Category Archives: Special Occasion

Mixed Mithai

Top centre is  Sindhi Pak. (finely chopped almonds and pistachio in a sugar syrup) 
Right is Tal Sankadi(sesame brittle made with jaggery(palm  sugar) 
Topra Pak (also Known as Kopra Pak, Is a coconut Barfi)
Badam Pak(slivered almonds brittle made with jaggery)  
Kajoo Barfi(ground cashews in a sugar syrup) 

Mixed Mithai

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sindhi Pak

Sindhi Pak

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 1/2                cup almonds 
  • 1/2                cup pistachio 
  • 1                   cup sugar 
  • 1/2                tsp butter

Instructions

  1. In a food processor finely chop the nuts.
  2. In a medium saucepan melt sugar on high heat until half the sugar has melted.
  3. Lower the heat to minimum and continue cooking until all the sugar is melted.
  4. When light brown, add nuts.
  5. Add the butter.
  6. Spread thinly on a greased cookie sheet.
  7. Cut into diamond shapes while still hot.

Tal Shankari

Tal Sankdi is Sesame brittle made with sesame seeds and jaggery(palm sugar or natural sugar)

Tal Sankadi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 1            lb sesame seeds 
  • 1            lb jaggery 
  • 1            cup water

Instruction

  1. Roast sesame seeds. 
  2. Boil jaggery and water until jaggery melts. Strain with a fine sieve. Return to saucepan, and continue cooking on medium heat until thick. Test by dropping few drops in cold water. It should be at hard crack stage(150 degrees) on candy thermometer. 
  3. Add sesame seeds and mix well. 
  4. Quickly spread on 17″ x 15″ x 1″ cookie sheet. Roll thin with a greased rolling pin. 
  5. Cut into desired shapes while it is still hot.

Coconut Barfi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 8                 oz butter
  • 3/4              cup half and half or homo milk
  • 2                 cups  sugar
  • 1/4              cup powder milk
  •                    a few drops of pink food coloring
  • 1/2              tsp elechi seeds(cardamom seeds)
  • 1/8              tsp nutmeg powder
  • 1                 lb unsweetened coconut

Decoration

  • 1                 oz each coconut, chopped almonds and pista.

Instructions

  1. Melt Butter.
  2. Add the half and half and sugar and boil it till the mixture thickens about 5 min.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook till the mixture is thick and starts forming into a ball.
  4. Set it in a 9 x 9 Square pan.
  5. Sprinkle with coconut chopped almonds and pista and let it set.
  6. When cool cut it in square or diamonds.
Almond Pak

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 1                   lb jaggery
  • 1                   cup water
  • 1-1/4             lb blanched roasted peanuts or
  • 1-1/4 lb         slivered almonds

Instructions

  1. Boil jaggery and water until jaggery melts.
  2. Strain with a fine sieve.
  3. Return to the saucepan and continue cooking on medium heat until thick.Test by dropping few drops in cold water. It should be at hard crack stage(150 degrees) on candy thermometer).
  4. Add peanuts and mix well.
  5. Quickly spread it on 17 inch x 13 inch x 1 inch cookie sheet.Roll thin with a greased rolling pin or a roller.Cut into desired shapes while still hot.

Variations

You can use slivered almonds, crushed almonds, Pistachos, walnuts or a mixture of all.

Kajoo(Cashew) Barfi

The name is derived from the Persian word barf which means “snow”, since burfi is similar to ice/snow in appearance, this is why it is served cold. 
Burfi is a sweet confectionery from the Indian subcontinent.  Burfi is made from milk cooked with sugar until it solidifies.  Burfi is often flavoured with fruit(such as mango or coconut) or nuts(such as cashew, almonds, pistachio) and spices such ass cardamom, nutmeg and saffron.  Burfi is sometimes coated with a thin layer of edible metallic leaf known as Vark.  They are typically cut into squares, diamonds or round shapes.  Different types of Burfi vary in their colour and texture.

Burfi is one of the most popular sweet enjoyed at any Indian festival.

