Keen cook and fitness influencer Zehra Allibhai never set out to write a book – it came about purely by accident as she told British Muslim Magazine.
‘As a child I was very active, playing basketball and doing one hundred metre runs. I knew I did not want to become an account or other professional. I wanted to be active so I went to university and studied physiotherapy. I became a personal trainer,” Zehra said.
“Having taught fitness on a one to one basis and in classes, I realised that women needed someone to support them through their training with advice, help and nutrition. I set up an online programme and have participants from all over the world including the UK, South Africa, Canada and the US.”
As a busy Mum herself, she knows just how hard it can be to have a job, care for a family, work out, stay fit and eat a healthy diet. The pressures on available time for food preparation can be intense and this has influenced the type of recipes provided on her fitness channel. She believes strongly that flavourful and healthy food can nourish both the body and soul and doesn’t need to be bland.
“People on the course were asking me for recipes and nutritional advice.
I was doing videos on social media showing how nutritional traditional food could be and that healthy food for fitness didn’t have to be plain and bland. You could enjoy flavourful food. I was getting requests for recipes that they had seen on the videos but could no longer find on my social media. I realised that I had used so many recipes that I had a book so I contacted a publisher,” she recalled.
The result is ‘Bismillah, Let’s Eat! Fresh and Vibrant Recipes from my Family to Yours’. This is a cookery book that combines nutrition with family food and traditional food. She acknowledges that it is a mixture of the international, traditional and Canadian food that she loves. This combination influenced her choice of title.
“Before Muslims eat, they say ‘BISMILLAH’ I begin in the name of God, a short practice of gratitude. I chose this as my title for the book because it reflects the way everything has a good intention, and we need to grow and be healthy.”
“Bismillah, Let’s Eat offers a new way to think about family food. I am a first generation Canadian, my parents are from Kenya and before that India. I wanted my kids to enjoy traditional food and the memories that are connected with it and our food culture. I wanted my kids to have food experiences that resonate with our past. Making and sharing food is a loving language, a way of learning through food.
The recipes encourage children to eat similar food to others in the family. Instead of eating family food grudgingly, by combing multiple foods, you can ensure there are always some things new to try as well as ones they like. It means you are still eating together.”
The book includes lots of Zehra’s own recipes combining a variety of ethnic styles such as Lazy Lasagne – using ready cooked pasta and typical flavourings plus a nice crispy cheese layer on top and a one bowl chocolate cake. Updated traditional dishes from her own family background in Africa and India are also included resulting in healthy spins on dishes like shakshuka and chaat to sumac chicken and lamb karahi. In total there are over 130 recipes for every meal, together with a healthy guide to suitable dishes for use at Ramadan.
“I am targeting people who are familiar with home cooking but want to extend their knowledge of flavours and spices. It will encourage people to try different things as all the ingredients and spices are widely available in any Asian shop.”
On publication this autumn, ‘Bismillah, Let’s Eat’ will be available globally.
“I’ve got a few promotional events already set up in Toronto, Los Angeles and San Francisco. I’m hoping to set up some events in London and elsewhere in the UK in November,” she says
Image credit – Jess Baumung
The adventurous spirit behind the pages of British Muslim magazine. As the Editor-in-Chief, Natasha leads with a passion for exploration and a pen dipped in wanderlust. With a keen eye for halal travel experiences and an insatiable curiosity for new experiences, she brings readers along on captivating journeys to far-flung destinations. Through her vibrant storytelling, Natasha invites readers on enriching adventures, where every experience is a window into the muslim world.
