I started this blog post on August 4, when I was in the US. Now I am back, and I haven’t even completed it or posted it. I am going to keep it as is for now, so that you can read through, and I will know that I had done this bit of procrastination. QUOTE: “Even though I make high promises to myself to be more disciplined and regular at this place, it isn’t meant to be. It has been very difficult to get back to being normal for a wide variety of reasons. Keeping all the negatives aside, the best thing to happen was a visit to my sister’s place. Yes, we are here after four years. It was a sudden spur of the moment decision, all that happened within the month of June. Exactly on the day we came last time, we arrived this time too – July 2. I had recorded quite a bit of my experiences in the blogposts I managed to do that time. This year around, my parents are here as well, so it is a house and a heart full. The last few months were a roller coaster of emotions, so this break is a very welcome change.

I may not agree politically with this country, but I must say that otherwise, this is a beautiful place, blessed with loads of nature in variety forms. This time, we did a visit to parts of Florida – which included Miami, Key West and Orlando, then Atlanta in Georgia and a small part of Tennessee, and by Allah, it was amazing. The nature, the climate, the mountains, the trails, the water, everything was mind-blowing, despite all the back and knee pain I had. Most of the days otherwise we are moving out to either explore places around or visiting friends, that I can’t be as much thankful as I can for this time that I am having… Do go through Instagram highlights to have a look. :)” UNQUOTE

Now let’s get to the present. If last time I have been baking a lot, this time, it has been very limited. Talk about everybody being on a diet. Thankfully, that is a good thing. I managed to keep my weight the same over these past 2 months. Hehe… But I still did get the opportunity to make a few new desserts, plus redo some of my favorites like these streusel bars. My sister insisted that I make the Pistachio Kunafa Tiramisu and I managed to make it last Thursday morning, just before moving out to the airport. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to click any of it, except this particular dessert I made when we had a few families home for dinner. Crappy pictures, yep, but the dessert was superb. I came across this link, shared it with my sister and she was like, if I thought it would taste good, then make it. The best part of this dessert is that it is no-cook, just mix and let it set, and you are ready to go. Alhamdulillah, most of our guests loved it and I was asked for the recipe. Isn’t that a great feeling always?

If you are wondering the name of the pudding – a fluff is any pudding which has whipped cream as its main base. The Hawaiin reference in this pudding are the pineapples and the toasted coconut, always a beautiful combination! Walmart already has a toasted coconut flakes pack on its aisles, but if you don’t get it, like in the UAE, then make sure to toast grated coconut in butter till nicely golden brown and super aromatic. Without much ado, let me get to the recipe, and urge you to try it for your next get-together. If you love pina colada, then this one is definitely for you…

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Hawaiian Fluff | Pineapple Coconut Dessert {No Cook!}

A delicious no cook dessert with pineapple and coconut

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 1 tub whipped cream 8 ounce Cool Whip, refer notes
• 1 tin crushed pineapple approx 550 gm
• 1 pack instant vanilla pudding approx 100 gm pack
• 1 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1 cup crushed pecan nuts

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, add the whipped cream.
• Pour the vanilla pudding powder into the cream and beat just until mixed.
• Add the crushed pineapple along with its juice, 3/4 of the toasted coconut, and the pecan nuts - reserve a few for topping - and lightly mix them using a spatula, just until mixed.
• Spread into a 13 x 9 deep dish and cover with a lid or cling film. Refrigerate till serving.
• Just before serving, sprinkle the rest of the toasted coconut flakes on top and enjoy cold!

Notes

If using whipping powder, use 3 packs with 1 cup of milk, beat till thick. Then repeat the process.

Crushed pineapple shouldn't have too much liquid. If you do feel there is too much, then you may drain a few tablespoons.

The original recipe used macadamia nuts and marshmallows, but I replaced it with pecans and didn't include marshmallows. You may stick to the original recipe. 

For a dimensional flavoring, you may add some cinnamon powder while folding in. 

