Sharing hearts, food, cooking tips and culture
Published on 17 October 2025
Every month, the Christie Downs Community House kitchen fills with the sound of sizzling pans, the aroma of spices, and the chatter of women speaking in both English and their native tongues.
It’s here that the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Association hosts its free, monthly Meet & Greet a Muslim cooking classes – a chance for women to connect, share stories and discover the harmony of South Asian culture through food, conversation and friendship.
Building bridges through food
For volunteer host Mehreen Rehman, Secretary of Interfaith Harmony and External Affairs, the most recent class carried special meaning. “The word Islam translates to peace,” she says, reflecting on its alignment with the International Day of Peace on 21 September.
“We build bridges through the universal language of food – one meal and one conversation at a time. We open our hearts to the wider community and our door to the local women that come together.”
A kitchen alive with conversation
Participants watch the Muslim women prepare dishes such as Chicken Pulao (fragrant rice dish), Channa Chaat (chickpea salad), Raita (yogurt-based side dish) and the sweet treat of syrup-soaked Gulab Jamun balls. Recipes are eagerly noted down, cooking tips are exchanged across cultures, and when the cooking is done, everyone sits shoulder-to-shoulder at a long table to share the delicious feast they’ve created together.
“Peace isn’t the absence of war, it’s the presence of love,” explains one young volunteer Mehroz Chaudhary. “You foster true love through conversations and sharing personal experiences. Food opens people’s hearts and we always find how much we share in common.”
A safe and welcoming space
Running for the past 5 years, the 2-hour monthly events provide a safe, women-only space where conversations flow well beyond food. Women share stories about motherhood, health, work-life balance, faith and wellbeing, resulting in a sense of connection that continues long after the plates are cleared away.
Volunteer Mehroz says, “I think this community that we’ve built is the perfect setting for dialogue between people from vastly different cultures. We are always meeting new people and seeing new faces.”
Love for all, hatred for none
Each class also includes a short presentation about Islamic culture. Mehreen shares the phrase "Love for all, hatred for none", alongside books includingThe Holy Qur'an – which has been translated into more than 70 languages by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.
She explains in simple, everyday words how the traditional text inspires her:
“Your brightness comes from your morals and moral integrity, regardless of colour, race or age. It encourages mutual understanding instead of conflict. Peace, coexistence and respect bring everyone around the table to share experiences.”
A life shaped by sharing food
Born in England, raised in Pakistan from the age of 4, and later living in Yemen before moving to Australia with her husband in her early twenties, Mehreen knows firsthand the power of food to connect people across cultures. “Sharing food is an important part of our culture and every celebration,” she says.
How to get involved
To attend a free cooking class, contact amw.adlsouth@gmail.com
This is not the only warm meal offered through Christie Downs Community House. Humanity First Australia hosts free dinners every second and fourth Wednesday of the month, led by Saleem Shaukat, State Director of Humanity First. Everyone is welcome.
COMMUNITY – Connected, supportive communities
To celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Community Vision 2034, council is interviewing locals who are making Onkaparinga the kind of place they’d like to live now and over the next decade. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Association cooking class brings to life the Community Vision goal of “enhancing connections across diverse cultures and identities.”
Pictured
Top to bottom:
- Mehreen Rehman, Secretary of Interfaith Harmony and External Affairs, Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Association.
- Monthly Meet & Greet a Muslim cooking classes.
- Everyone sits down to a feast of Chicken Pulao (fragrant rice dish), Channa Chaat (chickpea salad), and Raita (yogurt-based side dish) followed by dessert.
- The sweet treat of syrup-soaked Gulab Jamun balls for dessert.
- The kitchen is full of fresh ingredients and the aromas of spices.