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“What to cook for Iftar and dinner?”
This is an important question in many Muslim households during this holy month od Ramadan when every long-awaited meal is special. Make Ramadan 2017 a healthy one with our wide range of special Ramadan recipes for your iftar menu.
During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims endure a period of daily fasting – the biggest act of religious observance of its kind. For the world’s 1.6bn Muslims, including Britain’s 2.8 million-strong Muslim community, the annual event represents a time to fast and devote a particular focus to prayer, purification, and charitable acts. This year Ramadan begins on Friday, May 26 and ends on Saturday, June 24.
The info below should help enlighten you on several other interesting aspects of this holy time experienced by so many.
1. WHAT IS RAMADAN?
As the holiest month of the year, it is a crucial period for practicing Muslims and underpins some of the religion’s core values, such as prayer and giving to charity. Practically speaking, it’s the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The word comes from the root words ramiḍa or ar-ramaḍ, which roughly translate to the scorching heat of the sun. For Muslims, this means a time of deep spiritual discipline where they reaffirm their relationship with Allah and through which, in keeping with the name, their sins will be burnt away.
2.WHY IS IT HOLY?
This month is believed to be around the time the first verses of the Qur’an were revealed to the prophet Muhammad in 610 C.E.
As the story is told, Muhammad would often leave his hometown of Makkah to reflect and meditate in solitude. One night while Muhammad sat contemplating in a cave, he heard a voice call out to him, “Read!” The voice belonged to the angel Gabriel. In turn, Muhammad proceeded to miraculously recite the first verse of what would come to form Chapter 96 of the Qu’ran, which goes:
“Read, in the name of thy Lord, Who created?
Created man, out of a clot (embryo).
Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful,
He Who taught the use of the pen?
Taught man that which he knew not.
Nay, but man doth transgress all bounds,
In that he looketh upon himself as self-sufficient.
Verily, to thy Lord is the return (of all).”
3. WHY DO MUSLIMS FAST DURING RAMADAN?
Fasting (sawm in Arabic), is one of the five key pillars underpinning the Islamic faith. The others are prayer (salat), giving a percentage of your salary to charity (zakat), making the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and, of course, a belief in the Muslim faith (shahadah).
Fasting involves abstaining from all food, drink, smoking and having sex from sunrise to sunset. Muslims will wake up before sunrise for morning prayer and to eat before the day’s fast begins. Most will break their fast alongside their families in the evening with a communal “Iftar” meal, typically often started with dates.
4. DO ALL MUSLIMS HAVE TO FAST?
Fit and able adults are expected to fast, but children and elderly people are exempt. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, anyone who is sick and anyone traveling on a journey is also exempt.
Women who are on their periods are not expected to fast but make up the missed days at a later date.
5. AND YES, IF YOU WERE WONDERING, FASTING TIME DIFFERS DEPENDING WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGWeutgKvGc/
6. WHAT IS RAMADAN’S CONNECTION TO THE MOON?
As opposed to the more synonymous January through December months, for religious matters Muslims adhere to a lunar calendar. In the case of Ramadan, the month officially starts with the sighting of the new moon of the lunar calendar’s ninth month. One of the major differences between these two forms of keeping time is that the latter is 11 days shorter. As such, Ramadan shifts backward by approximately 11 days each year.
7. CHARITY FORMS AN IMPORTANT PART OF RAMADAN
Among the aforementioned five pillars of Islam, is the ever important practice of charity. During Ramadan, the rewards of charity are considered to be greater, so this month generally marks a time of great generosity.
8. WHAT IS IFTAR?
Iftar is the meal which is eaten after sunset during Sawm, the fasting which occurs during the month of Ramadan in Muslim tradition. Since people have not eaten at all during the day, they are often quite hungry by the time Iftar comes around, and most people hasten to end the fast as quickly as possible after sunset. In communities with a large Muslim population, a cannon may be fired or other signal given to indicate the end of the day’s fast, and the information may be broadcast over the media as well.
9. ON THAT DAY, YOU CAN WISH YOUR MUSLIM FRIENDS: “EID MUBARAK”
Which means, “Holiday Blessings.”
10. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN RAMADAN ENDS?
The end of the fasting month is marked with a big feast, the exchanging of gifts and celebrations, known as “Eid-ul-Fitr”.
INGREDIENTS
chicken leg quarters
2 carrots (large, diced)
1-2 celery sticks (or 1 celery root)
½ bunch parsley
½ tsp ground pepper
1 handful okra (cut into rounds if it’s not Balkan okra)
1 tsp seasoned salt
2 tbsp flour
(Optional) 1 egg yolk
(Optional) 1 teaspoon sour cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep okra ahead of time by boiling it in water and lemon juice for an hour or soaking it in the same.
Place the chicken, carrots, celery sticks (root), ¼ bunch parsley, okra, salt and pepper in a pot, cover with 6-7 cups of water, and cook on high heat until it boils. Lower to medium heat and cook for another 70-80 minutes. Occasionally replenish with (warm) water so that the level of water is about the same throughout cooking.
Take the chicken, celery, and parsley out. Remove chicken skin and bones, dice the meat, and then return it to the pot. (You can also take the carrot out and cut it up into even smaller pieces, or mash it up and return to the liquid.)
Place the flour and some water in a smaller cup, then mix well so there are no bubbles. Add the mix to the soup so that it thickens it. Let it simmer on high for 5-10 minutes.
Dice the remaining, fresh parsley and also add to soup.
(Optional) Mix egg yolk and sour cream in a cup, and then pour into the soup, and simmer another 5 min.
INGREDIENTS
1 glass flour
¼ glass water
2 eggs
⅕ tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1⅓ glasses starch
1 glass melted margarine
1½ glasses ground walnuts
2 glasses granulated sugar
2 glasses water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the dough according to the dough for the baklava recipe.
Place the dough pieces on each other on a wooden board.
Cut these pieces according to the size of the tray where they will be cooked.
Grease the tray lightly and place one layer of dough over.
Pour ½ tablespoon melted margarine evenly over the dough.
Place only half of the pieces of dough on the tray so that there is one layer of dough and margarine over that.
When half of the dough is used up, sprinkle ground walnuts over.
Over the walnuts place another layer of dough, spread some margarine, then another layer of dough, continue until all the pieces of dough are used.
Cut the pieces of dough into the shape of baklava, place in a moderately heated oven and cook for an hour until the color of the baklavas turns golden brown.
Put granulated sugar, water, and lemon juice into a pan, melt the Sugar over moderate heat and boil for about 15 minutes until the mixture becomes syrup.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes, brush with butter.
INGREDIENTS
2-3 red onions (try to pick large ones — the recipe called for regular onions, I chose to use red ones)
⅓ lb ground meat (beef or lamb)
¼ cup rice
1½ tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp red pepper paste (if you cannot find it, use tomato paste)
⅓ cup crushed dried sumac
1 tsp dried mint flakes
1 tsp oregano leaves
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp or more crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup hot water
salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut the bottom parts of onions ¼ inch and peel.
Boil them until soft, but not too soft. Rinse and let cool down.
Squeeze each one to get every single layer. You will be stuffing those layers. If slippery, use a clean kitchen towel to grip and squeeze.
Wash rice in plenty water and rinse.
Soak sumac in hot water for 15 minutes and drain. Save the water.
Heat butter in a frying pan.
Add pastes, spices, and salt. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Take the pan off the fire.
Add ground meat, rice, and sumac. Mix well.
Stuff onions with the mix and place them in a broad pot.
Pour in sumac water.
After it starts boiling, simmer covered on low for half an hour.
Serve hot with crusty bread.
We loved it, especially with yogurt.