The post Hawaiian Fluff | Pineapple Coconut Dessert {No Cook!} appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Assalamu alaikum… Hello hello… How have all of you been? I have been promising to try to be more regular here, alas that has not been the case. Life has been playing and I am trying to just get along, but sometimes it is really hard. But Alhamdulillah, what would we have done if not for the Mercy of our Lord? He will get all of us through whatever challenges we are facing, as long as we put our trust in Him…

Whoever goes in fear of Allah—He will give him a means of salvation and provide for him from sources which he does not expect. Whoever puts his trust in Allah—He will be enough for him. Allah always achieves His aim. Allah has appointed a measure for all things. (Surat at-Talaq: 2-3)

In between, we had Eid ul Adha last weekend and it was quite slow, Alhamdulillah. On day one, I made chicken cutlets as usual and went our way after the Eidgah to my ammayi’s house for breakfast. My SIL volunteered to make lunch, so my duty was to make desert. I wanted to make something really lazy, since it is quite hot – an understatement since the temperatures in the afternoons have been anything between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius since early May :/ – and my mind was fixated on making this viral dessert that has been floating all over TikTok and Instagram. Do you want a hint? Hehe…

OK, so it has a chocolate cake base soaked in chocolate milk, a pudding base with whipped cream and cheese, topped with chocolate ganache and then cocoa coated chocolate rice, which gives it the “Cruncho” reference. This dessert was developed by Lazy Cat, which is a well known cafe and everybody has been coming with their own versions of it. Well, I must stay it is a good dessert to take along for a gathering. It doesn’t take time to make, if you go for store bought ingredients. It assembles in no time and does it work as it sits in the fridge. The only thing that can go wrong is with the crunchiness of the topping. It needs to be sprinkled on the top only at the time of serving so that it is crunchy. Otherwise, it will go soggy and it doesn’t taste that great – just saying.

The pictures for this post ain’t great, but I so love this above click. Azza has grown up so much, since the last time I did a hand shot with her for this passion fruit limeade. My girls are growing up so soon, so much that my elder one will start college very soon, In Sha Allah… Please include all of us in your duas…   And yes, if you like reels, you can watch the one I made for this dessert here.

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Lazy Cat Viral Cake | Krunchoco Cake

A viral chocolate dessert developed by the owner of Lazy Cat Cafe...

Course Desserts

Cuisine International

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Servings 8

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

FOR CHOCOLATE CAKE BASE

• 6 chocolate muffins, readymade refer notes
• 200 ml chocolate milk

FOR PUDDING BASE

• 2 sachets whipped cream powder
• 1/2 cup cold milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200 gm thick cream one packet
• 200 gm cream cheese like Philadelphia
• 1/3 tin condensed milk if needed for sweetness, refer notes

FOR CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• 125 gm thick cream
• 125 gm chocolate I used a mix of white and dark

FOR CRUNCHY CHOCO LAYER

• 50 gm chocolate melted
• 2 cups chocolate rice cereal
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder heaped

Instructions

• In a square pan, chop the muffins and line up the bottom. Pour chocolate milk all over and allow it to soak.
• In a mixing bowl, empty the powder sachets. Top with milk and vanilla extract. Beat till stiff.
• Add in the cream and cheese and whip just till mixed. Check for sweetness.
• If you want more sweetness, just beat in the condensed milk, or else you can avoid it.
• Spread this pudding mixture on top of the chocolate cake base. Keep in the fridge to set, and till the ganache is done.
• Heat the cream in a saucepan, using a double boiler. Add the chocolate and keep whisking till it melts completely.
• Take out of the heat and allow the ganache to cool completely.
• Now take out the dessert and spread the cooled ganache on top of the cooled dessert, evenly on the top.
• Now cover with cling film and allow the dessert to rest till the time of serving.
• For the topping, in a mixing bowl, add the chocolate rice cereal. Drizzle the melted chocolate while still hot and give it a good mix to coat all the cereal.
• Sprinkle the cocoa powder and toss to coat. Allow it to cool and keep in an airtight container till serving.
• Once ready to serve, sprinkle the rice cereal on top and serve immediately.

Notes

For the base, you can either bake your own cake or use a pound cake. I used muffins to line the base. 

For the pudding base, I didn't use the condensed milk since I wanted to keep the dessert mildly sweet. Add this ingredient if you want more sweetness. 

If you use hot melted chocolate on the rice cereal, it tends to crisp it up a little more. 

Always top the cereal at the end. As it sits on the top of the pudding, it loses its crispiness and becomes soggy. 

