The Narratives – Mohamed Miah

What are your family’s top 3 favorite meals?

When it comes to food, I wish I could wave a magic wand and declare a top three that would unite my family at the dinner table in culinary harmony. Imagine the simplicity! But alas, life is rarely that straightforward. My family is full of individuals with their own quirks, preferences, and (sadly) aversions—including one of my kids, who doesn’t even like curry. Yes, you read that right. They can’t even stand the smell of it. A tragedy for someone like me, who holds curry close to my heart!

Now, if it were up to me, my dream trio of meals would look something like this:

1. Chicken Tikka Curry – Served with fluffy white rice and a side of crispy poppadoms. The perfect balance of spice and comfort, it’s a dish I could eat weekly without complaint.

2. A Juicy Smash Burger – Add a generous portion of fries, and I’m in heaven. The combination of a perfectly cooked patty, melting cheese, and toasted bun is a masterpiece in simplicity.

3. Pizza or Spaghetti Bolognese – This is my comfort-food tie. Whether it’s a wood-fired pizza with classic toppings or a hearty bowl of bolognese, I’m sold either way.

Now, two of my kids wouldn’t mind this list at all. They’d tuck into these meals happily, although they might grumble about the curry occasionally (I suppose one person’s aromatic heaven is another’s kitchen nightmare).

My wife, on the other hand, would trade the burgers and bolognese for fish curries in a heartbeat. To her, nothing beats the flavours of a well-prepared fish curry paired with steamed rice—something I’ve grown to appreciate even more since getting married.

So, as you can imagine, meal planning in my household is a delicate dance of compromise. Some days it’s burgers, some days it’s pizza, and on special occasions, I indulge in my beloved curries, even if not everyone’s as enthusiastic as I am.

That’s the beauty of family, though. We’re a patchwork of tastes, and while we may not always agree on what’s for dinner, the most important thing is sitting down together, sharing laughs, stories, and sometimes, a bit of cheeky negotiation over who gets the last slice of pizza.

So, what about you? Is your family united over a favourite dish, or are you navigating a minefield of individual preferences like us? Let me know in the comments—I’m curious (and could always use some new ideas)!