Ramadan Recipes
Ramadan is fast approaching. For muslims, it is a holy month when one wants to focus on doing ibadah. Yet, having good food that not only can satisfy hunger and appetite, but also be easy to make is something many of muslims want to achieve.
And of course, we also want to make sure that our diet throughout this fasting month will sustain us in a good healthy way. So that we can reap the benefits of detoxifying our body through fasting by feeding it with nourishment at the same time.
Here, you can find delicious food recipes from different parts of the world that you can try during the holy month.
These Ramadan recipes are to give you more ideas of what to make and prepare for your suhoor/ sehri/ breakfast, and iftaar/ iftar/ breaking the fast.
I compile the recipes with the flavour, taste and ease of cooking in mind. Because I want you to enjoy your Suhoor/ Sehri and Iftaar/ Iftar without too much time and hassle in making the food. In shaa Allah.
Let me know which one you enjoy the most.
Ramadan mubarak.
Suhoor/ Sehri/ Breakfast
Muhammad PBUH said,”eat suhoor, for in suhoor there is blessing” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1923; Muslim, 1095). So needless to say we should not skip suhoor/ sehri.
But many of us find it difficult to eat breakfast first thing before dawn.
When I was living in Indonesia, I used to have proper meals for sehri. Like having the rice and all sorts of side dishes. Here in the UK, I find it difficult to eat big meals that early. Especially when Ramadan was in summertime. Because we literally just had iftar a few hours before the sehri time. So I had to carefully choose what I have for my suhoor. I didn’t want to miss the blessing, and I didn’t want to risk my body struggling to fast long hours (about 18 hours on the longest days of summer).
Therefore, I decided that having healthy smoothies, soups, or light meals would be best. Because these kinds of food will be packed with nutrition but feel light in the tummy so they’re the best food choices for suhoor/ sehri, in my opinion.
Quick Healthy Smoothies for Sehri/ Suhoor
I only compiled five smoothie recipes below for you to try. You can always substitute the fruits and ingredients to your liking and make your smoothie more interesting for you.
My top tip is try making the smoothie last minute before you go to bed. So they’ll be ready for you to enjoy when you get up for suhoor. All you do is take the smoothie out of the fridge and get on with your main suhoor. By the time you finish your light breakfast, your smoothie will be at the right temperature to drink. Unless you prefer it cold. I don’t. Not first thing in the morning.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
This delicious Strawberry and Bananas Smoothie is so simple to make and makes for a nourishing breakfast. Perfect for when you’re on the go, or just after a quick treat.
Blueberry Broccoli Smoothie
This vegan Blueberry Broccoli Smoothie is loaded with good-for-your-health fruits and vegetables. It is tasty and nourishing, and yet simple to make.
3 Minute Frozen Fruit Smoothie
This tasty smoothie is delightfully thick and creamy thanks to frozen fruit.
It's quick and easy to make and I love that you can customize it to fit your taste.
Green Goddess Smoothie
This delicious green goddess smoothie is creamy, vegan, and gluten-free. It’s very simple to make with just five ingredients, but it’s the kind of breakfast that makes you feel awesome.
Blueberry Smoothie With Greek Yoghurt
Learn how to make this keto blueberry smoothie in just 5 minutes? This creamy blueberry smoothie is addicting and makes the perfect easy keto breakfast smoothie for low carb diets.
Healthy Light Breakfast for Sehri/ Suhoor
Just like the basic rule for breakfast, you’ll want light but filling food for your sehri as well. The kind of food that is also delicious and nourish.
I often have egg on a piece of toast with a glass of smoothie for my suhoor. But other times I like to give myself a bit of a treat by having something more exotic and yummy.
The following are some foods that you may want to try for your sehri. Some of them you can actually enjoy as starters for iftar and save some for suhoor/ sehri.
Cilbir Turkish Eggs in Spiced Yoghurt
A traditional Turkish breakfast recipe that places perfectly poached eggs into a bowl of spiced yoghurt, and tops it with delicious melted butter. If that doesn’t have you drooling, it was also a favourite breakfast of Ottoman sultans as far back as the 15th century - literally food for royalty.
Khaman Dhokla
Traditionally enjoyed for breakfast, this Gujarati Khaman Dhokla is a steamed chickpea cake with lemony drizzle.
Have some to break your fast at iftar time and leave some for your sehri/suhoor time.
Superfood, Green Tea, Matcha Smoothie Bowl
This Matcha smoothie bowl is full of antioxidants and vitamins - a great green way to start your fasting day.
Kadhi Pakora
Pakoras turned into dumplings in a delicious spicy yoghurt. That’s what this food is about.
Pakistani Dahi Baray
These lentil dumplings in spiced yoghurt are quite light to have for suhoor but jam packed with goodness. Again, this one is something you can enjoy for your iftar starter too.
