This is my version of Karak Chai, a milky tea popular in Gulf countries and South Asia, this one utilizing beautifully aromatic saffron by Heray Spice, a Chicago-based company, sourcing their products from farmer cooperatives all throughout Afghanistan.
It’s less sweet, as I’ve opted to swap out milk + sugar (you can also use honey) for the typically used sweetened condensed milk in this recipe: What makes this extra special? The Afghan saffron by Heray Spice.
To make Milky & Sweet Saffron Tea, use the following ingredients
Makes 2 teacups
Ingredients
1/8 teaspoon Heray Spice Saffron, soaked in 1/2 cup warm water for at least 10 minutes
5 cardamom pods, crushed
2 black tea bags (English Breakfast is perfect). You can also use loose tea, but you will have to strain the final mixture well.
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon raw cane sugar, or to taste. You can also use honey, but add this at the end when the tea has cooled somewhat.
Directions
In a small saucepan, bring the water-soaked saffron to a boil. Add the cardamon and the tea bags and continue to boil for 1-2 minutes.
Add the milk and lower the heat to medium simmer. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, adding the sugar in the meantime.
Pour the mixture into teacups immediately before serving.
There are some really wonderful pastry and baking dishes found in French, Italian, Latin, Asian and American cuisine that call for alcohol and liquors, so if you’re following a Halal diet, or you just want to eliminate alcohol from a recipe (i.e. meals for kids), I’ve come up with a list of all natural Halal substitutes for those – and the results are so delicious! You can get some of the classics in the My Halal Kitchen cookbook. Click on the chart to get the PDF, which you can download, print and hang on your fridge!
To print a copy of the chart above, click on it.Raspberry Flan in the Latin chapter of the My Halal Kitchen cookbook
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So many people end up avoiding restaurants, recipes and other great family meals because they’re often times unaware of the ways around consuming pork and that there are plenty of fine substitutes that can be used in classic Italian,French, Latin,Asian, and all-American dishes. In the chart below, I provide such substitutes that can be used that really add flavor and depth to dishes, so there is no sacrifice on the taste. In fact, you’ll be mighty surprised how delicious recipes turn out with the suggestions I’ve given. See for yourself with the recipes you can experiment with in the My Halal Kitchen cookbook.
Simply click on the chart, download the PDF, print and hang it on your fridge or save it in your favorite recipe files to help you in the kitchen!
Halal BLT from the My Halal Kitchen cookbook
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It’s a common myth that alcohol burns off completely in the cooking process. Yes, some of it does, that is true. When I was writing the My Halal Kitchen cookbook, it was an essential part of my research to gather the scientific evidence to be able to support this notion. Islamic dietary guideline dictate that alcohol and all of its byproducts are not permissible in a Halal diet, so even a small amount of it is considered najs (impure) and therefore haram, or impermissible- the complete opposite of halal. That said, I was able to find the data backed up in the USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6, which is included as a chart in my book. Below is a chart I’ve created to make it easy for you to use in dishes that call for a variety of alcoholic beverages in cooking and in making drinks- so you can have a wonderful fruity non-alcoholic mojito, pina colada and more- which is delightful and opens up a whole new world of alcohol-free dishes from Italian, Latin, French cuisine, as well as juicy mocktails. (To get my recipe for alcohol-free Pina Colada, you can find that in the My Halal Kitchen cookbook, as well). Simply click on the chart, download the PDF, print and hang it on your fridge or save it in your favorite recipe files to help you in the kitchen!
Spaghetti Carbonara from the My Halal Kitchen Cookbook – Italian Chapter
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update: I wrote this at the start of the covid-19 pandemic, but I think it’s just as relevant now than it was then, considering the world seems to be watching a livestream of the most televised man-made tragedy we’ve ever witnessed in our lives….please pray for the people of Gaza and of Palestine. And for humanity.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had some serious bouts of anxiety listening to all the bad news about the covid-19 pandemic our world is facing. I’m missing my family and I worry about them being in the States right now with the world’s largest outbreak in terms of numbers, as well as the completely bizarre and unorganized way the pandemic has been handled there. It’s unnerving, to say the least, and now we have to brace ourselves for impact here in Turkey.
That said, t’s time to take the bull by the horns and feel a little more empowered by doing something about it. At a time when it seems we have so little control over the outcome of this extremely contagious virus, there are things we can do to calm the nerves and actually arm ourselves with the best fighting chance to not get infected, or at the very least to not get so affected by all the bad news that we literally stress ourselves out to the point that we do lower our immune systems and make ourselves more vulnerable to disease and illness, even those unrelated to covid-19.
Here’s what I’m doing to take control over my own life and I do hope that these tips might help or inspire you to do what’s best for you, in your world, and within your means. Here goes:
I’m drinking a LOT of herbal teas. Consuming less caffeine is one of the most relaxing things I’ve done for my body, which has been in effect for several months now, as I was way too addicted to coffee for my own liking. In the coming days I’ll be posting more recipes for some of the teas I’ve been experimenting with after doing the research about their overall health benefits, so stay tuned and make sure you’re subscribed to this website so that you can get those. For example, I’m drinking ihlamur (linden tea), hot water with lemon, olive leaf tea, chammomile, and my favorite so far: mountain sage & lavender combination.
