RAMZAN RECIPES
Though the tradition is to break the fast
after the sunset with the dates and water
or the apricot drink, followed by a soup like lentil
and a salad like fattoush, the meal may be good dish.
Given here are recipes to make your Ramadan dishes more delicious, yet without being too gorgeous. Even these dishes including the desserts fit well with the Eid-Day mood.
SYRIAN BREAD 
Ingredients
Water
1 cup & 2 tbsp
Vegetable oil
2 tbsp
White sugar
1/2 tbsp
Salt
1 1/2 tbsp
All purpose flour
3 cups
Active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp
Bread machine
Kitchen knife
Method
- Put all the ingredients properly in the pan of the bread machine in the order advocated by the manufacturer. Choose Dough cycle and push on the Start button.
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
- When the dough rises, take it out and spread onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it out and cut into eight equal pieces.
- Roll and form the dough pieces into smaller dough bits. Cover these with a damp cloth and keep aside for sometime.
- Now spread and roll the dough bits into thin flat circles of about 4" radius.
- Place the dough circles (two at a time) on preheated baking sheets/baking stone. Cook for five minutes, or until they puff up and turn golden brown.
- Cook all the remaining loaves in similar manner.
- Serve hot.
BLACK GLUTINOUS RICE PORRIDGE
Ingredients
Water
1 2/3 cups
A pandan leaf
Black glutinous rice
3/4 cup
Brown sugar
1/2 cup
White sugar
1/4 cup
Coconut milk
2 cups
A medium sized saucepan
Method
- Pour water into the saucepan.
- Add the water and the pandan leaf. Bring to a boil.
- Add rice to the mixture. Stir with a ladle.
- Turn down heat, put a cover over the pan and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Take out the pandan leaf.
- Add in brown sugar and white sugar.
- Stir with the ladle and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add in the coconut milk. Take away from heat.
- Serve hot.
SPICY PAKISTANI ZUCCHINI
Ingredients
Cooking oil
1/4 cup
Onion thinly sliced
1
Zucchini peeled seeded and cut into semi circles
6
Salt
1/2 tbsp
Water
2 cups
Chili powder
2 tbsp
Turmeric grounded
1/2 tbsp
Garlic powder
1/2 tbsp
Corainder seed grounded
1 tbsp
Whole cloves
3
Whole peppercorns
6 or 7
Tomatoes chopped
4
Plain yogurt
2 1/2 tbsp
A skillet
A lader(to stir)
Method
- Peel the zucchini, take the seeds out and cut into semicircular pieces.
- Pour oil into the skillet and heat in medium temperature.
- Add in onion and sauté for about 5 minutes or until golden.
- Next, pour in all the other ingredients and stir with a ladle.
- Turn down heat to LOW and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring from time to time.
JARJEER SALAD
Ingredients
A bunch of arugula
Onion thinly sliced
2
Mushrooms finely chopped
1 cup
Tomato diced
1
Refined olive oil
1 tbsp
Lemon juice
1/2
Sumac
2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Kitchen knife and a large plate
Method
- Wash the arugula leaves and dry thoroughly.
- Place the leaves on the plate. Place onions, mushrooms and tomato in layers on top.
- Add in olive oil, lemon juice and sumac. Whisk together with a spoon.
- Add salt for taste. Serve with other food items.
FIG AND LEMON CHICKEN
Ingredients
Chicken thighs
12
Lemon (1 sliced, 1 halved )
2
Brown sugar
1/4 cup
White vinegar
1/4 cup
Water
1/4 cup
Dried figs
1 1/2 pounds
Salt to taste
Dried parsley
1 tbsp
Chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp
Method
- Preheat the chicken thighs in oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Squeeze juices from halved lemon into a small bowl, then stir in brown sugar, vinegar and water; set aside.
- Place figs and sliced lemon segments in the bottom of an 11x16 inch baking/roasting dish.
- Arrange chicken thighs on top, then pour vinegar mixture over chicken.
- Finally, sprinkle with salt and dried parsley to taste.
- Bake/roast at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 50 minutes, basting frequently (turn figs if they begin to brown).
- With a slotted spoon, remove chicken, figs and lemon slices from baking dish and place on a warm platter.
