Ramadan Recipes: How to prepare your own iftar

As we welcome the Holy Month of Ramadan, you may already be aware of the different places you can eat out at and enjoy the traditional flavours. We bring you some options you can prepare and enjoy from the comfort of your home...

Baba Ganoush

Serves: 4 PEOPLE

INGREDIENTS

•3 medium size organic round eggplants

•1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

•1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

•1/4 cup chopped parsley

•1/4 cup pine nuts, slightly roasted

•Salt to taste

•2 tbsp olive oil

•2 tbsp lime juice

•1 tsp paprika powder

Method

•Wash and wipe the eggplants and cook them on open flame till they become soft. Keep in the bowl and cover with lid. Leave the eggplant to cool completely. Once it’s cool, peel the charred skin and mash with a fork or use a chopper.

•Add salt, paprika powder, lemon juice, mix well and transfer in the serving bowl.

•Heat the oil in a small pan and sauté the chopped tomatoes with half of the parsley for 30 seconds. Pour this on the Baba Ganoush.

•Top with pomegranate and pine nuts and garnish with parsley. Serve with bread.

Lentil Soup with Crispy Spinach ribbons

Serves: 2 people

INGREDIENTS

•3/4 cup yellow lentil, soaked

•2 cups vegetable stock

•2 tbsp oil or butter

•1 tsp sumac powder

•1 tsp cumin powder

•1/2 tsp paprika powder

•Salt to taste

•2 tbsp lime juice

•1 cup spinach finely chopped

•Extra oil for frying

•Charcoal bread sticks (optional)

Method

•Boil yellow lentil with 1 cup water on slow heat. Once it’s tender, add vegetables stock and simmer for 20 minutes. •Add salt and lime juice.

•Heat the frying pan and fry spinach till crispy. Keep it on the kitchen towel to remove excess oil.

•Heat 2 tbsp oil or butter and add cumin powder, sumac and paprika powder. Temper the soup with it.

•For serving: pour soup in a bowl and top with crispy spinach ribbons. Serve hot!

Batata Cheese Balls

SERVES: 2-4 PEOPLE

INGREDIENTS

•4 medium-sized boiled potatoes

•1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

•1 tbsp zaatar

•1/2 tbsp oregano

•1 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

•1 tbsp tomato ketchup

•1/4 cup bread crumbs

•Extra crumbs for coating

•Salt to taste

•Oil for frying

Method

•Peel and grate potatoes, add salt and bread crumbs.

•Mix well.

•Mix zaatar, oregano, sundried tomatoes, tomato ketchup and cheese.

•Make lemon-sized balls with potato mixture and fill it with cheese mixture. Roll it gently and seal it completely. Coat all the balls with bread crumbs and chill for an hour.

•Heat the oil in frying pan and fry all the balls in batches till golden brown. Serve immediately with preferred dips.

Firdous Firni

SERVES: 4-5 PEOPLE

INGREDIENTS

•1/4 cup clarified butter/ghee

•1/4 cup roasted semolina

•1/4 cup almond powder

•1 ltr. double cream milk

•3/4 cup sugar

•6 green cardamom, powdered

•1 tsp saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm water

•1/4 cup chopped pistachios

•1/2 cup whipping cream

•1/4 cup ready-made pistachio cream (Cremino)

•Green food gel

•Rose petals (optional)

Method

•Heat heavy bottom pan and add ghee and semolina, roast for 39 seconds and add cardamom powder and almond powder. Stir continuously and roast for 1 minute.

•Add milk and bring it to boil, cook continuously on low heat for 1-1.5 hours. Stir regularly. Add sugar and soaked saffron and cook for 10 minutes more. Add chopped pistachios and cool completely. Pour the firni in the serving cups and chill for 2 hours.

•Mix whipped cream with pistachio cream and green food gel and transfer it into the piping bag. Keep this in the fridge.

•Before serving, put the pistachio cream on the top of firni and garnish with pistachios and rose petals.

• Dubai