Bahraini food and culinary enthusiast Yasmeen Al Mahri is continuing to cook up a storm after being announced the first winner of the GDN Media Pantry challenge.
Ms Al Mahri
The medical laboratory technician has bagged a cash prize of BD100 for her creation – Salmon with Saffron Rice and Trio of Dips – a ‘celebration of freshness, colour and flavour’.
The winning recipe Salmon with Saffron Rice and Trio of Dips
The 30-year-old from Hamad Town prepared the dish as part of her culinary experiments in the kitchen and, spurred on by the positive response from her family, decided to submit it for the contest, which was launched last year.
Focused at work
Scores of home cooks participated and were asked to share their recipes in 250 words. The contenders were also invited to post a video of them working on their dish, lasting up to three minutes. The submissions were then whetted by an internal panel, comprising GDN Media food connoisseurs, to finalise the winning entry.
“Being told I was one of the shortlisted candidates was a victory in itself for me,” Ms Al Mahri told the GDN. “I’m so grateful to my family – especially my husband, Mohamad – who has always supported my love for cooking. He has always tasted my creations and encouraged me to pursue my passion even if some dishes did not turn out that great initially!
“My friends told me I would be the winner and now that I am, they too share in my happiness.
“I cannot wait to make this dish again and treat them to a taste. I plan to carry on cooking!” she added.
The self-taught home cook embarked on her gastronomical journey after she wed Mohamad Ibrahim Ali, who works in the administrative department at Bapco, eight years ago. She watched YouTube videos for inspiration and started putting dishes together based on what she had available at home.
Pancakes by the home cook
“I see the availability and do not bother stressing myself. Sometimes, even if an ingredient is missing, I get creative and try to balance flavours with whatever I have in the cupboard.
“Over time, I realised, cooking gives me so much joy. As a medical laboratory technician, I experiment in the lab and the kitchen. For instance, my husband is a fitness enthusiast and so, I decided to try out more healthy recipes. In the process, I have experimented with cooking without oil,” explained the mother-of-two.
Being a working mother with two children – Adam, aged six and Amira, three – is a handful but the creative talent always finds the time to home cook. “Thursdays are usually dedicated for me as the children are busy playing and it gives me the space to focus. It is even better now that the winter is here and it is not so hot.”
Ms Al Mahri noted that she taps into both her Bahraini and Indian heritage to bring alive her dishes.
Mandi with a tandoori chicken twist drawing on her Bahraini and Indian heritage
Growing up with a Bahraini father and Indian mother, she had the opportunity to taste a wide range of dishes and flavours. Now that she has married a Bahraini, she enjoys tucking into aromatic madrouba – a rice, chicken and vegetable creation – but also cooks Hyderabadi Chicken 65 and khatti (sour) dal, which is big hit with her husband and his family.
Hyderabadi Chicken 65 exhibiting Ms Al Mahri’s eye for good presentation
Lately, she has taken a liking for Korean cuisine and she hopes to expand her East Asia experiments in the kitchen.
“My husband likes to try out new dishes at restaurants too. When I see him enjoying a particular dish, it becomes my mission to try it out at home. I remember us ordering a seafood bucket and telling myself I must make this too. He, in turn, becomes really happy and looks forward to it,” she said.
Cooking is not the only thing that excites her, however. Soon after she embarked on her gastronomical journey, she discovered her penchant for food photography. The shutterbug has an Instagram page (@yasmeeeen_al_mahri) where she posts pictures of her dishes.
“Presentation matters because your eyes see the food first well before it touches the palate. After I make a dish, I love to click pictures from all the angles,” she added.
Not one to rest on past laurels, the home cook champion revealed her dreams to own a food truck one day, serving special soup.
“The thought occurred to me after I visited the Bahrain Food Festival. Seeing so many vendors sell their creations has inspired me to perhaps do the same someday,” she added, highlighting her desire to learn from other chefs in the kingdom.
“I refer to YouTube sometimes but if there is a local chef offering classes, I would love to attend and grow my knowledge,” she added.
melissa@gdnmedia.bh
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