Happy New Year to all of you… May this year bring all what you wish for!

This year started brining with it so many events… my husband coming back for a short while, a an afternoon tea with my cousins, a barbecue at my sister’s house… and sadly the loss of my father’s aunt.

I pray to Allah that this is the end to any sad events for you and us altogether…

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Let me fill you in with the happy events…

Right before the New Year, my cousin’s and I planned an Afternoon Tea at their house’s garden. Unfortunately, my camera died as soon as we arrived. I only took a few photographs! >;_<;

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When my sister invited us to a family barbecue, I was really looking forward to it. I needed a change from the usual routine.

She had created a lovely setting and as usual she thought of the tiniest details. The weather was quite cool (cold for me though)… and it was perfect for a Khabeesa. A traditional Emirati dessert we usually have but it’s great for winter. It’s high fat content and spices keep you warm and snuggly inside!

I asked my mom to teach me how to make the Khabeesa the day after the barbecue gathering.

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When I heard mom mother saying that she’s making a Khabeesa, I followed her to the kitchen and told her I would like to learn how to make it and that I would like to post the recipe on my blog. She was actually happier than usual about me doing that since I always insist that I measure everything (she never measures any ingredients). She had heard quite a few great comments about her Chbab recipe which I posted some time last year and therefore she was more thorough with me. Chbab recipe found here.

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For the Khabeesa, you’ll need to roast the flour until it’s camel color. Make sure you don’t burn it.
It has a lot of dehen (spiced ghee) which creates the right outcome. You can’t change the amount of dehen or else you won’t get the right consistency of the Khabeesa. It would either be too sticky or too dry.

The right way is for it to be crumbly and fluffy.

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Khabeesa

INGREDIENTS
4 1/3 Cups Flour, Dry Roasted
1 1/3 Cup Dehen (Can be substituted by ghee)
900 ml Water (Or 1 litre minus 1 cup)
2 1/2 Cups Sugar (add or minus depending on your taste)
1 TSP Ground Saffron
2 TBS Ground Cardamom
Scrambled eggs, to serve (optional)

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METHOD
Pour water to a medium pot, then add the sugar, saffron dehen and cardamom. Mix well. Add the flour and stir continuously until it has absorbed all the liquid and becomes fluffy. If the the Khabeesa was too dry (which it shouldn’t) add more dehen.

Fluff the Khabeesa and serve hot with scrambled eggs (if using)

Leftover Khabeesa can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and heated when needed.

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