During Ramadan, I try to cook or bake something from different cultures more than I actually during regular days.

I do that mainly because everyone gathers during Futoor and then after that everyone wants two or three kinds of dessert.

My mom makes her famous puddings: Rice Pudding (Rice with Milk), Saffron Custard, Rose Milk Sago (Tapioca Pudding), Mastic Pudding, and of course Rice Farni.
Rice Farni is made using rice flour and the outcome is this rich white custard-like pudding.

Ever since I was a child, this was my favorite!

I quickly remove the raisin-walnut-cinnamon-coconut scattered on the pudding and and enjoy every spoon! I even have it for Suhoor!

The day before I made this version, I was telling my mom that I need to learn her recipe for the rice farni because hers is the best and no cookbook can ever beat it (no offense)!
By the time I’m done with the boys and go to the kitchen, she’s already pouring them in the serving bowls!

But today, I managed to get the recipe from my mother and also have two other ways of doing the rice farni!

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Ramadan Mubarak to all of you who are Muslims!

It is indeed the best month of the year.
Family visits, you feel closer to Allah, and of course lots and lots of scrumptious food!

I love the rituals our family has and have had since forever… daily Hrees making and giving out to family, friends and whoever passes by and knows we make it. Giving out daily Iftar meals to people and of course a busy kitchen all day long until the call of Maghrib Prayer (when we break our fast).

All these rituals make you appreciate what you have and feel empathetic to those who don’t live a life as comfortable as yours.

Of course it is something you should appreciate all year round but Ramadan reminds you of it even more.

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It’s Sha’ban, the month before Ramadan (Islamic Lunar Months). As soon as it starts, the anticipation for Ramadan slowly seeps into our bodies and the excitement rises!

The 14^th of Sha’ban which is also called “El Laileh” or “Lailat El Nes” (which means “The Night” or “The night before the half”. The half as in the half of the month which falls on the 15^th); is a day we celebrate here in the UAE.

Children all dress up in traditional Emirati clothes go from one house to another and are given treats.  The candy given is for El Laileh. To celebrate their happiness that Ramadan is near.

As children we were not allowed to go from one house to another asking for treats. I never knew why.
But family and friends used to send us bags of treats, which will last for months!

This year, I didn’t have time to go buy candy to give out. I was too busy planning my anniversary dinner. Hopefully next year! Inshallah!

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Ramadan Mubarak! I know I’m thirteen days late but the past two weeks have been crazy!

Only last week did my youngest son Marwan recover from a very bad virus he had for over a week.
And only mid last week did I get a chance to breathe a little!

I promise I’ll post more often!

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The smell of frankincense filling the house… our Ramadan ritual of frankincense infused water is being prepared…
A lingering aroma of my mother’s delicious rice pudding…
The kitchen is always swarming with everyone cooking, helping or suggesting!

It’s a full house during Ramadan and everyone is always in a hurry to get things done.
The feeling of a full kitchen is overwhelming in a good and bad way. It’s fun to see everyone cooking and baking but it’s also annoying because you can’t take your time doing what you like and it’s also quite loud!

Ramadan is the best month of the year! It strengthens your spiritual practices, Families gather for Futoor (time when the fast is broken), it teaches you compassion towards the less fortunate and also to visit relatives.

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Last Ramadan I was pregnant with Marwan, Hamad used to play around with my nephews and I had all the time to cook and help in the kitchen.
This Ramadan… Hamad is still playing with the boys and nearly all the time they’re up to no good… Marwan is a handful and I don’t like to cook in a hurry.

Last week I made coconut potato curry with cashews which turned out good but they needed a little more salt.
Next time I make it, I probably won’t use the coconut milk and maybe use cream instead. Not that the coconut milk didn’t taste well but because I want a different flavor. Maybe some tanginess.

