Latest news with #Fijian-Indian
NZ Herald
25-05-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
Family mourn ‘hero' Auckland heart surgeon Dr Parma Nand
Speaking publicly for the first time, his daughter, Komal Nash, told the Herald it had been an overwhelming experience to see and hear about the many lives her father had touched in his work as a surgeon. 'He's always been a hero to me, growing up. He came from nothing and made sure that I had everything in my life - he supported me with my education and gave me absolutely everything,' Nash, a lawyer, said. 'So seeing how many other people consider him their hero has been really touching and overwhelming. 'In a time of intense grief, it brings me a lot of comfort to know that he's changed a lot of lives and saved a lot of people. 'My heart is broken, but I know he mended a lot of other hearts. I'm just a very proud daughter.' Nand was also the father of 16-year-old twins Thomas and William and grandfather of Sierra, 3, and 1-year-old Rumi. Nand worked as a cardiothoracic surgeon - specialising in surgeries on the heart, lungs and other structures in the chest - for about 30 years at Mercy Ascot and Auckland City hospitals. His philanthropic work and drive to give back to his homeland of Fiji and other parts of the Pacific made him a well-respected figure in the region. In 2006, Nand organised a team of medical staff - including surgeons, specialists and nurses - to travel to Fiji to give free operations to locals who would otherwise not be able to afford it. That first trip turned into the Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation NZ and over the years, a total of 15 missions to Fiji have taken place - resulting in more than 770 surgical treatments and 4200 screening assessments and associated services for Fijian residents. From extreme poverty to sought-after surgeon At yesterday's service, many of the audience included members of the medical profession and those from different parts of the Indian, Fijian and Fijian-Indian communities. Fellow cardiothoracic surgeon and friend, Dr Krish Chaudhuri, described Nand as more than a mentor - he was a brother. Chaudhuri shared how Nand had emailed him an autobiographical summary of his life a few years ago. Reading out his friend's words, mourners heard about Nand's humble beginnings in Fiji. 'I lived in extreme poverty with 10 siblings. We sometimes struggled to have food on the table. 'Our parents were small-time tailors with limited income. Our family income was supplemented by a small volume of 5 litres of milk to sell daily to township households. 'The milk was delivered approximately 4km away by bicycle every morning before school by my eldest siblings and later by myself.' Despite school fees costing $3 per term, Nand was often dragged out of the classroom as his parents could not afford to pay them. 'We were probably the poorest family in the community.' Chaudhuri acknowledged how Nand's humble beginnings had pushed him to work hard in life - and never forgetting to give back to those in need. 'When we look at his life story, we see that he may have started off as a pawn, but he made it to become the most significant piece on the chessboard - the king.' A new scholarship for surgeons in Fiji Chaudhuri revealed that over the years, he and Nand had discussed how financially difficult it was becoming to fund the annual missions to Fiji. Instead, Nand thought it would be a good idea to start training doctors and surgeons from Fiji here in New Zealand, to improve their skills and ultimately carry out the life-saving operations themselves. Nash said the family was passionate about that idea and organising a scholarship under Nand's name. 'It's like you're teaching them to fish, so they can set up their own unit and be sustainable and not have to rely on these missions every year. 'He always spoke about going back to Fiji and helping the less fortunate.'