 

The post Lazy Cat Viral Cake | Krunchoco Cake appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

As much as I am finding it difficult to come back to this space, at times I just want to be here and not neglect it. For the past few days, I cleaned up my bookshelf and went through a lot of my cookbooks. It gave me a wave of nostalgia. There were days when I absolutely loved cooking, clicking and posting new recipes. However, for the past few years, I have been scraping through my cooking with half a heart. It has started feeling like a chore. Once in a while, I get excited to try something new, but it kind of fizzles out in the same speed. This explains the lack of new recipes on the blog. Anyway, whenever I am able to come back with something new, I will try to do it more frequently that I have been doing last year, In Sha Allah…

Coming to today’s recipe… Non-vegetarians will never call what vegetarians make a biriyani; they would rather call it a pulao. Still, I have loved every veg “biriyani” I have made – whether it is the Malabar style or one with just potatoes in it, of course always coupled up with something to bite on, like chicken fry or a beef roast, hehe…

I saw a recipe for paneer biriyani on an Instagram page and decided to try it. Though paneer isn’t exactly a favorite of mine, I still make it once in a while, to have some variety to cook. Now this biriyani does have a few steps – like making the masala, frying the paneer, making the rice and finally putting the whole dish into “dum” so that it locks in the flavors. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It was a very mildly spiced biriyani, with chewy bites of well seasoned paneer in between. I served it with simple cucumber raita and pickle, and thankfully, everyone ate it silently without asking for any extras. I count that as a win. Off to the recipe…

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Easy Paneer Biriyani

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

FOR PANEER

• 200 gm paneer cubes thawed
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp ghee

FOR BASE

• 1 onion large, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp oil/ ghee
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 green chillies minced
• 1 tomato large, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• Salt to taste

FOR RICE

• 1/2 cup basmati rice washed and drained
• Whole garam masala cardamom, black pepper, cloves
• Water as needed
• Salt as needed
• A drizzle of ghee

FOR DUM

• 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
• A handful of fried onions
• A handful of cashews and raisins fried in a tsp of ghee
• 2 tbsp milk
• A pinch of saffron
• 1 tsp rose water
• 1 tsp garam masala powder

Instructions

• Toss the paneer in the rest of the ingredients except the ghee under the "for paneer" section and set it aside to marinate as much as possible.
• In a pan, heat oil/ ghee and splutter cumin seeds. Add the onion, ginger garlic paste, crushed chilli and tomato with a little salt and saute till raw smell is gone.
• Add the turmeric and chilli powder and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Switch off and allow the mixture to cool. Blend into a smooth paste with a little water.
• To prepare rice, boil water with the whole spices, salt and ghee. Add the rice and cook till the rice is almost done. Drain and set aside.
• In a pan that is good to assemble, heat the ghee for frying the paneer. Add the marinated paneer and flip just till browned, for a couple of minutes.
• Add in the ground paste and bring to boil. Adjust seasoning.
• Add in half the coriander leaves and garam masala from the "for dum" ingredients and toss.
• Arrange the drained rice on the top. Spread the remaining of the "for dum" ingredients.
• Close the lid tight after covering with foil on top, keep a flat pan below the assembled pan and cook on slow flame for around 20 minutes.
• Switch off and allow it to rest for a few minutes. Open the lid, remove the foil, fluff up the rice and serve hot.

The post Easy Paneer Biriyani appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Remember that I mentioned about the first post I wanted to do in 2025 in this chicken biriyani post? Well, it was meant to be this Instant Pot Gajar Ka Halwa. After a long break, I wanted to start off with something sweet, but nothing went my way, Ramadan came in quickly and I ended up doing the biriyani post. I had started that post by writing down where I had been over the past few months – starting from quitting work in September last year after hardly working for 10 months (hmm… I really don’t want to dwell around it… :D), to then planning a ladies only Umrah trip with two friends of mine in November, which was absolutely amazing SubhanAllah. It went way better than we had expected. After that, we undertook a drive to Qatar during the National Day holidays in December, just me, my bestie and my two girls. After doing Salalah in 2023 July, the Qatar trip was a cakewalk – a drive with no hiccups and a very relaxing trip. The capital of Qatar, even though magnificent, has this very slow pace that we absolutely loved.

Then end of December, I had to go home to attend two weddings on HD’s side. I couldn’t take the girls along because of their school schedules. HD joined in later in January for the second wedding, so I had a good 26 days of lots of eating, running around, dressing up and generally just smiling. Then, with the blink of an eye, Ramadan came and went. It was just too fast, so did Eid vanish. Last week, we went on a family Umrah trip, that I was really yearning for and Alhamdulillah, I am so grateful to the Almighty for making it happen in the most beautiful way. It is a part of my beautiful memories that I will cherish for life. I am so looking forward to the rest of the year, and sincerely hoping to make it one of the best years in many ways, Bi’iznillah…

After getting the Nutripot, the first dish I cooked was the kichadi, and thankfully it turned out well. So then my next plan was to try my favorite dessert Gajar ka Halwa – just that on the blog, the chicken biriyani came running to take the first place. I am not a fan of raw carrots but I love it in my umma’s cake version and as halwa. I have already shared many versions including this pressure cooker version, which is my favorite way of cooking it. Instant Pot is a glamourized pressure cooker with buttons on it and with absolutely no noise. Each time I cook something, I am constantly looking into it to see if it is actually working. As an Indian who owns so many pressure cookers, I have to train my brain that pressure cooking can be a silent process.