Kajoo Barfi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 1              can 12oz evaporated milk
  • 1              lb ground cashews
  • 1              lb sugar
  • 1/2           lb unsalted butter
  • 6              cups powdered milk
  • 1/2           tsp cardamom powder
  •                 Few strands saffron

Instructions

  1. In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter, add milk and sugar.
  2. Add cashews, cardamom and saffron.  Cook for about 5 min stirring constantly.  Add powdered milk and mix well until it becomes a thick paste.
  3. Pour mixture in a greased 10” x 12” pan and spread evenly.  When completely cool, cut into squares using a sharp knife.

Siro

Sukhreet

 

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2         lt homo milk
  • 2               lb. sugar
  • 1/2            tsp yellow coloring (optional)
  • 1 1/2         lb butter
  • 2               lb sooji
  • 1/2            lb powder milk           
  • 1/2            lt boiling water
  • 1               tsp saffron
  • 1               tsp nutmeg powder
  • 2               tsp cardamom
  • 1               can (370ml) evaporated milk

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan boil the milk.  Add the food coloring and sugar and mix well.
  2. In a large saucepan melt the butter and fry the sooji till it turns golden brown, about 15 minutes.
  3. Add the powder milk and fry  for 5 min.
  4. Remove from the heat and add boiling water.  Stir well.
  5. Return the saucepan to the heat and add the milk mixture, stirring well.
  6. Lower the heat to low.  Add saffron, nutmeg and cardamom and continue to cook.
  7. When almost dry, add the evaporated milk and put the saucepan in the preheated 300 degree oven for half and hour.    

Class of ’69 Dinner

Two of my classmates were visiting from out of town so a bunch of us got together at my place.  I made a Watermelon Cocktail, Chicken Pies and a friend brought Batata Wada for starters. 

We had Mango Salad, Lapsi, Papadum, Undhiyo, Persian Chicken, French Bread, and Rice for Entree.  For dessert we Had Cream Caramel, Fresh Fruit and my friends had brought Cake, Nankhatia, Jugu Pak.

                                                                                        Water Melon  Cocktai

Water Melon Cocktail 1

                  Chicken Pies                                                                         Batata Vada

Batat 1a WadaChicken Pies

 

 

 

 

                              

   Mango SaladMango Salad

                                                      Papadum                                          Lapsi      

Lapsi

Papadum 

 

 

                                              

                                              

Undhiyo

  undhiyo                                                             caramel

                                                                       Cream Caramel

Christmas Cookies

For  Christmas I have made the following Cookies:-
On the platter starting at the top left,
Kifli – is a Hungarian  Cookie.  It is a soft flaky pastry around a sweet walnut filling.
Shortbreads – can not have Christmas without Shortbreads.
Cuccidati – theses are Sicilian cookies and they have a spicy fig-and-nut filling enclosed in a cookie crust and finished with candy sprinkles.
Crunch Drops
Linzer Cookies-This is a crisp nut cookie, sandwiched together with raspberry filling..

food pictures Dec 2012 002

 food pictures Dec 2012 010

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can make a basket with all the cookies you have (I have bagged the cookies
and then made a basket) and give it as a gift or you can arrange it on a platter to serve to your guests.

Cookie Basket 2Dec 2012 006

 

 

 

 

 

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea finger foods                                 A cup of Tea

Fruit  and Cheese Scones with Clotted Cream and Jam

Fruit and cheese scones

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afternoon tea is a small meal snack typically eaten between 2pm and 5pm. The custom of afternoon tea originated in England in the 1840s.  At the time, the various classes in England had a divergence in their eating habits. The upper classes typically ate lunch at about midday and dinner  at 8:00 pm or later, while the lower classes ate dinner at about 11:00 am and then a light supper at around 7:00 pm.  For both groups, afternoon tea filled a gap in the meals. The custom spread throughout the British Empire and beyond in succeeding decades. However, changes in social customs and working hours mean that most 21st Century Britons will rarely take afternoon tea, if at all.

Traditionally, loose tea is brewed in a teapot and served with milk and sugar   Afternoon tea is  accompanied by luxury ingredient sandwiches   (customarily cucumber, egg and cress,  fish paste, ham, and smoked salmon), scones (with clotted cream and jam),  and usually cakes and pastries (such as Battenberg, fruit cake or Victoria sponge). In hotels and tea shops the food is often served on a tiered stand; there may be no sandwiches, but bread or scones with butter or margarine and optional jam or other spread, or toast, muffins or crumpets]

Nowadays, a formal afternoon tea is usually taken as a treat in a hotel or tea shop.

