As a month of fasting begins, these flavorful dishes will enliven suhoor meals and iftar celebrations.
By Tanya Sichynsky: With the holiest month in the Islamic calendar right around the corner, plans for suhoor and iftar meals, which bookend long days of fasting, are well underway across the globe. Below is just a sampling of recipes often found on tables across cultures and countries throughout the holiday, which begins Saturday in the United States and comes to a close with Eid al-Fitr on May 2. Some are savory, others are sweet, but all are sure to satisfy.
1. Carrot Maqluba
A traditional Palestinian dish, this striking mound of turmeric-tinged rice, tender meat and slivered carrots comes together in a single pot in one hour, making it a suitable option for concluding a day’s fasting. Reem Kassis’s version streamlines the often time-consuming recipe by opting for boneless rib-eye steak and good-quality store-bought broth.
2. Fatima’s Fingers (Tunisian Egg Rolls)
While many versions of these delicate fried pastries can be found across North Africa and the Middle East, they are usually made with malsouka pastry sheets. In this version, which Jamel Charouel adapted from his father, spring roll wrappers are used to encase a ras el hanout-spiced chicken and potato filling.
3. Cucumber Yogurt Salad With Dill, Sour Cherries and Rose Petals
A fresh and flavorful salad is the perfect accompaniment to a more substantial and savory iftar main course. In this recipe adapted by Julia Moskin from the chef Sameh Wadi, a dill and dried mint-seasoned yogurt obscures bits of diced cucumbers and tart dried cherries, making each bite a surprising burst of flavors and textures.
4. Aloo Samosas
These potato and pea samosas from Zainab Shah can be made in large batches and frozen for a quick and easy make-ahead finger food for iftar snacking. The vegan filling and crisp exterior are sure to satisfy every kind of eater, especially when paired with an herbaceous mint chutney.
5. Lamb Biryani
A long-cooked biryani, like this one from Tejal Rao that’s layered with rice, herbs, caramelized onion, braised lamb and milk golden with saffron, is a labor of love, for sure. But after an overnight marinade and several hours of cooking, it’s a dish that feels especially celebratory, and one worth building an entire evening’s menu around.
6. Fattoush
A light tomato and pita salad, seasoned with sumac and dried mint, and dressed in a garlicky dressing of pomegranate syrup, lemon juice and olive oil, is a refreshing way to break the fast. And this lovely recipe from Joan Nathan comes with rave reviews: “You won’t be disappointed,” wrote one New York Times Cooking reader.
7. Seekh Kebab With Mint Chutney
This fragrant lamb kebab recipe, adapted by Alexa Weibel from the chef Chintan Pandya, works just as well rolled into meatballs and pan-seared as it does molded onto skewers. Just don’t skip the deggi mirch, a chile powder that does double duty by imparting both flavor and color in the ground meat.
Source:nytimes.com