- Skim fat from cooking juices, then pour over chicken as sauce.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
NUTRITIONAL LENTIL SOUP
Ingredients
Onion chopped
2
Garlic minced
2 cloves
Grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp
Water
6 cups
Red lentils
1 cup
Garbanzo beans drained
1 can
Cannelloni beans
1 can
Diced tomatoes
1 can
Diced carrots
1/2 cup
Chopped celery
1/2 cup
Dried mixture of cloves and cinnamon
1 tbsp
Ground cardamom
1 1/2 tbsp
Ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tbsp
Ground cumin
1/2 tbsp
Olive oil
1 tbsp
Method
- In large pot sauté; the onions, garlic, and ginger in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes.
- Add the water, lentils, chick peas, white kidney beans, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, clove,bits of cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne pepper and cumin.
- Bring to a boil for a few minutes then simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or longer, until the lentils are soft.
- Puree half the soup in a food processor or blender.
- Return the pureed soup to the pot, stir and enjoy!
- This is a highly balanced food with protein, minerals, and fiber.
MOROCCAN SOUP
Ingredients
Lamb cut into small cubes
1 lb
Turmeric
1 tbsp
Pepper
1 tbsp
Cinnamon
1 tbsp
Ginger
1/4 tbsp
Butter
2 tbsp
Chopped celery and leaves
3/4 cup
Onion chopped
2
Parsley and cilantro chopped
1/2 cup
Tomatoes chopped
1/2 lb
Salt
Lentils
3/4 cup
Chick peas
1 cup
Fine soup noodles
1/4 cup
Egg
2
Lemon juice
1/2
Method
- Put the lamb, spices, butter, celery, onion, and parsley/cilantro in a large soup pot and stir over a low heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato pieces, and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes.
- Salt lightly.
- Add the juice from the tomatoes, 7 cups of water, and the lentils.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 2 hours.
- When ready to serve, add the chickpeas and noodles and cook for 5 minutes.
- Then, with the soup at a steady simmer, stir the lemony eggs into the stock with a long wooden spoon.
- Continue stirring slowly, to create long egg strands and to thicken the soup.
- Season to taste. ladle into bowls and dust with cinnamon.
- Then there's always those little bowls of extra lemon juice for you inveterate sour pusses. Now a little attention to the desserts which plays a very important role in the season, both during the Ramadan fast and also on the day of the great Eid feast.
BEEF MEATBALLS
Ingredients
Ground beef
1/2 lb
Oregano
1/4 tbsp
Grated italian cheese
2 tbsp
Salt
1/2 tbsp
Pepper
1/4 tbsp
Garlic powder
1/4 tbsp
Egg
1
Cool milk
1/4 cup
Seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup
Method
- Mix ingredients in given order one by one.
- After completely mixed by hand, let stand for at least 20 minutes.
- Form into meatballs (golf ball size) and fry slowly until golden brown.
- Do not turn until completely done on one side and do not crowd pan.
- If not using teflon pan, cook in 2 tablespoons oil.
- To make it taste real mouthwatering dunk it in rich tomato sauce.
- Here is the tip for such a yummy sauce.
FRESH FIG CAKE
Ingredients
Butter soften
1/4 cup
White sugar
1 cup
Egg
1
All purpose flour
2 cups
Salt
1/2 tbsp
Baking powder
2 tbsp
Evaporated milk
1 cup
Vanilla extract
1 tbsp
Almond extract
1/4 tbsp
Chopped fresh figs
1 cup
Packed brown sugar
1/4 cup
Water
1/4 cup
Lemon juice
1 tbsp
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil spray.In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder.
- Set aside.In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with the sugar until fluffy.
- Add egg and beat well. Add flour mixture alternately with the evaporated milk.
- Fold in vanilla and almond extracts and chopped figs.
- Divide into two prepared 8 inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry.
- To make the filling: In a saucepan, combine 2 cups figs, brown sugar, water and lemon juice.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Spread thinly between layers of cake and on top..
RICH SEMOLINA COOKIES
Ingredients
Cake flour
1/2 cup
All purpose flour
1/2 cup
Semolina flour
1 cup
Clarified butter
1 cup
Confectioners sugar
2/3 cup
Orange flower water
3/4 tbsp
Almonds
30
Method
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
- Sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, and semolina and set aside.
- Beat the butter for at least 10 minutes until it is fluffy. Then beat 2 more minutes while sprinkling in the blossom water and confectioners' sugar.
- Fold in the flour mixture gradually. Then refrigerate the soft dough in covered bowl for about 10 minutes.
- With the help of a diamond shaped cookie cutter, shape the dough into 1 inch sided diamonds and place them 1/2 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Then place an almond in the center of each cookie.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in an oven preheated to around 275 degrees F. Do not overbake.
- Let the cookies cool for at least an hour. They are best served when cooled for several hours.
- Makes 2 dozen.