Healthy Ramadan with chef Laila Fathalla

Chef Laila Fathalla’s show, Matbakhik Mreytik, showcases healthy recipes and eating habits, as endorsed by a qualified dietician. The programme builds awareness about a balanced diet and shows viewers how to make healthy modifications to everyday dishes. Chef Laila is also an ideal weight-loss coach, as she managed to lose 30kg, 17 of them in one year alone.

In an exclusive email interview, Laila tells us how she became a chef, what inspires her, and the challenges she faced on her weight-loss journey.

Can you tell us any memorable experiences related to food as a child?

I grew up in a family where everybody cooks -- my mum, grandmas and aunties -- so discovering new flavours and new recipes was a common occurrence.

I have always been impressed with ingredients. Ever since I was a child, I loved to cook and it became a passion.  Now I am a chef.

How did you become a chef?

After my sons grew up and I had plenty of time for myself, I decided to start a business, catering from home -- it was my husband's idea. Since it became my career, I had to always look for new recipes, new tips and methods and Fatafeat was the only channel on my TV 24/7 from where I could get more and more ideas. One day I was watching the channel and saw a promo about Star Chef, so my husband filmed me at home and we sent it to Fatafeat office. Thanks to Darine Al Khatib (channel director) and Yousuf Al Deeb (founder of Fatafeat), it all started from there.

What inspires you?

Ingredients --whenever I feel I am out of ideas I go to the supermarket and look at all the vegetables, meats and even canned stuff, then I can come out with new ideas for new recipes.

What are the challenges you face every year with your TV show?

Developing new recipes, new styles, new ways of presenting them and most of all not to be repetitive in order to please the audience and keep them always waiting for my show.

What kinds of healthy recipes are you showing on Matbakhik Mreytik?

I showcase many recipes, authentic and modern as well as junk but all cooked in a healthy way. So if anyone is trying to lose weight and is bored with repeating the same dish, this show offers them more than 100 recipes that please their palate as well as help them lose weight.

How did you manage to lose so much weight?

Well, I lost 30kg. Will power, motivation and seeing results during the weight-loss process kept me going. It was a long journey, so I took a deep breath and told myself that this is the point of no return - either stay chubby with high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, or enjoy my journey in weight loss and consider it a new lifestyle.

Do you think it is possible for people to lose weight in Ramadan?

Ramadan is the best time of the year to lose weight. We fast for many hours. So if we eat clean and consume all the required calories in fats, proteins and carbs, instead of eating desserts on a daily basis and fried foods, we will be able to start this journey and by the end of the month we will lose about four kilos. That will be motivation itself.

How challenging is losing weight?

The challenge is between you and yourself to begin with. You have to prove to yourself that you can do it and convince yourself before anybody else, and when you and others see results, then it will become motivation for you and everyone else. That’s what happened with me. Many people started dieting after they saw me lose weight. Then it became a real challenge for me. I had to keep it up to motivate others.

What is the funniest mistake you have made as a chef?

While shooting Matbakhek Mreytik, I was grilling vegetables for a salad recipe when I turned and started talking to the camera to explain something about the recipe. By that time, the vegetables were about to burn and the cameraman on the other side of the set was waving to me to let me know. I didn't see him, so he had to put down his camera and remove them off the heat. That's when I realised what was happening.

What is your favourite food?

I love Lebanese cuisine, but my comfort food is pasta and noodles, and I am very good at preparing those dishes.

Do you have any tips for aspiring chefs?

The key to being a successful chef is to love the ingredients and love cooking. Never consider it a job or something you are forced to do. Do it with passion, only then you can become a successful chef.

What do you say to people who think cooking is difficult?

I say: cook with love and passion and you will never find it difficult. Explore new flavours, try them at home and discover the pleasure of cooking; it's not difficult, it just needs a little bit of time and lots of love.

What foods do you crave when you are sick?

Actually if I am sick, food is my remedy. Soups and carbs are what I crave when I am sick. Oh, and chocolate as well.

Matbakhik Mreytik airs on Fatafeat every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 1pm in Dubai