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Hina Jafri

@hinaplates

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Elevate | Innovate | Plate 🍽️
Recipes from around the world 🌍 - 📍 🇬🇧
🎖️MasterChef Canada selected Finalist - Season 6
📌Main account - @hinarrates

POSTS STORIES REELS

Healthy Banana Bread for babies (sugar and gluten free)

3 fully ripe banana
2 eggs
200gm or 1.5cups almond flour
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
2 tbsp greek yogurt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla paste/essence
1 tbsp almond butter
handful blueberries

Mash bananas, mix all wet ingredients
Fold in dry ingredients

Bake at 180c for 45 mins. Check at 30 mins, if top getting brown, cover with foil

Turned out super moist and naturally sweet

Perfect for babies and toddlers
(this is my own experiment recipe that turned out perfect) by @hinaplates

Easiest Sheet Pan Koobideh - no skewer needed

Persian kebab night, oven edition

Ingredients (Serves 4–5)
• 1kg beef mince (80/20)
• 1.5 white onions, grated & squeezed bone dry
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tsp sumac
• Steeped saffron + salt to taste
• 1 tbsp ghee (if your mince is lean)

Instructions
1. Season & mix: Combine all ingredients and blend until the mixture becomes a sticky, paste-like dough
2. Taste test: Fry a tiny piece in a pan first and adjust salt before committing the whole tray
3. Shape: Spread 2cm thick on a lined sheet pan → slice into long strips → press finger dents along each one
4. Bake: 200°C for 20 mins → broil for 3 mins until the ridges char

(Last picture shows how drained and dry grated onions need to be because that directly impacts how dry or juicy your kebabs will be)

Serve with saffron rice, shirazi salad & yogurt sauce by @hinaplates

Tried the viral doner kebab that has taken the internet by storm. Thanks to @mezemike

If you don’t know, you would think you are eating a takeout, istg

There are several versions and recipes of this. I tried with my own tweaks. Below is my recipe and method:

⚪️ Doner Kebab
- 500gm mince meat (not lean)
- 1 red onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp allepo peppers / chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp sumac
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1.5 tbsp red pepper paste (optional)
- 1.5 tbsp yogurt
- Handful parsley
- Olive oil drizzle

Blend/Chop all of the above into a very thick paste

Put a scoop between two parchment paper and roll wafer thin. Peel one paper off. Fold the paper with mince into rolls. Line the rolls in a dish.

Bake in preheated oven at 200c for 20 mins.

Unroll the parchment and voila!

Serve with white sauce (yogurt, garlic, tahini, salt, lemon), chilli sauce (airfry or roast tomato, green chillies, bell pepper, garlic and then blend with chilli flakes, lemon and salt)

Also can add salad made with tomato, onion, parsley, cucumber with lemon, olive oil, salt and sumac. by @hinaplates

Your weekday dinner in 15 mins

Citrus Air-Fryer Salmon (15-Minute Weeknight Dinner)

Serves: 2 | Salmon: ~600g big fillet

• Pat-dried the salmon and drizzled olive oil.
• Rubbed in salt, pepper, onion flakes, minced garlic & chilli flakes.
• Added lemon + orange zest all over. Drizzle honey
• Preheated the air fryer (3 min) → cooked at 190°C for 12 min.

Creamy Citrus Sauce

In a pan:
• Melt butter → add minced garlic + shallots.
• Pour in double cream, salt & pepper.
• Squeeze orange + lemon + lime.
• Simmer until glossy.

Final Touch
• Dunk the hot salmon fillet straight into the sauce.
• Garnish with chives + chilli flakes.
• That’s it, a bright, creamy, citrusy 15-minute dinner. by @hinaplates

🍛 CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA - the creamy comfort classic
✨ Serves 2 | ⏱️ 30 mins

👩🏽‍🍳 Method
1️⃣ Sauté chicken with green chillies, ginger & garlic
2️⃣ Add tikka masala paste and coat well
3️⃣ Separately flash-fry ¼ onion, blend with a can of chopped tomatoes
4️⃣ Add the tomato mix + a splash of milk → cover & simmer
5️⃣ Toss in cubed bell peppers & onions
6️⃣ Finish with a squeeze of lemon 🍋 and a drizzle of cream 🥛

🌿 Tip: Garnish with fresh coriander + serve with basmati rice or naan. by @hinaplates

🫕 THE ULTIMATE HOTPOT GUIDE

The most requested recipe is finally here and yes, it’s easier than it looks!

Hotpot is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Once you prep, you barely need to lift a finger. Let’s break it down into 3 simple parts:

1. 🔥 BROTH - The Soul of the Hotpot

This is where the magic starts.
You can choose from a few popular broths:
• Tom Yum (my go-to — zesty, punchy)
• Mala (tongue-numbing, restaurant-style)
• Tomato or Mushroom (for a milder base)

📍 Find broth pastes at:
• London: Tian Tian, Chinatown
• Toronto: T&T, Ethnic Supermarket, Chinatown
(No paste? Try Food Fusion’s homemade broth)

💡 To build your broth:
1. Heat sesame oil
2. Sauté spring onion, ginger, garlic
3. Add a chicken stock cube + broth paste
4. Fry for a few mins
5. Add boiling water bit by bit - keep tasting!
6. Optional: Kaffir lime + lemongrass (for Tom Yum)

🥄 Your broth should be smooth, rich, and punchy.

