2025 South Asian Spotlight

Karachi is renowned for its vibrant food scene, its cuisine is a fusion of various cultural traditions, making it a true culinary melting pot. Influences from across Asia, from Afghanistan to Myanmar, a legacy of centuries of trade, can be found on menus and in shops, along with all the regional diversity of a vibrant local food culture. Food is everything in Pakistan; there’s an Urdu question asked almost everyday in Karachi, hum kya khaayenge, which means “what will we eat?” Tonight Nausheen Rafiq seeks to answer that question in a fun, creative way that welcomes you into contemporary Desi culture. As a recent graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa, Nausheen looks to bring a creative, modern twist to range of traditional Pakistani dishes, everything from popular street foods like papri chaat to festive desserts like sheer khurma.

*The meal will be hosted by Malav Naik, a marketing strategist, artist and activist based in Toronto, ON.  Also the chef for our ‘Pure Non-Veg’ Gujarati dinner as part of this series! They will help to bring context to the foods and will be available to answer any of your questions!

**Note: All meat served will be certified Halal
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Papri Chaat
A popular sweet and savoury street food snack with countless variations found across the subcontinent. The crunch from the crispy fried papri crackers, combines with the heartiness from the chickpea blend, and the creamy yoghurt and tangy chutney drizzled on top makes for a perfect symphony of texture and flavour.

Chicken Tikka or Aloo Puff
Classic French puff pastry with a Desi twist. A spicy chicken tikka (or spiced potato) filling nestled in a tender, buttery, flaky pastry shell.

Khaosuey [beef or tofu]
A Pakistani take on a classic Burmese dish, often attributed to Memon traders who brought the dish back from Myanmar and adapted it to local taste and ingredients. A rich and textured noodle dish with beef (or tofu) in a gram-thickened coconut curry, served with an array of colourful and flavourful garnishes: chilli oil, chips, fried onion, ginger, coriander, green chilies, lemon and chaat masala allowing diners to customize their bowl to their taste.

Sheer Khurma Tres Leche
Mexico and Pakistan might be on opposite sides of the world, but they both know that luscious dairy-rich desserts are always a hit. An innovative fusion of traditional Latin American tres leches cake topped with sheer khurma, a creamy, vermicelli and nut pudding often prepared as a festive dessert for Eid.
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Nausheen Rafiq is a certified pastry chef who has completed her training at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute. Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan she is passionate about sharing her culture through food. @thesmallbites

Malav Naik is a marketing strategist, artist and activist based in Toronto, ON. Growing up in the food-obsessed city of Surat has shaped their hedonistic outlook towards cooking and eating. @the_khalnaik

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Every weekend The Depanneur invites a guest chef to host a fun, family-style dinner party.