Wedding, Marriage and Cooking for your husband: What’s love got to do with it?

Assalamualaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatu. I chose this topic as I know a number of people that are either getting married, just got married or are looking to get married soon. If you ignore the cheesy title, it is actually a serious topic. I know it has been debated plenty of times but still this does not stop people from raising eyebrows and mumbling when the topic about the woman cooking is brought up. Oh I’m not saying that I have the answer, far from it. I will just give you a few things to ponder upon. 

Wedding and Marriage - Wedding is the thing so many prepare for and also spend an awful amount of money on. People spend ages planning to have the perfect wedding; in fact some people have made a career out of planning weddings for others. Ask any girl aged 15 and above and she’ll probably give you a detailed description of what her wedding day will be like. And it is only for one day (technically 30minutes if you take out all the shenanigans) but can actually last for up to a week in some cultures. Some will get into debt that will need repayment over the next few years of their marriage for this day. But regardless of how long, how big or how beautiful the wedding is, it is what comes after which is the real deal although Walt Disney will have us believe that they all lived happily ever after. I know it is a beautiful beginning to special days ahead, I have nothing against it and I love going for weddings but I just wished people will put as much effort into their marriage as they did for their wedding. Do you know that everything begins long before you’re married? Do you really know this person you’re entering into a possibly lifelong contract with? And I’m not talking about the thing people call dating/ courtship here because I don’t care how long you’ve known him/her, how many “dates” you’ve been on, and how many doors he rushes to open for you, you really don’t know a person until you live with them. And this real person may not come out for a few months or even years. So before you order that cake, print those invitations and choose the perfect dress, make sure you have asked all the right questions. Does he or she have any of these characters that you want to run away from? Ask friends and family that they have grown up with. Is he/she

Al ghadoob- Someone who is extremely or frequently angry

Al katoob- Always negative

Al afoot- Always comparing with other people

Al hannanah– Keeps reminding you of the past 

Al manaanah- If it wasn’t for...

Al annanah– Complains of everything

Some things can be changed and others can’t. So think carefully before embarking on this. I have heard a lot of "he’ll change once we get married" and all I can think of is what if he doesn't. Are you prepared to live with this behaviour for life? I know women are supposed to be powerful and they have tricks up their sleeves but never bank on that he’ll change statement! It took a while for the habit to be established and it will not go away overnight. If there’s something that you really feel like you want them to stop doing (for example, smoking) give them a reasonable chance to break the habit and help them if you can.

Another question to ask is, are you really compatible? These are things you need to consider when you’re thinking compatibility: spiritually, morally, environmentally, intellectually, psychologically, physically and financially (so resentment won’t come). Remember, marriage is not a word; it is a sentence - a life sentence. 

So now you’ve done all the right things including praying for guidance and you definitely know you’re meant for each other and you have both survived the wedding thanks to all the aunts that managed to change your perfect plan with their you can’t do it this way. The honeymoon period is over after about a month or even a year – well you can make it last for as long as you want but guess what, you have issues. If you ever heard of a couple that tell you they don’t have issues, then they are not for real- as in they don’t exist. The simple fact is everyone has issues but these do not have to become problems as a concern is when you have an issue, it is only when you can’t solve it that it becomes a problem! Here are some steps to help disperse the issues but before then please keep these issues between you, there’s really no need for a third person to know about this, well at least not until they start to become problems and even then share only with one who would provide you with the solution and who better than Allah.

Think- what has caused the friction

Decide- on what needs to happen, how you will go about it and how you will explain this to your other half

Keep it short and simple (start with the positive)

Listen

Agree on an ending

Now that I’ve turned this seemingly innocent topic into something serious, I can go back to cooking for your husband. But before this I need to discuss the rights/duties of the husband and wife, islamically.

A husband’s duties towards his wife: Financial duties (dowry, spending allowance and accommodation) and non financial duties (fair division, good treatment and avoid causing harm) and she has these rights even if she is rich! No opinion does it say my wife works so she can take care of herself, you still have to spend your money on her! Did you know that you get reward for spending on your family? Don’t you just love the beauty of Islam? 

Remember also that the wife has duties towards her husband which may be greater than his towards her as the Quran states “And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards to living expenses) similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as regards to obedience and respect) to what is reasonable, but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them.” (Q2:228)

Give your duties and you will receive your rights.

Traditionally, a man is known to be the bread winner in the family so he has to be the tough one; a woman, however, has different roles as a nurturer and a teacher making her the emotional one.