Otago Daily Times
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Recipes cut from a journey
MasterChef 2021 winner Justin Narayan asks just one thing — cook one meal for someone else. "Just take one recipe and share what you make with someone. "It doesn't even need to be a recipe; it could be a story or a picture that gets you inspired. "It doesn't even matter if it is a fail. "What that person will remember is that you invited them over, cooked for them and you shared a meal together." That is the aim of his cookbook Everything is Indian . "Not every meal I make is a masterpiece, sometimes it's just good — but you will at least make a memory. "So, just one meal with one other person, one attempt, that is all I'm asking." For Narayan it is the people he is cooking for that are important, not what he is cooking. "Food is a way to connect with them and make them feel something. That is how my mum and my parti (grandma) cooked." Everyone relates to food, eats and shares food, "it's part of what makes us human". For Narayan food was a hobby. He never thought of it as a potential career until his MasterChef journey changed everything. He used to watch the show on television but never realised what a learning experience it would turn out to be. For seven months away from his home and family, it was all about cooking. "I had access to every ingredient from every cuisine. "I was surrounded by people constantly thinking about food. "The amount of knowledge condensed into those seven months is crazy." Everything is Indian 's recipes are about Narayan, his culture and where he comes from. "Food is how I relate to the world and these recipes are how I've related to the people around me." It starts with the Fijian-Indian recipes he grew up with and then goes into all the dishes he has learned to cook growing up in Australia. The melting pot of cultures makes it one of the best places in the world when it comes to food, he says. So while the recipes might look like they are inspired by his travels, they are inspired by the food from his family, the Chinese and Portuguese restaurants in his neighbourhoods and his friends, the people he grew up with. "These foods are all part of me. "That is where the title comes from Everything is Indian . "I know everything isn't Indian but it's my world, it's the start of everything. "It's why I think about making caramel slice with cardamom and nutmeg. "Roast potatoes with turmeric and mustard seeds — that's my style of food." Narayan believes anyone can cook, even if it's just instant noodles, it's a place to start from. He advises faking it, till you make it, so he includes a list of basic tips to becoming a good cook in the book. "Everyone starts somewhere. "It's generally simple, straightforward cooking that doesn't take a lot of time. "In other words, the time to flavour pay-off is high." The book is divided into chapters based on different times in Narayan's life and includes stories of his and his family's journey in their home. "I grew up very confused — so recipes for Victoria Sponge sit alongside dhal bhat." The book Images and text from Everything Is Indian by Justin Narayan, photography by Rob Palmer. Murdoch Books. RRP: $45 OG caramel slice and a barfi-spiced twist You go to the bakery, you get a caramel slice. You think it's going to be good, but it rarely is. The ones that are good though, those super gooey, salty ones, they're the best things in the bakery. Those caramel slices are what inspired this recipe. For a few years, I made giant slabs of these and gave out little bits as Christmas gifts for friends and family. My favourite part was the extras I cut for myself. I roughly chopped them and stuck them in the freezer for future sneaky snacks. They're absolutely ridiculous mixed through ice-cream. Serves 6-10 Active time 25min Total time 55min + 4 hrs setting Ingredients Base 200g unsalted butter, melted ½ teaspoon vanilla essence 270g plain (all-purpose) flour 70g desiccated coconut 190g soft brown sugar Caramel 200g unsalted butter 190g soft brown sugar 2×395g cans sweetened condensed milk For OG, add: 2 teaspoons vanilla essence ½ teaspoon salt For barfi-spiced, add: 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1 teaspoon ground cardamom ¾ fresh nutmeg (3g), finely grated Chocolate 200g milk chocolate, chopped 150g dark chocolate, chopped 15g unsalted butter For barfi-spiced, add: 10g chopped toasted pistachio kernels Method Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray (I use a 24 × 34 cm tray) with baking paper.