2. 🥢 ADD-ONS - Get Creative

This is your playground! Here’s what I usually include:

Proteins:
• Thin-sliced beef or chicken (freeze before slicing)
• Marinate in sesame oil, garlic, ginger, or sriracha
• Tofu, sausages, prawns

Carbs:
• Ramen, udon, or rice noodles
• Tteokbokki (Korean rice cakes)
• Dumplings - homemade or frozen
(Skip rice – it usually goes untouched!)

Veggies:
• Bok choy, corn, mushrooms, napa cabbage; anything you love!

3. 🥣 SAUCES - The Secret Weapon

This is what elevates your hotpot game.

🌶 Spicy Peanut Sauce (a table favorite!)
• Peanut butter
• Sriracha
• Lime juice
• Honey

🌿 Sesame Garlic Sauce
• Tahini
• Minced garlic
• Lemon juice
• Optional: fish sauce

🍜 Other Must-Haves
• Chili oil + chopped scallions
• Ginger soy (ginger + soy sauce + honey)

💡 Host’s Tip:

Serve it like a pro, then casually say,
“Oh, it was so much work…” 😉

📸 Save it

Try this at your next gathering and thank me later!
Tag me if you make it 🫶 by @hinaplates

🍋 Spiced Creamy Lemon Chicken

✨ Comfort food with a zesty kick

Ingredients (Serves 2)
• 600g chicken thighs (patted dry)
• Salt, pepper & lemon zest (to season)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red chilli, chopped (optional)
• 1 cup milk (to deglaze)
• Juice of 1.5 lemons
• 1 tsp chicken powder
• ¾ tsp chilli flakes
• ⅓ tsp cayenne
• ⅓ tsp paprika
• ½ cup cream

Instructions
1. Prep Chicken: Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper & lemon zest.
2. Sear: Heat a pan with a touch of oil. Sear chicken for 4 mins each side until golden. Remove and set aside.
3. Make Sauce: In the same pan, sauté garlic and chilli. Deglaze with milk.
4. Flavour: Add lemon juice, chicken powder, chilli flakes, cayenne & paprika. Stir well.
5. Creamy Finish: Lower heat. Add cream. Stir to combine.
6. Simmer: Return chicken to pan. Cover and cook on low until tender (10–12 mins).
7. Serve: On a bed of mash (store-bought mash enhanced with a splash of milk, pinch of nutmeg & pepper). Drizzle over thickened sauce.
8. Optional: Caesar salad with a twist — mix 1 tsp tahini + ½ lemon juice into your Caesar dressing.

⸻

🧮 Nutrition Info (Per Serving – Chicken Only)
• Calories: ~470 kcal
• Protein: 37g
• Fat: 33g
• Carbs: 6g

(With mash & salad, approx. 680–750 kcal total)

Video shot with @raybanmeta by @hinaplates

PANEER RESHMI HANDI

A silky, creamy, mildly spiced curry perfect with garlic naans!

Ingredients:
• ½ block halloumi (or paneer)
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 350g chicken breast, cubed
• 1 tbsp green chilli paste
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp roasted crushed cumin
• ½ tbsp white pepper
• ½ tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp chicken powder
• 1 small onion, thickly sliced
• ½ bell pepper, thickly sliced
• 1 tbsp cream cheese
• ½ cup milk (adjust for consistency)
• ¼ cup double cream
• Butter, triangle cheese, sliced chillies, julienned ginger, coriander (for garnish)

Method:
1. Pan-fry paneer:
Fry halloumi in 1 tbsp ghee until golden. Dunk in hot water to keep soft.
2. Sauté chicken:
In the same ghee, add chicken cubes + green chilli, ginger, and garlic pastes. Sauté till golden.
3. Spice it up:
Return halloumi to the pan. Add cumin, both peppers, and chicken powder. Splash in some milk to prevent burning. Cover and cook until chicken is done.
4. Veggies + creaminess:
Toss in onions & bell pepper. Add cream cheese and more milk to create a saucy base. Let it simmer through.
5. Finish with richness:
Pour in double cream, turn off heat, and cover for a few minutes.
6. Garnish:
Top with a small blob of butter, triangle cheese, fresh chillies, ginger, and coriander.

Serve hot with garlic naan

Nutritional Info (Per Serving, serves 4)

Calories: ~520 kcal
Protein: ~38g
Fat: ~36g
Carbohydrates: ~9g by @hinaplates

Looking back, I remember vowing never to touch raw meat. I used to tell my mom I was destined for far greater things than just cooking. Because she was a full-time homemaker, I naïvely dismissed cooking as an unskilled, mundane task. Besides, why bother when there were restaurants? My overseas education felt like my golden ticket to eating out every day—a thrill that, surprisingly, wore off much sooner than I had imagined. I found myself craving the comfort of simple, homemade meals.

