Simply Blissful Living - Taste of Fiji

Ingredients: Cassava cake: 2 cups grated cassava/yucca 1 cup (8 fl. oz) coconut cream 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1 tsp freshly grated ginger 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg pinch of salt 1 egg yolk* (optional) Custard Topping: 2 egg yolks 1/2 cup coconut cream 4 oz of coconut condensed milk (or regular condensed milk) 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg pinch of salt Method: Preheat an oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Whisk the cassava, coconut cream, dark brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, pinch of salt and egg yolk (if using) together in a bowl until thoroughly combined.  Pour mixture into the greased baking pan and bake for 30 minutes.   Meanwhile, prepare the custard topping. Add all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk until very well combined.  Once the cassava cake is slightly browned and cooked, remove from the oven and add custard topping.  Bake for an additional 15 m...

Ingredients: 1 9 inch unbaked refrigerated pie crust [ this one is dairy free] 15 oz (1 can) pumpkin puree 1 can (11-14 oz) sweetened condensed milk [for dairy free, use coconut condensed milk] 2 large eggs 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1/2 tsp salt Strudel: 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed 1/2 cup Walnuts, chopped 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice Method: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line your pie pan with refrigerated pie crust and prick the bottom of the crust with a fork multiple times. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove once baked and let cool.  Reduce oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt until smooth. Pour into baked crust. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts. Sprinkle over pie filling generously. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a knife/skewer inserted in...

Ingredients 3 tsp (or 1 tbsp)  ground cinnamon 2 tsp ground ginger 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg  1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp ground allspice Method: In a small bowl, mix all ingredients with a whisk until thoroughly combined.  Store in an airtight container. If you do not have the ground version of these spices, I recommend getting the whole spices and dry roasting them for a few minutes. Grind each spice separately and then measure them out.

This recipe is for a half and half pie with two different flavored custards. If you'd like to make only one flavor, please double the recipe for the custard filling. If you'd like a thick crust, as shown in this picture, please double the crust recipe. Ingredients: Crust (thin crust/ double for thick crust)  1.5 cups all purpose flour 1/2 cup sugar 3 tbsp butter [I used vegan butter sticks to make this dairy free]  1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 2 eggs pinch of salt Vanilla Custard (for half pie/ double for full pie with one flavor custard only)  1 cup milk [I used oat milk to make this dairy free]  1/4 cup sugar pinch of salt 3 tbsp custard powder 1 tbsp vanilla 2 tbsp water desiccated coconut* (optional for topping) Pumpkin Pie Custard (for half pie/ double for full pie with one flavor custard only)  1 cup milk  [I used oat milk to make this dairy free]  1/4 cup sugar pinch of salt 3 tbsp c...

Ingredients: 1 (15 oz) can Mackerel  4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered 1 medium onion, sliced 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled & crushed 2-3 sprigs of curry leaves 1 tbsp Fiji or Garam Masala 1 tsp turmeric  1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp chilli powder (or to taste) 1/4 tsp asafetida 1 tbsp tamarind pulp 1-2 tbsp oil  salt to taste cilantro  1-2 cups of water (or as desired) Method: Remove bones from fish fillets and break up into smaller chunks if desired On high heat, in a heavy bottom pan, heat oil.  Once hot add tomatoes and onions. Cook until soft (2-3 mins). Add crushed garlic and ginger. Cook approximately 1 minute Add curry leaves and all spices. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add a little water if needed Add potatoes and salt. Cook covered for 5 minutes Add fish and tamarind along with some water. Cook covered for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Check to see i...

These rotis or parathas are stuffed with delicious, spicy mashed potatoes before panfrying. They are soft and utterly delicious! I remember devouring these on weekends when my mom made them! I used to love eating these (still do) by tearing a small piece and dipping in hot tea (lal cha). So good! Ingredients: For the dough: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour ½ tsp salt ½- 3/4 cup luke-warm water 2 tbsp oil For the stuffing: 4 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed ½ tsp cumin powder ½ tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp Fiji masala or garam masala 1/8 cup flour (either all purpose or whole wheat) 1/2 tsp chili powder (or to taste) Handful of cilantro salt to taste Oil or butter for applying on paratha Extra flour for dusting parathas while rolling Method: In a large bowl, mix both flours and salt well, add a little bit of water at a time and make a soft dough. Knead dough for 5 minutes and let rest covered with a damp cloth for approximately 15 minutes...

With Diwali right around the corner and plethora of sweets being prepared, one thing I truly missed was Rasmalai. Traditional Rasmalai is almost completely made of dairy and I didn’t think I could get the texture or flavor profile right! The biggest challenge to me seemed to be making dairy free cheese balls! Boy, was I wrong! This recipe REALLY surprised me. I started off by trying out methods to make almond milk ricotta cheese. Once I had that part down, I tried different methods to make the “cheese” balls, and was finally happy going the traditional route.  For “cheese” balls/disks: 2 cups of almond milk ricotta cheese (homemade recipe below)  2-3 tsp corn starch For sugar syrup: ½ - ¾ cup sugar  2-3 whole green cardamoms 2 cups water For Rabri/creamy syrup: 4-5 cups of nut milk (see recipe below) ½ - 1 cup sugar (per your taste)  1 tsp cardamom powder (ellaichi) 1-2 tbsp cut almonds (or any cashew)  Few strands of saffron (kesar)  ...

