Simply Blissful Living - Taste of Fiji

Ingredients: For the Crust: 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup sugar 4 tbsp butter, softened ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp baking soda 2 eggs ⅛ tsp salt For the Vanilla Custard Filling: 3 ½ cups milk ½ cup sugar Pinch of salt ½ cup custard powder 1 tbsp vanilla extract For the Condensed Milk Topping: 6-8 oz condensed milk Zest of 1 lemon 3-4 tbsp lemon juice Instructions: 1. Prepare the Crust: Preheat your oven to  350°F (180°C) . In a mixing bowl, whisk together the  flour, baking powder, and baking soda . Set aside. In another bowl, mix the  softened butter, eggs, sugar, and salt  until smooth and well combined, ensuring there are no butter lumps. Gradually add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until fully incorporated. The dough will be sticky. Grease an  8x8-inch square baking pan  and spread the dough evenly using a spatula or wet hands. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork to prevent excessive puffing. Bake for  10-15 minutes ...

Fiji-Style Golden Fruit Cake Recipe Ingredients: 2 cups fruit cake mix   1/4 cup raisins   1/2 cup apple juice (or any fruit juice of your choice)   1 cup  brown sugar (200 grams) 2 sticks butter, room temperature (250 grams)   1 tablespoon orange rind   1 tablespoon lemon rind   4 eggs, room temperature   2 cups all-purpose flour (320 grams)   1 teaspoon baking powder   1 teaspoon salt   1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder   1 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix (or substitute with 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder) Instructions: Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease it well.  Combine the fruit cake mix, raisins, and apple juice in a bowl.  Optional: Rinse the dried fruit to remove any sticky residue before adding the juice.  Let the fruit soak while you prepare the batter. You can soak it a few hours ahead if preferred...

If there is only one barfi recipe that you need for Diwali, then this is it! I've worked on getting this recipe just right for a while now and after much hard work and determination, I have come up with a barfi that is amazingly delicious! If you've ever had yellow barfi from a certain vendor in Fiji that is famous for its sweets, then you know how incredibly delicious and decadent it is. This recipe is close to, if not just like it! I am so proud of this recipe and I really hope you give it a try! I am sure you will not be disappointed!  Ingredients: Makes 12-15 pieces  2 cups full fat milk powder  3 tablespoons ghee  3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream/double cream drop of yellow food coloring  Sprinkles for decorating (optional)       For syrup 1 cup sugar  1/2 cup water  Method: In a mixing bowl, add milk powder, and the ghee in 2-3 increments. Mix well by rubbing in between your palms after each addition.  Add 1 drop of yel...

Let me start off by saying that this laddo is to die for! It is melt in your mouth goodness and everyone in my family, especially my 2 year old, loves it! The binding agent for this laddu is ghee (clarified butter). I have shared another sooji laddu recipe  on my blog, which uses condensed milk in addition to ghee to help with binding. These are both great and very tasty, however, this one is finer sooji and combined with the sugar and milk, its divine. This DOES NOT hold up well to extreme hot temperatures. I remember a friend of mine made these during our summer (100*F) to take to the temple and by the time she arrived, the whole batch had lost its form and melted in the container. So if its hot out, use the condensed milk recipe as it will not loose its form. But DO give this recipe a try at least once! You too will love it as much as we do, I promise!  Ingredients: 1 cup fine Semolina/Sooji 3/4 cup full fat powdered milk  1/2 cup icing/powdered sugar 1-2 tsp ground ca...

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...

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...

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!