Avid cook and fitness influencer Zehra Allibhai never intended to write a book – it happened purely by chance, as she told British Muslim Magazine.
“As a child, I was very active, playing basketball and running 100-meter dashes. I knew I didn’t want to be an accountant or any other professional. I wanted to be active, so I went to university and studied physiotherapy. I became a personal trainer,” said Zehra.
“After teaching fitness one-on-one and in classes, I realised that women needed someone to support them with advice, help and nutrition during their workouts. I set up an online programme and have participants from all over the world, including the UK, South Africa, Canada and the USA.”
As a busy mum, she knows how difficult it can be to juggle a job, look after a family, exercise, stay fit and eat healthy. The time pressures for preparing food can be huge and this impacts the type of recipes offered on her fitness channel. She is a firm believer that tasty and healthy food can nourish both the body and soul and doesn’t have to be bland.
“People in the class asked me for recipes and nutritional tips.
I made videos on social media showing how nutritious traditional food can be and that healthy food for fitness doesn’t have to be plain and bland. You can enjoy tasty food. I got requests for recipes they had seen in the videos but couldn’t find on my social media anymore. I realized I had used so many recipes that I needed to write a book about them, so I contacted a publisher,” she recalls.
The result is “Bismillah, Let’s Eat! Fresh and Vibrant Recipes from My Family for Yours.” This is a cookbook that combines nutrition with family meals and traditional cuisine. She admits that it is a mix of international, traditional and Canadian cuisine that she loves. This combination influenced her choice of title.
“Before Muslims eat, they say ‘BISMILLAH’. I begin with a short exercise of gratitude in the name of God. I chose this title for my book because it reflects that everything has a good purpose and that we need to grow and be healthy.”
“Bismillah, Let’s Eat offers a new way of thinking about family meals. I am a first generation Canadian, my parents are from Kenya and before that from India. I wanted my children to enjoy traditional food and the memories associated with it and our food culture. I wanted my children to have food experiences that resonated with our past. Preparing and sharing food is a loving language, a way of learning through food.
The recipes encourage children to eat similar dishes to others in the family. Rather than reluctantly eating family meals, combining several dishes can ensure there is always something new to try, alongside things they like. This means you are still eating together.”
The book includes many of Zehra’s own recipes combining a variety of ethnic styles, such as lazy lasagne – with ready-cooked noodles and typical spices plus a lovely crispy layer of cheese on top, and a chocolate cake made in a bowl. Updated traditional dishes from her own family background in Africa and India are also included, resulting in healthy variations on dishes such as shakshuka and chaat to sumac chicken and lamb karahi. In total there are over 130 recipes for every meal, along with a healthy guide to suitable dishes for Ramadan.
“I’m targeting people who are comfortable cooking at home but want to expand their knowledge of flavors and spices. It will encourage people to try different things because all the ingredients and spices are available in any Asian store.”
“Bismillah, Let’s Eat” will be available worldwide upon its release this fall.
“I already have some promotional events planned in Toronto, Los Angeles and San Francisco. I hope to organize some events in London and elsewhere in the UK in November,” she says.
Photo credit – Jess Baumung
The adventurous spirit behind the pages of the British Muslim Magazine. As Editor-in-Chief, Natasha guides her books with a passion for discovery and a pen full of wanderlust. With a keen eye for halal travel experiences and an insatiable curiosity for new experiences, she takes readers on fascinating journeys to far-flung destinations. Through her vivid storytelling, Natasha invites readers on enriching adventures where each experience is a window into the Muslim world.