So, should you cook for your husband? Do you cook for your husband? The simple answer to the first question is yes. Well, if you can then why not. It also depends on your culture, your upbringing and your husband. Please find out from his sister or his mother whether or not he likes his food (ask him if you must), then at least you’ll know whether to invest in that cooking crash course a month before your wedding. But if for instance a guy marries a princess, I know we all are but  a real one who does not know where the kitchen of her house is (that’s probably exaggerating a bit), please Akhi don’t expect her to start making Biryani the next day- it’s not going to happen, not unless she really wants to. I think cooking for your husband is about showing him love, showing that you care enough to bother to want to cook for him. Now please husbands, you also need to show appreciation and give compliments. Just because she loves to cook and wants to cook or has to cook does not mean you should take it for granted. A little bit of thank you goes a very long way. Let her have some time off, eat out or even let her put her feet up and you do the cooking. Remember, even the prophet (SAW) used to help at home!

That said, nowadays the roles of men and women are not so defined and are blurred. Remember I said roles not duties. Now you have men that wants to cook and can cook (yes sisters, they do exist) and if your husband is a celebrity chef, then you might want to think twice about that no men in my kitchen rule! But again consider this, just because he cooks for a living does not mean he wants to do the same when he gets home.

From a letter Umamah bint Al-Harith gave to her daughter Um Iyas Bint A’wf Ashebani on the eve of her wedding (it is very long and I refuse to type it all), I quote a part of it saying “be aware of the time that he sleeps and eats. Indeed hunger is painful and sleeplessness is a cause of anger”. How true is this and perhaps even vice versa.

Now does she have to cook? It depends as one of her duties is serving her husband but this varies. According to Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah “She is obliged to serve her husband according to what is reasonable among people of similar standing. That varies according to circumstances: the way in which a Bedouin woman serves (her husband) will not be like the way of a town dweller, and the way of strong woman will not be like the way of a weak woman.”(Al-Fataawa al-Kubraa, 4/561)

So depending on where you come from, there are some things that you ‘should’ learn how to cook before getting married and whether is begging your mum or going for the weekend at aunty’s place, you should know how to make these things. It’s easier I think if your husband is from a totally different background from you as he won’t be expecting much (the beauty of diverse marriages) but will surely be impressed if you suddenly make his favourite from “back home”. I asked a few people what they feel in their opinion was one food you need to learn how to cook before marriage and these are the answers I got.

Indian – Apparently you need to know how to make “Biryani” and I’m sure it does not matter if it is lamb, chicken or beef; just as long as it is Biryani.

Pakistani - Chapatti, chapatti and more chapatti. Yes, go learn how to make the perfect chapatti; it’s harder than they make it seem though.

Malay – “Eggs”. I was like seriously right, but apparently there are some people that do not know how to make eggs, so please, learn to make eggs. Although rice is the real thing here.

Bengali – “Curry at least meat and fish bare minimum”. Of course it goes with rice. I honestly believe that the rice did not come first as you're just automatically expected to know how to cook it.

Somali – “Somali samosa before marriage along with 1000 other dishes” Good luck with learning the 1000 others, I can't even make the normal samosa.

Algerian – “Couscous”. Just simple couscous,some do have it easy but I bet you need to know how to make the lamb it has to be served with, then it gets complicated.

Jamaican – “rice and peas and chicken for Sunday Dinner”. That sounds straightforward enough but I don’t understand why it has to be on Sunday which probably means for the rest of the week, serve toast on beans and he won’t mind.

Burundi (with a lot of Asian influence) – “Pilau rice and chicken/meat dish and beans and chapatti”

Afghan - “Rice”. According to an Afghan man; see how easy they make things sound, just rice. I didn’t bother asking the type of rice as he probably won’t know.

Iranian- “Kabab koobideh is a classic dish all Iranian enjoy eating, as long as you don’t forget the rice too”

Then for Nigeria, I needed to break it down into at least the main tribes (well some of them) and I got these replies

Nigeria (Igbo) - "Uha soup". Never heard of it, I think it’s also spelled Oha/Ora as when I googled Uha, it gave me a Russian fish soup. Oh, how I’d love to make that Russian soup!

Nigeria (Hausa) – “tuwo (masara, semo, shinkafa) perfectly without lumps”.  They’re basically doughy foods. Such hard work but you could probably microwave it, not so sure about the without lumps though!

