This month, Muslims around the world are celebrating Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic lunar calendar. This is a spiritual time of year when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. This month is focused on strengthening our relationship with God, our faith, and our community. Ramadan teaches us discipline as we strive to do good and make positive changes in our lives, and hopefully continue to do so after this is all over. In addition to fasting, we value prayer, reading the Qur'an, charity, and deepening our connection to our faith.
Before sunrise, we eat a meal called Suhr to prepare ourselves for the fasting day ahead. At sunset, we end our fast with another meal called Iftar. In non-COVID-19 times, Muslims typically spend this time of day with family and friends to celebrate the end of the fast. However, as we usher in another Ramadan amid a pandemic, the celebrations will be slightly different for the second year in a row. Muslims will spend this time with their families and may even spend it alone.
No matter how you celebrate, you're probably looking for inspiration for cooking your evening metal this Ramadan. With that in mind, we spoke to three popular food bloggers to hear their favorite iftar recipes. The foodies, who have more than 90,000 followers on Instagram, this year participated in Instagram's #MonthofGood campaign, which aims to allow people to discover, inspire and express good things online during Ramadan. As part of the campaign, users are encouraged to show kindness and "pay it forward" using the hashtag #MonthofGood. Below, Anisa, Fiza and Asma spread kindness and share love through their love of good food.
Fiza Saeed: Kubayi, Iraq
"Ramadan is a special time for all Muslims, not only because of the spiritual benefits the month can bring, but also because of the sense of community and unity we are able to form through food. You might think the whole point of fasting is to forget about food, But the opposite is true. Fasting for about 19 hours a day gives us the opportunity to practice gratitude and understand how special the act of coming together to eat is.
During Ramadan, we can only eat twice a day: once during Lent, before sunrise and morning prayers, and once during Iftar, after sunset and evening prayers. This means that the food we eat must have the right balance between nutritious and unhealthy to feel like a delicious meal.
One of my favorite Ramadan recipes is my mom’s famous Iraqi Kubbay (pronounced “kub-bae”). If there's one dish that reminds me of my childhood, it's this one. Kubbay is a staple food in the Middle East, especially during Ramadan. They contain spicy minced meat with raisins inside, covered with sticky rice and fried in bread crumbs for a crispy outside and moist, juicy inside. Because this is my grandmother's version of this recipe, it feels even more special to me. "
Check out Fizzah's recipe for Iraqi Kubayi here. For more recipes, follow Fizzah on Instagram @thelondonhaloodie and her blog.
Anisa: Butter Chicken Curry
"Butter chicken has been my go-to recipe for years. I remember my grandma making it all the time as a kid. I have fond memories of visiting her and the smell of spices would hit my nostrils as soon as the front door opened. I immediately Just know she's cooking my favorite dish! I'll walk into the kitchen while the pot is simmering and she'll finish it off with a big dollop of butter and a sprinkle of cilantro, and of course, I'll be fragrant. Now doing for my kids what my grandma did for me.
Ramadan is a special month for Muslims and butter chicken is a perfect iftar meal that the whole family will love and look forward to after a day of fasting. This is a delicious, silky curry that's fragrant and beautifully colored and looks inviting on any table. A charming and special dish that makes you feel like royalty when you eat it. To me, the creamier and more butter, the better! Its thickness makes it even more mouth-watering, especially when you scoop up a piece of chicken with naan bread and a generous amount of creamy curry. Simply heaven! "
Check out Anissa’s butter chicken recipe here. For more recipes, follow Anisa on Instagram @Anisagrams and Youtube @CookwithAnisa.
Asmah Sacha: Gujarati Agar Dessert
"During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset every day. We then celebrate the beginning of each fast with Iftar, and in addition to dates and Zam Zam water, tables around the world are filled with cultural delicacies, both It's comfortable and exciting. The sun sets outside the window, enjoying the cold water, sweet fruits, and hot soup with your loved ones. This feeling is unparalleled.
Since the fasting period is longer, it's always a bonus if the dishes we serve can be prepared quickly. So, for this, I dug into my grandma's recipe book and created a traditional Indian dessert with a modern twist. This is what defines my family’s Ramadan recipe: every Ramadan there is a “Ghas” (i.e. agar-agar or porcelain) dessert. It's colourful, made from cupboard essentials and best served cold. This means it’s perfect for iftar as it’s quick, refreshing, sweet, light and of course, beautifully served. "
Check out Asma’s recipe for Gujarati agar dessert here. For more recipes, follow Asmah on Instagram @ahalalfoodjourney.
