Saffron and Spices, Houston, TX (2026)

01/10/2024

London food blog: the city is a dream for anyone who only eats Zabiha. Not only is it available everywhere, but all the non-Muslim restaurants understand it and many serve it. Also the sheer variety of different Z cuisines is mind boggling. I never ate the same cuisine more than once. Here are a few of my favorite Zabiha food experiences:
Traditional Sunday roast .uk
A vendor telling me I can have marshmallows on my hot chocolate at Trafalgar Square’s Christmas market without me asking and used the word Halal.
Getting to eat the meat sandwiches at the High Tea along with their delectable desserts
Having the most interesting chaat I’ve ever had with sweet potatoes
The most flavorful and juicy steak while shopping at Harvey Nichols
Ramen and bibimbap
Info Chinese and fried spinach chaat
Not pictured here: Halal food vendors at Hyde Park winter wonderland. How often do you go to a carnival and find not one but two vendors serving Z food? I would move if my decision was purely based on food

12/31/2023

2023 was a year of spiritual rebirth for me. I found myself constantly asking these questions: “what is the purpose of this?” “Is it achieving what I want to ultimately achieve in life?” I found myself questioning everything and managed to cut out a lot of crap from my life. I also found myself thinking about how little time I have left in this world and how quickly one year is melting into another. I still feel I haven’t done enough in my 44 years of existence. Even now I’m barely scratching the surface. But spiritual growth is asking these important questions every day, failing and trying again. I hope I ask myself these questions even on my last day on Earth.

As usual I have a ton of new year resolutions but Allah swt is the best of planners and I have no idea if I will achieve any of what I want to achieve. But the one word I hope remains in the forefront of this year is CONSISTENCY. This is my 2024 word and I hope I stick to it.

Looking back at 2023, here are my favorite food moments:
Favorite thing I made: mango mousse cake
Favorite dessert I had: my daughters chocolate chip s’more cookies
Favorite restaurant food: house special chaat
Favorite drink: my husband’s lattes and watching his progression over the year with it. He’s obsessed with making it and I’m addicted to drinking it.

12/02/2023

Smore chocolate chip cookies made by my daughter. I’m hanging up my apron now.

11/16/2023

حَسْبُنَا ٱللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ ٱلْوَكِيلُ

‘Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.’

Chocolate Caramel Tart by Erica Leahy
My new favorite pie. It’s silky, decadent, and oozing with chocolate in every bite. The sweetness is just right too.

Ingredients:
Dough:
1 stick + 6 tbsp butter
Pinch of salt
1 1/8 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
Caramel filling:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp corn syrup
1/2 cup cream
1/2 stick butter
2 tbsp sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate ganache:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 cup cream
8oz milk chocolate
4oz bittersweet chocolate
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

Method for the dough:
Cream the butter and salt until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and mix to combine. Add the egg and mix again. Slowly add the flour and cocoa and mix until it forms a wet dough. Remove the dough and flatten it into a disc. Wrap and refrigerate it for 30 mins. Then roll the dough out to a 12 inch disc and transfer to a 10 inch tart pan. Press the dough well into the pan. Prick the bottom with a fork and refrigerate for 30 mins. Preheat the oven to 375F and bake the tart shell for 20 mins.
Caramel filling:
In a saucepan, combine sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook on high heat until it turns a deep brown. Take it off the heat and add cream, butter and sour cream. Once combined add the salt and vanilla extract.
Chocolate ganache:
In a medium pan combine the sugar, water and corn syrup and cook on high heat until it turns a deep brown. Turn off the heat and slowly whisk in the cream. Place both chocolates in a bowl and pour the hot caramel into the bowl. Wait 30 seconds and then start stirring to create a smooth ganache. Add the butter, salt and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Pour the caramel into the tart pan. Chill for 20 mins to set it then pour the chocolate ganache on top. Sprinkle some sea salt and refrigerate to set the ganache. Slice the tart using a sharp knife when serving.

11/05/2023

Among the sadness, the death, the suffering, there is so much light. People are getting educated about the history of a region, people are raising their voices, people are joining hands with others who they never considered allies, and people are holding big businesses accountable for their role in this. People are coming out in tens of thousands and sometimes in hundreds of thousands. These voices cannot be subdued. They will keep asking for justice.

