Sikh Society cook food for the Homeless

The Sikh Society have brought some community spirit to Liverpool by teaching UoL students how to cook curry and donating the finished product to the Whitechapel Centre for the homeless on Thursday evening.

Their ‘Curry Masterclass’ involved teaching students how to make prepare and cook vegetable curry with chickpeas and chapati bread. It is based on a Sikh concept called Langar, a 400 year old Sikh Tradition where Sikhs come together to cook for other people, whether it be Sikh’s or Non Sikh’s. Langar literally translates to ‘Free Kitchen’ and is practiced all over the world.

Jagdeep Singh, who was participating in the curry class, spoke about the importance of food to any individual in need, particularly homeless individuals:

“Homelessness is never about one factor. It has many pieces, like a jigsaw, and nutrition is one of these pieces.

“When somebody is lacking in nutrition they have less energy, are more likely to become sick, sleep less and any injuries or illnesses they may already have, take much longer to heal. This practice is about so much more than just giving away food; we are giving away comfort.”

President of the Sikh Society Arjan Singh was thrilled with the turnout, telling The Tab: “This is the last class we will be doing but we are always fundraising. Our next mission is about donating blood, so keep your eyes peeled!”

Robi Quigley, Co-President of Help the Homeless Society spoke about the class:

“What the Sikh society do for the community and are continuing to do is inspirational. Every member of our society has something to learn from this beautiful tradition, that means someone less fortunate than themselves can enjoy a home-cooked meal.”