Cook with Us: Refugee Week Recipes from Chefs Najee & Amro

💜 Recipes to bring us together this Refugee Week 💜

For many, certain dishes hold the memories of home, moments of celebration, and time spent with family and friends. Beyond that, food is heritage; it represents traditions passed down through generations, and for some, it is the only piece of home that survives the journey when everything else has to be left behind.

This Refugee Week, we have teamed up with the brilliant team at Migrateful for a very special collaboration. Together, we’re celebrating the power of food to connect us by sharing the migration stories of chefs Najee and Amro, told through the dishes they love most. Meet the chefs and discover their recipes.

Chef Najee

Chef Najee comes from Panjshir in Afghanistan and grew up in a big family in the country’s capital city, Kabul. His favourite dishes are Mantu and Ashak – traditional steamed dumplings often served at weddings, family gatherings and celebrations across Afghanistan. These dumplings are very comforting for him because his mum used to make a big platter of Mantu when he was very young, so that he could have it all to himself. Mantu are filled with spiced meat, while Ashak are filled with leeks (or Chinese chives) as a delicious vegetarian alternative.

For me, cooking is more than just making food, it’s a way of sharing my story. I am very proud of Afghan food. We don’t have a lot of ingredients but the care we take in preparing food makes it one of the tastiest cuisines in the world.

Growing up in Kabul, chef Najee spent much of his time walking and exploring the historical places in the city and became interested in art and architecture. He started drawing when he was very young and his work depicts traditional life in Afghanistan. He always sees art in food. When he cooks, he doesn’t just consider the taste. Food has to look good and he spends time designing its presentation.

Cook Mantu/Ashak At Home

And hear directly from Chef Najee

Chef Amro

Chef Amro comes from Northern Egypt and grew up in a large family as the only boy alongside his three sisters. His absolute favourite dish is Koshary – a delicious vegetarian dish that also happens to be Egypt’s national dish. Koshary is an ultimate comfort food packed with protein (lentils) and lots of carbohydrates (pasta, rice, and spaghetti). In Egypt, people eat it anytime, anywhere, and there are even unique Koshary restaurants that only serve this one iconic dish.

Koshary is the best dish for all Egyptian people. I remember my university days – so in between the classes we just go to eat koshary because it’s the fastest meal we can eat – sometimes we can eat in a plastic bag.

Amro spent half of his life in Egypt and the other half in Kuwait, so he has influences from both countries in his cooking. While Koshary represents his Egyptian roots, he also loves cooking Majboos – a Kuwaiti lamb dish made with raisins and nuts, which is often served for big celebrations.

Growing up in Egypt, it was always his mother who did the cooking; though he didn’t cook back then, he learned much of what he knows today by watching her.

Cook Koshary At Home

And hear directly from Chef Amro

Cook with us this Refugee Week

We believe that sharing food is one of the most powerful ways to connect. Join our community in cooking along this Refugee Week! Recreate Najee’s or Amro’s recipes at home, share your creations on Instagram or TikTok, and you could win a special prize.

The Prizes

Grand Prize: Two complimentary tickets to a Migrateful cooking class.
Runner-up Prize: A beautiful food hamper packed with goodies from the Migration Museum shop.

How to Enter the Giveaway

- Step 1: Cook one of the recipes featured above.
- Step 2: Snap a photo or film a short video of your dish.
- Step 3: Post it to Instagram or TikTok and tag and follow both @migrationmuseumuk and @migratefuluk.

Please note: The Giveaway runs until 28 June. Winners will be selected at random from all valid entries and notified on social media.

More about Migrateful and the Migration Museum

If you’re new to our community or want to know more about the hands behind this collaboration, here is a bit more about what we do:

Migrateful run cookery classes led by refugees and migrant chefs. Their mission is to support their chefs on their journey to integration by enabling them to teach cookery classes to the general public.

The Migration Museum explores how the movement of people to and from the UK across the ages shapes who we are – as individuals, as communities, and as a nation. They create inspiring exhibitions, events, and campaigns that make our shared history come alive. (smth about being closed to the public)

Photos: Portraits by Migrateful and group shots by Fede Rivas.