Coconut Basbousa

 

If you live in the Middle-East you must have surely tasted or heard about the delicious Basbousa. This delicate semolina and coconut cake is amazingly easy to make and requires very few ingredients.

Recipe - From Friday magazine
Ingredients - Makes one 8X8 inch cake

For The Syrup
250 ml Water
200 Grams Sugar
1 Tsp Lemon Juice

For The Cake
100 Grams Ghee (At room temperature)
1 Tin Condensed Milk (395 Grams)
1 Tsp Baking Powder
320 Grams Semolina
100 Grams Desiccated Coconut plus extra for garnish
1 Cup Water
Nuts like Cashew or Almonds for decoration

Make the Syrup
1. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer on low for 8 minutes.
2. Turn off the stove and add the lemon juice. Cool completely to room temperature.

Make the Cake

1. Preheat oven to 190 Degree Celsius/350 Degree Fahrenheit. Grease a 8x8 inch square baking tin.

2. In a bowl, mix the condensed milk and ghee. Add the semolina, baking powder, coconut and water. Mix well.

3. Pour into the prepared tin and top with desired nuts. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted is clean and the top is golden brown.

4. Remove from the oven and pour the cooled syrup on top. It may look like a lot but the cake will absorb everything.

5. Garnish with additional coconut, cut into squares and serve.

Happy Eating!

Jalepeno and Cheddar Chicken Burgers

Last night I had a hankering for some burgers and when I remembered this recipe from Annie's Eats I knew I had to make it. These burgers pack a super flavourful punch and are really quick to put together. Though the original recipe serves them with Guacamole don't be deterred if you don't have any on hand or cannot find ripe avocados. These are amazing just as is with some mayonnaise and ketchup as well, or you could try them with sour cream, ranch dressing, salsa etc. I have used chicken breasts below but you can use ground chicken to make things easier. If you don't have a food processor just chop everything finely by hand and mix in a large bowl.

Recipe - From Annie's Eats

Ingredients - Makes 4 Large or 6 Medium Burgers
For the Burgers
500 Gms Chicken Breast (Boneless and skinless)
1 Jalapeno (I used pickled)
1 Medium Red Onion (Peeled and Cut in half)
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
2 Garlic cloves
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Coriander
1/2 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

To Serve
Burger Buns
Lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber
Mayonnaise
Ketchup

1. Place the onion, garlic, coriander and jalapeno in a food processor. Pulse till finely chopped.

2. Add the chicken breast and process till finely ground.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse till the mixture comes together.

4. Divide the mixture into 4 or 6 portions and form patties.

5. Heat 1 Tsp oil in a non stick frying pan and cook the patties, flipping once, till cooked through.

6. Toast the buns, add the patty and the toppings as desired. Serve and Enjoy.

Pinacolada Cheesecake Bars

Ola! These bars are one of my new favourite things to eat and I am so glad to share the recipe with you. The original recipe is from Not Quite Nigella and while she made it as a pie I chose to go the bar route for easier transportation and distribution. There are four layers here and each layer gives a different texture to the bar.

 

 

Even Jimbo Loves them (NOT!)

Though there are a lot of steps in the recipe the end result is sooo worth it. The pineapple and coconut taste really comes through and make it taste just like a pinacolada! So lets make some bars.

 

Recipe - From Not Quite Nigella

Ingredients
For the Base
375 Grams NICE coconut biscuits
105 Grams Unsalted Butter (Melted and Cooled)
For the Pineapple layer
530 Grams Tin of Pineapple in syrup
1/2 Cup Sugar
4 Tbsp Cornflour/Cornstarch
For the Cheesecake layer
375 ml Whipping Cream
375 ml UHT Coconut Cream
375 Grams Cream Cheese
6 Egg Yolks
3/4 Cup Castor Sugar
2 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
For the Topping
100 ml Whipping cream
100 ml UHT Coconut Cream
Additional Tinned pineapple
Sweetened Shredded Coconut

Make The Base

1. Line a 9x13 Rectangular dish with foil. Grease the foil with butter. Pre Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 Degree Celsius.

2. Crush the biscuits to a fine powder either in a food processor or in a bag with a rolling pin. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Add the melted butter and mix well.

4. Press the mixture on the prepared dish and bake for 10 minutes. Cool Completely.

Make The Pineapple Layer

1. Blend the pineapple with juice to get a smooth paste. Add to medium saucepan and place on medium heat.

2. Add the sugar and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes.

3. Dissolve the Cornflour in a little water and add to the pineapple. Stir quickly until thickened. Cool completely.

Make The Cheesecake Layer

1. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Keep aside.

2. In a separate large bowl beat the cream cheese till smooth. Add the sugar, eggs, coconut cream and vanilla. Whip for 2 minutes.

3.. Add the Whipped cream and beat till the mixture is smooth and voluminous.

Assemble The Bars

1. Spread the cooled pineapple mixture onto the base.

2. Slowly pour the cream mixture on top.

3. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes until the center is no longer liquid. There will be a slight wobble and it will still look liquid but it is done when the top is starting to brown. It will also firm up once it is cooling. If the top is browning too much cover it with a foil.

4. Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack to cool. Cool completely, cover with foil and place in fridge overnight.

Make The Topping and Garnish

1. The next day, whip both the creams together to soft peaks. Cut the cheesecake into required size pieces (I only cut one way and then cut the other way while serving depending on the size of the piece the person wanted).

2. Spread the cream on top, add the pineapple pieces and garnish with coconut.

3. Keep refrigerated. Serve chilled.

Happy Eating!!