OK, so coming back to the halwa, I was just noticing that in my first post, Rasha had grated the carrots and she was tiny. This time as well, she repeated the process. She never says no to peeling and grating carrots, I am not sure if it is out of liking the activity or having no energy to say “no”. Hehe… The Instant Pot works just like a pressure cooker, so first we put it “Sauté” setup and then pressure cook on high, before we sauté the halwa again till it dries up. I kept the timer for the pressure cooker at five minutes and natural release to overcook the carrots literally, but if you don’t want that, you can keep it for 3 or 4 minutes and let the pressure go as soon as it is done. Sauté till the halwa dries up and it is ready to be enjoyed. As much as I love this halwa, the only issue is that it literally shrinks to half once cooked and makes us feel that there is hardly anything to eat. Hehe… Off to the recipe…

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Instant Pot Gajar Ka Halwa | Carrot Halwa

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 750 gm carrots red ones is best
• 2 cups full fat milk
• 1/2 can condensed milk
• 1/4 cup milk powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1-2 tbsp ghee
• Handful nuts and raisins

Instructions

• Peel the carrot and grate them either manually or with a processor.
• Switch on the Instant Pot, put on Saute mode.
• Add the ghee. Once it heats, fry the nuts briefly.
• Add in the carrots and saute for 5 minutes, tossing it gently.
• Once the carrots change color, add in the remaining ingredients, give it a good mix.
• Switch off the Saute mode and switch on Pressure Cook mode. Close the lid, make sure the pressure lid is close and set the timer to 5 minutes.
• Once the pot is done, leave the pressure to go on its own.
• Once pressure is gone, open the lid, switch on the Saute mode and cook the halwa till the liquid is gone. Make sure to keep sauteing in order to avoid sticking to the bottom.
• Switch off and enjoy - hot or cold.

Notes

If you want a more crunchy halwa, then cook on high pressure for 2 minutes, and keep the pressure for five minutes. Then release the pressure, saute till the halwa is dried. 

The post Instant Pot Gajar Halwa | Carrot Halwa appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

I can’t believe that after a really long time, I took some time to post on my blog during Ramadan. Over the last couple of years, I have had a very dry stint on trying new recipes and posting, so this whole process seems to be very affirming for me. I am hoping that I can cling on to this mood to try new recipes and create new blog posts at least on a minimal basis every month.

Since Eid is on the way, a dessert is a must on our tables. I always notice that our usual meals are what meets our nostalgia or some of us make new traditions. But when it comes to the dessert table, we like to be try new and have our best ones in front, isn’t it? Maybe the desert I bring to you can go onto the list – combining a favorite dessert with a cult viral product – which has basically two gangs of those who really love it and those who really hate it with nothing in between – , and here you have a new dessert. I think you all have already guessed it from the title of the post… hehe…

Initially, when I tried the pistachio kunafa chocolate, I really didn’t enjoy it. But slowly and steadily, it grew on me. I enjoy a chocolate bar or even an ice cream, once in a while. But unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing with desserts that have incorporated this viral combination, without me not wanting to have it again. Anyway, while we had our family Iftar, I signed up to make dessert along with harees and was wondering what new could I try.

That is when I thought, why not make tiramisu topped with pistachio kunafa and a simple chocolate ganache? I eyeballed the quantities, made two large trays and took it along, not knowing how the acceptance would be. The reception it got blew my mind. Both trays came back literally licked to the core, so much so that I hardly got a spoon to taste. Both the adults and the kids loved it immensely, coming personally to me just to say how amazing it was. Now, isn’t that the ultimate satisfaction?

Since I hadn’t got the chance to click it then, I decided to make it again when we had our ladies-only Iftar. This time, I was able to calculate the quantities and do a proper recipe. Alhamdulillah, the ladies also accepted it as a winner, but we were so full from the food that we had that we couldn’t enjoy the dessert as much as we would have loved. Still, my friends asked me to post the recipe soon so that they can treat their families to it during Eid, and finally I am able to get it through here.

