Chef Ali, the first halal food box

There is yet another new food box in the Netherlands. And no, this one is not just any food box. Chef Ali is completely halal.

Mounir Toub, author of Mijn Arabische Keuken and presenter of Grenzeloos Koken on 24Kitchen, is responsible for the recipes. He was approached in January by entrepreneurs Aissa Zarioh, Redouan Boussaid and Rgui, the creators of the box.

For € 34.95 per week, three meals (meat, vegetarian and fish) for two people are delivered to you every week. And with Ramadan – which starts on June sixth – this is convenient for Muslims who, after a long day at work on an empty stomach, still have to do their shopping. The box is actually for everyone, because there is really only one halal item in it each week.

Toub’s meals

What kind of meals should you expect? Crispy mozzarella with green beans and spinach, a healthy shawarma sandwich or penne with anchovies. Mediterranean dishes that you are unlikely to encounter in the other boxes. All the dishes should be on the table within half an hour. The ingredients are not complicated and the box contains fresh seasonal produce. Easy to manage, then.

‘Anti-skimpy’

Toub emphasizes that the crate should be ‘anti-skimpy’. The dishes are fresh, substantial and more than sufficient. They also need to be varied, halal, healthy and delicious. Quite a list of requirements for Chef Ali to meet. At the moment, deliveries are only available in the greater Amsterdam area, but discussions are underway to serve the whole of the Netherlands in the short term.

You can find more information about Chef Ali here.

Text: Nora van den Heuvel
Image: Shutterstock