The Welcome Dinner Project

Meet Mehak
Meet Your Neighbours
Blogged by: Highpoint 23 Aug 2016
Mehak sees lots of benefits in living in the West.
 
“I enjoy the peace, proximity to the city and other services, mix of cultures and people and accessibility to things that I need in my day to day life”.
 
He came across a magazine published by the City of Melbourne that was advertising The Welcome Dinner Project, and got in contacted with the event organiser so he could be part of the next event. Mehak loves meeting new people and making friends, learning about their cultures and food and sharing moments with like-minded people.
 
He also thinks it’s a great way to get out of isolation; a perfect remedy for isolated families new to the country and sheltered people in general.
         
Mehak’s mother cooks a tasty Chicken Biryani, and he’s always happy to share the recipe 

“It tastes good and it is a complete meal, plus easy for me to cook. My mum used to cook it so well and I think I am catching up!”
 
Master the recipe and do your best to catch up to Mehak’s mother

Kidney Beans
 
Ingredients:

500g kidney beans
2 onions
5 tomatoes
2 green chilli
Cooking oil
A bit of parsley and mint, lemon, and a little bit of curry powder depending on how hot you want it
 
Method:

Soak beans over the night or for at least couple of hours to let it expand and absorb enough water, fry chopped onion and mix tomatoes and chillies and add some salt.
 
Let it turn into a paste and then add soaked beans with its water and add some more water so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the cooking pot.
 
Stir it and cover it to be cooked on medium heat for 40 minutes to 50 minutes. 
 
Add parsley and mint to give it the flavour along with some lemon and the curry powder. Cook it for another 10 to 15 minutes and its ready.
 
Chicken Biryani
 
Ingredients:

500 grams - Basmati or any other long grain rice 
1 Kg Chicken biryani pieces or curry pieces
2 onions
4 to 5 tomatoes
Green chilli
Biryani powder
and cooking oil
 
Method:

Fry onion and add chicken meat, cook the chicken until it changes the colour and add tomatoes and chilies and continue cooking until the tomatoes turn into a paste, then add biryani powder. Stir it for a while until it mixes with the paste.

At the same time, boil the rice in the water and add some salt.

As soon as the rice are easily breakable with a slight pressure between your fingers, drain the water and put it back in the rice cooking pot.

Mix the cooked chicken with its paste and put a cotton under the led and cover it.

Put the fire on low and let it steam cook for another 30 to 40 minutes and your biryani is ready.
 
      Mehak - The Welcome Dinner Project 

Read our new friend's story in Mehak's interview 

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