Coconut Potato Curry with Cashews
Recipe adapted from Joanne Eats Well With Others

Ingredients:
500 g new potatoes, steamed for 10 minutes (I boiled them)
1/3 cup cashews, soaked for 10-15 minutes and then chopped
1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
2 cups cherry tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp coriander (I didn’t have any so I passed)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 can light coconut milk (I used regular)
1 tbsp olive oil
Handful of basil, chopped (Didn’t have any so I used Parsley)
Salt and pepper
Lemon pepper (optional)

Method
In a large pan, heat the oil then add the cumin seeds.
When they begin to sizzle, add the cashews and allow to roast lightly.
Add the steamed potatoes and toss to coat with cashew cumin mixture.

Add 1/2 cup water to the tomato paste and mix until incorporated.
Add in the tomatoes and simmer.

Add all the spices and stir well to coat the potatoes.
Once the tomatoes are cooked through mash them and simmer for a few minutes.

Add the coconut milk and peas.
Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken.
Add salt, pepper and lemon pepper to taste.
Add chopped basil.

It’s inspiring and heart warming when I receive a compliment from a complete stranger…
This happened to me last week… and now… this stranger is a new friend!
We have lots in common and it’s very interesting how our chats are go on and on as if we’ve known each other for years!

Fatma Bin Shabib blogs at Figs & Saffron and her writing style is just very natural!

She agreed to become a contributor at La Mère Culinaire but since my Contributors page isn’t set up she proposed to share a blog post!

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A new friend of mine asked me to guest post on her blog, this got me super excited and honored at the same time. She’s a fellow food blooger, an emirati, and a super Hero (i.e.full time mom) like me! She blogs at LaMereCulinaire. I totally relate to her life, juggling a toddler around is hard, and she does it with an infant on the other hand! I’m freaking out thinking about how I’m going to manage my life around 2 babies!!! I bow to you Arwa…

I’m writing this post right now while my daughter is lying on the couch next to me watching TV in a big mess of cracker crumbs around her, screaming “mommy one!” indicating she’s done with her cracker and wants one more! She’s full, now lets move to feeding mommy and making a bigger mess…. anyways back to the recipe.

Ramadan is knocking our doors and we are getting super excited! Ramadan is a holly month that we get to clean our bodies and souls in. 29-30 days of fasting, praying and asking God for forgiveness,health, safety and anything we want. Its a time where you feel peace and serenity all around you through out the day, its truly a magical time.

Unfortunately it has been mistranslated recently into staying up late till dusk in “arabesque” tents smoking shisha, gossiping, and watching the so called arabic belly dancers. So to all you looking at us from the outside, this is not how we live it, and most certainly the purpose behind fasting and having shorter working days is not sleeping all day and being awake all night.

I ask God to bless us all and bring this month to us in health and prosperity.

I wanted to create something that had an arabic essence, a feel of Ramad about it. I was googling for inspiration and thought about tanini, a favorite ingredient of mine, especially in desserts. I love to have dates drizzled with tahini or some freshly baked pita bread dipped in Tahini then in date molasses for breakfast… yumm!

I immediately imagined the flavor in a cake and started searching for a recipe. I found a greek tahini cake “tahinopita” which seemed very appealing. I tweaked the recipe a bit and came up with this amazing cake that is delicious warm, bursting with orange, tahini and molasses flavors, and even better sliced and baked in a warm oven to give you the most delicious biscottis you have ever tasted.

Tahini Cake (my own recipe)

Ingredients:
2 cups whole meal spelt flour
3/4 cup tahini
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
juice and zest of one large navel orange
1 tablespoon orange blossom water (optional)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 cup yoghurt or butter milk

Method:
Preheat oven to 175C, brush your baking pan with tahini, I used a rectangular loaf pan, it really works as an amazing non stick agent.

Sift all dry ingredients together and set aside.

Mix wet ingredients together, add the sugar, orange zest and whisk till well combined. Fold in the dry ingredients gently till its incorporated in the dough.

Pour into your prepared baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until skewer inserted comes out clean. let it cool for few minutes and serve warm drizzled with date molasses, the cake is not sweet enough to have as dessert on its own, it needs the extra molasses and it complements the flavor of tahini well.

you can also slice it thinly into biscoties and lay on a baking rack and bake in hot oven for 15 minutes till crisp. store in airtight container.

enjoy!

Fatma