Come cook with me...
...as we enter the last ten days of Ramadan! The last ten days of Ramadan are considered the most sacred, where Muslims around the world engage in greater penitence, offer more prayers, self-reflect, and make preparations for Eid-ul-Fitr. Laylat-ul-Qadr, one of the holiest nights for Muslims, also features in the last ten days of the month. Each night, as I gather with my family and friends, I'm reminded of just how blessed I am to be surrounded by such good people and that I have the luxury of breaking my fast with them. Yes, food is not the end-goal of Ramadan, but it is the centerpiece around which we gather, make connections, and recount our days. So in honor of the role food plays in the gathering of our loved ones and the fact that I find pure joy in sharing anything related to food, I thought it would be nice to share ten recipes with you. So scroll through this post and discover old recipes and new with me - from iftar must-haves to sherbets to fun, out-of-the-box treats for both suhoor and iftar. Let's get cookin'!
For Suhoor: Mini Pistachio Croissants
Ingredients
For the croissant mix:
- 8 mini croissants
- 1 1/2 cups shelled pistachios
- 1/3 cup butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the orange syrup:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water (can substitute this for almond extract)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice croissants in half lengthwise.
- Chop pistachios in a food processor or blender until they reach a sand-like consistency.
- In large bowl, mix the chopped pistachios with the remaining pistachio mix ingredients until well-blended.
- In a smaller bowl, mix all the ingredients for the orange syrup. Using a pastry brush, soak each of the cut sides of the croissants.
- Layer about 1 tablespoon of the pistachio mix to each bottom half of the croissants. Place the top half back onto the croissants.
- Brush more orange syrup onto the tops of each croissant. Then layer another tablespoon to the tops of each of the croissants.
- Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Eat warm and enjoy!
Iftar Kick-off: Dubai Chocolate Dates
Ingredients
- 12 Medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup Laccha shemai (vermicelli, I like this particular variant)
- 1/2 cup Pistachio cream
- Melted semi-sweet or white chocolate
Instructions
1. Lightly roast the shemai (either dry or with a teaspoon of ghee).
2. Mix the roasted shemai with the pistachio cream until combined.
3. Fill each date with the shemai mix with a spoon.
4. Dip half of the dates in the melted chocolate. You can pipe designs on the dates too. Enjoy!
Refreshments
Peaches & Cream Mock
Looking for a sweet drink to boost up those sugar levels after a day of fasting while not chugging anything syrup-like? Look no further because this mocktail is perfectly sweet, easy to make, and incredibly refreshing.
Lychee Breeze
If you're tired of rooh afza and looking for something more inspired than homemade lemonade, I got you! This drink is like the chic older sister of homemade lemonade.
Ingredients
-4 lychees with 1 cup lychee syrup
-1/3 cup mint
-1 cup lime soda or lychee juice
Instructions
- Blend the lychees, syrup, and mint together in a blender.
- Pour into 4 glasses filled with ice and top up with lime soda or lychee juice.
Iftar Staple: Pyaju
This classic Bangladeshi iftar staple is just simply a must. My family loves pyajus with our whole souls, and yet, we only make them during Ramadan! Perhaps it's the undeniable coupledom of pyajus and Ramadan, but regardless, check out this recipe from Banglar Rannaghor - once you bite into a pyaju, you'll quickly realize what you've been missing your whole life.
Dill & Cucumber Sandwiches
Ingredients
-8 slices of thin bread
-1 English cucumber
-8 tablespoons of plain cream cheese
-Handful of fresh dill
Instructions
- Chop up the dill and mix in with the cream cheese until well-blended.
- Spread the dill cream cheese onto each slice of bread.
- Slice cucumber into thin slices and add a single layer to half of the slices of bread.
- Top each sandwich with the remaining piece of bread. Bon apetite!
Jalapeno Hot Poppers
Ingredients
-4 jalapenos, de-stemmed and sliced lengthwise in half
-4 tablespoons of plain cream cheese
-1 1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)
-1 cup AP flour
-1 tablespoon of oil
-3-5 tablespoons of water
-Panko breadcrumbs
-1 egg (beaten)
-Oil for frying
Instructions
- Spoon out seeds from the jalapenos if you'd like your poppers to be milder.
- (Optional) Prep the cream cheese by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of salt until blended.
- Add 1 tablespoon of cream cheese to each half of the jalapeno peppers.
- Now make the thin bread coating. Mix the flour, salt, and oil until you get coarse crumb-like texture. Then gradually (1 tablespoon at a time) add water until you get a dough that holds together and is not too sticky.
- Roll out the dough until very thin. Place each jalapeno half onto the dough and wrap the dough around the jalapeno, encasing it and the cream cheese entirely.
- Dip each popper into the egg and then into the Panko breadcrumbs. Fry in oil over medium heat until golden. Enjoy!
The Finale: Desserts
Jilapi (Jalebi)
During the month of Ramadan, the streets of Dhaka (and let's be real, any city in Bangladesh) are lined with stalls selling an assortment of iftar items, one of which is the jilapi. Crispy and sweet, feel free to make them as thick or as thin as you like! I'm on team Thin Jilapi, btw.