The toasting of the kunafa is what takes all the time in this dessert. You need to make sure that the kunafa dough is toasted beautifully golden brown all over without burning it, so you need to keep your eyes on the saucepan and keep tossing it while you look into the other steps, which are quite easy and straightforward. Recently, I saw on a reel that you can bake the kunafa dough on a flat sheet at 180 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, and then toss it with melted butter. I can’t vouch for it, but you can definitely try it to make your life easier. Off to the recipe…

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Pistachio Kunafa Tiramisu | "Dubai Chocolate" Tiramisu

Course Dessert

Cuisine Fusion

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Servings 12

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 150 gm kunafa dough
• 30 gm butter
• 300 gm pistachio paste refer notes
• 2 tbsp tahini paste
• 2 tbsp condensed milk
• 2 sachets whipping powder
• 2/3 cup cold milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200 gm cream cheese
• 200 gm condensed milk half a tin
• 200 gm long finger
• Strong coffee for dipping
• 100 gm milk chocolate
• 125 gm thick cream One packet like KDD

Instructions

• Start by toasting the kunafa dough. This process takes the major of the time. Cut the kunafa dough into small peices. Melt butter in a wide sauce and sauté the kunafa dough on a small flame, uncovered, tossing occasionally to ensure that it gets toasted properly.
• Once it is totally browned and toasted, switch off. This process can take a good half an hour, so be patient and do it slowly to ensure not to burn the kunafa dough.
• In a bowl, add the whipping cream powder, milk and vanilla. Whip till stiff.
• Add in the cream cheese and condensed milk and beat till thick. Refrigerate till use.
• Prepare coffee and set aside.
• In a deep dish pan, dip the long finger in the coffee and layer the bottom. Do not dunk for too long or else the biscuit would be too soft to handle.
• Spread half the cheese mixture on top of it.
• Prep one more layer of the long finger biscuits on it and then top it off with the remaining cheese mixture. Refrigerate for an hour.
• In the toasted kunafa, add in the pistachio paste, tahini and condensed milk and give it a good mix. You may not need to use the entire paste, but it is better for the mixture to be moist.
• Spread this mixture on top of the set cheese pudding. Best is to sprinkle dollops with a spoon in places and slowly spread them using a spatula or your hand. Return back to the refrigerator.
• Heat the cream and chocolate over double boiler till all melted and homogenous. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
• Spread the chocolate ganache on top of the set pistachio kunafa base.
• Allow the dessert to rest in the fridge for at least 2-4 hours for the flavors to settle.
• Enjoy!

Notes

The roasting of the kunfa dough is that takes a lot of time. Hence start off with this step first. As it gets roasted, you can start your pudding mixture and assembling in place.

One whole bottle of pistachio paste may not be required, yet, it is better to add the whole to make the kunafa moist.

Add more condensed milk for sweetness, for the pudding and the kunafa base. My dessert was of meduim sugar levels. 

Looking for more options? There are more than 100+ dessert recipes on the blog, but let me share a few for you to make your life easier…

No Bake Crunchy Pineapple Bread Pudding

Serradura – seriously the easiest dessert!

Biscoff Cheesecake Tiramisu

Fluffy Biscuit Pudding

Easy Trifle Pudding

Chocolate Biscuit Pudding

Aish al Saraya – Lebanese Bread Pudding

This is just a scrape on the top. There are Alhamdulillah lot of options to choose from it you hit the Sweet Bites tab, to choose from. Let us pray for a peaceful and fulfilling Eid for the whole world and remember the people in the less priviliged parts of the world, including them in our duas always…

The post Pistachio Kunafa Tiramisu | “Dubai Chocolate” Tiramisu appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

As we look at the end of Ramadan, the heart is aching and there is a feeling of sadness. We always wait for the best 30 days of the year, but the way it goes is like sand in between your fingers. You don’t even realize how quickly it passes. Alhamdulillah, I am grateful to the Almighty for giving me a better Ramadan, when compared to last year, where I really struggled with everything, thanks to the hectic schedule in my last work place. At that time, I had decided that I wouldn’t be working this Ramadan anywhere, and before I knew it, Allah opened up the doors to keep me as free as possible for this Ramadan. As always, I am not sure if I have done good to do the most I can during this month. There is always a feeling of “not doing enough” while the month slips through your fingers. However the feeling is, let us make sincere dua that Allah accepts all the little things we do, knowingly and unknowingly, and give us the due reward, as we await our fate on the Day, when He assembles all of mankind from start to finish.

