A berber dessert called Khalbaloos – 10 June 2014

In the name of Allah most gracious, most merciful.

so what's for dinner?

 

Sigh, too many electricity outages over the last few days so little opportunity to blog. Alas, the floors are full off wax drops, so it’s mopping armed with a knife. I am rushing to scrunch in everything for the blog because…wait for it…we received a flyer in the post that the electricity will be off tomorrow from 8.00am to 16.00 for cable re-arrangement! I do wish we could have notice every time the electricity goes off or when it goes on the voltage is so low that we cannot even switch on the kettle. But let’s not moan too much lest they change their minds. InshaAllah I hope that we have better service after this.

Besides all the maneuvers in the dark with candles, these last few days have been fruitful. Alhamdulilaah, on Friday, the iLABS team was on invigilation duty at the Islamic Peace College of SA, exams are in full swing. Students were a bit nervous but settled down after signing in. A very somber environment like this always gives me the giggles. I love exams, always did at school or campus. The last assessments for public speaking was so good - my day was made.

After Jumuah, we went to Salt River - my son got some suedes for winter, I got some rainmac ponchos for R35 each, that meant I could pop in to the hairdresser for a wash and trim. A haircut somehow has the capacity to cheer up one’s day, right? It is such a treat to have someone shampoo and massage one’s scalp, please don’t stop and some good advice from a nimble hairdresser. And then it rained and rained and rained. But that did not stop us from garden work, Alhamdulillah, ons het mos rain ponchos!

Over the weekend, Abu continued planting out strawberries into grow bags but the patch does not diminish. The red sunflowers brace the cold weather quite well and now have six leaves. The two rambling rose cuttings from Waseemah have rooted and were planted out Alhamdulilaah. Yesterday was quite cold and I was averse to gardening, just looking through windows and a quick hurried walk around. Then made soup and baked the ginger snaps that were ready to be baked but without electricity was just sitting there. I really must get a coal stove or one of those beautiful Aga stoves in bright red or green! Or maybe we should just make a “galley” like people do on the street. A tin with some holes in, hot coals and we can stand around it rubbing our hands together and telling jokes.

This morning I thought no, no, the cold makes me ache all over so I started a brusque walk around the property maybe seven times to get warm and energized. Basil and I picked peas and beans and after giving my prize beet as a gift, I pulled out 4 more. I know now why Chinese cabbage is often used as a sacrificial plants, the worms can chew on it but it still thrives. So I picked a plump one to cook “oumense onder die komberse” and the beet will go with it perfectly!
 

Khalbaloos

A friend, Safiyyah came to visit bearing gifts – test-tubes for Abu’s plant cloning and a Berber dessert called Khalbaloos. It’s made of semolina and almonds nuts and it is super syrupy and super delicious with a hot cup of tea - what more can a girl ask for? I am having everyone taste (well just a teeny weeny piecy) because Safiyyah and her husband Kamal intends selling them as Ramadhan treats inshaAllah. I think it will be perfect with Bulgarian yoghurt. I am definitely buying some. And in return I promised Safiyyah to place my Soji recipe on the blog.

But before I write it up a last word about what to cook for dinner. I always consult with my partner Abu what to cook. But (sad face) he complains, “You always ask me what should we have for supper but then you cook something completely different”. I don’t know hey,  most times I just need a sounding board to throw around some ideas. For instance today I consulted, decided yes the cabbage with beetroot salad will be perfect and ended up braising sausage with onions and tomatoes and basil and soft cubes of potatoes with fresh French loaves. Don’t worry Abu maybe I’ll make the cabbage tomorrow or the next. What can I say, I love surprises.

Soji

Pic from food.com

Ingredients

·         2 cups of Tasty wheat

·         250 g butter

·         1 ½ to 2 cups of sugar (depending on sweet tooth)

·         750 ml milk

·         1 small tin of nestle cream

·         1 ½ cups of finely grated carrot

·         1 tsp saffron threads

·         ½ cup water

·         ½ tsp salt

·         20 cardamom pods

·         5 sticks of cinnamon

·         2 handfuls sultanas

·         2 handfuls pistachio or roasted almond slivers

Preparation

Allow butter to melt slowly while adding cinnamon sticks and cardamom (bruise the pods with a rolling pin to unlock aromas).

Add the Tasty wheat and toss around with a tablespoon allowing it to be coated with butter and to brown to a warm gold colour. Then set aside.

In another saucepan bring milk to boil and allow to simmer with grated carrot,stir in the salt and sugar.

Add saffron threads to ½ a cup of boiling and water and nuke for a few seconds until the water is dark orange. (Some people use saffron powder or yellow colouring, I prefer not to colour it artificially because the saffron is not only used for the colour but also for its delicious flavor and taste)

In a biggish saucepan add Tasty wheat mixture, milk mixture and saffron water and stir briskly. Immediately the mixture will thicken like Stuiwe pap, toss in sultanans and nuts and finally stir in the tin of cream. Bring the temperature right down low and cover with baking paper or the paper of the butter slab and place the lid on top. Every few minutes stir vigorously to avoid soji sticking to the base of the pot. Enjoy!

Soji is generally served almost as hors d’oeuvres before the main meal – a small serving in a side plate with maybe some extra nuts for garnish. But this is so delicious that I don’t mind forgoing the meal.

Till the electricity has stabilized!

Plant food and keep warm!

Yasmine