Ramadan Kareem!
The blessed month of Ramadan is the perfect build-up to the festivities of Eid and a big part of this are the drool-worthy delicacies that you don’t necessarily have to be Muslim to enjoy! The question, however, is if you actually know how to make these iconic Ramadan dishes. To help you in this department, we've put together a list of staples that you can whip up at home without breaking into a sweat.
What You Require: Full fat milk, powdered almonds, whole wheat flour, sugar, ghee, saffron, cardamom powder and a mix of your favourite dry fruits.
Time Required: 15 minutes
One of the popular beverages enjoyed during Ramadan is Harira (drank when breaking open a fast), a milk-based drink that is enriched with dry fruits. This is usually enjoyed hot and is perfect for when you want to get those energy levels up! Not to mention, you can make this a post-workout energy-boosting drink or serve it to the kids together with cookies. All you have to do is roast all the dry ingredients in ghee and add milk. Leave to boil. Enjoy!
Find a recipe here.
What You Require: Boneless mutton, green chillies, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, caraway seeds, peppercorns, broken wheat, a mix of all lentils, onions, fresh coriander, mint, oil, lemon and salt. Head here to buy spices
Time Required: 2 hours
Haleem is a centrepiece to most Iftar celebrations and a true delicacy from the land of the Nizams, Hyderabad. It is a slow-cooked, rich mutton stew of sorts made with ingredients like lentils, spices and broken wheat. Certain recipes also flavour it with whole spices, ghee, dry fruits, rosewater, and saffron. Remember, the key is to take it low and slow, you can replace mutton with chicken or any other meat of choice, or use a vegetable for a vegetarian option. Also, disclaimer: one helping of this will leave you satiated for weeks!
Find a recipe here.
What You Require: Minced mutton, onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies, fresh mint and coriander, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, salt and oil to fry. For the dough: Maida, salt, oil, and water.
Time Required: 30 minutes
No Indian is new to samosas, however, ditch aloo for some spiced minced meat. To cut down on the cooking time you can always buy store-bought pastry sheets to encase your mince with. They are almost foolproof and easy to work with. Disclaimer: this deep-fried snack is sure to be a hit that goes down easy, so make sure to make plenty! You can play around with sizes and serve with a green yoghurt based chutney too.
Find a recipe here.
You'll also love this local's recipe to make the most authentic Hyderabadi Biryani at home!
What You Require: Channa dal, boneless chicken, cumin seeds, cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon, coriander seeds, caraway seeds, red chillies, chilli flakes, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander and mint leaves, eggs, salt, water and oil.
Time Required: 60 minutes
What's an Iftaar celebration without those succulent kebabs, eh? We've found you a fragrant and spiced Chicken Shami Kebab, super easy to make with ingredients easily accessible at home, pressure cooker and frying pan. The result will be a tender, soft kebab with the perfect golden crust, yum! The best part is, you can swap the chicken with chickpeas for a vegetarian kebab and it will be equally delicious, we say. You can also nape the same mixture on skewers and voila, you've got Seekh Kebabs!
Find a recipe here.
What You Require: Lamb shank or leg pieces, garam masala or Nihari masala, onion, stock, wheat flour, lemon juice, ginger, coriander leaves, cumin, cardamom, cloves, mace, cinnamon, peppercorns, dry red chillies, poppy seeds, nutmeg, bay leaf, channa dal, salt and oil.
Time Required: 40 minutes
A signature main course gravy, Nalli Nihari is a slow-cooked dish, one in which the meat just falls off the bone and becomes one with the sauce. Sounds heavenly, no? It is spiced just right and is one of the most flavourful aromatic curries out there. You can lap this up with some garlic naan, roti or rice (the options are endless). Oh, and this is a one-pot deal, so easy to throw together, it's only the wait that kills.
Find a recipe here.
What You Require: Bread, full-fat milk, condensed milk, cardamom, sugar, saffron, pistachios, almonds, ghee and water.
Time Required: 30 minutes
Dessert is indispensable to an Iftar meal during Ramadan and a popular choice is the Shahi Tukda which is India's version of a bread pudding, just more decadent. It is also a great way to make use of stale bread. Although it sounds rich, this dessert isn't overly sweet. You can turn this one vegan too, simply use large quantities of any nut or seed milk instead of cow's milk and condensed milk and you're sorted.
Find a recipe here.
What You Require: Tea leaves, sugar, water, lemon juice and mint leaves.
Time Required: 10 minutes
To round off and for some respite after a heavy Iftar meal, you need a cup of the famous Sulaimani Chai. This is super easy to make and you can sip on cups and cups, to your heart's content. It aids in digestion and cooling off. Make it as sweet as you'd like and don't forget to add fresh mint leaves and lemon juice to this brew! Some recipes also call for spices, but that's optional.
Find a recipe here.