This is also the time to appreciate and be grateful for all the blessings He has showered us in our life, the small and the big, and make sincere duas for all the people going through hard times, those in private and those in public, thanks to the world that seems to be very unfair at the moment. But we as people of faith, know for sure that nothing lasts forever, and just like Firaun met the most unlikely death that he never expected and how Allah kept him for us as a reminder till the end of the world. all those who think that the world is theirs have already their fate sealed and ready, Bi’iznillah…

Even though mine is always a food blog, those who are consistent readers know for sure how I pour out my feelings and thoughts in this little space of mine. It has been a long time since I have literally done that in this space, thanks to writer’s block or whatever is called. But the mind is muddled and the heart aches immensely at the situation of the world. The feeling of helplessness just chews the inside and we are unable to do anything. Alhamdulillah ala kulli haal…

Meanwhile, something that I have been wanting to make for a really long time and never got around making is the Arayes. It is a shamelessly easy recipe, but I have always been worried about multiple things going wrong in this recipe. Sometimes, I really wonder when I will ever stop my overthinking. This quality of mine has taken away a lot of my precious time and space in my life and head, that sometimes I really want to beat myself. What do I say? After a huge level of procrastination, I made this recipe, and I was shocked beyond at how easy it is and how difficult it is to screw it up.

Arayes is a Middle Eastern appetizer which is made in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and other Levant countries with small variation. The pita can be thin or thick, the meat filling can be a couple of spices more or less, but nonetheless, the essense is the same – pita with a slice of meat mixture in it, toasted to perfection and enjoyed immediately. I have placed it as an “entree” but it can be an any-time meal basically – a lazy lunch or dinner, or as a snack, like we enjoyed it after our simple Iftar of fruits and tharikanji. Please don’t forget to pair it with the dip for a delicious layer on top.

I kept the filling thin in each pita, so that I wouldn’t be worried about the meat not cooking. But if your pita is the thick ones, it is better to keep the filling thick as well, and cook for a longer time till the filling is done. Otherwise, this is a no fuss recipe. The bottom may get a little soggy when you bake it, but toast it on a stove top to get it crisp. Hmm… I guess that are all the tips I can think. Let’s move to the recipe…

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Arayes | Middle Eastern Pita Meat Pockets

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Arab

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 500 gm beef mince
• 1 onion
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 bunch parsley around 50 gm
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp ground all spice optional
• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses optional
• Salt to taste
• 4 pita bread meduim
• Olive oil as required

FOR DIP

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 tbsp yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic
• One squeeze of lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cold water
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking tray and brush with olive oil.
• Mince the onion, garlic and parsley in a processor.
• Add into the mince along with the rest of the ingredients except the pita and olive oil.
• Give a good mix. Divide into equal portions, for a total of eight.
• Cut each pita into half, making a total of 8 peices.
• Spread each portion of the meat into center of the pita. Spread as thin as possible.
• Repeat for all pita and set aside, arranging on the tray.
• Brush with some olive oil on the top.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, till the meat is cooked. Grill the top for 1 minutes to brown the top.
• Serve hot immediately with the dip.
• For making the dip, blend all the ingredients together till smooth. Add 2 tbsp water first and add more to make it as per your required consistency. Keep aside in the fridge till the time of serving.

Notes

I have used thin pita bread. If you are using the thick pita bread, please make the filling thicker. 

The post Arayes | Middle Eastern Pita Meat Pockets appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

We are fast approaching the last ten days of Ramadan, SubhanAllah… I can’t fathom how fast the month is flying. It is always the case during this month. May Allah make us reach the final ten days of Ramadan, and let us observe Lailatul Qadr, in the best way possible… After all, it is the night worth more than 1000 months (Surah Al Qadr), which is huge! Sharing a beautiful Hadith regarding this night:

Are there times when you crave for sweets during Ramadan? Usually my sweet cravings during the month of Ramadan is limited to a dosage of custard and jelly once or twice a month. But this time, I had this very strong craving to have chocolate cake, and I took that chance to bake a cake that I had bookmarked for a really long time. It is a moist chocolate cake but with a dose of malted drink powder like Horlicks, Ovaltine, or the likes. I learned a fact that the origin of this cake is from Nandos in Pakistan, which serves a chocolate malt cake in their dessert range. They don’t have it here.