Cooking wasn’t allowed in my dorm, but with a secret hotplate, a partner-in-crime roommate, and a stash of ready-to-cook soup sachets, I slowly began experimenting. Back home during Eid and other festive occasions, I would self-assign myself to salad or dessert—thinking that was more than enough effort in the kitchen.

Then I met a man—one with a palate sharpened by the finest flavors of Karachi’s vibrant food scene. I knew instantly that our bond would be built around food, and so began my journey from pies to paye and pancakes to parathas.

I still remember, in the early days, wanting to impress him with aloo gosht, his favorite dish. But not knowing how to make it, I secretly enlisted a friend to cook it for me. I served it with all the confidence in the world—only for him to take one bite and say, “This isn’t real aloo gosht—it has tomatoes.” Turns out, Karachi and Punjabi styles of cooking have their own distinct signatures.

Over the years, his sharp (and sometimes painfully honest) critiques pushed me to strive for perfection. He would taste, assess, and deliver his verdict—often brutally in the beginning, to the point where I wanted to give up cooking altogether. Not one to be overly generous with compliments, my true measure of success became the number of servings he went back for or how often he requested the same dish again.

Through this journey, I’ve come to appreciate what a beautiful art cooking is. It’s not just a life skill—it’s therapy, a way to nourish both body and soul, and an expression of love and care.

So, if you’re someone new to cooking (or still finding your way), trust the process. It’s a journey worth taking. ♥️ by @hinaplates

Smash Burgers 🍔

Ingredients (2 double patty burgers):

• 500g beef mince (80/20 ratio)
• Salt & pepper
• 4 slices cheddar cheese
• 4 brioche/potato buns

Toppings (choose):

• Caramelized onions: Cook 1 sliced onion in 1 tbsp butter, 1 tsp sugar (optional), & a pinch of salt for 15 mins.
• Jalapeños, sautéed mushrooms, or grilled pineapple.

Sauces (choose):

• Bang Bang Sauce: 2 tbsp mayo, 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp sriracha, 1 tsp honey, mustard, vinegar, & black pepper. Add chopped pickles/jalapeños if desired.
• Truffle Mayo: Mix mayo with truffle paste.

Method:

1. Heat pan. Smash mince ball with parchment, season, and cook ~2 mins/side. Add cheese.
2. Toast buns.
3. Assemble: Spread sauce, add patty, toppings, cheese, repeat. Wrap in foil & bake for 5 mins at 180°C.

Calories per burger: ~540 kcal | Protein: 35g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 38g.

Enjoy with fries!

#hinaplates #smashburgers by @hinaplates

Marry Me Eggs Recipe Card

Servings: 1 | Prep Time: 5 mins | Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter (i used flavored)
• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp tomato paste or if you have roasted red pepper paste
• 6-8 black olives, sliced
• 3 tbsp double cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp chopped fresh chives
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Heat Butter: In a small non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Sauté Ingredients: Add sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, and olives. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
3. Add Cream: Pour in the double cream and mix well to combine. Allow the mixture to simmer gently for 1-2 minutes.
4. Crack Eggs: Make small wells in the sauce and crack in the eggs. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Cover and Cook: Cover the skillet with a lid and cook on low heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the egg whites are set but the yolks remain runny (or cook longer for firmer yolks).
6. Finish with Parmesan and Chives: Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and chives over the top. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Nutrition Info
• Calories: 310 kcal
• Protein: 14 g
• Carbs: 6 g
• Fat: 26 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Sodium: 530 mg

Enjoy your flavorful and indulgent Marry Me Eggs! by @hinaplates

Cilbir (Turkish Poached Eggs)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1

Ingredients
• Greek Yogurt: 150g (0% or full-fat based on preference)
• Eggs: 2 large
• Butter: 15g
• Garlic: 1 small clove, minced
• Paprika: 1 tsp (sweet or smoked)
• Chili Flakes: ½ tsp (optional)
• Fresh Dill or Parsley: 1 tbsp, finely chopped (optional for garnish)
• Salt: To taste

Instructions
1. Prepare the Yogurt Base:
In a bowl, mix Greek yogurt with minced garlic and a pinch of salt. Spread the mixture on a serving plate or shallow bowl.
2. Poach the Eggs:
• Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle simmer.
• Crack each egg into a small bowl and gently slide it into the simmering water.
• Poach for 3–4 minutes or until the whites are set but the yolks remain runny. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on the yogurt.
3. Make the Butter Sauce:
• Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat.
• Add paprika and chili flakes, stirring until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
4. Assemble:
Drizzle the spiced butter over the poached eggs and yogurt.
Garnish with fresh dill or parsley if desired.
5. Serve:
Enjoy with crusty bread or pita on the side!

Nutrition per Serving
• Calories: 265 kcal
• Protein: 20g
• Carbs: 7g
• Fats: 17g
• Fiber: 0.5g

📌 Tip: Adjust the spices to your heat tolerance and experiment with full-fat yogurt for a creamier base! by @hinaplates