Vancouver is home to some of the best chefs in the world, many have worked for the top chefs and restaurants around the world as well as around the city. Dishing with the Chefs is a series of Interviews with some of the top chefs in and around Vancouver.
Chef Parviz Dhanani
Started cooking while living in Africa in 1973, I learned everything I know from my mother-in-law. In 1975 I moved to Toronto and then to Calgary and then to Red Deer, Alberta where I cooked in a Mosque for 20 years. In 1994 I moved to Vancouver and in 1997 I opened my own restaurant which I sold in 2010. After 3 years in retirement I became the head chef of my friends restaurant Kilimanjaro Snack House.
What does “Snack House” mean in your culture?
Samosas, kebabs and the like is common in our culture.
What inspires you to create the dishes you do here at Kilimanjaro Snack House?
I think about it at night, what am I going to make the next day and the dish ideas come to me and it is natural that is what I make.
What are your favourite ingredients to cook with at home?
- Cumin powder
- Fresh tomatoes
- Ginger
- Coriander powder
What are the common known dishes in your culture?
- Chicken Biryani
- Beef Biryani
- Beef Pillauo
- Muthiya
What are your favourite dishes to cook at home?
- Pilao
- Dahl with beef or chicken
- Okra curry
- Eggplant curry
What do you do in your spare time?
- Stay home
- Family time
What do you want people to learn from you and your culture?
I want people to enjoy my cooking, and someday I will make my own recipe book.
Biryani Chicken
Biryani Rice
Puri
Chicken Biryani and rice
What is in your Biryani Chicken?
yogurt, safron, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, tomato paste, fried onions, garam masala and chicken.
Were you always interested in cooking?
Yes I always had an interest in cooking since my childhood.
Stay tuned for the next chef in the Dishing with the Chef series.
By: Richard Wolak