Horlicks is something I always have in my fridge. It is my guilt pleasure. So when I had an Iftar at my brother’s place, I baked and took it along. We ate the whole cake over two days, since it is a little heavy yet so fulfilling, Alhamdulillah. One word of warning though – don’t expect it to have a heavy malty taste, it just has a small edge to it. However the cake is quite moist. Please keep your slice out for it to cool and the buttercream to be a little melty, that is when it tastes the best. Off to the recipe…

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Chocolate Malt Cake

Course Cakes and Muffins

Cuisine International

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cococa powder
• 1/3 cup malted milk powder Horlicks, Ovaltine, etc.
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs large, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk refer notes
• 2/3 cup boiling water
• 1 tbsp instant coffee powder

FOR FROSTING

• 120 GM butter softened
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup malted milk powder
• A pinch of salt
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 - 2 tbsp cream or milk
• Chocolate for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease and set aside 2 x 9 inch baking pans.
• In a big bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add in the sugar and give it a good whisk.
• Make a hole in the center. Crack in the eggs and add in the oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract.
• With an egg beater, on a low speed setting, beat till the batter is combined.
• Melt the coffee into the hot water and pour into the batter. Just beat till combined. The batter will be runny.
• Divide equally into both the pans and bake for 20-30 minutes till the center comes out clean.
• For making the buttercream, beat the butter till soft.
• Add in the cocoa and malted milk powders along with the vanilla and salt and beat.
• Now add in the icing sugar and beat in slowly till it combines. Add in the cream or milk to loosen the icing.
• Refrigerate the icing till use.
• Once the cakes are baked, flip them onto a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
• Ice the cake as per your liking. I spread a thin layer in between both the cakes, did a thick layer on top and used the remaining to cover the sides.
• Top with pieces of chocolate and enjoy.

Notes

The cake is moist at room temperature. 

If keeping it in the fridge, bring to room temperature and enjoy. It tastes better then. 

The post Malted Chocolate Cake | Chocolate Malt Cake {One Bowl} appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Alhamdulillah, Ramadan is going super fast and it is kind of making me sad. It has been extremely busy but one side of me hasn’t been very well health wise and has affected my ability for going to Tharaweeh prayers. Apart from that worry, it has been good. All I can do is be grateful to the Almighty Rubb.

Last December, I had gone home for roughly a month to attend two weddings in HD’s family. Just like every trip, this one was hectic too. I hardly had time to rest, and more than that, even hardly ate at home. During one of those rare days, my MIL made this dish with leftover pathal dough in the fridge. The only way I know to make it is how umma makes it, where the “pidi” or the dumplings is as complicated as making the pathiri. I had so many questions – will the dumplings stick to each other, won’t they dissolve into the liquid, etc. All my doubts were dissolved when I took the first spoonful. The first thought in my head was, “If this is so easy, why shouldn’t I make it more frequently?”

So this Ramadan, thanks to a collaboration with a brand called Tasty Food, which is a pioneer in introducing the Pathal Podi in the UAE, I got to recreate the dish from my recent memory. The no-involvement of hot boiling water makes it very convenient. All you need to do is to add sufficient normal water to the rice flour, pull them together to make a dough, roll them into small roundels and cook them. All the tips and tricks will be noted in the recipe card below. I served it for Iftar and HD had a whole big bowl of it. He enjoyed it a lot, Alhamdulillah. I am glad that this dish didn’t have to wait too long to come on the blog, thanks to that collaboration.

Let me tell you that this is not the only version to make this curry. There are so many versions across various places of Malabar. Like this Kayi Curry – which has plantains and chana dal in a sugar sauce. Even in this recipe, you can add cooked chana dal for an extra bite, but since my MIL didn’t add it then, I chose not to add it. Makes it a lazier version. There are even versions of the pidi in a simple coconut sauce, without any additions to it. Isn’t it amazing how the same base gives rise to so many different recipes?

You can watch the Instagram reel over here. I have done a voice over in Malayalam, and though it is crappy, I guess I have done a good job for the first time. Off to the recipe…

The post Madhura Curry | Kayi Pidi Curry ~ Malabar Plaintain and Rice Dumpling Dessert appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

During Ramadan, one thing I really look forward to is a glass of mildly cold water after a day of fasting. This time Alhamdulillah our fasting hours are barely 13 hours and the climate is very conducive. Yet, the throat does get parched at the end of the day. When that water hits the throat, the feeling is surreal. You appreciate all the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you in this life, which includes access to clean and pure water. Let us take this opportunity to do our sadaqah for people who are suffering to get even a drop of good water as they fast for the pleasure of Allah…

I try to stay away from sugary drinks but ever since my friend Samiha posted a beetroot drink on her handle very long back, I have been wanting to make something similar and finally it happened. On the day before Ramadan, I made beetroot upperi for lunch and I saved up a small cooked beetroot to make this drink. It is rose milk but with a touch of beetroot to it. Yes, the beetroot does lend its earthy tones and smell to the drink and it didn’t go too well with my girls, but I totally loved how it balanced out the sweetness of the rose syrup. It also gave a very deep tone to the drink, which made it look beautiful. It was like adding a healthy twist to your regular rose milk, maybe something in the lines of the Mohabbat Ka Sharbath. Off to the recipe…

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Beetroot Rose Milk

Course Drinks

Cuisine International

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 1 small beetroot cooked and peeled, approx 100-150 gm
• 2 cups milk divided
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup rose syrup adjust for sweetness
• 2 tbsp basil seeds soaked

Instructions

• Chop the beetroot into cubes. Add 1/2 cup of milk and blend into a thick paste.
• Add the paste into a serving jar.
• Top up with the remaining ingredients and give the whole mixture a good stir. Adjust the sweetness.
• Keep chilled till the time of serving.
• Serve chilled.

