Saheena facts for kids
Roll-up saheena
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| Alternative names | Sahina, Sahiena |
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| Type | snack |
| Place of origin | Trinidad and Tobago |
| Associated national cuisine | Trinidad and Tobago cuisine |
| Serving temperature | hot |
| Main ingredients | dasheen leaves |
| Ingredients generally used | split peas |
| Variations | roll-up saheena, cut-up saheena |
| Similar dishes | saheena talkari |
Saheena (say "sah-hee-nah") is a tasty snack from Trinidad and Tobago. It's made mainly from dasheen leaves and a special dough. People in Trinidad love to eat Saheena for breakfast, as a snack, or at parties!
The Story of Saheena
Saheena has a long history that started with people who came to Trinidad from India. After slavery ended in Trinidad around 1840, many workers were needed for the large farms. So, people from British India agreed to come and work for a few years. This was called "indentured labour." They were promised land after their work was done.
Between 1840 and World War I, about 145,000 workers from India moved to Trinidad. They brought their favorite recipes with them. They then changed these recipes to use the ingredients they found in their new home. This is how Saheena became a part of Trinidadian food.
The word "saheena" comes from the Bihari languages of India. It means "delicious" or "savoury." When people say "saheena," they can be talking about one piece or many pieces, like how we say "fish" for one fish or many fish.
Saheena is a common dish that families make at home. You can also buy it from food stalls and shops. It's often served at special celebrations like Divali and Eid. Many breakfast stalls that sell doubles (a very popular breakfast in Trinidad) also sell Saheena. While some Indo-Trinidadian foods are popular on other Caribbean islands, Saheena is mostly found in Trinidad.
How Saheena Is Made
There are two main ways to make Saheena: the "roll-up" method and the "cut-up" method. Both use the same basic ingredients, but they taste and feel a bit different because of how they are made.
First, a creamy dough is prepared. This dough is made from ground chickpeas (or chickpea flour), regular flour, garlic, onions, spices, and water. The most common spice used is turmeric, which gives it a yellow color. People also add cumin and black pepper. Sometimes, "green seasoning" is added for more flavor. This is a mix of herbs, often including culantro.
Roll-Up Saheena
The "roll-up" method is a bit more detailed.
- First, dasheen leaves are used.
- Dough is spread thinly onto each leaf.
- Then, the leaves are stacked on top of each other, with dough between them.
- The stacked leaves are carefully rolled up, like a roulade (a rolled-up meat or pastry).
- These rolls are then steamed or cooked in a special bag.
- After cooking, the rolls are cut into slices.
- These slices are dipped in spiced flour and more dough.
- Finally, they are fried until they are golden and cooked through.
- The dough used for frying needs to be a bit chewier than the dough mixed with the leaves.
- Roll-up Saheena is often made for bigger outdoor parties and celebrations.
Cut-Up Saheena
The "cut-up" method is simpler and quicker.
- For this method, the dasheen leaves are cut into small pieces.
- These small pieces are then mixed directly with the dough.
- The mixture is shaped into small, palm-sized flat cakes.
- These cakes are then fried in hot oil until they are crispy and delicious.
- You will mostly find cut-up Saheena at food stalls.
- There's an even simpler way to make cut-up Saheena: mix minced dasheen leaves with water and ready-made pholourie dough, then fry it in small portions.
Serving Saheena
Saheena is usually served with different sauces or dips called "condiments." A very popular one is "kuchela," which is a type of chutney. Chutneys are very common in Trinidadian cooking, and they often taste like mango or tamarind. People also like to put chili sauces on their Saheena if they like spicy food!
A common way to eat cut-up Saheena is to break it open and spread the chutney or sauce inside.
It can be a bit tricky to find dasheen leaves in regular supermarkets in Trinidad. They are usually sold at local markets, which have limited opening times. If dasheen leaves are not available, people sometimes use spinach or collard greens instead, as they taste similar.
When you touch dasheen leaves, they can make your hands feel itchy. To stop this, people rub a little bit of lime juice on their hands or wash the leaves with some lime juice before cooking.
If there are any leftover roll-up Saheena slices, they can be used to make another dish called "saheena talkari." For this, the Saheena slices are cooked in a curry sauce and served with the sauce.
