Like Haleem, my story and recipe is humble. My passion to share it with you comes from my meat and bones, but it is my community around me, my tribe that gives my story its depth of flavour. I hope you enjoy it.

Notes on the need to preserve the best of us and the food we eat.

I named my food business Empress Market (will now be referred to as EM to avoid confusion!) after a produce market in the heart of Karachi, Pakistan. A Victorian brick building, distinguished by a square courtyard, four covered halls and a clocktower that has not chimed the passing hours at least in my lifetime. Instead, the passage of time can be seen in the fading brickwork and the labyrinth of vendors with their produce laid out on flimsy wooden carts and blankets. The building has a rich and complex history.

As much as it is about food, Empress Market is really about people. The market is where we make a rozi, earn a living to put a roof over our heads.

The perfect knife. Never let it go