Dried papatya (chammomile) tea in the local pazar in Fethiye, Turkey | My Halal Kitchen
I’m staying in touch with family and friends, a lot. Whether it’s through texting, FaceTime, or WhatsApp, I’m using whatever tools I can use to check in on my parents, aunts and uncles, cousins (one is a nurse, so of course I worry), and of course all of my closest friends. It not only helps me to know how they’re doing, but the connection is good for my soul. Laughing, crying, expressing emotions about how we feel about one another and how much we mean to one another can only be good for the heart, it’s that important to me.
I’m doing other things that feed my soul are gardening and working, yes working. I actually try to combine both these days so that I can work among my plants, which makes me so very happy. I’ve moved all of my plants to a cozier place where I can work right in the center of them. It inspires me visually, but it’s also the most wonderfully-scented place in my house. It makes me very productive, too, so it’s a great place to be during quarantine.
I’m watching some of my favorite youtube channels for uplifting content, inspiration and to give myself hope for the future. Here are a couple of my favorites:
The Chateau Diaries– I love Stephanie Jarvis’ cheery nature and what she’s doing around her French chateau during the quarantine. It’s quite uplifting, to say the least.
Lifestyle Si– I love this interior designer’s calm and soothing nature as she talks about simple ways to decorate your home that just look incredibly aesthetic, natural and beautiful.
Eating a variety of healthy, all-natural, chemical-free real foods to boost my immunity | My Halal Kitchen
Most importantly, I’m listening to my doctors and their good advice- not the advice of rumors or old wives tales. For example, in addition to eating healthy (no refined sugars and only a variety of real, seasonal all-natural, chemical-free foods) I’m making beef or chicken bone broths almost daily, taking black seed and honey, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Zinc, magnesium, bee propolis. I do need to do more fish oils, so that’s going to start again soon. Here are some of the doctors I listen to most:
What do I need to do better during this quarantine?
Mediate more (prayer and du’a/supplication)
Exercise (I need to find more good exercises to do from home)
Sleep earlier. Working long hours isn’t always a good thing and good quality sleep is crucial.
Stress less by reading less negative news and only what’s absolutely necessary. For a news junkie like me, it’s not easy but I’m going to do it.
How are you handling stress and boredom during the quarantine? I’d love to know in the comments below, so please share your tips and wisdom with the rest of us.
*This information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your physician before undertaking any of the advice or suggestions included in this post.
Some of the things I thought would be super easy to find in Turkey were all-natural products. Much to my surprise, even a country that is super down-to-earth and still quite rustic in so many places, this country is riddled with plastic just like everywhere else in the world. It’s been really disappointing because I was hoping to escape the mountain of plastic everything, but I have since learned first-hand that this is a real world-wide problem, not just in Turkey. That’s why when I’m out shopping at the farmers markets, I’m like a hunter seeking out anything and everything that I can use at home to make life more eco-friendly. Finding loofah has been one of those surprising, but very sensible things to bring home. You can do the same with any loofah you find at stores, but you may also find it in farmers markets, too, this time of year. It’s usually really inexpensive, too, so that’s a good thing. I buy the large pieces, bring them home and cut them up. If you’re really lucky, you’ll find loofah that is full of seeds, which you can save to grow more loofah later!
*Did you know that in some cultures, eating loofah (before it looks like the above photos) is actually a common thing?
Once I brought it home and started cutting (scissors are the best tool for this), many of the seeds just start falling out.
Now here’s the really neat part, at least for me. I have only always used loofah to remove dead skin, and most of the time it is sold as a shower and bath item, but that is just not the only thing it can be used for; in fact, it’s an excellent scrubber for your pots and pans and doesn’t scratch them at all. You can also use them to clean any kind of stubborn kitchen residue on cabinets, tables and floors. Simply use them exactly as you would your sponges – only these are totally compostable, so they are definitely eco-friendly. You cannot say the same for many of those plastic sponges that can leave a gazillion of tiny particles in the earth and don’t decompose for hundreds of years.
One note of caution is that if the loofah is left soaking wet and you have a humid environment at home, then it might get moldy. To avoid that you can squeeze it with a towel when you’re finished doing dishes, or if you have a sunny window, leave it in front of the window or outside to air out a little.
Here’s where you can get your own natural loofah:
Is this something you might do? What else would you use loofah for?
Finding 
Now here’s the really neat part, at least for me. I have only always used 
Simply use them exactly as you would your sponges – only these are totally compostable, so they are definitely eco-friendly. You cannot say the same for many of those plastic sponges that can leave a gazillion of tiny particles in the earth and don’t decompose for hundreds of years.