Khaliat Nahal/Cheese Beehive Buns/Savoury Honeycomb Buns

Nothing can beat the aroma of freshly baked breads at home and obviously homemade breads are the best without any preservatives. Home made breads are very much tastier than the store bought one and they are damn cheaper and doesnt take much time to prepare at home. If you ask me to bake a bread everyday, i dont hesitate a second at all. Coz bread making are definitely a stress burster, if you want to get rid of  your stress just bake a bread at home.Homemade breads are more nutritious when compared to store bought ones,needless to say that we can mix and match the ingredients according to our wish. And you might have noticed that am running a month of baking marathon which is known as Bake-a-thon, obviously i will be posting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during this whole month of december. Stay tuned to have a look on my baked goodies for this years's Bake-a-thon.

Luqaimat/Lqeimat/Emirati Yeasted Dumplings

Its been a while i made some deep fried snacks for kids, kids were pestering me for donuts but i dont want to make them as i dont want to spend much time in my kitchen. While looking at my bookmarks, these Emirati yeasted dumplings caught my attention. I have bookmarked them long back from Rafeeda's space, since am cooking from bookmarks for this week's blogging marathon, i gathered all the ingredients to dish out this ultimate Luqaimat. After going through Rafeeda's post, i came to know that this dumplings are very much liked by the Emiratis and its quite a popular dish of UAE. Seriously her intro tempted me to bookmark this dumplings long back and finally i tried them few days back at home for our sunday snacks.

Eggless Semolina & Coconut Basbousa/Arabian Basbousa/Arabic Coconut Semolina Cake

We are having a long weekend here, obviously i dont want to sit in front of my lappy today. But i couldnt stop myself to write a post today as i want to share my happiness with you all.Yes my article about my hometown and about Pondicherrian foods was published in today's Hindu. Few days back, Annie the journalist of The Hindu send me a mail asking whether i can write an article about my hometown, i dunno how she noticed me and my Pondicherry roots, watelse i need i told immediately yes and she send me couple of questions. Without any delay i replied her and today morning, i was surprised to know when few of my Fb friends from Chennai left private messages appreciating about the article. Then only i checked my inbox, Annie was kind enough to send me the link of the article. I was overwhelmed to see the article and the way Annie has written about me. I have to say a special thanks to her, feel so blessed, obviously she made my day. To celebrate this beautiful mention in a leading Indian newspaper, am posting a sweet today which i prepared few days back. This Arabic eggless semolina and coconut cake aka Coconut basbousa was in my to do list since ages, finally i prepared them at home. 

Spinach Fatayer/Fatayer Sabanekh/Spinach Pastry Triangles

Spinach fatayer which is also known as Fatayer sabanekh is quite famous in Middle Eastern countries. This spinach pastry triangles are prefect finger food, they can be eaten as starters or snacks. Its really very easy to make this spinach pastry triangle and its completely guilt free. Yes these triangles are baked one's and they take hardly very less time to get ready. No cooking is needed, just make the dough and the filling is quite enough to prepare this excellent starter. Chopped spinach spiced with oil, pepper powder, salt and sumac with walnuts and chopped onions are needed for making the stuffing. Usual ingredients makes the dough, its like a child play actually.Actually my lil one enjoyed thoroughly doing this fatayer with me, he did everything by himself i just helped him by giving instructions how to fold and how to fill the rolled dough. See how easy these fatayers are.

Khaliat Nahal/Honeycomb Buns/Bee's Hive Buns ~~ We Knead To Bake #9

Nothing can beat the aroma of freshly baked breads at home and obviously homemade breads are the best without any preservatives. Home made breads are very much tastier than the store bought one and they are damn cheaper and doesnt take much time to prepare at home. If you ask me to bake a bread everyday, i dont hesitate a second at all. Coz bread making are definitely a stress burster, if you want to feel free from your stress just bake a bread at home.Homemade breads are more nutritious when compared to store bought ones,needless to say that we can mix and match the ingredients according to our wish.