Nigeria (Yoruba) – “Stew” and that will also have to go with rice and is really what most will call soup. That’s fine for a few days until he asks, "don’t we have any other food in this house?"

Nigeria (Kanuri) - “Ngaji a kalkuwa (aka Brabusko da miyan kuka), Snasil and gwalto, Denderu” and then went on to say “a Kanuri bride can’t be said to learn 1 single type of food rather she will be made to learn a meal for every occasion”. Now I know the Somalis actually have it easy with their 1001 dishes. In other words, if you’re about to marry a Kanuri man who loves his food and you can’t cook, one advice, look for another husband.

So from the answer given above, learn how to make rice. There are probably a million and one different ways to learn how to make it but with so many rice cooker on sale as well as microwavable/canned versions of these foods, I’d say no bride needs to worry. Just buy a microwave and a fridge with plenty of freezer space. I dare you – but don’t blame me if he marries another woman. As some say, the road to a man’s heart is through his stomach. A woman’s heart? I'm not sure there are probably many, try being nice!

Allow me to give you a recipe for something very easy to make, Instant egg fried noodles

What you need (Serves 2)

3 packet instant noodles

2 medium sized eggs

A pinch Salt

Mixed vegetables(optional)

1 small onion (finely chopped)

1 green Chilli(chopped)

2 tablespoons oil

Instruction

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet(minus one minute). Reducing the amount of water needed (or drain any water once noodle is cooked) .

Heat the oil in a frying pan or a wok. Add the onions and chilli and fry for 30 seconds in medium heat. If adding mixed vegetables, add this until vegetable is soft. 

Add the eggs and scramble it in the mixture, allow to cook for 2 minutes.

Now add the noodles and mix for another 1 minute. Serve hot with optional soy sauce.

This is an emergency food but it works better than just microwaving instant noodles and takes almost the same amount of time, it’s all about putting in that effort to show the TLC needed in a marriage.

Talking about effort, a friend’s mum baked this and she helped decorate it and I thought I’d share- it is such a beautiful cake and it simplifies everything I’ve written in the post.

Remember, men and women do have different roles in life. It is important to complete one another rather than compete with each other. It is a relationship of compensation and cooperation.

“Amongst his signs that He created from you spouses to dwell within(in tranquillity), made between you love and compassion; most surely there are signs in this for people who reflect”(Quran 30:21) 

So, If Allah (SWT) made the foundation in marriage to be love and compassion, mercy; how can the relationship between you and your wife be anything else?

(Some of the references are from my notes from a Course I attended entitled "Home Sweet Home-a proactive approach to a happy family" provided by AlKauthar institute)

Ghana - surplus yam,extra plantain,flying maggots and everyday rice

Assalamualaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatu. As promised, Ghana report with pictures even though it came two months later. Never mind, it's here now. Quick fact on Ghana - a country in West Africa with a population of about 25 million, currency Ghana cedi (1 cedi = 40 pence). The official language is English but I found that hard to believe as everyone spoke Twi pronounced Chwi. Religion mainly Christianity and they do practice this impressively like 5.00am & 6.00pm Church service everyday! Second largest religious group are the Muslims. But there are also a lot of traditionalist who sometimes practice it along with Islam or Christianity (scary). People are very nice and welcoming. Any non-black persons gets greeted as 'Obruni' by little kids meaning white man and if you're ever invited out by a Ghanaian, don't try to pay, it's an insult. 

Boti falls

Three headed palm tree

Market

Mini supermarket

The women we got our vegetables from

Butchers

Well to start with their market was just like heaven for food enthusiast. They had everything, most of it fresh. As long as you don't think of storing it. Seriously, there should have been a what not to buy and store for more than three days handed over at the airport as people arrived because the shelf life is an average of three days. Bear in mind these were things that were bought from local market, hence no expiry dates. There I was, first week thinking, well the electricity is great, there's fridge in the house, I'll just buy everything to last me for at least two weeks.Never happened. To be fair the fridge did have issues but by the fourth day the not so hot chili that was prophesied to be really spicy had maggots in them. Yes, real maggots. I hate maggots but I thought well just  let me sort the 'maggoty ones out' and then the maggot jumped. Considering on the squirmy scale, I'm like 4 out of 10, I flew out of the kitchen screaming flying maggots. Of course everyone came to see why I was shouting and one of the other housemates came to the rescue after saying they didn't expect me to be the kind of person who screams when they saw a maggot. I am after all only human. It was a good thing they came to see it too as no one would have believed me.

