Monday 19 January 2009

Baked Beans Curry

This is a dish you Brit's can relate to. When presented with a tin of baked beans in Algeria by a good oldie Irish friend and i told her what i shall make with them to savour the tin as they are like gold out there for the Brit's of course. She told me it was like a crime.i reminded her my pallet was not so bland and i will enjoy them more this way.

The history of this dish goes for me anyhow.......one of the few memories i have of my daddy. Both of my parents worked full time when i was growing up. Dad worked nights and mum days some days when mum had not been super organised and left lunch or tea to be heated up by daddy for us. He would some times whip this up and it tasted great, he would roll out the biggest chapatti's you ever saw that only half would fill you up.
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It's so quick and easy
sweat some onions cut into slices.......add some chopped fresh chili............add the tin of beans ........add the powdered spices salt, garm masla and cumin. Mix well. Add some chopped coriander and mint.serve with freshly made chapatti's.
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Cinnamon and Almond slices

What's for tea ummi? I decided to make these for our tea today never mind dinner, i am having one of thoses out of balance days not on top today anyhow have a look BTW i had a sneaky slice and they are yummy mashaAllah and very easy to make.
You will need
4oz butter
2oz caster sugar
6oz plain flour
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
Alittle beaten egg for glazing
1oz flaked almonds
1 tbl spoon of granulated sugar

How to do it

Well grease a 28X18cm swiss roll tin, i never had one did you notice so i used the top cover of my pyrex cassorole dish.
Cream the butter and sugar together till light and fluffy. Sieve the flour and cinnamon and work well together. Press into the prepared tin and flatten i used my fingers but a palette knife works well.
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Brush with a little beaten egg and prick with a fork. Sprinkle over the almonds and sugar. Bake in a moderate oven for 20 mins or until golden brown. cool in tin and mark into slices while still warm.

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You just can't have it all.....

can you? Subhan Allah we trot through life wanting it all , never satisfied with what we have. Always moaning and groaning , where is the grattiude , where is the humility, where is the self control. Why ? As we are the off spring of Adam it's with in our character. We can help ourselves in different ways, self cleansing i call it , cleansing the heart and mind. Once we are grateful for what Allah has blessed us with and what he has not only then will we realise we have it already.

The meaning of good character is the inclination of the soul towards gentle and praiseworthy acts. This may take place in one’s personal actions for Allah Most High, or in actions which involve other people. In the former case, the slave of Allah has an open and welcoming heart for His commandments and prohibitions, and does what He has imposed on him happily and easily, and abstains from the things which He has forbidden him with full contentment, and without the least dissatisfaction. He likes to perform optional good acts, and abstains from many permitted things for the sake of Allah Most High whenever he decides that to abstain in that way would be closer to perfect slavehood to Him. This he does with a contented heart, and without feeling any resentment or hardship. When he deals with other people, he is tolerant when claiming what is his right, and does not ask for anything which is not; but he discharges all the duties which he has towards others. When he falls ill or returns from a trip, and no-one visits him, or when he givse a greeting which is not returned, or when he is a guest but is not honoured, or intercedes but is not responded to, or does a good turn for which he is not thanked, or joins a group of people who do not make room for him to sit, or speaks and is not listened to, or asks permission of a friend to enter, and is not granted it, or proposes to a woman, and is not allowed to marry her, or ask for more time to repay a debt, but is not given more time, or asks for it to be reduced, but is not permitted this, and all similar cases, he does not grow angry, or seek to punish people, or feel within himself that he has been snubbed, or ignored; neither does he try to retaliate with the same treatment when able to do so, but instead tells himself that he does not mind any of these things, and responds to each one of them with something which is better, and closer to goodness and piety, and is more praiseworthy and pleasing. He remembers to carry out his duties to others just as he remembers their duties towards himself, so that when one of his Muslim brethren falls ill he visits him, if he is asked to intercede, he does so, if he is asked for a respite in repaying a debt he agrees, and if someone needs assistance he gives it, and if someone asks for favourable terms in a sale, he consents, all without looking to see how the other person had dealt with him in the past, and to find out how other people behave. Instead, he makes "what is better" the imam of his soul, and obeys it completely.

Good character may be something which a man is born with, or it may be acquired. However, it may only be acquired from someone who has it more firmly rooted in his nature than his own. It is well known that a man of sensible opinion can become even more sensible by keeping the company of intelligent and sensible people, and that a learned or a righteous man can learn even more by sitting with other people orf learning or righteousness; therefore it cannot be denied that a man of beautiful character may acquire an even more beautiful character by being with people whose characters are superior to his own.

And Allah gives success!

Prayers for Peace

Prayers for Peace