Afternoon tea was served in the garden where possible; otherwise it was usually taken in a day room, library or salon where low tables (like a coffee table) were placed near sofas or chairs.

We had  an afternoon tea for our seniors today with a debate on “Times now and times than”.  We had a lot of fun.

We had Cream Cheese and Cucumber sandwich, egg Sandwich, spanakopita, scones. cream & Jam,  French pastry, Fruit cake and chocolate covered strawberries.

Dinner tonight

I have a dinner party tonight and have made

Gajjar no Halwa (Carrot Halwa) and Papadum

A halwa is a type of dessert made from various kinds of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and lentils. The ingredients in Halwa are usually grated finely and fried in ghee and sugar. Nuts and milk may also be added. Halwas have the consistency of a very thick pudding.

My mum taught me how to make the halwa but her recipe took too long to make so I have modified the recipe.

Undhiyu 

Undhiyuis a Gujarati mixed vegetable casserole that is a regional specialty of Gujarat, India.  The name of this dish comes from the Gujarati words “matlu” meaning earthen pot and “undhu” meaning upside down since they have been traditionally cooked upside down underground in earthen pots fired from above.

The dish is a seasonal one, comprising the vegetables that are available on the South Gujarat coastline during the winter season, including (amongst others) green beans, unripe banana, muthia  and purple yam. These are cooked in a spicy curry that sometimes includes coconut.

Undhiyu with puri and shrikhand is often eaten in Gujarati houses during winter season.

You will find a few different recipes for Undhiyu, this is a recipe given to me by a gujarati friend.

Undhiyu has a lot of ingredients and takes long to make.  It is prepared in stages.  This can be a meal on its own.

Persian Chicken and Naan

Persian Chicken:  This dish does not have spices, and is made  with almonds and prunes.  If you are having a party it is a good idea to use boneless chicken, since boneless chicken is more convenient to eat.  This is a recipe given to me by a Persian friend and she called it “My Mom’s Chicken” . Since all of us had my mom’s recipe we called this Persian Chicken.

Rice

Fruit Salad with Custard

Chocolate Mousse Torte.

Chocolate Mousse Torte.

I found this Torte recipe in a magazine advertized by Bakers, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Nilla and Jello.

Candles

I also made my candles using Apples.  They are easy to make  and looks very pretty.  Scoop out about an inch of the flesh  from the centre with 1.5 inch width..  Put a tea light in it.  You can use other fruit the same way.  Put this in a plate and light it.

Carrot Halwa                                          Papadum

carrot halvaPapadum

 

 

 

 

 

 

Naan                                                                     Undhiyo

Naan

Undhiyo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Torte

Apple Candles
Apple Candles

 

Navroz (or Novroz)

Nav means New and Roz means day therefore Navroz means a new day.  It is the beginning of  the Persian New Year and the first day of spring.It is celebrated on March 21.  Iranians start  celebrating  with New Years Eve on March 20.

Persians and other Indo-Iranian groups start preparing for Navroz with a major spring cleaning of their houses, buying new clothes to wear for the new year and buy flowers (Hyacinth and tulips).

On Navroz families dress in their new clothes and start the twelve-day celebration. On the day of Navroz  people gather around the table, with Haft Sin on the table or set next to it and await the exact moment of the arrival of spring.  At that time gifts are exchanged and  they start  by visiting the elders of their family then the rest of their  families and finally their friends.  On the thirteenth day families leave their homes and picnic outdoors.

Because of the house visits, you make sure you have a sufficient supply of pastry, cookies, fresh and dried fruits and special nuts on hand, as you typically serve your visitors with these items with tea or sherbet.

Some Novroz celebrants believe that whatever a person does on Novroz will affect the rest of the year. So, if a person is warm and kind to their relatives, friends and neighbors on Novroz, then the new year will be a good one. On the other hand, if there are fights and disagreements, the year will be a bad one.