Still on chili, after the second week, I was used to the fact that the chili was not hot, because I have a high spice threshold, I add it to my food in abundance. So like before, 1 whole red chili, didn't think much of it. Had a small piece of the chili and my brain was on fire. Initially I was like, this doesn't feel right and it took a while for my reflexes to kick in by which time, tears were streaming down my face. The only drink close by was coke, really bad idea. After turning the fan to the highest,dawning half a litre of water, it reduced a bit. You would have thought that will be the end with me and chili but the love is still as strong as ever. Apparently, the reason why people like me love eating chili is that the hotness of the spice releases endorphins,so another kind of high-chili high.

Plantains- Ghana has so many of this. To those who don't know what it is, it's a variety of banana, looks like banana and some people claim tastes like banana(definitely doesn't). It's very starchy and usually not eaten raw because not as sweet. But fry it and you have an amazing side dish or even main meal. It is also used to make plantain chips - I had so many of these in Ghana and even brought some back with me. Another way in which it is eaten is as a snack roasted with groundnut(peanut) or roasted fish -yum. Powdered plantain can be made in dough and eaten with soups as well. Some very health conscious people also prefer to boil it - boil with beans and you give your beans a distinct sweet taste.The lady I bought my plantain from didn't speak any English & I spoke no Twi so the transaction always made me laugh. And even though I get about 6-8 plantains for like half a cedi that's 20pence (considering cheapest is 3 3 for £1 here), she always gave me extra - for being a customer. I even tried to explain that I wouldn't be able to finish it before it gets bad but she would still give me extra. 

Fruits- the fruits were really sweet. I mean the sweetest pineapple I ever had was in Ghana. And have you ever tasted fresh cocoa fruit before, the white gummy stuff before it becomes chocolate? Well I did, and it was nice- I even preferred it to chocolate. I also had the coconut water which my housemates weren't particularly a fan of. And of course your usual fruits.

Yam- I love yams and Ghana is known for some of the freshest whitest yams ever. I really wanted to bring a bagful home if I wasn't so scared I'll be arrested for food laundering!

Yams that look like feet

cocoyam

Fat yams

yam chips

Sea food- Since I couldn't be certain what meat was halal ( generally) and what wasn't, I just naturally had fish, no complaints there. Apart from fish they had a lot of shrimps, really massive ones on sticks, some dried and grounded. There were mussels as well which I wasn't brave enough to try.

shrimp & pepper sauce

Fish with kenke

Jaws

Rice- this has nothing to do with Ghana itself but my colleague that I traveled with is Bengali and one thing about Bengali is they love their rice. I mean she had rice everyday till we came back. It took me a week to notice we weren't eating anything else. Even when we ate out - she'll order rice. I'd ask what we're having for dinner and she'll be like rice and omelet. Who eats rice & omelet? By the second week I was stuffed full of rice so I just let her go on. Not when I had all these variety of food surrounding me. Lets just say rice is never going to be the same again. 

Ghanaian jollof rice

It's worth mentioning that I met someone who I admired so much for her interest in the local food. This German girl just tried everything and anything which puts me to shame.

So when it was time to come back, I wanted to bring everything back with me but couldn't. For one, the UK government does not allow certain food items into the country so I had to check with defra (department for environment, food and rural affairs) to see what I can or cannot. I brought several things back but I just couldn't figure which category yam belonged to so I didn't bring it as I've had a warning from defra once before (don't ask). So, what did I bring?

Plantain chips, Raw plantain, palm fruit, grounded shrimps, anchovies, roasted fish and stockfish. 

palm fruit

organic palm fruit

The palm fruit I'd seen throughout my stay but on the last day, I asked from the girl at the market what it was and after she told me, I bought the organic one. She then had to explain how to cook it-Ghanaians are patient! Anyway, since it was my last day, I brought it back and tried it. Here's the recipe slightly modified by me.

Abenkwan (palm nut soup) also known as Banga soup

What you'll need (serves 6-8)

1 kg of palm fruit 

2 onions (finely chopped)

Assorted meat or chicken (oxtail, lamb, beef, goat, tripe, etc)

Stockfish -cod, pollock cleaned and soaked in hot water to soften, alternatively canned kipper fillets

Canned fish (mackerel, sardine)

2 tablespoon grounded shrimps

1-2 tablespoon chilli powder 

2 stock cubes

1 handful of dried anchovies

Salt to taste

Then freestyle on anything else like periwinkles, snails, cow foot, prawns, crabs, etc.

