THE FOOD OF RAMADAN

RAMADAN FOOD

Suhoor and Iftar

During Ramadan, two main meals are served: suhoor, which is served before dawn, and iftar, which is served after sunset. Suhoor should be a hearty, healthy meal to provide needed energy throughout a day of fasting — it ends when the sun rises and the fajr, or morning prayer, begins.

At the end of the day, when the sun sets, the maghrib prayer starts, and the day’s fast is broken with iftar. Many Muslims break their fast by eating dates before beginning the iftar meal. Muslims can continue eating and drinking throughout the night until the next day’s suhoor. At the end of the Ramadan month, Muslims celebrate the Festival of Fast-Breaking, called Eid al-Fitr.

8 Ramadan Foods from Around the World

1) Dahi vadey: Lentil dumplings that are soaked in a spicy yogurt sauce (India).

 

Dahi Wada or Dahi Bhalla as it is called in the northern parts of India is the lip smacking combination of deep fried lentil dumplings topped with creamy yogurt, a chutney and spices. A wada/vada is deep fried piece of lentil dumpling. 

2) Haleem: A slow-cooked stew of meat, bulgur wheat, and lentils ( India, Pakistan).

Hyderabadi haleem is a type of haleem popular in the Indian city of Hyderabad. Haleem is a stew composed of meat, lentils and pounded wheat made into a thick paste. It is originally an Arabic dish and was introduced to the Hyderabad State by the Chaush people during the rule of the Nizams.

 

  

3) Chicken 65: Spicy, bite-sized pieces of chicken that are marinated and deep-fried (India).

Delicious, juicy, deep fried spicy piece of chicken meat bursting with flavor of chilly and curry leaves is one of the most popular starters in an Indian restaurant menu. How the name chicken 65 came? Some say it has to do with the fact that it is 65th dish number in the menu of military canteen in Chennai and some say 65 was the number of spices or chillies used. Rest assured, chicken 65 by any other name would be just as scintillating, fiery and hot.

  

 4) Ramazan Kebabi: A dish made with lamb, onions, yogurt, and pita bread (Turkey).

 

Ramadan Kebabi is the most awaited dish of Ramadan. It is a dish made with beef mixed with sliced garlic, tomatoes, mint leaves, and yoghurt. It also restores the liquid of your body. Serve it hot with garnishing.

 

 

     

    5) Paomo:A bread and mutton soup (China).

Paomo is a specialty of Shaanxi cuisine and is a typical food eaten in the city of Xi'an. It is a hot stew of chopped-up steamed leavened bread (known regionally as mo (馍; 饃; mó) or mantou (馒头; 饅頭; mántóu)), cooked in lamb broth and served with lamb meat.

 

6) Konafah: A pastry made with phyllo dough and cheese (Middle East).

Knafeh is a dessert popular all throughout the middle east, so we headed over to Levant Restaurant where head chef Haifa Zeitoun showed us how to make it. Knafeh is a delicious and rich treat, made with unripened cheese that's baked in shredded phyllo dough before being soaked in simple syrup.

 

 

 

          7)Kolak:A fruit dessert made with palm sugar, coconut milk, and pandanus leaf(Indonesia).

Kolak is a fruit based dessert popular in Indonesia during the month of Ramadan. Traditional kolaks are made with banana, jackfruit, coconut milk, palm sugar and pandanus leaves. Our kolak recipe pretty much follows the same tradition except for pandanus leaves.