 

  • The Haft Sīn items are:-
  • sabzeh – wheat, barley or lentil sprouts growing in a dish – symbolizing rebirth
  • samanu – a sweet pudding made from wheat germ – symbolizing affluence
  • senjed – the dried fruit of the oleaster tree – symbolizing love
  • sīr – garlic – symbolizing medicine
  • sīb – apples – symbolizing beauty and health
  • somaq – sumac berries – symbolizing (the color of) sunrise
  • serkeh – vinegar – symbolizing age and patience.

Other items on the table may include:

  • Sonbol – Hyacinth (plant)
  • Sekkeh – Coins – representative of wealth
  • traditional Iranian pastries such as baklava, naan-nokhodchi
  • Aajeel – dried nuts, berries and raisins
  • lit candles (enlightenment and happiness)
  • a mirror (symbolizing cleanness and honesty)
  • decorated eggs, sometimes one for each member of the family (fertility)
  • a bowl of water with goldfish (life within life, and the sign of Pisces which the sun is leaving). As an essential object of the Norvuz table, this goldfish is also “very ancient and meaningful” and with Zoroastrian connection.[68]
  • rosewater,  believed to have magical cleansing powers
  • the national colours,  for a patriotic touch
  • a holy book   Qur’an
  • On the day of Navroz,, Persians prepare and set a special spread known as the Haft-Sinn – the seven S’s. Seven is considered a lucky number and the spread contains seven items which begin with the letter S in farsi. Today the seven S’s included are: Sabzeh (home grown sprouts); Samanou (wheat germ); Sib (apples); Sonbol (hyacinth); Senjed (jujube fruit); Seer (garlic); Somagh (sumac). In addition to the seven S’s, each Iranian family according to their religious belief e.g Muslims,  place the Quran, rosewater,
    ..

In Surah Ya-Sin of the Holy Qur’an, Allah says:

Let the once dead earth be a sign to them. We gave it life, and from it produced grain for their sustenance. We planted it with palm and the vine and watered it with gushing springs, so that men might feed on its fruit. It was not their hands that made all this. Should they not give thanks?

    — Surah 36, Verses 33–35

Ismailis across the globe celebrate Navroz with the recital of devotional poetry in the form of ginans, qasidas.. Dried fruits, nuts and grains are distributed among Jamati members, symbolising blessings of abundance and sustenance. Navroz is also a time of family gatherings and celebratory meals, thus strengthening family bonds and fraternal ties.

All Muslim countries have different food on the day.  In Iran they cook white Fish and rice.  In Pakistan they have Egg and Daal  Biriyani,  Most people will use egg in the cooking.  In our family we make Egg and Daal Biriyani and Lapsi.

 

 

 

 

 

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day (February 14th) is a day when lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards.  Romantic dinners on Valentine Day are very popular too.

When we were growing up Valentine’s was a day when you sent cards, flowers or gifts to the person you admire, hopping they will guess who it is from.

For Valentines I will make

  1. Shrimps and Avocado Salad
  2. Cornish Hen Piri Piri
  3. Strawberry Shortcake

You can buy the Cornish hen in the frozen section in the grocery store and you can also buy Frank’s red sauce from the grocery store.  There are other companies that do the Red hot sauce e.g.  Louisiana Red hot sauce.

 

 

My Profile

I am a third generation born in East Africa. My Maternal grandparents were born in Kenya, my mother was born in Uganda, and I was born in Uganda. My paternal grandparents came from Gujarat in India, my father was born in Uganda. I am the eldest of the 4 siblings. We lived in a small village in Uganda and I went to school in Kampala and stayed with my paternal grand parents. During the holidays when we went home,my mother entertained us by teaching us how to cook, sew, knit, crochet and embroidery. We had to make all our snacks as there were no cafes nearby, so I learnt to make cakes and breads too.

I did my elementary school in Uganda and my high school in Kenya. My parents bought a farm and moved to Kenya. I went to a boarding school. On the farm we had no shortage of eggs, milk, cream, butter and ghee. We grew a lot of vegetables and fruit. When in season we had a lot of corn and wheat too. My mom made new friends and was introduced to a lot of different foods and vegetables including marmalades and jams. From junior high to high school I studied home economics and learnt to cook different foods and baking. After high school I went to London, England. In England I was introduced to a lot of different cuisines and met a lot of people from different cultures. We exchanged recipes and learnt about each others cultures.

