Kek lapis is extremely popular in Indonesia during Ramadan but is also very time-consuming to make. — Filepic
During Ramadan, a month of prayer and abstinence, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, until the breaking of the fast, upon which an iftar meal is served.
In Malaysia, breaking the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan is often precipitated by trips to neighbouring Ramadan bazaars where mouth-watering fare like murtabak kambing, nasi kerabu, ayam percik and satay are some of the tantalising meals to look forward to.
In homes across Malaysia, many home cooks also opt to satiate their family’s daily needs themselves, often whipping up meals like nasi biryani, kurma daging, ayam masak merah and many other dishes designed to nourish hungry tummies.
But what do Muslims elsewhere in the world eat during Ramadan? Interestingly, there are many dishes that have become firm favourites across the planet. Here’s a look at some of the most popular ones!
Harira is generally considered Morocco’s national soup and this filling, comforting broth is a staple during Ramadan. — FilepicIn Morocco, harira is generally considered the country’s national soup.
The tomato-based soup is made with dried legumes like chickpeas, spices like cinnamon and pepper, herbs like coriander leaves and aromatics like onions and ginger, all thickened with lentils, fava beans and rice noodles and accentuated by a broth derived from lamb meat.
According to an article on The Culture Trip website, during Ramadan, the soup is typically served alongside dates and chebakya, a honey-sweetened dessert.
The name of the dish, which is often also spelt ‘7arira’ is derived from the Arabic word meaning ‘smooth’.
To attain this texture, each component has to be cooked to perfection and blended alongside tomatoes until it reaches that silky smooth texture it is named for.
Thickening the broth often also employs the use of eggs or sometimes flour and water.
Often described as one of Prophet Muhammad’s favourite dishes, the humble thareed is made up of bread, broth, lamb meat, vegetables and spices and is a hot ticket item on tables in the Middle East come Ramadan.
The dish is also called a bread soup (because the soup is layered with crispy, thin bread called regag, which then sops up all the goodness of the stew).
idea is that the bread softens in the meat soup, making it more digestible, which is how it gained its popularity in ancient times as bread was largely unleavened then.
According to cookbook author Anissa Helou in an article in Saveur, regag is made by “rolling a soft ball of dough over a large hot plate until a thin, crisp layer forms”. This layer is broken up over a meat and vegetable stew called salona and savoured piping hot at iftar.
The history of this bread is purported to date back to the 17th century and it has continued to maintain momentum well into the 21st century where queues often form outside neighbourhood bakeries that produce this bread.
The bread has a round shape and is often moulded by hand and spotted with a criss cross, almost weave-like pattern and studded with either nigella seeds, sesame seeds, anise seeds or cumin seeds.
The bread-maker, or pide master’s expertise is both a source of pride and critical to the end product and each baker often has a secret recipe that makes it different or unique.
The bread is such a crucial must-have during the Ramadan period in Turkey that the Turkish government even sets a ceiling price for it, ensuring no Turk goes without.
This traditional Nigerian dish is a staple in Muslim homes in this African country.
To make this dish, black eyed beans are blended with peppers, onions and scotch bonnet chillies before cooked proteins like eggs, beef or fish are added to the mixture.
This thick batter is then poured into moulds (the traditional mould is banana leaf parcels) and then steamed until it gains a pudding-esque texture.
In Nigeria, this is often the first meal many Muslim families eat upon breaking the fast, before moving on to other dishes.
According to Nigerian national Shola Lawal in her article ‘The Taste of Ramadan in Nigeria’ on the website roadsandkingdoms.com, the dish is typically consumed with ogi or fermented cornmeal pudding.
Interestingly, Lawal says there are many variations to moi moi, including an iteration called ‘seven lives’ which involves packing on seven different ingredients into the mixture.
Katayef asafiri is a version of katayef that is stuffed with cream but not deep-fried. — RALPH BEAN/FlickrIn the Arab world, katayef (also spelt qatayef) is a common sweet treat served during Ramadan and can trace its first mention back to a 10th century Arabic cookbook.
The dish itself though is said to have far more ancient roots, dating back to the year 566 CE. Katayef refers to the batter used to make the dessert, which is made of flour, baking powder, water and yeast.
The batter is poured onto hot plates and resembles pancakes, but from this point, it is folded in half, then stuffed with anything from crushed walnuts to cheese, raisins, rose extract and even savoury options like minced meat.
