KARACHI: “I don’t see any daal and chawal,” said Kulsum, making a face on encountering all kinds of continental dishes instead of her favourite Memon food at the cooking competition that was part of the Memon Shopping Festival-2014 organised by the All Pakistan Memon Federation (APMF) here on Saturday.

“Daal and chawal cooked the Memon way is not your simple everyday meal, it is simply out of this world,” the lady, an expert chef and cooking teacher, explained as she disapprovingly shook her head on seeing a decorated dish of Singaporean rice.

“So far I have seen just one dhokla,” complained Salma Ilyas Gadit at not seeing much of the traditional Memon dish of bajra (millet), vegetables and fish. “Our girls are becoming too modern,” she remarked.

“Had I taken part in the competition, I would have prepared a minced meat cake,” said Hanifa Javed, Kulsum’s student, who had not found enough courage to take part. “There’s always next year,” she thought aloud when her teacher pointed out to her that had she taken part she had a good chance of winning.

“Well, I never asked the contestants to cook strictly Memon food,” said the festival organising committee chairperson Rehana Hanif Gabrani.

“This was, after all, the first time that we introduced the cooking competition in our festival so just participation is what really mattered. Next year, maybe the competition will become tougher.”

Mona Waseem, APMF vice chairperson, said all the contestants were allowed to prepare the dishes of their choice at home and bring them to the venue to set the tables for the judges. “But from the 20 to 30 contestants, the judges will pick six finalists, who would then prepare their dishes right here in front of them on Sunday. From them, the judges will pick the top three winners who would be classified as first, second and third,” she said.

Meanwhile, the judges stopped at each table to taste the food and give marks. “The highest score, we gave for taste, followed by presentation,” said Nighat Nadeem, one of the three judges on the occasion.

Naheed Ansari, a celebrity chef from ARY, also judging at the festival, said she was glad to find more young girls rather than women taking part in the competition.

Shireen Anwar of Masala TV, the third judge, encouraged the participants by telling them to work hard at their cooking even if they didn’t win this time.

“It took me a little time to set the table and then waiting for the judges the food turned cold so I was afraid that they may not like my makhani handi,” said Noor-ul-Huda, one of the contestants.

Sumaiya Nisar, who had made chicken malai boti, said she was more worried about her presentation. “See, if the table looks inviting, only then will anyone want to taste the food on it,” she reasoned.

“I was only watching the faces of the judges while they tasted my kharay masalay ka gosht,” said Shahnaz Nisar. “I think they liked it!”

“I came specially with my daughter, Ruby, for this competition. Cooking is her hobby and she is the only one here who made dhokla,” said Yameen Majeed, speaking for her shy daughter. When someone commented that even if the daughter didn’t win by the judges’ standards, it was hoped some aunty liked her cooking, the mother only frowned. “Of course not, my daughter will not marry here. We will find her a nice boy from the Memon community settled in the US!”

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2014