Notes

Pressure cook the beetroot for 2-3 whistles. Cool completely before peeling and chopping. Make sure that the beetroot is thoroughly cleaned before cooking. 

You can use any milk of choice. 

The post Beetroot Rose Milk appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Hello, hello, Assalamu alaikum lovely people… I know I have been missing for the longest time again, even though I promised I would be back soon. In fact, the entire month of February, I was trying to do a post, so that I don’t feel like I have missed my blog’s thirteenth birthday, but I did miss it. The post is still in my drafts. And then came Ramadan, Alhamdulillah… One of my favorite Hadiths about this month is the below:

As usual, my onus is on creating easy meals especially during this month when the onus is on doing more good. Recently, I gifted myself a Nutripot, which is a competitor brand for the Instant Pot at a better price, when I found it on a great deal. The timing couldn’t have been better – my big pressure cooker was giving up on me and this deal comes up, making me jump onto the purchase. I am really glad I did, I have been cooking in it every second day, if not every day. One thing I really wanted to try was to make a biriyani.  I loved how easy it is. I already have a few pressure cooker biriyani recipes on the blog like this one, but since this is a electrical machine, the settings are different.

The ingredients are readily available in your pantry. The only thing is to keep the pieces of chicken smaller than usual to ensure proper cooking. The entire process gets done in around 40 minutes and keeps the biriyani warm till it is time to eat – I love this feature. If you get the chance and have some space on your counter, then I do recommend to get one. I am sure you will not regret it. Meanwhile, let me go share the recipe and I sincerely hope you will try it for yourself as well…

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Instant Pot Chicken Biryani

An easy chicken biriyani made in the Instant Pot

Course Rice

Cuisine Indian/ Pakistani

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 600 gm chicken cut into small to meduim peices

FOR MARINATION

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tbsp yogurt heaped

FOR RICE

• 1 1/4 cup basmati rice washed and soaked for 30 minutes
• 2 tbsp ghee or oil I used mix, more if required
• Mix of whole spices cardamom, black pepper, clove, bay leaf
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 2 green chillies thinly chopped
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tomato chopped
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander and mint leaves
• 2 cups water

Instructions

• Wash and drain the chicken well.
• Add all the ingredients under "for marination" and coat well. Set aside till time of use.
• Switch on the Instant pot, take off lid, leave the inside pot. Set on "Saute" mode. Mine automatically shows 15 minutes. Leave it at that timing.
• Once the inner pot gets heated, add the oil and/or ghee. Add in the whole spices if using and saute for a few seconds.
• Add in the onion with some salt and saute occassionally till wilted. Do note that Instant Pot cooks faster than your usual pan, so keep an eye on the same.
• Once wilted, add the ginger garlic paste and chillies and saute for a few seconds.
• Add in the tomato and give a good mix. Cook till the tomato is smashed. If the mixture is getting stuck at the bottom, sprinkle in some water and scrape the bottom well.
• Once the mixture is well cooked, add in the chicken along with all its marination. You may add a couple of tbsp of water to clean up the marination in the pan and add it to the pan.
• Saute occasionally, tossing the mixture well, till the chicken starts to look whitish in color. Cook for roughly 5 minutes.
• Add in the half the coriander-mint leaves and toss well.
• Add in the water, adjust seasoning, allow it to come to a boil. Let it boil for a couple of minutes, or till the "Saute" option goes off.
• Drain the rice. Add into the boiling mixture along with the remaining coriander-mint leaves. Put the lid on.
• Choose the "Pressure Cooker" mode, keep on high, keep the timer for 6 minutes and start the process.
• Once the cooking is done, keep the pressure on for 10 minutes and then release the pressure. If you want eldente rice, then keep for 5 minutes. (refer notes)
• Open the lid, fluff up the rice. Serve hot with sides of choice.

Notes

My family likes overcooked rice and hence I kept it for 10 minutes. Otherwise let the pressure go off in 5 minutes. 

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