Ramadan Series: I | II | III | IV | V | VI
Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated, “If any of the Messenger’s (peace be upon him) family became ill, the Messenger (pbuh) would say, ‘It (talbina) soothes the grieving heart and cleanses the ailing heart just as one of you cleans dirt off his face with water.’ ” [Saheeh Sunan ibn Maajah (3445), hadeeth hasan].
Talbina is a simple dish that was enjoyed by the prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) and his companions. It is made from barley flour, milk, water and is often sweetened with honey. The prophet (peace be upon him) used this dish as a means for curing the sick and to comforting those who have lost loved ones.
Barley, honey, and milk are all foods of the sunnah and hold their own healing properties. Talbina combines all three ingredients together to create a super food! It lowers cholesterol and strengthens the heart; protects from cancer, alzheimer, and depression; controls blood sugar levels, Type 2 Diabetes, mellitus and hypertension, all without side effects. Try getting that with modern medicine!
Ingredients:
1. 100% whole grain barley flour
2. Milk/Coconut milk
3. Water
4. Honey
STEP 1. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of barley flour into 1-2 cups of water or milk (I like to do half water half milk).
STEP 2. Stir on low heat for about 10-15 minutes or until a porridge-like consistency is reached.
STEP 3. Sweeten with honey to your liking.
Tips:
-
If you cannot find barley flour at your local store, I found that buying barley pearls and then grinding them to a flour-like consistency in a well-rinsed coffee grinder yields good results.
-
Remember that barley flour is used as a thickener and so it will thicken as you cook it. Do not leave it in the stove for too long or you may come back to a floppy brick of barley porridge! If this does happen, you can add more water or milk and re-stir while reheating.
I hope you take advantage of this simple yet amazing dish this Ramadhan. Stay tuned to learn how to make Tharid, a meat and bread stew which was one of the favourite meals of the prophet Muhamed (pbuh) next time insha Allah. Enjoy!