As part of our #brownbagit campaign, Action Against Hunger is sharing simple packed lunch recipes from Canadian chefs from coast-to-coast-to-coast. This fall, join your fellow Canadians: pack a nutritious lunch and donate the money you save so every child everywhere can eat a healthy lunch. Read on for this week’s tasty recipe brought to you from Bangladesh by Chef Abdul Hachim, an employee at an Action Against Hunger community kitchen in Kutupalong Camp for Rohingya refugees:
Abdul Hachim
Restaurant: Action Against Hunger Community Kitchen
Located: Kutupalong Camp, Cox Bazar, Bangladesh
Learn more about the work Action Against Hunger staff, like Chef Abdul Hachim, are doing in the field: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram
Chef Abdul is sharing a recipe for Khichuri, a traditional and nutritious dish of rice, lentils and vegetables. This is one of the recipes that he and his colleagues make every day for over 11,000 people in Kutupalong Refugee camp. Together with Action Against Hunger staff and Rohingya volunteers, a total of 10 community kitchens operate throughout the camp focusing on serving the most vulnerable refugee groups one hot meal a day. Chef Abdul has always cared for his community, before escaping Myanmar he and his family would frequently volunteer to cook for local village events and festivities; “We cooked because it makes us happy to serve our community and give them this food at such an important time” he explains.
If you want to support your community, consider donating to #brownbagit- all the money raised will be used to deliver life-saving programs right here in Canada and abroad, in places like Bangladesh.
Khichuri
Ingredients
When we spoke with Chef Abdul, he was preparing this dish for hundreds of people at Kutupalong Camp, so the following is a general list of ingredients that we recommend for you to adjust for number of servings and taste!
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 2 Onions
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 2 teaspoons Coriander powder
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- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons Cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon Chilli Powder
- 2 tablespoons Ginger Paste
- 1 cup Daal Lentils
- 1 cup Basmati Rice
Method
- In a hot oiled pan, stir 1 chopped garlic clove and 1 diced onion
- Add half the spices and a pinch of salt to the pan
- Once the onions are soft, add the diced chicken
- Cover the chicken in water, this creates a flavourful broth
- Cook until meat is tender, approx. 30 mins
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the dhal:
- Softly fry 1 chopped onion onion, 1 garlic clove, ginger, and the other half of the spices in oil
- Add the lentils, stir together before adding water
- Boil the lentils until cooked
Serve with rice.
If you would prefer a vegetarian option, substitute the chicken with 2 potatoes, 1 tomato and 1/4 cup of green peas.
A glimpse into the day to day routine of the community kitchen, Sébastien Duijndam for Action Against Hunger, Bangladesh
Don’t forget to take a photo of your lunch and share it on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #brownbagit.