Hi friend! Thank you for stopping by!
I’m Safira, and I look forward to sharing my favourite recipes from around the World with you.
Tiffin and Tea began when I was an exhausted mum, looking after 2 tiny toddlers.
The name felt like a natural fit. We loved tea and I associated a tiffin with travelling and that is something I wanted to do a lot of.
I had learnt very little about cooking before I got married. I just about knew the basics. Over time I learnt how to make a variety of dishes and I really began to enjoy the process too.
Not long after I started, I was invited to contribute some recipes to Huffington Post. It was just the boost I needed at the time and helped me to continue this journey.
Our Recipes
First and foremost, this is a website that shares Recipes from around the World. The recipes are largely influenced by flavours that I enjoy and experiences I have loved.
Initially that was mainly Cakes and Desserts. These were recipes I made when I struggled with Anxiety. Baking had a way of reducing the noise in my head and to this day, it is something I do when I need to slow down.
I then started to share South Asian heritage Recipes as well as Recipes from around the World because that is an accurate reflection of how we eat.
I have recently ventured into sharing Recipes from Muslim Majority Countries - Either the recipe in it’s entirety or recipes that use ingredients that are from Muslim majority countries.
Why?
I am a Muslim and have always been fascinated by the history of food and commonalities between Countries and Communities. Food is a language we all understand and I want to focus on and elevate the food, voices and people of communities whose voices are so often taken away. The magic of food is that through sharing our stories, joys and food, we braid together elaborate fibres that come together to create the most intricate, vibrant and beautiful global gastronomic quilt.
Each section of the quilt, exhibiting it’s own beautfiful heritage and each thread and colour is a result of stories and flavours that have been passed down through time. We are all interwoven and when we come together, share and collaborate, we create the most wonderful food and memories.
Some of our most popular recipes:
Chicken Doner Kebab
Trilece
Honey Butter Toast
Dal Chawal
Akni
I have recently started baking cakes (at the ripe old age of 71!) for my husband and friends. This has to be the best one I've discovered so far.
I took half a cake when I went to visit my friend, who is terminally ill, last week. I have just recceived an email from his wife asking if I could possible bring another one when I visit this week!
The texture is wonderful - similar to a cheesecake. I love that hint of lemon, and the crunchie top makes it perfect!
Thank you for this amazing recipe!Patricia
Easy-to-Make, Well researched Recipes
I research and test the recipes on this website endlessly. I want to make them as easy to follow as possible! One of my passions is to teach home cooks to become more confident in the kitchen and this comes with time and experience. I want you to feel like i am in the kitchen cooking right beside you. I know what it feels like to feel like you can't do it or can't ask.
I hope you will leave Tiffin and Tea having learnt something new and that ultimately it gives you more confidence in the kitchen.
Tiffin and Tea is full of tried and tested recipes. Some have been passed down via family and friends and others are recipes that I have researched, tweaked and perfected over time. We try to keep them as authentic as possible but I know that most well known recipes have several variations!
We give you plenty of tips and tricks along the way so that you can adjust a recipe and make it your own.
My Background
I’m a mum to a 12 year old boy and an 11 year old girl. I was born in a small scenic town in the North West of England (Blackburn). I now live in Leicester but if I could, I would spend my life on a train, in a car or on a plane. I love to explore!
Today, I am lucky to do a job I love - Creating and sharing recipes from around the world.
My mum has and always will be someone who I look to for inspiration. She made the most delicious food throughout our childhood and continues to do that for us whenever we are in town. Although we struggled financially, her creativity never made it feel that way. We ate the BEST food.
This blog is a reflection of how we eat:
We like to cook and eat food from around the World and we want to make sure that the Recipes we share are well researched and tested. So we share:
- Recipes that work and taste great!
- Easy to follow Recipes with a step by step guide.
- Blog posts that are littered with tips and tricks.
Global Recipes
Global Recipes may occasionally include ingredients that you may not be aware of.
If you cannot find something, I will always suggest a replacement.
These recipes range from:
- Food from around the World - Meat, Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes
- Food of the Muslim World - E.g. The Kebab Series - Every Muslim Majority Country has a Kebab recipe and I want to share as many as I can with you! I am particularly interested in how food, ingredients and flavours have travelled the globe.
- Sides and Accompaniments galore - Like Garlic Naan, Easy Persian Shirazi Salad Recipe.
- Bakes and Desserts - From our 4 xs tested Chocolate Baklava to Masala Chai Milk Cake - Chai Tres Leches.
Hi, this is at least the fourth time I have made this recipe. It is with out doubt one of the best butter chicken curry's I have made, and I make a lot. Saturday night is curry night in very cold Yorkshire a 11 out of 10 thank you for sharing 😀
Andrew
This cake is out of this world!!! It is equally beautiful as it is delicious! I cut down the sugar levels in the cake and the condensed milk amount and still found it to be sweet enough to my liking. A real crowd pleaser, regardless of whether you’ve had rose syrup before or not. Thank you for sharing this recipe and hope to try out some more from your collection.
Zahra
Say Hello
The best part of this job is hearing from you.
Whether it is feedback, advice, tips, suggestions..whatever it is, I love to hear from you!
Please message me on Instagram or at Safira@tiffinandteaofficial.com