Biscoff white chocolate blondies
16 Biscoff cookies
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
6 tbsp Biscoff spread

Preheat the oven to 325F. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with parchment paper. Crush 8 Biscoff cookies into small pieces. Whisk the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer. Once paler and thicker, add eggs and vanilla one at a time and whisk with each addition. Add flour and salt and mix on the lowest speed. Add in the chocolate chips and crushed cookies. Spread the batter in the pan. Microwave 3 tbsp Biscoff spread for 15 seconds. Dot the top of the batter with it and then swirl it into the top of the batter. Top it with the remaining 8 cookies broken into big pieces. Bake for 30-35 mins until set. Cool in the pan until completely cool and then cut into square pieces. Microwave the remaining 3tbsp Biscoff spread and drizzle it over the bars.

10/27/2023

Life has felt so heavy and sad for the last few weeks. You feel pain for children who are dying and parents who are losing their children in Palestine. But I truly believe that as a result of this genocide there are miracles happening everywhere. Voices are rising against the establishment. People who we wouldn’t consider friends are friends because they share the pain. People who never even thought about Palestine before are getting educated. Leaders are being born in front of our eyes. Those angels who are dead have gone straight to heaven and their parents who survived will join them in heaven when this is all over. I believe that Allah swt is the most merciful so this is not in vain. True change will occur. This is a time to make sincere dua and to also thank him for our countless blessings. It is okay to sit in sadness. But hope should be the bigger emotion. I am certain that positive change will occur. Evil never wins. History is witness to that. So be on the right side of history.

Korean spicy chicken recipe:
2 lbs boneless bite size chicken breast
2 eggs
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Salt, black pepper, red chilli flakes (1 tsp each)
Oil for deep frying
1 tsp garlic minced
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vinegar of any type
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 tbsp gochujang sauce

Beat the egg with some salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Add some to the cornstarch and some to the panko breadcrumbs in separate plates. Heat oil for deep frying in a deep pan. Toss the chicken in the egg, then the cornstarch then the panko breadcrumbs. Fry all the chicken in small batches (this is the longest part of the recipe). Make sure the oil remains really hot through out. While chicken is frying, make the sauce by combining honey, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and gochujang. Once all the chicken has been fried, drain the oil from the pan and wipe. Add a tablespoon of the oil you just used for deep frying back to the pan and heat it(discard the rest). Add the garlic and when it starts to sizzle add the sauce mix. Cook it until it starts bubbling. Throw in all the chicken and toss it well in the sauce. Ready to eat with some steamed rice!

09/02/2023

Flourless chocolate cake: a friends family is gluten free so I started looking up gluten free recipes. I didn’t want to invest in buying any gluten free flours because I probably wouldn’t use them again or what if the taste wasn’t good so I started looking up flourless cake recipes. Most of them were chocolate and most were of the dark chocolate variety. I’m afraid my taste palate is not very mature and I’m a kid at heart who loves soda and all things sweet so I thought why not make a milk chocolate flourless cake? I used recipe and substituted the dark chocolate for milk and added some instant coffee. What resulted is basically a giant candy bar in a cake form with some hints of coffee for the more “mature” taste palate. Even if you are not gluten free and just want to eat a candy bar in a cake form then this recipe is for you!
Cake Ingredients:
10 oz milk chocolate (I used Lindt milk chocolate bars)
10 tbsp unsalted butter softened
1 cup sugar
7 large eggs separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp instant coffee diluted with 1 tbsp warm water
1 tsp salt
Glaze ingredients:
9oz milk chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tsp instant coffee

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and line a 9 inch round pan. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or double boiler. Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy and pale yellow. Add yolks one at a time. Add the melted chocolate, vanilla extract and coffee mixture. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff. Now carefully fold the whipped egg whites in batches until completely incorporated. Pour it into the pan and bake for 30-35 mins. When done, let it sit in the pan for 5 mins then invert on a wire rack to cool completely. Meanwhile make the glaze by heating up the cream, corn syrup and coffee together in a small pan. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. When the cream mixture begins to boil take it off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Let it stand for 2 mins and then slowly stir until it’s smooth. Pour half on top of the cake and then freeze for 5 mins to let it set. Take it out and pour the remaining glaze. Let it drip down and completely cover the sides. Serve.