1 teaspoon curry powder and thyme

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

Optional 

Okra/egusi/bitterleaf

stock fish

Preparation

Boil the washed palm nut in 2 cups of water for 15-20 minutes until soft. Drain and pound the nut. Pass through a sieve by adding some water to separate the kernels from the chaff. 

pounding

what you get after sieving

  

Add washed assorted meat, onions, garlic, curry, thyme, 1 stock cube and salt in a large soup pot. 

Add 1/2 a cup of water and put on medium-high heat to boil for approximately 20 minutes or until meat is tender.

Add the sieved palm nut juice in the mixture

Add the fish and everything else.

Cook for another 15-20 minutes or until soup is fairly thickened

I used spinach instead of bitter leaf ( could not get my hands on any)

Serve with Fufu, banky, donkunu, pounded yam, rice or whatever you want even bread!

Abenkwan before I added the spinach

Banku

You'll notice it has no oil, that's because the first step is like manufacturing palm oil. Alternatively skip that first step and buy a canned palm nut concentrate (well that's the only option for people who won't find the fresh one locally) plus it is hard work!!

Also if you can get your hands on some local herbs such as scent leaf, Uyayak, then do add them. 

I will just chuck in some bay leaves, not the same but does the job. 

Verdict I loved it and I chickened out of trying most of the new food. It's a really beautiful place with amazing people. If you're ever thinking of visiting West Africa, I'll definitely recommend Ghana! 

Tip: whenever abroad and travelling to the UK, always check before bringing food items or plants. Never make any assumption. 

iFeed project

Assalamualaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatu. Eid Mubarak! I really can’t believe Ramadhan is actually over, just like that. Makes you think how little we actually have in terms of time on this earth and help to ensure we make good use of it and be “productive”. That must be my most favourite word at the moment partly because in Ramadhan productivity was encouraged a lot but also because I’ve been really trying to improve myself in a lot of different ways. So in the quest of mine to becoming more productive, I went to one of iFeed's ramadhan project at the refugee center; something I’d been meaning to do but had been procrastinating about. To understand how important it is for people to get involved in such activities, I spoke to one of the brains behind the project.

Q: What exactly is the iFeed project?

A project that was set up by some post Nottingham Islamic Society Students and also current postgraduates. Last Ramadan (2010) some sisters came together to start cooking food in their kitchen to give out food to the needy and the hungry (be it Muslim or Non Muslim). We first gave out food at a homeless centre and then it grew from there. At present we cook monthly for a centre in which we provide hot meals cooked on site for service users.

Q: Why was it established?

"They (the righteous) give food in spite of love for it to the poor, the orphan and the captive, saying: 'We feed you for the sake of God Alone; we seek from you neither reward nor thanks.'...So Allah saved them from the evil of that Day, and gave them Nadrah (a light of beauty) and joy" - Surah al-Insan:8-11. It is our Islamic duty and responsibility to help those in need. We have to pro-actively contribute to our communities in helping the overall society.

Q: What is the future of the project?

We are thinking big! firstly we want iFeed to go national and hopefully establish in all regions. Secondly we want to start working towards setting up mosque kitchens around Britain to have food cooked on site and open to all (feeding the needy) and providing some support to those in need.

Q: How do people get involved in such projects?

At the moment we have a set of volunteers who are part of the project yet we are always looking for volunteers. With the recent expansion and visions to take things big we need a national committee and local committees in order to help things run smoothly inshAllah.

Q: Any final words of advice for someone wanting to start such a thing?

We have produced reports/documents to give you a brief guide on how to set up such a project and a website to follow shortly. This experience can be very humbling and makes you realise the amount of blessings that Allah (swt) showers upon us and yet we don't appreciate the full extent. We should always help those in need and should take from the Prophetic model of the Prophet Muhammed (saw) who was kind, compassionate and giving to those in need.

Jazakillah khair for your time.

Below are some of the pictures I got from the day which Alhamdulillah saw a few other groups including MCUK and I just couldn’t be thankful enough for what I have. Just in case you were wondering, you don’t get to pick as much as you want from each table. You have to choose either two or three from a table depending on how much there is. So you can only choose two things from table 1 for instance; imagine having to decide whether to get salt or oil even though you're running out on both. You’ll be glad to know that families can get double or triple the amount per table but even then.It was a truly humbling experience. You can join the iFeed group on facebook if you would like to get involved.

