is cooked called Tabrizi meatballs.
The best part of this tradition is that there is a surprise for the guests that is placed in the middle of the meatballs. This surprise includes plums, barberry and walnuts.
My mother mostly considers this food for her guests and welcomes her guests with joy.

Project contributors

The My Plate, Your Plate project was initiated by past project participants of the Tapestry Friendship Project at the Community Refugee Welcome Centre (CRWC).

Participants wanted to maintain the relationships made during this project. 

Contributors include: 

• local inner west residents
• participants from refugee and asylum seeker background who access the CRWC
• local social designer Tasman Munro
• local audio engineer Caitlin Gibson
• Community Refugee Welcome Centre Coordinator, Moones Mansoubi
• Community Arts Project Officer, Raffaela Cavadini

Since COVID19 our physical workshops have ceased but the group remains active through an online Whatsapp chat group and will commence physical workshops when restrictions are eased.