Harira
To save contracting ‘eyes bigger than your belly’ syndrome, it’s customary to gently ease into eating again before the real feasting begins. Salad is a good way of doing this, although the more usual way is to grab a bowl of harira (or lamb, lentil and chickpea soup). Yes, salad and lentils can make you feel as though you’re at a vegetarian convention, but the warming soup relaxes the stomach after a day of fasting and offers a good source of fibre. Alternatively, bilhamoud and shorat are other types of soup made from ground lentils and served with Jordanian, Syrian and Lebanese salad.
Milk and dates
It doesn’t sound too exciting, does it? In fact, only eating dry Shredded Wheat could make it seem more boring. But as it happens, breaking the fast with milk and dates is perhaps the most traditional method of all, as the Prophet Muhammad broke his fast with these humble offerings before praying. They are a regular site on Iftar tables, and their high sugar and vitamin content has many physical benefits too.
Stew
Parched throats and stomachs demand fresh food that will both nourish and rehydrate the body. Consequently, many of the traditional Ramadan dishes are based on appetising, easily digestible sauces. Therefore, stew is the perfect candidate to tick all of the above boxes. Packed with nutritious pulses and slow-releasing starchy vegetables, they are commonly found on the Iftar table. It wouldn’t be surprising to sometimes find beef or lamb in there as well, so if any of you thought these picks were getting a bit veggie-heavy, find the gravy and think again.
Harees
This local delicacy can be found on Emirati tables throughout the year, but takes precedent of place on the traditional Iftar table. Shredded pieces of slow cooked lamb and a mulch of boiled wheat are vigorously pounded together with a heavy stick or crushed in a wooden press. The heavy starchy mass usually constitutes a meal in itself, but over Ramadan it provides the base upon which other dishes are served and is sometimes flavoured with cinnamon and cumin.
Spit-roasted lamb
One of the more spectacular dishes on the Iftar table is spit-roast lamb. Now, all the lovers of the great outdoors among us would have no doubt been round a camp fire at some point, and it probably included walking boots and some sort of animal from Old MacDonald’s farm. And the annoying friend with his guitar. But barbecued cow and rubbish scout songs aside, our experiences have nothing on this bad boy, for the whole animal is hollowed out and then stuffed with a mixture of minced meat, nuts and rice. There’s only so far a Pot Noodle and Swiss army knife can go, so don’t feel too pressured to perform on your next camping weekend.
Kepsa bel sanak
Salty fish and seafood are generally avoided during Ramadan, as it is thought to make fasters thirsty. Not the most ideal situation to be left in, especially coupled with the intense heat. Despite this, some tables will feature kepsa bel sanak – a sort of fragrant rice and fish casserole flavoured with cumin and peppers. Dishes vary from tent to tent, but the dishes on offer generally have a distinctly Arabic flavour to them, including hot and cold mezze, shawarma, and a wide variety of kebabs. Although many dishes are prepared in advance, you will often be able to catch them being prepared in front of you. Don’t worry, though, Ainsley Harriott is unlikely to have any part in it.
Gamet jallab
Given the desert climate, abstaining from water during the daylight hours is a serious business, and refreshing drinks form a vitally important part of the Iftar feast. A plethora of multi-coloured liquid delights are on offer to quench the driest of palates. The deep gamet jallab is a mixture of grape extracts, rosewater and sugar, poured over ice and finished off with floating pine nuts. Tamerhindi is a root-based drink meaning ‘Indian date’, made from the fruit pods of a tall shade native to Asia and has a distinctive sweet taste. A more substantial drink is ayran, a lassi-like yoghurt-based drink diluted and flavoured with mint.
Kunafeh
Fasting during the day not only leaves fasters hungry, but also drained of energy, therefore it’s important to provide a quick fix. Sugary foods provide this much-needed energy and are an essential part of the Iftar table. Kunafeh is a favourite Arabic dessert and consists of a soft white cheese topped with cracked semolina baked to form a hard crust. This is served with a heavy sweet syrup.
Katyef
Katyef is a traditional pastry pancake filled to the brim with cream or crushed walnuts and almonds. And, as if it were to be found in a Scottish recipe book, it is then deep-fried and served with syrup flavoured with lemon and rosewater. Moushabek is another type of fried sweet, but has a distinct round shape to it and leaves of fine filo pastry.
Sahour
Sahour is a light meal eaten before the sun rises. For some Muslims, it is simply a continuation of the feast of the night before. For others, it’s a chance to grab a bite to eat before a long working day without food or water. The aptly named fattier is also eaten at this time, and consists of oven-baked bread with a variety of sweet and savoury toppings. All this feasting should get you through the day. And if you are feeling it a little, just think, it all starts again in a few hours.