08/31/2023

Mango mousse cake with toasted coconut from cookbook Mooncakes and Milk Bread. If you want the recipe get the book! It’s full of amazing treats!

08/28/2023

Shredded beef: I’m not a big fan of eating beef unless it’s in the form of a medium rare steak. But this dish is one of the only exceptions (the other being nehari). I love this recipe because of its versatility. You can eat it with daal chawal, you can add it as a filling to your buns and sandwiches, or you can add it to a quesadilla. The possibilities are endless!
Recipe courtesy of with slight modifications:
1 onion
2tbsp oil for frying the onion
2 lbs boneless beef cubes
2 tbsp of oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp salt
½ tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ cup yogurt
fresh cracked black pepper
Serrano peppers, chopped

Take some oil in a pan and fry the sliced onion until golden brown and then puree it with tomatoes. Put the beef cubes into Instapot with 1 tbsp of oil and saute on high. Dry out any liquid and brown the meat. Once the beef has color, add garlic, onion/tomato puree, salt, red chilli powder, cumin, coriander powder, and soy sauce. Add 2 cups of water and put the setting on manual high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow natural pressure release. Remove the lid and turn the setting to saute, add the additional oil start to shred the meat with the help of a spoon. Add yogurt and adjust salt if needed. Once the liquid has completely dried then add fresh cracked black pepper and Serrano peppers.

08/13/2023

Banana pudding: a slight variation on Paula Deen’s recipe. I used fresh whipped cream and instant banana pudding. The fresh whipped cream makes a HUGE difference.
12 oz heavy whipping cream, sweetened with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8oz) block of cream cheese
2 cups cold milk
1 (5oz) box instant banana flavored pudding mix
6 bananas, sliced
2 bags of chessman cookies

Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Combine the sweetened condensed milk with the cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. In a separate bowl whisk the instant pudding mix with milk following the package instructions. Then add the cream cheese mixture to it and mix well. Lastly fold in the whipped cream. Layer one bag of chessman cookies at the bottom. Then layer all of the bananas. Then the whipped up mixture. Lastly top with the other bag of chessman cookies.

03/22/2023

Protein is a food group sorely lacking in my diet during Ramadan. Suhoor is minimal and carbs take center stage during iftar and dinner. This year I want to start my fast with a protein forward meal. Eggs scrambled with a tablespoon of my favorite salsa and 2 ounces of smoked salmon. All together that is 19g of protein and only 1 gram of carbs. Share other protein forward breakfast ideas!

03/21/2023

Ramadan took me by surprise this year. With spring break just ending we didn’t have much time to prep but egg rolls happen to be one of our favorite iftar items. I’ve experimented with a lot of different recipes and finally came up with one which is just right!

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 bunches green onions chopped
1 bag shredded carrots
2 bags shredded cabbage
500g-600g cooked shredded chicken
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 cube chicken bouillon
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 packets ramen noodles cooked with the spice packet kept separate
80 egg roll wrappers

For cooking chicken: put 2lbs of boneless chicken in instapot with a teaspoon of salt, black pepper, few tablespoons of soy sauce and a cup of water. Cook on manual setting, high pressure for 20 minutes and allow natural release. Drain the stock and save it for later use. Shred the chicken into pieces.
Heat both oils and add the green onions. Once it has wilted, add the carrots and cabbage. Once that has melted down too, add the cooked chicken and all the spices and sauces including the spice packets that came with the ramen. Add the cooked ramen noodles. When everything is mixed well, take it off the heat and let it cool completely. Take 2 wrappers per roll so that it’s extra crispy and so that the filling doesn’t break through the wrapper when frying. Use 2 tbsp of the mixture per roll. Keep the roll together by pasting the end with flour/water mixture.
Fry the rolls on high heat until golden.

Saffron and Spices

01/10/2024

12/31/2023

12/02/2023

11/16/2023

11/05/2023

10/27/2023

09/02/2023

08/31/2023

08/28/2023

08/13/2023

03/22/2023

03/21/2023

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