For our this month's We Knead To Bake, a monthly baking event by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen, we baked honeycomb buns aka Khaliat Nahal.This bread is very easy to make with a sweet or savoury filling in it, which is then covered with a sugar syrup, a typical Middle Eastern Confectionery. Khaliat Nahal means Bee's Hive in Arabic hence these buns are baked close to each other in round pan to form a honeycomb like pattern. Traditionally these buns are made as sweet with plain cream cheese, glazed with honey flavoured syrup but Aparna suggested even the savoury ones.I chosed the sweet version and i went for semi sweet chocolate chips for the filling, trust me this chocolate stuffed buns are just fantabulous, none could stop with one. A prefect evening snacks to enjoy with a cup of masal chai,these buns are seriously very addictive.

Fattoush - Arabic Veggies & Flatbread Salad

Fattoush is a traditional salad made from toasted or fried pieces of pita bread (khubz 'arabi) combined with mixed greens and other vegetables. Fattoush are made by Arab cooks using stale flatbread as a base.. To make fattoush, cooks use seasonal produce, mixing different vegetables and herbs according to taste and use stale pita breads to this salad. The vegetables are cut  relatively as large pieces compared to tabbouleh which requires ingredients to be finely chopped. Sumac is usually used to give fattoush its sour taste..I prepared this salad with some stale Khobz' Arabi which is prepared few days back with whole wheat flour, this salad was truly refreshing, easy also filling , prefect for dinner or either for lunch during hot summer.Sending to Flavors of Cuisines - Middle Eastern guest hosted by Asiya Akka, event by Julie..



2nos Arabic flat bread (toasted & cut as bites)
10nos Cherry tomatoes (diced)
1/4cup Green bellpepper (chopped)
1cup Lettuce (shredded)
2tbsp Parsley leaves (chopped)
1tbsp Mint leaves
1/4cup Onions(chopped)
1cup Cucumber (sliced)
1tbsp Olive oil
1tsp Lemon juice
Salt
Pepper powder

Mix the oliveoil, lemon juice, salt and pepper powder in a bowl..take the shredded lettuce, chopped parsley, chopped mint leaves, chopped onions, flatbread bites,chopped bellpepper, diced tomatoes,sliced cucumber in a bowl, add the dressing and toss everything well..Serve chilled..

Enjoy this salad either for lunch or for dinner..

Qahwa Arabeya-Arabic Coffee

Qahwa Arabeya, the Arabic coffee is a symbol of hospitality, this coffee is never prepared with milk or sugar and its usually served with dates, fruits or any other sweets, the ritual of serving coffee in Arabic countries is sign of welcoming their guests..This coffee is served as black coffee prepared  with coarsely grounded cardamom, saffron and rose water with coffee powder..It has a special coffee pot called dallah and the coffee cups are small but with no handle. The portions are very small, covering the bottom of the cup. It is served in houses and in good restaurants,also offered at most social events like weddings and funerals...I loved this perfumed black coffee and enjoyed with dates.Sending to Flavors of Cuisines - Middle Eastern guest hosted by Asiya Akka, event by Julie..



3tbsps Coffee powder
2cups Water
1tsp Cardamom powder
1/2tsp Rose water
1/4tsp Saffron strands

Boil the water in a pan, add the coffee and let it boil in simmer for few minutes,put the cardamom powder, saffron strands and rose water in a pot, strain the coffee to the pot and keep aside for few minutes..

Serve warm with dates..

Ka'ak - Arabic Bread Rings

Ka'ak is a Arabic word which means cake and can refer to several different types of baked goofies produced throughout the Arab World..Ka'ak is a bread consumed often in Arabic world and looks like a large ring shaped bread and covered with sesame seeds or simply prepared with dry fruits and saffrons..Widely sold by street vendors, its usually eaten as a snack or for breakfast with any spread..This ka'ak is prepared with a sweet dough, rolled into ropes and formed as a rings and topped with sesame seeds, instead of za'atar as spice mix widely known and common in Middle Eastern cuisine, this ka'ak is glazed with milk and sesame seeds, as i like sesame seeds over sweet breads..We loved this Ka'ak with butter and jam ,enjoyed having this bread rings for our breakfast and snacks..Sending to Flavors of Cuisines - Middle Eastern guest hosted by Asiya Akka, event by Julie..