With soaring inflation (in a 6pm news voice), we all could do with cheaper groceries. Here are some tips on how to reduce the cost of food shopping

1. When you can, cook with only what is in season. Where possible store them for when they're not in season.
2. Shop later during the day and you can save up to 75% on your trolley.
3. Make a list and stick to it!! Just because it's BOGOF doesn't make it cheaper. If you'll only need half of one and why bother with getting two and wasting food.
4. Make sure that the sale is actually a SALE - don't let the supermarket trick you into buying what you don't need. You're not saving much if it says 2 for £2.99 when one was £1.49
5. Downshift (luxury brand>main stream brand>supermarket's own brand>supermarket's value) as you can save money just by going down one level. If you're cooking your food, it's not that big a deal anyway. If you don't cook the food well, it'll make no difference whether you used "Waitrose super luxury" tinned tomatoes or "Asda smart price".
6. Your local market may be cheaper than the supermarket and you'll be doing your own to "help the community" so buy from the market if you have one.
7.Stay away from ready made meals- they're always overpriced and they don't taste that great!!
8. Get a lunch box and make your own lunch- you'll save a fortune.
9. Look up and bend down - because a supermarket's aim is to make you spend,therefore they put more profitable items on the eye level. if you must get an assistant to help you get the item- they put it there in the first place.
10. Use vouchers - these days people feel ashamed to use paper vouchers like it's a crime. If it's going to save you money use them and ignore the dirty looks you get from some people.

And don't forget to do a price comparison and if your local supermarket isn't that local- save money on fuel, order on-line and get it delivered. That way you're not tempted to buy what you don't need!
Remember the prophet (SAW) discouraged wasting food and encourages us to eat every grain on the plate as you do not know in which part the blessing is. Even if you drop some on the floor, take out the bad part and eat the rest.
If you're ever in doubt, follow these easy steps and you should be fine.

Picture "The 30 second rule, A Decision Tree" by Audrey Fukuman and Andy Wright
Tips: Modified from moneysavingexpert.com

Assalamualaykum: with love from Ghana

Assalamualaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatu. Alhamdulillah, Another ramadhan is here; a time to ask for Allah’s forgiveness and mercy. I am spending half of my ramadhan in Ghana this year which is why I haven't posted anything in a very long time. Ramadhan here is interesting and although humid, I don’t think it is any different to fasting anywhere else in the world as everywhere has its own challenges. But before I tell you how absolutely beautiful it is down here, allow me to seethe a little about the food I had on the plane.

If you don’t know or haven’t guessed by now, I do not just eat anything. Add lactose intolerance to halal and I give anyone who has the courage to offer me any kind of food a dilemma. So, I didn’t think it was asking too much if I requested a halal meal from the airline I was flying with especially since it was going to be a while before I was guaranteed another proper meal. Considering the flight was from London, you would think this would be easy (and maybe even cheap); but I was mistaken. The meal which turned out to be vegetarian (or even vegan) would probably make it to the top 10 list of the worst food I’ve ever tasted! Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against vegetarian meals but the only reason I never bother with them is because they almost always contain cream, cheese or both which I can’t have. However, this wonderful meal (meant to be rice with dhal) we were served wasn’t even salted. I wonder who made this food or what they were thinking, one thing is certain, that food was not tasted! The only explanation I could come up with was that the person added all sorts of spices(probably randomly picked from international aisle at the supermarket) that made the food inedible. I love spices,but when added to the meal appropriately and in proportion. It tasted like the herbal concoction they have in Africa that is supposed to be used for illness, because this food was bitter. If I wanted medications, I'd head to the pharmacy. I even persisted and tried salt & pepper but that had no effect whatsoever- may have even made it worse. It was not just my pickiness as another person who had the same meal would not even touch it again once she had tasted it. As I didn’t want to be sick before I’d arrived to my destination, I asked them to take it away.

Ranting over, simply put, Ghana is beautiful. Everything in it just reminds me of Allah’s Greatness. The town I’m currently in is a little town in the Eastern region  known as Koforidua pronounced "koforidia" and is surrounded by mountains which explains why there isn’t much sun. But the view is just breathtaking and no words can describe it and no camera can capture the beauty. You’d really need to see it to understand what I mean. The whole country has quite a number of water bodies with the different Volta rivers coming together to form the largest manmade lake, the lake Volta.