Macaroni Schotel
This baked macaroni cheese is the Dutch influenced-recipe that has become popular in Indonesia. It's a comforting and filling dish that won’t bloat you in the beginning of the day.
Ramadan Recipes for Iftar
The following food recipes are only some ideas of what you can make for Iftar. Although I list them down according to their categories i.e. sweets and desserts, appetizers/ starters, drinks and main meals, it doesn’t mean we should have them all at one time.
You may just need sweets and main meals. Or, perhaps only starters and main meals. So whatever choices you make, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your Iftar. In shaa Allah.
Sweets and Desserts for Iftar
After long hours of fasting, most of us will crave for something sweet at Iftar time. Below are some sweet and desserts recipe ideas to have in Ramadan.
Kolak Biji Salak - Indonesian Sweet Potato balls
These sweet potato balls in palm sugar syrup and coconut milk are popular sweets to have for iftar in Indonesia.
Mung bean dessert with coconut milk
Mung bean lentils cooked in palm sugar and coconut milk offer a comforting taste to break your fast. Needless to say that it’s full of nutrition thanks to the healthy ingredients.
Klepon
Klepon is one of Jajan Pasar (street food) that often makes an appearance for iftar. It is made of glutinous rice with palm sugar filling and coated with coconut. This pandan flavoured sweet treat ball is similar to mochi but with more bursting flavour and very easy to make.
Agar-agar milk pudding with condensed milk and raspberry
This pudding may remind you of panna cotta. But it’s easier to make and it’s halal. And with the raspberries in it, you will get supply for antioxidant and vitamin C too. A winner.
Besan Ladoo Recipe
I personally call this chickpea sweet ball an energy ball. Because chickpea flour is high in protein and rich source of fiber, minerals and vitamins. On top of that, this besan ladoo is much-less sweet than the ordinary alike out there as it uses much less sugar.
Rose and Pistachio Firni
A creamy rice pudding flavoured with aromatic rose water and crushed pistachios. An extremely fragrant, elegant and delicious dessert for your iftar.
Atayef (Middle Eastern pancakes)
Atayef is Middle Eastern stuffed pancake that is only served during the month of Ramadan. Stuffed with cheese or cinnamon walnuts, the Atayef are dipped in simple sugar syrup and served warm.
Starter for Iftar
Often we would like something light to have after we break our fast with a date or two. A bowl of soup or some finger foods can be our choices.
Here, I include Ramadan recipes for appetizer at Iftar time. Just to give you more ideas than what you already have.
Chicken and sweet corn soup
This light and nutritious soup can be a good choice to fill your empty stomach after long hours of fasting in Ramadan. And it’s pretty easy to make too.
Enjoy this chicken and sweetcorn soup to break your fast, and leave some for your suhoor/ sehri.
Chicken wontons
Pangsit Ayam is chicken wonton. It's the kind of dumplings you may want to have for a starter at iftar time. Enjoy it with clear chicken soup.
Surinamese Bakabana with Peanut Sauce – Sweet Plantain Fritters
The Indonesian community of Suriname celebrates Ramadan with Bakabana - delicious Sweet Plantain Fritters done here with a fabulous peanut sauce.
Middle-Eastern Samosas From Scratch
Learn to make the best flaky, crispy, mouthwatering samosas right at home by following this easy samosa recipe. It’s a burst of spices and flavors in your mouth!
Pakistani Samosas With Shop Bought Pastry Sheets
Filled with smoky meat filling, this delicious crispy Keema Samosa i.e. a perfect snack for Ramadan Iftar, served with green chutney or sauce of choice and please the crowd.
Carribean Tostones - Twice-fried Green Plantains
Twice fried green plantains are a fantastic appetizer to begin your meal with. Eat them on their own, dipped in a mayonnaise and ketchup sauce, or topped with a mayo-ketchup slaw.
Muhammara Recipe (Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)
Muhammara is an easy and creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip filled with delicious Middle Eastern flavors from ingredients such as pomegranate molasses and Aleppo chili flakes. Sweet, tangy, smoky, and a little spicy, enjoy all the flavors of this vegan Muhammara Recipe scooped onto chunks of fresh warm flatbread or mixed with your favorite chicken and rice.
Ramadan Iftar Drinks
I’m not gonna argue that the best drink to have any time is water. But sometimes you do feel like something a bit different and special. So I include some drink recipes to enjoy in Ramadan.
Cendol: green rice flour jellies with palm sugar and coconut milk
Cendol is one of the popular iftar menus in Indonesia. This jelly-like green dessert is made of rice flour with pandan flavour and you enjoy it with palm sugar syrup and coconut milk.