A simple, yet delicious, chutney that is a personal favorite to accompany Idlis, this coconut chutney is easy to make and easy to devour too! You can use fresh coconut or frozen grated coconut or even desiccated coconut (make wet with either coconut milk or water). Coconuts are so readily available in Fiji and this is a great way to use it up (along with hundreds of other Island recipes!) I hope you give this a try and tailor it to your likings. Ingredients: 1 cup of coconut chunks Handful of cilantro 1 Tablespoon of tamarind pulp 2 cloves of garlic 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (divided into ½ tsp portions) 2 dry red chilies (or you can use fresh) 2 sprigs of curry leaves Salt to taste Oil for tempering  Method: 1. On high heat, in any pan of your choice, dry roast coconut chunks for 5-7 minutes or until some charring or brown spots appear. 2. Add in garlic and 1 dry red chili and roast for 1 minute. 3. Add ½ tsp of cumin seeds and roast for 30-40 seconds. Do ...

Semolina (suji/sooji), milk and sugar make this delicious dessert flavored with cardamom and garnished with almonds. Suji ke Halwa is offered as prasad during Diwali to Ma Laxmi and Ganesh. It is also prepared for all religious festivities including puja and Holi. This halwa is quick and easy and a treat to prepare when unexpected guests arrive! Milk gives halwa the rich taste but you can omit milk and used water instead. Ingredients: 1/2 cup suji/rava/semolina 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 2 cups milk (evaporated or whole milk) (plant based for vegan option) 5 tbsp ghee/butter (vanaspati ghee is vegan or you can use plant based butter) 1 tsp powdered cardamom (ellaichi) 1/4 tsp nutmeg (jaifar/jaifal) 2-3 tbsp slivered almond 2 tbsp raisins (munaka) pinch of saffron (kesar) Directions: In a saucepan, mix milk, sugar and spices. Heat the sugar melts and the mix warms through.  In a pan or kadiya (kadai/wok),  add semolina and roast until golden brown. ...

Ladki Mithai is a must have in every household during Diwali. It is made with simple ingredients yet, its so delectable that I always find myself eating a whole bowl full alone! They are simply irresistible. Growing up, I remember buying small bags of these from the street vendors, or the Gadi wala as we called it. You will find that every household has its own way of making it. Some make them long and some short. Some thin and some thick. Some like them light golden and some darker! I prefer mine golden brown, crispy and crunchy. The beauty of Ladki Mithai is that they need not be perfectly cut. Lakdi Mithai translates to "Sweet Sticks" and they certainly look like lovely little sticks! Here is my version of Lakdi Mithai! Ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour 3 Tablespoon butter/ghee (use vegan butter to make it vegan) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cardamom powder (ellaichi) few strands of saffron (optional) 1/2-1 cup of luke warm water oil for frying Syrup: 1 c...

Gulab jamun is a milk-based Indian sweet. Gulab, in Hindi means rose and jamun is a type of fruit that varies in shape from cylindrical to round. There are as many variations of this dessert as there are jamuns. If you order gulab jamun in an Indian restaurant, you are most likely to get soft round balls floating in syrup. This recipe is for the type of gulab jamun commonly made in Fiji. It doesn't sit in syrup for too long, is cylindrical in shape and made from condensed milk. It has a more dense texture and just steeped in syrup, not served floating in syrup. Depending on who you ask, there are, again, variations of this recipe in Fiji itself. Some like to make a simple syrup to soak these while others, like my family, like to coat them in a sugar syrup that hardens slightly. This recipe is quite simple. Just be sure to fry the Gulab Jamuns on medium low heat, otherwise you will end up with half cooked, gooey, Gulab Jamuns! On to the recipe!

This Tamarind or Imli chutney as we call it in Fiji is lip-smacking and absolutely delicious! It can be made into a thick paste or left runny, depending on your preference. This chutney is sweet, tangy, spicy and sour, all at the same time. You can easily adjust the sugar and add any other spices (fennel seeds is a additional) while preparing Imli Chutney, however I prefer it just like this. By default, this chutney is vegan, gluten free, and very simply to prepare. It can be made well in advance and will store in the refrigerator for months! Lets talk more about the star of the show, the Tamarind Tamarind is a member of the legume family, and so some may consider it a legume. It is mostly used and enjoyed like a fruit. Tamarind is a pod-like tree fruit that grows in tropical and sub-tropical areas. It can be found growing throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and South Asia. The pulp that comes from pods on the Tamarind tree, can be used as the base for all sorts...

