The author of Spice Tonight shares her take on chicken pakoras at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair, bringing traditional flavours to Cookery Corner
SHARJAH, UAE- UK-based cook and author Kausar Raja brought a taste of Pakistani cuisine to the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026), preparing crispy chicken pakoras with green chutney during a live demonstration at Cookery Corner.
Known online as KausCooks, Raja explained the tradition behind her choice of dish: “Today, I’m making chicken pakoras with a twist, and I’m preparing green chutney to serve alongside them. Pakoras are usually made with vegetables, but in Pakistan, we also like to make them with chicken, particularly during Ramadan,” she said.
For her demonstration, Raja combined bite-sized pieces of chicken with onions, fresh coriander, green chillies, ginger and garlic, coating them in a batter of chickpea flour, cornflour and aromatic spices, including cumin, garam masala, turmeric and ajwain seeds. After allowing the mixture to rest, she fried the pakoras in batches until golden and crisp, serving them hot with green chutney.
Her recipes draw on the food she grew up eating, adapting familiar South Asian flavours into accessible meals for home cooks. What began as a hobby has since grown into an online cooking community and a publishing career. Her debut cookbook, Spice Tonight: Easy Meals with a South Asian Twist, features recipes ranging from quick weeknight dinners to one-pan meals inspired by family cooking traditions.
Making her first appearance at the Sharjah International Book Fair, Raja expressed admiration for the event’s scale and atmosphere.
“This is my first time at SIBF, and I’ve been here for three days now, and it’s been an amazing experience. I’ve never been to a book fair of this size or seen such a huge space dedicated entirely to books and everything connected with them. It’s really impressive to see an event on this scale,” she said.
Raja, who was presenting her third cooking demonstration at the fair, was also pleased with the interest visitors showed in Cookery Corner.
“The cooking session attracts really good crowds. Every seat was taken, and there were still people standing all around the back to watch. It gets incredibly busy,” she said. “I’ve had so much fun being here, and although this is my last day cooking at the fair, I’m really excited about the session. I would definitely love to come back again.”
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026) runs from November 4 to 15 at Expo Centre Sharjah under the theme ‘Made of Stories’, with the Sultanate of Oman as Guest of Honour. The fair brings together 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries, showcasing more than 1.7 million titles. Its programme features 1,500 cultural, creative and artistic events, with 106 guests from 25 countries.
