Seven years after immigrating to Canada, Priyanka Desai has had more butter chicken here than in India.
She was shocked at how the entire Indian subcontinent had been reduced to a single greasy dish in North America.
“I used to meet people and they’re like, ‘Oh, hi. Yeah, I love butter chicken,’” Desai said.
That’s why the North Vancouver director chose to call her TV series Not Your Butter Chicken.
“I wanted to question and also create an impactful show that invites people to learn more about South Asians – the culture, the people, the values beyond this one dish that is extremely famous,” Desai said.
Hosted by CBC radio food critic and Burdock and Co sommelier Shiva Reddy, the four-part documentary series serves up stories on the rich history and culture of South Asians living in Western Canada. Not Your Butter Chicken premiered a year ago but was just released on CBC Gem – where it can be streamed for free – in celebration of Asian Heritage Month.
In the first episode, Reddy travels to Kamloops, where she gathers with former sawmill and railroad workers who immigrated there in the early 1960s, when the now-bustling city was “just like a village.”
“There have been South Asian families who have been here for generations,” Desai said. “These are the people who have gone through the hardships of immigrant life, and paved the way for so many of us to come here and be adjusted or assimilated in the community in a much smoother way.”
'What is this value that brings community together over food?'
Desai said she wanted to pay tribute to the sacrifices of elder immigrants.
“In some of the cases, like in Kamloops, they were part of building Kamloops in a way. Being one of the foundations of the community, it’s a huge thing. And that deserves recognition, that deserves acknowledgement,” she said.
Like the episode’s title suggests – “Food is Sewa” – the show does tie in traditions around food and its deeper cultural significance.
“Even if you have little, you always share it with people around you,” Desai said. “That’s the whole idea behind Sewa.”
That’s why she chose to film inside a Kamloops langar, which is similar to a community kitchen.
“People from all walks of life are invited to just be fed. And I know so many younger students and immigrants who are not able to make ends meet, who go to these gurdwaras (place of Sikh worship) and get themselves fed,” she said.
Desai wanted to bring the value of Sewa to life, “and help people understand, make it more accessible: What is this idea? And what is this value that brings community together over food?”
With previous shows documenting Indigenous cooking (Redchef Revival) and wheelchair boxing (Rolling with the Punches), something could be in the works for her current home on the North Shore.
“I love the community of North Van. I think the people are really friendly,” she said. “It’s a nice community. I don’t feel like I’m lost in a big city.”
“I would like to create more stories around North Van too, in the future,” Desai said.
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