Bunbury mother connects to culture through Pakistani cuisine

This is what I was immersed in when I entered Shagufta Shakeel's, Dalyellup home.

With family photographs all but covering the walls and table tops, Shagufta invited me into her kitchen which boasted a vibrant array of colours.

The elements for a simple, Pakistani dish were already prepared, awaiting to become a part of the cultural creation which was Shagufta's chicken karahi.

Cooked in a wok, the dish consisted of chicken, various spices, tomato, green chillies and ginger.

Shagufta seemed somewhat anxious to be interviewed for the Mail's new, In My Kitchen segment, but her nerves quickly faded as she became lost in memories of her mother.

"My late mother Zubaida taught me this recipe when I was 15 years old," she said.

In 2016, Zubaida spent five months with Shagufta in Bunbury before returning to Pakistan.

"Everyone in my family, especially my younger sisters, have their own version of the dish. It is easy to make and very tasty at the same time."

In Pakistan, Chicken Karahi is a common dish served in restaurants as well as offered as a style of street food.

The meat used is halal, meaning the animal has been ethically sourced.

"For my chicken karahi I start with 1kg of chicken thigh fillets chopped into 2 inch pieces."

Over a medium heat, Shagufta sautéed two onions in half a cup of oil before adding the chicken.

The dish was then seasoned with two teaspoons of salt, half a teaspoon of black pepper and two teaspoons of red chillies.

Shagufta laughed at my reaction to the amount of spice added to the dish.

"We like very hot curries," she said.

"Spices are a huge part of what makes a dish Pakistani. We are thankful that Bunbury has one Indian/Pakistani shop where we can purchase them."

Shagufta and her husband Shakeel, along with their three children and mother-in-law Zeena, moved to Bunbury from Islamabad, Pakistan, 13 years ago.

"My husband got a job here, that's what brought us to Bunbury. Shakeel's brother and his family are in Perth but we like Bunbury much more."

Shagufta spoke warmly of Bunbury's beauty and how the natural landscapes and close proximity to the ocean made it a pleasant city to live in.

She also professed her gratitude for the support she had found within the community as moving to Australia was initially a culture shock.

"I learnt about cooking from my mother-in-law as well, she was a great cook and Chicken Karahi was also a favourite of hers."

As the chicken simmered, Shagufta's husband Shakeel was keen to jump in and help.

Although his camera business, Precision Camera & Camcorder Repairs in Victoria Street keeps him busy, Shakeel confessed to a great love of cooking.

"In our culture it is mostly the women that do the cooking, but here in Australia everyone helps out. We both love cooking and our children do as well."

Shagufta's daughter Aimal sat in the kitchen with us and watched her mother create the dish.

The pride Shagufta and Shakeel have for their children is evident through their framed, graduation photos from university on display.

"My children love our traditional food and this is a dish I've made many times because it's easy."

Once the chicken was golden and the liquid transformed into a gravy-like texture, Shagufta added fresh ginger.

Next, six chopped tomatoes and green chillies were added before the dish was left to simmer.

Shagufta said when they first moved to Dalyellup there wasn't much of an Islamic community, but now there were more than 50 families.

Cultural celebrations such as Ramadan where Muslims spend a month of fasting, prayer and reflection, act as a special occasion to celebrate the significance of food with others.

To make the flatbread, Shagufta used dough that had been pre-prepared and left to cool in the fridge.

"I use wheat instead of plain flour for flatbread as plain flour is very stretchy."

Her skilled hands quickly worked at the dough before placing it onto a traditional, flat pan over a low heat.

She used a tea towel to pat down any bubbles that formed from the heat.

"The first thing I learnt to cook from my Mother was roti or flat bread. Out of my sisters I always made the nicest dough."

Shagufta's chicken karahi acts as a remembrance for Zubaida who passed away three-and-a-half years ago.

Every time she cooks the karahi she is transported back to when her mum and sisters were all together.

Shagufta and her family donated Zubaida's wheelchair to a 29-year-old woman in Islamabad, which ignited a desire to help others in similar situations in Pakistan.

Shagufta hopes one day to be able to provide the same home care facilities to the old and young people in Pakistan that we have in Australia.

It was time to finish the dish and Shagufta garnished her creation with coriander and two yoghurt based sauces, one made up of mint and green chillies, the other of cucumber and spring onions.

"When I got married I wasn't that much of a good cook but with the experience I have now I am much more confident. I really enjoy the relaxing nature of cooking."