2cups All purpose flour
1/2cup Whole wheat flour
1/2cup Semolina (fine)
1cup Sugar
1tbsp Active dry yeast
1/4tsp Saffron strands
1+1/2cup Luke warm milk
1/2cup Golden raisin
2tbsp Butter
2tsbp Oil
Sesame seeds (optional)

Mix the active dry yeast in luke warm water with a teaspoon of sugar, keep aside until they turns foamy..Now take all the ingredients in a large bowl, gradually add the foamy yeast mixture and make a smooth and soft dough..keep aside for an hour in a greased bowl...Divide the dough into 8 medium sized balls and cover with a damp cloth and let them rise again for half an hour..

Now take a ball and roll into as a rope, join the ends together..place the rings over a baking sheet, brush the top with milk and springle sesame seeds (optional)..Preheat the oven to 350F...Let them sit again for 10minutes..Bake this Ka'ak to 20-25minutes..

Serve with any spreads or enjoy simply..

Khobz' Arabi /Khubus - Arabic Flat Bread

Khubz, Khoubz or Khobz is an Arabic word for bread which refer to a flatbread that forms the staple food of many countries like Arabian Peninsula, Lebanon, Syria etc..In Arabic Peninsula, the most common type of bread is mostly a large type of flat bread and its traditionally baked in special oven, the dough is rolled out like pizza dough and it baked in oven..The Arabian style khobz are also called as Khuboos or khubus, its looks similar liks pita bread or either like our Indian roti 'Naan'..Usually this bread is prepared with all purpose flour but i prepared this bread by combining both all purpose flour and whole wheat flour, i got this recipe from Faji's Hot Pot which i bookmarked few days back..Thanks to Faji, i enjoyed making this bread and we loved it with hummus and salad.Sending to Flavors of Cuisines - Middle Eastern guest hosted by Asiya Akka, event by Julie..



1cup All purpose flour
1cup Whole wheat flour
1+1/2tsp Active dry yeast
2tsp Sugar
1tsp Salt
1tbsp Olive oil
1/2cup Luke warm water

Mix the yeast,sugar and salt to the luke warm water and keep aside for 5mins..Take both flours in a bowl, gradually add the foamy yeast,olive oil and knead everything as soft dough..Keep this dough in a bowl for 2hours..After the dough get doubled their volume, punch down and knead again for few minutes..Make 6-8medium sized balls from the dough and keep aside for 10minutes  and cover with a damp cloth..Preheat the oven to 250C..meanwhile roll the balls as medium sized circles, arrange a rolled disc over a baking sheet, finish rolling the dough as disc, bake one by one in the middle rack of  the oven..Bake for 5 minutes until it puffs fully and brown spots appears on the top..

Serve this bread with any spread along with any veggies or meats..

Basboosa/Babousa - An Arabic Dessert

Basboosa, a famous Arabic dessert which is quite famous in Middle Eastern countries and each and every country have their own way of making this sweet dessert, i went for simple, quick and easy way of making this basboosa , this semolina cake prepared with semolina flour,butter,baking powder, sugar, milk and syrup prepared with sugar, water and lemon juice..I prepared this special dessert to celebrate a special day today and am happy that i tried a different sweet to celebrate this day from Arabic cuisine..This cake tastes too delicious and absolutely divine when served warm, yea we loved it much..U can also enjoy them once they get cooled and served along with a scoop of vanilla icecream, my H enjoyed this cake with icecream while we enjoyed this cake warm and needless to say that this cake vanished within few hours...This cake was super moist as this cake was soaked in sugar syrup once they get baked..Sending to Flavors of Cuisines - Middle Eastern guest hosted by Asiya Akka, event by Julie..



2cups Semolina flour
1/2cup Melted butter
1/2cup Sugar
1cup Milk
1/2tsp Baking soda
1tsp Baking powder
Few cashew nuts

For Syrup:
1/2cup Sugar
1tbsp Rose water
1tsp Lemon juice
1/2cup Water

Preheat the oven to 350F..Add the baking soda, baking powder to the semolina flour and keep aside...Beat together the melted butter,sugar,milk in a another bowl, gradually add the semolina flour and make a thick cake batter..pour this batter in a greased pan, arrange the cashew nuts over the batter..Now make the sugar syrup by combining sugar and water until the sugar gets well dissolved finally add the rose water and lemon juice, keep aside and let them cool..

Arrange the batter in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25-30minutes until the top turns golden brown..take off the basboosa from the oven, immediately pour the syrup over the cake, let the cake absorbs completely the syrup..cut the semolina cake either as diamond or as square and enjoy warm, with icecream or with mint tea..