(You can put a bit of butter between the paper and the tray to make sure it sticks and doesn't move too much, if you like.) To make the base, mix the melted butter and vanilla in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients with a good pinch of salt. Mix in the butter mixture. Evenly distribute the mixture over the prepared tray (I find the back of a spoon works best) and bake until lightly golden-brown, about 15 minutes. Option 1: Original To make the caramel, get the butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, whisk or stir constantly until it begins to bubble. Keep stirring for about 30-40 seconds, then, while continuing to whisk, add the condensed milk, vanilla and salt. Cook, still stirring, until the mixture becomes golden brown and begins to bubble. As soon as this happens, take off the heat, pour the mixture straight over the base and spread evenly. Put the tray back in the oven for a further 15 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool to room temperature. Option 2: barfi-spiced Do the same as option 1, adding the vanilla, cardamom and nutmeg along with the condensed milk. Either use a microwave to melt all the chocolate ingredients and a pinch of salt (try 20-second bursts) or use a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water) and gradually heat until everything is melted. Pour on top of the caramel layer (the caramel should be cool before you do this). Sprinkle with pistachio if making the barfi-spiced version. Let the three-layered sweet chill in the fridge until the chocolate is set, about 4 hours. Slice (see tip) and serve. TIP Use a hot knife and wipe after every cut to get that perfect straight cut and clean edges. Slow roast lamb curry with mint rice Serving a whole lamb shoulder at the table is always a special moment; it's a bit of theatre at dinner. If you're Greek, you've probably had that experience many times, but we never ate lamb shoulder. I'd see it in restaurants and on TV, and I wanted to experiment with the same amazing cut, but with the spices and flavours of an Indian lamb curry. As lamb is quite gamey, it can take a lot of spice. To be honest, this recipe came from laziness. It's easy — just marinate the day before everyone comes over, then on the day, put it in the oven, cook rice and the prep is done. Go hang out with friends for two to three hours then, after you've finished that last game of Catan, dinner is ready. I'm busy, everyone is. Make it easy. The mint rice adds freshness and texture. Plus, mint and lamb is such a classic combo. If you want to pimp it up even more, serve with chilli chutney and pickles. Get it all in there. Serves 4-6 Active time 20min Total time 3hrs 30min +2hrs-overnight marinating Ingredients 1 lamb shoulder (1.52 kg) 400g (14 oz) can diced tomatoes Marinade 10g (¼oz) fresh ginger, finely grated, or 1 teaspoon ginger paste 8-9 garlic cloves, crushed, or 1¼ tablespoons garlic paste 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon chilli flakes 2 teaspoons flaky sea salt 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 teaspoon ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from about ½ lemon) ⅓ cup (80ml) light olive oil Mint rice 1 cup (200g) basmati rice 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from about ½ lemon) 100g (3½oz) roast slivered almonds 1 bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked To serve 1 small bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), leaves picked Flaky sea salt, to season Method Place all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pat dry the lamb with paper towel, then place in the bowl and massage in the marinade. Allow it to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight (the longer the better). Preheat the oven to 160°C. In a deep baking tray, add the tomatoes, then half-fill the can with water (I always like to fill the empty tomato can with water to get every last ounce of tomato) and pour into the tray. Place the lamb on the tray and tightly cover with baking paper, then foil. Roast until the lamb falls apart with the prod of a fork, about 3 hours. Take out the lamb and crank the oven to 250°C. Remove the foil and baking paper, then put the tray back in the oven and roast until nicely charred and caramelised, about 15-20 minutes. Allow the lamb to rest for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the mint rice. Cook the rice then pour over the lemon juice, add the almonds and mint and mix. Pour any of the rich tomato sauce from the lamb tray into a jug. Bring the lamb to the dining table, family style, and shred with tongs or two forks. Pour the tomato sauce over the shredded lamb and garnish with fresh coriander and flaky sea salt. Serve with the mint rice and enjoy. Chicken curry tacos with coriander green chilli chutney This recipe came out of