They have sea food in abundant here. They seem to have something special going on with tilapia fish as every restaurant whether local or international will have it on their menu either roasted or fried. You could imagine how hungry we were after about 30 hours without proper meal. So on getting to Koforidua we went to what was described as the most reliable and moderately priced restaurant in town according to a guide book. On the menu was a combination of local and international food; they even have the Ghanaian version of Jollof rice. I was not completely convinced about their fried rice though so decided to order the popular local dish called Banku (fermented corn & cassava dough) with fish and spice ( made of raw tomatoes, chilli and onions) which isn’t for the faint hearted due to the chilli content. The food although really spicy was very good except you could see the full set of the fish’s teeth which didn't deter me. One meal I’m still reluctant to try is their fufu (cassava/pounded yam & plantain). My aim is to learn some of the recipes so I can share them when I get back. Pictures will come when I get back also because for some reason, I can't post any.

So insha Allah we will all have a very productive ramadhan and may Allah accept all of our dua’s. May He forgive our sins and bestow his Mercies on us. Remember that although you’re fasting, it is important to still eat in moderation when you break your fast and not to spend the whole evening cooking or eating. A reminder that whilst you already know what you’ll eat for Iftar, some are starving to death. Remember the horn of Africa in your duas and if you’re yet to donate, then use ramadhan to get even more rewards by giving during this month as a appeals are still ongoing. It is also a very good time to think about some things you have thought to give up such as smoking as analysts have found that to make something become a habit; it takes approximately 30days which would make ramadhan the best for breaking or making habits. May Allah make it easy for us all (Amin). 

Alhamdulillah it's summer!

Assalamualaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatu. It’s officially summer and in the UK, this means a little bit of sunshine every now and then mixed in with rainfall, so not much of a different from spring apart from the fact that the summer solstice was a few days ago. Is it just me or are several babies born around this time of the year? Well, whether or not its baby season, let me give you some tips on staying fit this season. It’s not crash dieting because I don’t believe they work. The problem with diets is that once you stop, it’s back to square one.

Walk, walk and keep walking
Seriously, just simply walk everywhere. Walking is something you don’t have to think of as exercise as you do it without realising. You can stay fit simply by getting up a little earlier and walking rather than taking the bus or driving. If you’re taking the bus, try to walk to the next bus stop along. To make this work, increase your pace- as you’re probably not going to lose any calories by dragging yourself along the pavement whilst sipping Mcflurry. Interval training is increasing the pace of any exercise you’re doing for 30-60 seconds every 5 minutes and it can increase calories burnt by up to 30%. If you’ve ever had the joy of running late for anything, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Of course it is a lot easier to walk everywhere if you live in a small town. An alternative is to go to a fitness centre or start jogging. To do this you need to be pretty disciplined otherwise, you may as well pour the money down the drain.

Stairs vs. Lift
Taking the stairs lowers your body fat, reduces your blood pressure and increases your aerobic capacity if you persist with it. It may even be quicker and you’ll be contributing to planet earth in your own way by reducing your carbon foot print. I realise this may not be reasonable if you live on floor 20 but you can still try climbing one flight of stairs and using the lift for the rest. Increase the flight of stairs by one every couple of weeks-trust me, you’ll feel really good with yourself!

Smoothie vs. Milkshake
If you’re out and about on a hot day, you may feel like you need either one of the above. Generally speaking, a smoothie contains less fat than a milkshake and can be made healthier (as long as it’s made with real fruits) but they both will do in helping to keep you going until you can have a proper meal. Having said this, if you’re going to have any one of this, why don’t you make your own at home. That way, you know what’s gone into the mix and ensure they’re real fresh fruits.

Yoghurt vs. Ice-cream
Ice creams usually look very appealing –and in fact it looks way cooler than yoghurt. But it also carries a lot more calories with it. And with many different yoghurt flavours, coming in different sizes and shapes, some even claiming health benefits (probiotic), I wonder how the ice-cream companies haven’t gone into liquidation yet. Throw some fruits in your yoghurts, freeze it and you have yourself ‘homemade’ frozen yoghurt or light ice cream as some call them. You may disagree with me but ice creams are treats that should be taken at most once a month during the cold season and maximum once a week in the summer. Just because Magnum has a refreshingly thin lady in their advertisement does not mean you can get away with it-I doubt she even knows what it tastes like.

