Seven Very Canadian Recipes for Canada Day

Adapted from an Indian and Pakistani dish, these succulent patties are always a crowd-pleaser.

“Your kid eats tofu?”

This question came, with great surprise, from a mother long ago as we sat in the lunchroom at the local elementary school, helping our Grade 1 kids with lunch. She and her family had recently emigrated from China. She assumed that because I’m not East Asian I wouldn’t know about tofu, let alone like it, and neither would my kid. But Canada is not that simple. And aren’t we lucky.

So I’d like to suggest that on Canada Day (and on many other days too) we celebrate Canada’s good fortune in having a wonderfully diverse cultural landscape. For me, the best way we can recognize that we have a lot to learn from each other is to take the chance of cooking and eating each other’s foods. It’s also a great way to develop a sense of belonging and connection with our fellow citizens. What better goal for Canada Day could there be?

If your primary food culture is from somewhere in Asia, then try making something from South America or Mexico; if your background is European of some kind, then try cooking Caribbean or Asian food … and so on. Go find a cookbook in the library or fish for recipes online. Just leap in and call it a world kitchen Canada Day project.

Here’s an easy crowd-pleaser from northern India and Pakistan to start with. This is the best and easiest way I know to eat ground beef or lamb – succulent and full of flavour. The yogurt in the mixture tenderizes the meat and keeps it moist. The recipe is already adapted from its place of origin – instead of cooking the meat on skewers, I cook it as burgers or patties on the grill or in a skillet on the stovetop. For Canada Day, do try grilling; the flavour is so wonderful.

Try to buy locally grown meat and vegetables, if you can, for that’s another good Canada Day/every day project: supporting Canadian farmers.

Canada Day Grill

2 pounds lean ground beef or lamb
1 cup minced or grated shallots
2 teaspoons minced or grated ginger (optional)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup full-fat or 2 per cent plain yogurt
A generous 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander or mint leaves
Peanut oil or vegetable oil for cooking

Optional accompaniments Tender leaf lettuce
Chopped tomato salad or cucumber salad
Flatbreads, such as chapati or naan, or pita breads or rice
A spicy, sweet-hot chutney such as mango chutney

Place the meat in a bowl and add the flavourings you want – shallots, ginger, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt, and yogurt, but not the herbs. Mix thoroughly using your hands or a spatula, turning and kneading to blend the flavours and get a smooth texture. A smooth elastic texture helps the meat hold together during cooking.

You can make the mixture ahead of time, then cover and refrigerate it for up to six hours; remove from the refrigerator half an hour before cooking.

When ready to proceed, mix the herbs into the mixture. Put out two or three large plates and rub each lightly with oil.

To shape the patties: To make 16 to 20 medium burger-style patties, wet your hands with water, then pick up about a quarter-cup of the mixture. Roll it into a ball between your palms, then flatten lightly and place on one of the plates. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture. (If you wish you can make smaller, “slider”-style patties: work with about two tablespoons meat mixture at a time. You will have 30 to 35 small patties.)

If you’re grilling: Preheat a charcoal or gas grill and lightly oil the grilling rack or grilling basket. Transfer the patties to the grill or basket and cook over a medium flame or over coals, turning them after five minutes or so, until they’re done the way you like them. Do NOT press and flatten the meat with your spatula.

If you’re pan-frying: Place two large, heavy skillets over high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil to each, then lower heat to medium-high. Transfer patties to the pan, starting at the outside edge and placing them close together, as many as you can fit in. If you like a slightly crusty outside (as I do), leave the heat on medium-high; for a softer outside surface, lower the heat to medium. Cook for about three minutes on medium-high or four minutes on medium on the first side. Turn patties over and cook the second side in the same way.

Serve with plenty of leaf lettuce to wrap the patties, with flatbreads or rice, and with condiments and other accompaniments of your choice.

Makes about 16 medium meat patties or 32 small sliders; serves six to eight.