the pressure of the MasterChef kitchen. The challenge was to make something creative out of instant noodles. I blitzed the noodles into flour and made tortillas. I took everything you'd find in a chicken curry and blended it with the packet seasoning and marinated the chicken in it. I cooked the chicken until it had a nice char and layered it on a noodle-flour taco with chutney. Chicken curry tacos! I won the challenge and thought, this is actually really good, I should keep this recipe and work on it. This recipe gave me a stepping stone. It wasn't a bold or courageous move, but it was a step in the right direction. When people liked it, really liked it, I thought, why not just give them the authentic chicken curry and see what they think, because that's who I really am. When I cooked it again, I took more inspiration from Mum's chicken curry for the flavour but kept the grilled chicken from the MasterChef recipe. I love that charred crust you get and adding the flavour of a curry to that is just a sick combination. Serves 4-6 (makes 12 tacos) Active time 20min Total time 30 min + 2hrs-overnight marinating Ingredients 6 chicken thighs (about 500g) Marinade 4 garlic cloves ½ brown onion 1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground turmeric 1½ teaspoons ground coriander ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon garam masala 1 tablespoon lime juice (from about 1 lime) 1½ teaspoons salt, or to taste 100ml grapeseed oil Pickled radish ½ cup white vinegar 1 tablespoon caster (superfine) sugar 1 tablespoon salt 4 baby radishes, sliced as thin as possible (use a mandolin to add that finesse) Coriander and green chilli chutney 1 bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), leaves and stems roughly chopped 12 jalapeno chillies 1 garlic clove 1 tablespoon lime juice (from about 1 lime) ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste ¾ cup (200g) Greek-style yoghurt To serve 12 × 10-15cm flour tortillas ½ white or purple cabbage, thinly sliced (a mandolin works a charm) Method Blitz all the marinade ingredients in a blender until smooth, then pour into a bowl. Pat dry the chicken with paper towel, then add to the bowl and massage the marinade into the chicken. Place in the fridge, covered, for 2 hours or overnight to marinate. Meanwhile, make the pickled radish. Place the vinegar, sugar, salt and ½ cup (125ml) water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer while stirring constantly. Once the sugar and salt have dissolved, pour the liquid into a heatproof bowl or jar. Add the radish, making sure it is completely submerged. Allow it to pickle for 30 minutes or overnight. To make the chutney, blend all the chutney ingredients, except the yoghurt, in a blender until smooth, then fold in the yoghurt and season with salt to taste. Heat a barbecue grill plate or a cast iron pan on medium-high. In batches, add the chicken and grill until nicely charred and cooked through, about 34 minutes each side. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then slice into 1cm strips. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, then toast each tortilla until golden, lightly charred and puffed, roughly 30 seconds each side. Wrap the tortillas in a clean tea (dish) towel to keep warm. Top each tortilla with the cabbage, chicken, chutney and pickled radish and get stuck in. References: Flour tortillas Ingredients 1¾ cups (260g) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting 1 teaspoon baking powder 150ml hot water (boil then let it sit for 5 minutes) 1 tablespoon light olive oil Method Mix the flour, baking powder and a generous pinch of salt in a bowl. Pour in the water and oil and mix using a fork (while the water is still hot). Use your hands to knead the dough on a clean work surface until you get a playdough-like consistency, around 5 minutes. Cover with a clean tea (dish) towel and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes. Divide the dough into twelve golf ball-sized pieces, about 30g each. Dust each ball with a little extra flour and roll out to about 2mm thick. Heat a cast iron frying pan or comal pan over high heat. Grab a clean tea towel to wrap all the finished tortillas in. Place a tortilla in the pan and cook for 10 seconds, flip and cook for a further 30 seconds, then do a final flip and cook for a further 30 seconds (you should see lightly charred spots on each side). Place the tortilla on the tea towel and wrap up so it steams inside. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Let all the tortillas sit in the tea towel for 5 minutes to steam through. (The extra cooking inside the tea towel will give you a soft and flexible tortilla.)