Water vs. Soda
When out and about, you’re at risk of getting dehydrated so drink water or herbal teas and ditch the cola, mochas and juices; you’ll be a few hundred calories better and you’ll stay better hydrated. You can even save yourself some money if you drink tap water. If you must, then go for real fruit juice rather than the zero calorie sodas – that is just a definite no no! If you’re going to be travelling using the central line in London, then definitely carry a bottle of water or you’re at risk of angry commuters hating you for causing “minor delays” on the line for passing out!

For completion, only eat when you’re hungry and cut out deserts if you can. If you need a snack, then go for nuts, fruits or low fat yoghurts. And if you’re struggling to keep with this, just remember the people who only have just enough for once a day and are not even sure where the next meal for tomorrow will come from. I will leave you with the recipe of one of the deserts I make but be warned as deserts are not my thing.

Fruit layered desert

What you’ll need
1 pot low fat natural/fruit yoghurt
A glass bowl
A biscuit made from rye (alternatively, muesli)
Seedless grapes (red and or / green)
Strawberries
Black/blueberries
Sliced bananas (sliced)
½ a glass real fruit juice (optional)

Preparation
Put a layer of the biscuit in the bowl. Then add one layer of fruit (any one), put the yoghurt on top of the fruit. Repeat to form layers until you fill the bowl. If using juice. Pour the juice on all layers. Cover with cling film and put in fridge for a few hours. It can then be served in slices (almost like a cheese cake but healthier). If using natural yoghurt, you may want to add a teaspoon of runny honey to help sweeten a little. As you see, you can use any type of fruit to suit your taste and different things to create an interesting layer.

Recipe: Jollof rice

Assalamualaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatu. I shall be posting another African recipe this week but this time from the Western part of the continent where the food is rich, spices different and people really lovely. Of course, I’m talking about Nigeria! I sometimes refer to it as tomato rice (not that anyone ever calls it that in Nigeria). There have been several arguments on whether or not this particular dish is originally from Nigeria. To verify these claims, I head over to Wikipedia and apparently it originates from the Gambia (there is no need to guess who wrote that one). Well, if they did I must say a big thank you to the beautiful sisters in Gambia who ‘invented’ this amazing recipe that I have come to love.

What you'll need (serves 6-8)

500g easy cook long grain rice

8 medium sized fresh tomatoes

1 red bell pepper

1 red chilli (optional)

1 small can of tomato puree (approximately 3 tablespoons)

3 tablespoons vegetable (or sunflower) oil

2 medium sized onions

1 garlic clove (finely chopped)

1 stock cube

3 teaspoons curry powder

3 teaspoons thyme

salt to taste (1-2 teaspoons)

6 Bay leaves(optional)

Preparation

Blend the pepper, chilli, 1 onion and 6 of the tomatoes together until it becomes smooth

Slice half of the remaining onion and julienne the other half

Slice the rest of the tomatoes

Parboil the rice in a medium sized pot for 5 minutes. Then wash it with cold water until water is transparent (this prevents clumping of the rice). Alternatively if you don’t have the time to parboil, wash the rice and add a few drops of malt vinegar which also prevents clumping (especially if using basmati rice). Using another pot, fry the julienned onions and garlic for a couple of minutes in medium heat then add the blended mixture. Fry for another 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree, stock cube, curry, thyme and salt. Add the parboiled rice and water to just about cover the rice in the pot. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sliced onion and tomatoes to the top of the rice and simmer for another 10-15 minutes until dry. If using bay leaves, cover the top of the rice with the bay leaves.

Warning: Jollof rice is notorious for burning that some argue that it is the burning that gives the distinct taste and aroma. So if after 5 minutes you smell burning, don’t panic just reduce the heating. Where possible, use a non stick pot for the cooking to prevent burning. Also try to avoid stirring the mixture once rice has been added and you may be able to produce jollof rice that does not burn. Alternatively, put the pot of rice in the oven and oven cook in 180-220 ⁰C for 15 minutes , that way it won’t burn but make sure the pot has no plastic handle beforehand.

Usually served with fried plantain, chicken and egg salad (in Nigerian parties)

Just in case you were wondering, the Gambian version is known as Benachin and they often add sea food, meat +/- vegetables in the mixture although once you start adding things to the mixture in Nigeria, the name changes from jollof rice to concoction. One day, I shall prepare the Gambian “version” and let you know which I prefer.