Fiji Style Barfi | Milk Powder Barfi | How to Make Burfi   Barfi, Burfi or Doodh La Barfi, is a popular sweet in Fiji, especially during Diwali! With a few simple ingredients, this milk fudge is melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Although the ingredients and even the recipe itself is quite simple, the challenge usually lies in the syrup. Honestly, it took me a few tries (more like 10) to get this barfi down. In my video below, I’ve shared some tips on when to know that the syrup is ready. It may take you a few tries, but once you have this down, I promise you, you will be making it every Diwali, if not multiple times in the year!  This delicious sweet is a must have for wedding festivities as well. Although quite similar to the ones made in India, if you grew up eating Fiji style barfi, you’ll feel something “missing” when you get the barfis at the Indian stores.  I hope you give this recipe a try! If you do, please snap a pic and share it on my social media!...

These cloth wipes solutions work so great for us and so, so simple to make. We cloth diaper 75% of the time (with the exception of when we go out and overnight), but use these diapers 95% of the time (exception being when we are out and about). They smell wonderful and leave my daughter's bottom looking and feeling soft and supple. We use these wipes and wash them with our cloth diapers every 2-3 days. I used an old wipe container and make this solution about once a month. After I fill up my spray bottles, I pour whatever solution is left over into the wipes container. This helps keep the wipes moist, but not completely wet. When we wipe her bottom for a diaper change, I spray a little extra on the wipes and its good to go. These wipe solution is SO easy to make and so cost effective; not to mention Earth friendly as well. I really hope you give these a try! Ingredients: 2.5 cups of distilled or purified water, warm 1-2 tbsp Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap *  1 ...

Ingredients: 4 cups bread flour  2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast 1/4 cup sugar 1 egg, beaten 4 Tbsp butter, melted 1 1/2 cups milk, lukewarm 2 cups coconut milk  Method: Combine flour, yeast and sugar in a big mixing bowl. Mix milk, melted butter, and beaten egg in separate bowl.  Pour wet mix into the flour mix and form into a soft dough. Knead dough by hand for approximately 10 minutes or in a stand mix for 5-7 minutes.  Place in a greased (buttered) bowl making sure to brush some butter on top of the dough.  Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until double in size. Turn out and knock down all air bubbles. Divide into 12 equal pieces and shape each into a smooth bun shape. Place in greased baking pan and set aside to rise again for 30 minutes until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350°F or 175°C . Once dough has risen, pour the coconut milk all over the buns making sure you pour some on each bun. Bake for 20-25 mins or until gold...

It's that time of the year again! Easter! In Fiji, this means lots of delicious hot cross buns! I remember mom going down to the stores and grabbing the buns with the big red crosses painted on them... Although these aren't the "typical" Fiji style hot cross buns, they are widely sold in Fiji too. More importantly, these are DELICIOUS! So give this recipe a try and trust me as I say, you will not be disappointed! Ingredients: For Buns: 4 cups bread flour/strong flour 2 1/2 tsp yeast 1/4 cup sugar 1-2 tsp cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2-1 tsp cardamom powder 1/4 tsp cloves pinch of salt 1-2 cups dried fruits (pineapple, apples, raisins, sultanas, currants) 1 cup milk (any milk of choice)  1/4 cup melted butter 2 eggs, beaten zest of one lemon zest of one orange Cross Paste: 1/2 cup white flour 1/4-1/2 cup water Glaze: 2 tbsp sugar 1/3 cup water Method: Combine flour, yeast, sugar, mixed spice, salt, citrus zest, and dried fr...

Gulgulas are a family favorite in this household! With it being so easy, and so versatile, its hard not to pop these beauties in your mouth one after another. I remember on rainy days back at home in Fiji, mom would make these with some cha (tea) and we would all sit in the veranda (porch) and look out to the road, chitchatting, playing, and enjoying the rain. Today, I will be sharing my recipe for gulgulas. My moms recipe is slightly different and I will be sharing that in the near future. Be sure to check out my video on YouTube on how I make these! And when you do make them, share your pictures with me on social media! Now, on to the recipe! Ingredients: 1 cup all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup brown sugar*  1-2 ripe bananas, mashed 3 Tbsp raisins, soaked in 1/4 cup water 1 tsp cardamom powder 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder 1 tsp vanilla extract  saffron, few strands (optional)  1/4-1/2 cup water or milk  Oil for frying  Method...

These lactation cookies are sooo delicious and they helped me increase my supply. In the beginning, I ate 3 daily, which really isn’t hard to do since they are so darn good! If you’re Breastfeeding, you must try these! Ingredients: 2 tablespoons flax seed meal 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil 1/2 cup cane sugar  1/2 cup brown sugar 3 egg yolks 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour  1/4 cup brewers' yeast 1 tablespoon wheat germ 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats  1 cup chocolate chips Optional: add one or all! 1/2 cup coconut flakes 1/2 cup chopped nuts 1/2 cup dried cranberries  Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C). Mix flaxseed with 1/4 cup of water in small bowl and let soak for 5 minutes. Beat butter, coconut oil, white sugar, and brown sugar together unti...