Samira El Khafir

Samira El Khafir Masterchef Australia Finalist
Foodie, Travel, Author, Educator
Where there is food, there is love.

05/06/2026

Sometimes the simplest meals are the most satisfying.
Crispy fried snapper, golden fried potatoes, and a bright lemon, garlic and herb dressing — gently warm in the oven and thoroughly enjoyed.
With bread or without, it's the kind of simple, nostalgic meal that brings back memories and reminds you that good food doesn't need to be complicated

Eid Mubarak 🤍 May this day bring peace, joy, and countless blessings to every home.
27/05/2026

Eid Mubarak 🤍 May this day bring peace, joy, and countless blessings to every home.

21/05/2026

Simple but delicious
Cucumber and yogurt dip.

19/05/2026

Chicken shawarma wrap, absolutely delicious. Crispy, smoky, garlicky, spicy, tangy…
Using my E 500 Grill for my chicken



Recipe below

For the chicken marinade (1kg boneless chicken thighs, flattened & tenderised):
• 1 cup yoghurt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp hot pepper paste (or mild if preferred)
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp coriander
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp allspice
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
Massage everything really, really well into the chicken, pop it into a ziplock bag, and marinate overnight for maximum flavour.
I grilled mine on my new Cozze Australia E500 electric grill until beautifully charred and smoky, then rested the chicken before chopping it up finely.
For the wrap:
• Thin saj bread (I found mine at Just Ripe in the freezer section)
• Toum garlic dip
• Chopped shawarma chicken
• Pickled cucumbers
• Pickled long chillies
Wrap it tightly and brush the outside with bloomed spiced oil:
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cayenne chilli powder
• Pinch of salt
• Tiny pinch garlic powder
• 1 tsp pepper paste (or tomato paste)

Cook that on the stove just until fragrant and sizzling, then brush over the wrap.
If you can’t find saj bread, mountain bread works perfectly — even thin burrito wraps will do. It just needs to be nice and thin.
Toast until crispy, golden, and slightly charred all over.
Slice and enjoy as is… or with an extra dollop of toum on top

15/05/2026

How do you do your Buldak
A little splash of soy sauce and a drizzle of cream for me thank you.

13/05/2026

Grilled harissa chops 🌶🔥
One of those meals that’s messy, smoky, juicy, and absolutely worth it.
I made these on my new Cozze Australia E 500 electric grill and honestly loved the result. Made outdoor grilling so easy.
Grilled Harissa Chops
1 kilo Lamb chops
For the marinade: • 3 tbsp harissa paste
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Pinch of salt
• ½ tsp cumin
• Drizzle of olive oil
Mix together and coat your chops well. Reserve a little of the marinade on the side for serving later.
Onto the grill: • Harissa chops
• Whole mini onions (skin on)
• Whole tomatoes
• Capsicum wedges
Grill everything until beautifully charred and smoky. The onions become soft and sweet inside while the tomatoes blister perfectly.
Now for the best part — wrap everything up in warm Iraqi flatbread while it’s still hot. Let it sit until dinner time so all the juices from the meat and vegetables soak right into the bread.
To eat:
Rip off some bread, add a piece of chop, peel back the soft onion skin, add tomato, a little extra harissa… and enjoy every mouthful.

06/05/2026

From milk to magic
Homemade baladi cheese — soft, milky, slightly salty.

Full recipe in English and Arabic below

Ingredients:
2L full-fat, unhomogenized milk
½ tsp animal rennet
2 tbsp milk (to dissolve the rennet)
Salt, to taste
3–4 cups boiling water (for brine)
Extra salt (for brine)
Method:
Pour the milk into a pot and gently heat until warm (not boiling — around 37–40°C).
Dissolve the rennet in a little milk, then add it to the pot. Stir well to combine.
Cover with a lid and leave undisturbed until the milk sets into curds (about 30–45 minutes).
Once set, cut the curds into squares and let it sit a few more minutes to release the whey.
Transfer the curds into a cheesecloth (or sieve lined with chux cloth) and allow the liquid to drain.
Add salt to the curds, then gently mix.
Fold and compress the cheese —
2–3 hours for a softer, milky texture
Longer if you prefer it firmer
In a separate bowl, mix boiling water with salt to create a brine. Let it cool to room temperature.
Slice the cheese, place it into the cooled salt water brine, and refrigerate.
Ready to eat once chilled

وصفة الجبنة البلدي المصري (في البيت)
المكونات:
٢ لتر لبن كامل الدسم (يفضل غير مبستر/غير مجانس)
نص معلقة صغيرة منفحة
٢ معلقة كبيرة لبن (علشان نذوب فيهم المنفحة)
ملح حسب الرغبة
٣–٤ كوب ماء مغلي
ملح إضافي للمحلول الملحي
الطريقة:
نحط اللبن في حلة ونسخنه لحد ما يبقى دافي (حوالي ٣٧–٤٠ درجة، مش يغلي).
نذوب المنفحة في شوية لبن، وبعدين نضيفها على اللبن ونقلب كويس.
نغطي الحلة ونسيبها من غير ما نحركها لمدة ٣٠–٤٥ دقيقة لحد ما تمسك وتبقى خثرة.
نقطع الخثرة بالسكينة مربعات ونسيبها شوية علشان الشرش يفصل.
ننقلها في شاش أو مصفاة عليها قماشة (زي الشُكس) ونسيبها تصفي.
نضيف الملح على الجبنة ونقلبها بلطف.
نلمها ونكبسها:
من ٢ لـ ٣ ساعات لو عايزينها طرية وملبنّة
أكتر لو عايزينها أنشف
نعمل محلول ملحي: نضيف ملح على المية المغلية ونسيبها تبرد خالص.
نقطع الجبنة ونحطها في المحلول الملحي، وبعدين على التلاجة.
وبكده تبقى جاهزة للأكل

04/05/2026

Scale the fish → do this under water to stop scales flying everywhere
Cut & clean → slice from the stomach up to the gills, then remove the insides
Soak → place in salted water for 10 minutes to draw out blood & impurities
Rinse & prep → rinse under fresh water, then score the fish
If cooking later → store in the fridge with lemon slices to keep it fresh & odour-free
If cooking now → pat dry with paper towel… and start frying

28/04/2026

Simple, wholesome, and full of flavour 🍠✨
Roasted beetroot & sweet potato salad that just works.
Recipe:
Wrap 1 whole sweet potato and 1 whole beetroot in foil and roast until tender. Let cool, then peel and slice.
Wash and dry rocket leaves and spread on a serving tray.
Top with the sliced sweet potato and beetroot.
Crumble over feta, add a handful of crushed walnuts, some slived onion and finish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

23/04/2026

Melbourne… you’re not ready for this collaboration. My viral Crunch Cakes have officially launched at Rosa

Think soft, indulgent cake, absolutely loaded with sauce, layered and finished with irrististable crunch. Every bite is rich, gooey, crunchy and HIGHLY addictive 🤤

Launching in three flavours, including:
Kinder Bueno Crunch
Chocolate Crunch
Pistachio Kataifi Chocolate Mud

This is the dessert everyone’s been talking about — and now it’s right here at Rosà.

Available Thursday to Sunday from 5PM
📍80 Community Hub, Sydenham

Get in early… these won’t last. Only available each night until sold out! Which one are you trying first?

Address

Melbourne, VIC

Website

https://www.sevenrooms.com/events/ahNzfnNldmVucm9vbXMtc2VjdXJlchwLEg9uaWdodGxvb3BfVmVu

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