Ramadan special: Iftar meals straight from mom’s kitchen

Chennai

Prayer calls ring across the city, white-capped lads accompanied by their fathers can be seen hurrying into mosques. The ladies at home silently recite thanks and prepare to break the fast with a well-thought out spread of delicious food. Iftar meals call for specialties to be whipped up in the kitchen; some recipes dating back thousands of years. This Ramadan, we (virtually) sneak into the kitchens of a few families to see what’s cooking — after all, nothing says love like a mother’s food!

The season of fasting and prayer in Chan Begam’s home begins with them stocking up ingredients for the days to come. “We purchase as much as we can earlier, so that during the day time we don’t strain ourselves while fasting and we are free in the evenings to pray,” says the homemaker. 

The fast is broken by eating dates first because her family believes it is what Prophet Muhammad did while ending rozah. “Since we wouldn’t have eaten anything all day, we then consume semi-solids and fruit-based dishes like custard, jelly and halwa. A family tradition that we have continued over time is making pudding with agar agar (China grass),” says Chan.

 Wholesome and less on spices, the nombu kanji is a favourite across many households. In the case of Shabnam Diyaan’s family, “My ancestors believed that eating from the same utensils brings the family closer, so while breaking the fast, my family and I take a sip of kanji from the same bowl. Then we sit down to eat around a big plate.” Since the body produces a lot of heat during rozah, drinking liquids like nannari sarbath (sarasaparilla juice) and rosemilk to cool the body is advised. “I don’t remember ever drinking juice without sabja seeds — roohafza was also always present,” says Shabnam. When asked what her family’s favourite sweet is, pat comes the reply, “Maida Pathri! It is sort of like a dosa stuffed with grated coconut and sugar.”

It’s safe to say this Chennai Foodie, Wasim Mohideen, lives to eat. During the month of Ramadan, he surely prefers eating home-cooked food to Iftar boxes purchased from outside. “Meat (chicken or lamb) cutlets are a staple. If we’re having guests over or on weekends, idiyappam (string hoppers) biriyani is a must,” he says. 

While in the USA, Wasim noticed that Iftar parties are quite the rage; similarly, inviting families over during this season is a common practice. “Between two and four families get together and each one brings a dish while the host prepares the main feast. A popular sweet, known as belos, is made during such events. While it’s not very common in Chennai, it’s a part of every traditional Iftar in villages in and around Thirunelveli, where my family hails from.”

Belos

Ingredients

• 4 medium-sized bananas
• 150 gm maida
• 2 cups water
• 2 fist-size pieces of jaggery
• 1 tsp crushed cardamom 
• 1 stick cinnamon
•  1 tbsp shaved coconut

Method

• Mix the bananas with the flour and knead with a little water to make the batter like for pakora consistency. Do not mash the banana first without the flour.
• Take the mixture and deep-fry it till it is dark brown in colour. 
• Melt the jaggery adding some water and be sure not to let it simmer too much.
• Add the crushed cardamom cinnamon stick to the syrup.
• Soak the banana fritters in the jaggery syrup and finally add shaved coconut on top.

Maida Pathri

Ingredients

• 4 cups grated coconut
• ½ cup sugar
• 500 gm maida
• A pinch of salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 eggs 
• ½ cup ghee

Method

• Mix the maida gradually adding water until it has formed a runny batter 
• Add the eggs and a pinch of salt and stir well
• Heat a pan upon which gently pour the batter and form a circular shape (similar to a dosa)
• When both the sides are cooked, fill the inside with a stuffing of grated coconut and sugar
• Fold it into half or like a roll before serving. You may drizzle some honey or chocolate syrup over it.

Rose Pudding

Ingredients

750 ml milk | 10 gm agar agar (China grass) | 200 gm sugar | A few drops rose essence | A few drops pink food colouring | ¼ cup water | A few drops of oil

• Soak China grass in ¼ cup of water for 15 minutes. Grease a pan lightly with oil and set aside.
• Take milk and sugar in a sauce pan and heat and cook till it is reduced a little.
• Heat the china grass mix till it is melted.
• Add the china grass mix and stir well. Strain the mixture.
• Add in rose essence and pink food colouring; mix well.
• Pour this into the pan and put it into the fridge after it has cooled. Set it for 3 to 4 hours.
• Cut into squares and serve.

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