8 Easy Ramadan Recipes For Iftar And Suhoor

Ramadan is fast approaching which means the preparations are underway! Many families enjoy preparing for Ramadan by prepping Iftar and Suhoor meals. Many Muslims are often confused about how to gain the most nutritional benefits during the month of Ramadan. Moreover, there’s always the dilemma of what to eat to ensure that you are energized during the day. With busy schedules, most Muslims prefer to prepare easy and quick meals for both Suhoor and Iftar. Below are eight, easy recipes to try this Ramadan!

1. Rooh Afza Dalgona

Ingredients 

• 3 tbsp of Rooh Afza (rose syrup) 
• 1 tbsp of condensed milk 
• 3 tbsp of water 
• 3 tbsp of dairy cream
• ½ cup of milk 
• Ice cubes (optional)

Optional Ingredients

• Basil Seeds 
• Pistachios (for garnishing) 
• Whipped Cream

Method of Cooking

Begin by combining your Rooh Afza, condensed milk, water, and dairy cream in a bowl. With an electric or handheld whisk, beat the mixture for approximately two minutes before you get a heavy, creamy consistency. This will be the dalgona mixture. After the dalgona mixture has been made, add ice to the serving glasses, followed by milk, and basil seeds. Next, carefully add three tablespoons of the dalgona mixture to the milk. A spoon can be used to level out the creamy mixture for a cleaner look, or, the tip of the spoon can be used to poke the dalgona to create a more whipped look. Finally, add pistachios to garnish, and enjoy! 

2. Cauliflower manchurian

Ingredients

Manchurian Batter 

• 1 whole cauliflower 
• ½ cup of all purpose flour 
• ¼ cup of cornstarch 
• ½ tsp of red chili powder (adjust to taste) 
• ¼ tsp black pepper 
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup water 

Manchurian Sauce

• 1 ½ tbsp oil
•  1 tbsp garlic 
• ½ tbsp ginger
• 1 green chili (adjust to taste) 
• ⅓ cup spring onions (or regular onions) chopped finely 
• ¼ cup bell pepper (optional) 
• 1 tbsp soy sauce 
• 2-3 tbsp red chili sauce (adjust to taste)
• ½ tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste) 
• ½ tsp vinegar (either rice or apple cider vinegar)
• 1 tsp sugar
• Add salt to taste
• 4 tbsp of water 
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp spring onions (garnish) 

Method of Cooking

Pull apart the cauliflower until there are individual pieces. In a mixing bowl, add all of the dry ingredients and whisk until evenly combined. Gradually add water while continuing to whisk until a smooth consistency is achieved. The batter should not be a thin consistency as you will coat the cauliflower in this batter. Begin to submerge the cauliflower pieces into the batter, and toss until evenly coated on all sides. To begin frying the cauliflowers, add oil to a frying pan, and let it heat for approximately one minute. Carefully add the coated cauliflower into the oil until golden brown. Repeat the same steps with the remaining cauliflower pieces. Blot excess oil with a paper towel and garnish with salt before adding it to the manchurian sauce. Serve immediately, and enjoy! 

3. veggie and chicKpea salad bowl

Ingredients

Salad Bowl

• 1 avocado 
• ½ fresh lemon
• 2 cups of grape tomatoes
• 2 cups of cucumbers 
• 1 can of chickpeas 
• ¾ cup of green bell peppers 
• ½ cup of fresh parsley 
• ¼ cup red onion

Salad Dressing

• ¼ cup of olive oil 
• 2 tbsp of vinegar 
• ½ tsp of cumin seeds
• Add salt and pepper to taste 

Method of Cooking

First, chop the avocado into bite-sized cubes and add into a mixing bowl before squeezing the lemon over the slices. Use a spoon to mix the two ingredients together. Make sure the avocados retain their shape and are not mashed. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix them together. This recipe is best served chilled and should be kept one hour in the refrigerator before serving. 

4. Yogurt parfaits

Ingredients

• 2 cups of any preferred berries
• 1 tbsp of water 
• ¼ cup of sugar (adjust to taste) 
• 2 cups of low fat Greek yogurt 
• 1 cup of any flavored granola (broken up into small clusters) 

Method of Cooking

To make the berry mixture, add preferred berries, sugar, and water into a saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue to stir the ingredients until a thick consistency has been achieved. This process can take up to eight minutes to prepare. Next, in a serving glass or bowl, add the low-fat Greek yogurt, berry compote, granola, berries, a second layer of yogurt, berry compote, and remaining granola/berries for garnishing. 

