As Saweeq - Sunnah Date Balls

Saweeq is the Arabic word for roasted Barley Flour (Sattu in Urdu). When the Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon him (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would travel, he would often carry Saweeq. Suwayd ibn Al-Numan reports: “I joined the Prophet on his expedition to Khaybar. When we arrived at Al-Sahba’, which is on the outskirts of Khaybar, the Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon him (صلى الله عليه وسلم) mounted and offered Asr prayer. He then asked for the food to be brought in. Nothing was put out except Saweeq. He gave his iِnstructions and the Saweeq was wetted. The Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon him (صلى الله عليه وسلم) of it and we joined him. Then he rose to offer Maghrib prayer, rinsing his mouth. (Related by Malik, Al- Bukhari and Al-Nassaie.) The food the Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon him (صلى الله عليه وسلم) consumed on this occasion was Saweeq, which is anything made from wheat and barley. Here we use it to make Sunnah Date Balls often referred to as As Saweeq. If you love Dates, why not try our Date and Banana Loaf?

Makes - 20 small Date Balls

Ingredients

18 Medjoul Dates
9 tbsp Talbina
2-3 tbsp Ghee, melted

Instructions

Pit the Dates and set aside.
Roast the Barley Flour for a few minutes in a pan until it begins to change colour at the edges. Keep a close eye on it!
Add the dates to a blender/processor and blend until they form a paste.
Add to a bowl with the roasted Talbina powder and the melted Ghee.
Mix together to form a smooth dough.
Measure out a flat tablespoon of mixture and roll into a ball. Continue until all the mixture is used up.
Roll in various toppings - we used ground Pistachios, Cocoa Powder and Mixed Seeds.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Store remaining As Saweeq in an airtight container in the fridge.