This entire assemblage is then deep-fried until golden brown and this popular treat is available in stalls throughout the Middle East.
There is also the option of filling the pancakes with cream and leaving them un-fried – a version of the dessert called katayef asafiri.
Bamia makes use of okra, lamb and tomatoes and is a hearty staple during Ramadan in the Middle East. — MARK BRADSHAW/FlickrPopular throughout the Middle Eastern and African belt, bamia is a meat and okra stew dish that is hearty and flavourful and incredibly easy to make during Ramadan.
In Arabic, the word ‘bamiya’ means ‘okra’ which is why this notoriously slippery, slimy vegetable has pride of place in this dish.
The dish is made utilising beef or lamb in a tomato and garlic-enhanced broth alongside sliced okra and spices like cumin, turmeric and baharat (a spice mix made up rosebuds, cinnamon and cloves).
he stew is accentuated with vinegar and sugar to give it a sharp, sweet finish. In many Muslim households, it is enjoyed with a steaming plate of hot rice.
Although little is written or known about this Somalian treat, its name alludes to its popularity among Somalian Muslims during Ramadan.
Nafaqo in Somali means ‘nutrition’ and this quick, easy snack provides just that.
To make nafaqo, soft-boiled eggs are layered with mashed potatoes and the entire concoction is coated with breadcrumbs and then deep-fried.
For Ethiopians, no celebration or holiday is complete without doro wat, which is also a staple among Ethiopian Muslims come Ramadan.
This feisty, spicy chicken stew is a labour of love that takes hours to perfect, from the hours spent cooking the onions and adding an Ethiopian spice mix called Berbere (which has dried chillies, ajwain, rue and peppercorns, among others) as well as clarified butter to produce a thick sauce called kulet.
After this, chicken pieces are added and cooked for another hour or so and the rich stew is often finished off with another Ethiopian spice mix called mekelesha.
For many Ethiopians, this is the ultimate comfort food and a must-have during Ramadan.
Falooda is made up of ice-cream, vermicelli, basil seeds, milk, sugar and jelly and is a popular thirst-quencher during Ramadan in Pakistan and Bangladesh. — VD Photography/UnsplashA popular drink in Pakistan and Bangladesh during Ramadan, falooda is perfect for quenching parched throats after a long day of fasting.
This cool, bright, tropical drink is composed of chia seeds or sabja seeds (basil seeds) soaked until they retain a jelly-like consistency.
This is topped with falooda noodles (called sev; this can be substituted with thin vermicelli), jelly, tapioca pearls and the most important part – ice-cream (often traditional milky, creamy Indian kulfi).
The ice-cream can be anything from strawberry to vanilla and this is then topped with milk and sugar and often a sweet rose water syrup called Rooh Afza.
The result is a sweet, sparkly ice-cold drink that hits all those requisite high notes and then some.
Kek lapis is a beloved celebratory treat in neighbouring Indonesia where it is available throughout the year but is especially delighted in during Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Kek lapis, or layer cake traces its roots to Indonesia’s Dutch colonial times and is typically made with flour, condensed milk and lots of egg and butter.
The method of making kek lapis is both painstaking and time-consuming as it has to be baked layer by layer, adding up to 18 layers in total. Kek lapis can now be found in all sorts of flavours, from chocolate to Nutella, cinnamon, strawberry and so much more.
This traditional Algerian soup offers soothing, familiar flavours to Algerians come Ramadan.
The soup is made with meat like beef or lamb, tomatoes, onions, chickpeas and a key additional ingredient called frik.
Frik is a type of wheat that is harvested while still green and then roasted, de-husked and added to the soup to give it a unique, distinctive taste that is beloved throughout Algeria.
The soup is often served alongside bread, most notably Algerian kesra (flatbread).
In Yemen, Ethiopia and Somalia, crisp deep-fried sambusa is such a beloved Ramadan snack, that many people queue up outside their favourite shops to buy this addictive treat, with purveyors vying to be the best at their craft.
Additionally, most households spend the weeks before Ramadan making and freezing this pastry in preparation for the daily iftar.
Similar to the Indian samosa (the main difference being Indian samosas tend to be vegetarian affairs), sambusa features pastry stuffed with vegetables and meat, which is then deep-fried to golden perfection.
In Ethiopia, puy lentil stuffed sambusa is a hot ticket item during the fasting month.