Newsroom
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsroom
Peters jokes about visiting Indian minister's name
Winston Peters welcomed India's Minister of State to Auckland by questioning the origin of his name in front of 300 community leaders and dignitaries 'Minister of State Margherita,' he said. 'What a fascinating name, that. We wait to find out what the background is.' It was directed at Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, who had just arrived for his first visit to New Zealand. Some greeted Peters' joke with polite laughter at the India-New Zealand Business Council meeting at Auckland's Pullman Hotel. Among those present were Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, diplomats and business leaders. But others interpreted it as ridiculing the minister's name, likening it to a tequila cocktail or a pizza. Narendra Bhana, immediate past president of the New Zealand Indian Central Association, expressed his discomfort with Peter's words. 'In this day and age, to be perfectly honest with you, I think this comment was totally uncalled for,' Bhana said. 'New Zealand is a multicultural society. Indians integrate really well with the various communities in New Zealand, and we're proud of our culture. And personally I feel that comment was totally uncalled for.' Wellington Indian Association president Manisha Morar agreed. 'New Zealand is a multicultural country now, and so we're really used to having a lot of migrants coming into the country, and people are a lot more accepting of things,' she said. 'If we're not showing respect to a minister from India who's come here, then I think we've still got a long way to go about learning about cultural appropriation.' 'As a community, we're beyond that. We've moved and progressed.' Ajaz Patel, NZ cricketer The visit from Margherita is important to the New Zealand Government, and to business relations. Luxon campaigned on getting a free trade deal with India, and he took a big delegation to India in March, as talks kicked off. That's continued a long history of hard-won trust between the two countries, dating back to newly elected Prime Minister David Lange's meeting with Indira Gandhi in October 1984, just three weeks before she was assassinated. The relationship hit a low in 2010, with public outrage at TVNZ host Paul Henry' on-air comments about Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, ridiculing her surname live on air. He had already been suspended for suggesting the Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand, of Fijian-Indian heritage, was not a real New Zealander. Henry resigned over the incidents. But in the subsequent 15 years, the relationship has gone from strength to strength – and this week, its breadth was on show – from business to education to tourism to sport. Black Caps star bowler Ajaz Patel, who was born in Mumbai and migrated to New Zealand when he was eight years old, was at the summit to discuss the role of sport in diplomacy and business. He told Newsroom that values like loyalty, honesty, friendship and respect were important to the India-New Zealand relationship. He didn't hear Peters' speech, so was unwilling to comment directly on the quip, but he did say he was uncomfortable with making jokes about people's names. 'As a community, we're beyond that. We've moved and progressed. So, for me personally, that's that's my personal opinion. But what other people do and say, I can't really comment.' Margherita, himself, seemed to laugh off the Deputy Prime Minister's comment. 'It's an interesting history, actually,' he told Newsroom afterwards. Margherita is a town in the state of Assam, in the northeastern part of India – a state famous for its tea, not for tequila cocktails. 'Margherita, my surname, is the name of the town I hail from. Margherita is my birthplace. 'Margherita is a common surname in Italy, and yes, Margherita is a popular cocktail and a popular pizza also. But in my state of Assam, it's my hometown.' Peters defended his comment. 'Interest in one another's origins is a core part of diplomacy,' he said through a spokesperson, later in the day. Peters was interested in the etymology of Margherita's name and asked him about it during their face-to-face meeting later in the day, his spokesperson added. 'Minister Margherita explained that he takes his name from his hometown in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. His hometown, in turn, was named after the Queen of Italy – because of Italian railway engineers who worked there in the late 19th century.' Late on Friday, after the two ministers met, Peters posted on Twitter that they had discussed the recent progress made in the India-New Zealand relationship across a wide range of sectors. He highlighted their discussions on a broad-based agenda for bilateral security and economic cooperation; achieving a mutually beneficial outcome to free trade agreement negotiations; the two countries' shared interests in the Pacific region and the Indo-Pacific; the terrorist attack in Kashmir last month and New Zealand's support for de-escalation between India and Pakistan. Speaking to Newsroom, Margherita said New Zealand was 'always important' to India. 'We have a very strong relationship,' he said. 'Right at this moment, both countries are negotiating on a free trade agreement. So we have immense potential in the many domains of business and trade and commerce. 'New Zealand is always a preferred destination for our investors, our industries … our business houses,' he added. 'Bilateral trade has increased in the last decades.' He declined to comment on how the global trade turmoil sparked by US President Donald Trump's tariffs might affect India-New Zealand trade. 'We have a strong relation with America. America is a very traditional friend for us in art and culture and business. We are negotiating with America and definitely, it will yield a very good positive result. 'So relations with America are always good, and relation between India and New Zealand are always good. It's a different issue. We cannot combine it together.' He said Luxon's visit had been welcomed in India, not just by the Modi Government but also by the wider population. 'His visit is a testament of our deep relations, and we have already signed many MoUs between both the countries. His visit has leveraged our trade and commerce and other relations to the next level.'