5. Lasagna

This recipe can be made with any type of meat, or vegetables. 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 3 large carrots finely chopped (optional)
• 1 bell pepper finely chopped
• 1 zucchini finely chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped (either red, white, or yellow onion)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 6 ounces of baby spinach
• 2 cups of cottage cheese
• ¼ tsp of salt
• Ground black pepper (adjust to taste)
• 9 lasagna noodles
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese

Method of Cooking

Begin by preheating the oven to 425°F. Heat up a skillet on medium heat, and add the olive oil. Wait until the olive oil is warm before mixing in all of the vegetables. Stir and let them cook for about eight to twelve minutes. Divide the baby spinach into equal handfuls, and stir it into the other ingredients until the leaves are wilted. The cooking time for the baby spinach is about three minutes. Next, add the cheese into a blender and blend for one minute. Add the blended cottage cheese into a bowl. Prepare the layering of the lasagna by evenly spreading out desired tomato sauce on a baking sheet, and then layering three lasagna noodles. Next, spread an even layer of cottage cheese, add the tomato sauce, and then sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Repeat the steps until all ingredients have been used. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for approximately eighteen minutes. Then, remove the cover, and bake once for approximately ten more minutes. Let the lasagna cool, add desired garnish, and enjoy! 

6. Lemon rice

Ingredients

• 1 whole lemon (will be used for both the zest and juice)
• 1 cup of rice (any type of rice can be chosen according to taste)
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tbsp parsley

Method of Cooking

Add water into a pot and bring it to a boil. Make sure the pot is covered with the lid. Once the water is boiling, add all of the ingredients for the rice, excluding the parsley. Stir the ingredients into the water, and let the mixture simmer with a closed lid. Let the rice cook for 20 minutes before removing the lid and using a fork to fluff the rice. Next, allow the rice to rest for approximately ten minutes before fluffing it once more, and adding salt to taste, and parsley for garnish. 

7. Spicy stuffed bell peppers

This recipe can be made with any type of meat, or vegetables.

Ingredients

Rice Filling

• 1 tbsp of olive oil 
• 1 medium bell pepper finely chopped (any bell pepper can be used) 
• 2 finely chopped jalapeno peppers (adjust to desired spice level)
• 4 cloves of chopped garlic
• ¾ cups of rice (any rice can be used according to taste)
• 12 ounces of roasted tomatoes from can (or organic tomatoes can be used)
• 1.5 cups of vegetable broth (adjust to taste)
• ½ cup of peas (optional)
• 1 tbsp of cajun (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 tbsp of desired hot sauce (optional)

Stuffed Peppers

• 1 cup of any shredded cheese
• 4 bell peppers (adjust as needed)
• Chili flakes for garnishing (optional)

Method of Cooking

After soaking the rice, add olive oil to a large frying pan over medium heat, and cook the onion and jalapeno peppers for approximately five minutes until both ingredients are softened (onions should appear a bit transparent to know when it’s ready). Next, add the garlic, and stir for one minute until the aroma of garlic is noticeable. Stir in your rice and cook for two minutes until it starts to brown (the heat should still be on medium to avoid burning the rice.) Add the broth and tomatoes, and continue to stir until well combined. The heat can then be turned to a higher setting so the mixture can boil after adding the seasonings and hot sauce. The heat can then be lowered down to the lowest setting so that the rice can simmer. Allow the rice to simmer for twenty minutes. The quantity of broth can be adjusted at this point according to taste.

While the rice is cooking, begin preparing the stuffed bell peppers First, you will need to bring water to a boil in a pot. Slice the tops of the bell peppers and clean the insides before letting them soften in the boiling water. This will take approximately five minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F, and stuff the bell peppers with the rice and cheese. Place the stuffed bell peppers on a baking sheet, and bake for forty minutes. Let the bell peppers cool and garnish with desired hot sauce before serving.

8. Date smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 cup of milk (any milk can be used according to taste)
• 1 banana (either frozen or unfrozen)
• 5 ice cubes (optional)
• 4 Medjool dates (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 scoop of preferred protein powder
• 1 tbsp of any nut butter (adjust to taste)

Method of Cooking

Add your milk, banana, medjool dates, vanilla extract, protein powder, and peanut butter into a blender, and blend until a smooth and creamy texture has been made. Next, add the desired amount of ice cubes into a glass. Use chia seeds or flax seeds to garnish the smoothie.