I moved to Canada in early seventies and stayed with my maternal grand parents till I got married, and learnt some more from her. What I did not learn from my mum, I learnt from my grandmother and mother-in-law.

My husband comes from Kenya, my mother-in-law was born in Kenya, my father-in-law came from Pakistan. My in-laws ran a restaurant in Nairobi called Curry Pot. I learnt some things from them. My brother-in-law is married to an Irish woman, from whom I learnt to celebrate Christmas and Easter. My father-in-law’s family is from Pakistan and Ceylon and I have learnt about their culture and traditions as well.

I have traveled half the world to be in Canada and on the way picked up a lot of different cuisines.

I have a daughter and a son and I was a stay at home mum, so I started catering from home and made cornish pasties, chicken pies and cakes, (plain, birthday and wedding). I also start catering for a deli.I made cornish pies and chicken pies for them. In mid eighties I opened a restaurant called Cafe Nairobi in partnership with my sister-in-law where we did a lot of catering for private parties and weddings. I then joined the school board and worked in their Lunch program. I also went to Vancouver Vocational College and took a chef’s course. I taught Indian cooking in the evening at an adult learning centre in Vancouver. I retired from the board and opened a restaurant called Heavenly Bites where we did Tiffin’s and take out, and catered for parties. I also supplied a deli with samosas.

I am now retired. I have a daughter who is a dietician and a pastry chef and she helps with my recipes.

Christmas Eve

Today is Christmas eve and I am preparing for tomorrow.  We will do Christmas with my daughter and her husband.  I have to make appetizers and a dessert.  I have made Nanaimo Bars and have prepared  for Chicken Tikka  Pita Pockets, Vegetable Samosas and Vietnamese rolls.  For dessert I have my Carrot Cake, a platter of cookies, Fruit cake and Nanaimo bars.

Chicken Tikka Pita Pockets:  These little pita pockets are great for appetizers.  You can fill them up with anything you like, Taco meat, Souvalaki meat, and Daal bhajias are a few examples.  You can also use the larger pita bread and fill them with a salad and  some meat and serve it for lunch.

Chicken Tikka is a chicken dish served in Indian and Pakistani cuisine.  It originated in Pakistan in the state of Sind.  It is popular in countries all over the world.  It is traditionally small pieces of boneless chicken baked using skewers, in a clay-based oven called a tan door, after marinating in spices.

The word tikka means bite.  It can be cooked on a BBQ .

Samosa is a stuffed, deep fried snack that is very popular in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Southwest Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, and Africa.  It is a triangle shell with a savoury filling, which may include spiced vegetables, lentils, meat or chicken.  Samosas are served as an appetizer or a light lunch with salad.   It is served with Tamarind chutney or lemon wedge.   Samosas are widely available in Indian restaurants and snack-bars in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa.

Vietnamese salad rolls are made with rice paper.  They are filled with prawns, vegetable, herbs and rice vermicelli.   They are served at room temperature and not fried.  It is listed at number 30 on worlds 50 most delicious foods compiled by CNN Go in 2011.   I have made mine with chicken and Vegetables and I will serve it as an appetizer.  You can use the large rice paper and serve it as lunch.  This is served with peanut sauce.

Nanaimo Bars

The Nanaimo bar is a dessert of Canadian origin popular across North America. The Nanaimo bar is a bar cookie which requires no baking, and is named after the West-Coast city of Nanaimo, British Columbia. It consists of a wafer crumb-based layer, topped by a layer of light vanilla or custard flavored butter icing, which is covered in chocolate made from melted chocolate squares. Many varieties are possible by using different types of crumb, flavors of icing (e.g. mint, peanut butter), and types of chocolate. Two popular variations on the traditional Nanaimo bar involve mint flavored icing or mocha flavored icing.

Chicken Tikka Pita Pockets

Chicken Tikka Pita Pockets Vietnamese RollsSalad Rolls

                                     

Samosa Meat &Vegetable

Samosa  Naniamo BarsNanaimo Bars