FEEDING A NEED

Described as “Canada’s unlikeliest restaurant”, The Depanneur grew from a crazy dream to build a community kitchen where anyone who wanted to could come and cook and others could eat, bringing people together around food. The Depanneur Cookbook (Simon & Schuster, $34.99) brings together 100 recipes from those cooks.

SALATET SHMANDAR (BEET SALAD BY SANA MAHMOUD)

Dressing:

4 tbsp olive oil

Juice of 1 medium lemon

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

3 large beets

5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

1½ cups cooked chickpeas

2 medium tomatoes, cut into ½- inch cubes

1 medium onion, cut into ½- inch cubes

1 cup ½-inch cubed dill pickles

1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Make the dressing: In a screw-top glass jar, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and cumin. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Set aside.

Make the salad: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the beets and cook until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a separate medium pot of boiling water, cook the carrots until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

Once the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1½-inch cubes.

To assemble the salad, in a large bowl, combine the carrots, chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, and pickles. Drizzle with the dressing and mix to combine. Add the beets and mix again lightly. Sprinkle generously with parsley and serve.

GOSHT DO PYAZA (GOAT CURRY BY RIDHIMA KALRA)

4 tbsp ghee

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 bay leaf

4 cloves

4 peppercorns

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1 cup onion paste

1 tbsp gosht masala

2 lb goat meat, cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup water

½ cup plain Greek yoghurt

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp red chilli powder

1½ tsp ground turmeric

Salt

2 fresh green chillies, seeded and diced

1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, crumbled

2 cups sliced onions

2 tbsp cilantro

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the ghee or butter over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cloves, and peppercorns. When the seeds begin to splutter, add the ginger-garlic paste, onion paste, and gosht masala. Sauté until the onion paste starts to brown.

Add the goat meat, stir, and continue to fry until the pieces no longer look raw, 4 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the water, cover, and cook until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Stir in the yogurt, taking care it does not curdle.

Keep cooking until the fat begins to separate and float to the top. Add the coriander and chili powder, turmeric, and salt to taste. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the green chilies, fenugreek leaves, and onions and stir to fully incorporate.

Continue cooking over medium heat for a few minutes until the fat separates again but the onions remain a bit crunchy.

Serve hot, garnished with the chopped cilantro, with warm naan or basmati rice.

MUJADERA (BULGUR PILAF FROM NEWCOMER KITCHEN)

4 tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving

4 large yellow or red onions, finely sliced

2½ teaspoons salt

½ cup small brown lentils

6 cups water

1 cup coarse bulgur (#3)

Freshly ground black pepper, for serving

In a heavy-bottomed medium soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and patiently brown them, stirring regularly. As they begin to darken, add 1½ teaspoon of salt and continue to cook until they start to caramelize and some turn crispy golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove a generous ½ cup of the onions and set aside for garnish.

Add the lentils to the onion mix and stir together for about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the bulgur, the remaining 3 cups water, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until almost all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Uncover, remove from the heat, and let sit for another 10 minutes to let the last of the liquid absorb. The lentils and bulgur should be cooked but not mushy.

Fluff with a fork, and transfer to a serving bowl. Reheat the reserved onions in a small pan. Top each serving of the mujadara with a little pile of the caramelized onions, a light drizzle of olive oil, and a twist of black pepper.