Cucumber Mint Water with Strawberries
Tantalize your taste buds with this incredible Cucumber Mint Water with Strawberries. Fresh cucumbers, juicy strawberries, and mint leaves infused in water is so refreshing that you will enjoy every sip.
Cucumber apple mint smoothie
A refreshing green drink that quenches your thirst at the same time rehydrates your body.
Homemade cola
This homemade cola is a refreshing way to make your own cola at home. With kola nut powder to give it a natural kick and aromas including cinnamon, citrus and vanilla, there's no surprises or secrets in this recipe.
Main Meals for Iftar
Last but not least, I have curated some delicious main meal ideas for your Ramadan recipes. Admittedly, not all of the recipes offer a quick-cooking process that only takes half an hour to do. But they all offer flavour and comfort that we often want when we have iftar. Some tasty food that can be enjoyed together with our loved ones. So enjoy.
Vegetable Pilau Rice
This vegetable pilau rice doesn’t need hundreds of spices. It’s pretty easy and quick to make, but it’s pretty tasty to have.
Nasi Uduk Jakarta
Indonesian rice dish cooked in a fragrant coconut milk. It’s traditionally enjoyed for breakfast but delicious to have at any time of the day.
Ayam Penyet
This is Indonesian fried-chicken that is smashed before coated with fresh-chilli sambal. It’s pretty easy and quick to make. And it’s refreshingly delicious.
Chicken biryani
There are a million recipes of biryani rice out there. Here, I’m offering you a simple and easy recipe. It is based on the recipe that I learned from my Pakistani extended family.
Chicken Pilau Rice
If you fancy goodness in your rice staple, choose to make this chicken pilau rice. Spoil your family with this flavourful rice dish for your iftar menu.
Chicken kebab patties
You can eat these kebab patties as they are with some salad, tomato chutney or yoghurt chutney on the side. Or, you can enjoy the patties as burgers in buns. However you like, they’re surely a crowd-pleaser.
Chicken Seekh Kabab: Easy Pakistani Recipe
These kebabs can be enjoyed as a wrap with chapati, naan bread, or pitta bread. Or, you can have them with some potato chips/ french fries.
Ayam Suwir Bumbu Bali
This chicken dish is yummy to have with plain white rice. It’s flavoursome and simply delicious.
East African Kuku Paka Recipe
Kuku Paka is a popular Swahili dish. This is the one dish that has to be on the table for Ramadan. It pairs up perfectly with rice or roti.
Healthy Chicken Shawarma Recipe - Perfect For Your Get-togethers
Chicken shawarma is a Middle-Eastern dish full of aromatic, spicy, and exotic flavors of cayenne and turmeric. It's wrapped with fresh pita bread to complete a delicious and filling Ramadan meal.
Beef Seekh Kabab
These juicy, melt in the mouth beef seekh kebabs are full of flavour and an absolute treat to devour.
Aloo Gosht
This meat and potato curry is pretty basic in Pakistani/ Indian households. Simply because it’s deliciously comforting to enjoy. A perfect Ramadan recipe for iftar.
Lamb Kofta Curry
If you need another comforting food choice, then you must try this lamb kofta curry. It’s surely one dish to enjoy at Iftar time.
Lamb Tongseng
This Indonesian dish is for the lamb lovers who also love coconut milk and spices. It’s a popular dish in Indonesia that is often sought during Ramadan.
Lauki Gosht - Pakistani style meat and bottle gourd curry
Now, this lamb and bottle gourd curry is a good main meal choice for iftar. Because Lauki - the bottle gourd - has benefits of rehydrating your body because of its high water content. So it’s ideal for when you need to replenish your body with water after long hours of fasting.
Ikan Pesmol
Ikan Pesmol is a fish dish cooked in a tangy and spicy pickle sauce. It has a refreshing taste and it’s one Ramadan recipe to try for fish lovers. And you can use almost any type of fish you like.
Aloo Palak
Aloo Palak is potato and spinach curry. The recipe is based on the Pakistani way of cooking. It has a well-balanced spice and jam-packed with flavour.
Aubergine curry
This lusciously delicious aubergine curry is worth having for iftar when you’re craving non-meat meals or wanting to have it as a side dish.
Chana Aloo Curry
Chana Aloo or chickpea and potato curry is another vegetarian dish you may want to enjoy at Iftar time. Have it with roti/ chapati, naan bread, pitta bread or any other flatbread. It’s moreish.
Aloo Methi - Potato and Fenugreek Leaves Curry
And if you feel like having more non-meat food for your iftar, you can try Aloo Methi - potato and fenugreek leaf curry. The leaves offer many benefits such as help control blood sugar and digestion. So it’s a good choice to have during Ramadan when our digestion may have a bit of challenge.