Ramadan Recipes

Saffron and cardamom flavor this sweet black tea.

Chickpeas appetizer eaten often during Ramadan at Iftar.

I learned this recipe from my mother-in-law in Tunisia. Serve it on four separate plates or on one large platter. Serve with sliced French bread.

These kebabs have 6 different kinds of spices; the first time I smelled them I knew immediately that I had to find the recipe. The most affordable way to purchase the spices is in bulk at either a health food store or an Asian or Middle-Eastern market. They are very good! Serve with yogurt, flat bread, lettuce, tomato and cucumber.

During Ramadan, we often eat these stuffed dates to break the fast. They are easy to make and a delicious treat.

The most popular Indonesian snacks in my version. Serve it hot and make extra. With this recipe, you always want more!

At my age I feel like I've seen and done it all, so you can only imagine my shock at finding a new way to do eggs. I would never have thought to pair yogurt with poached eggs and a spicy red pepper butter, but it might be my new favorite breakfast now. Fried eggs also work in this, any way you like 'em. Serve with toasted crusty bread for dipping.

Mix up a simple dough, let it rise, and experience the true taste of homemade pita breads from your own kitchen.

This Tunisian dish is like a Mediterranean version of huevos rancheros. Fried eggs simmer in a sauce of tomatoes, onions, colorful bell peppers, chile peppers, and spices.

These kebabs have 6 different kinds of spices; the first time I smelled them I knew immediately that I had to find the recipe. The most affordable way to purchase the spices is in bulk at either a health food store or an Asian or Middle-Eastern market. They are very good! Serve with yogurt, flat bread, lettuce, tomato and cucumber.

I believe I've posted a few fool-proof methods for cooking perfect rice, but this Persian version takes the grand prize, and it's not even close for second. The beauty of this method is that it doesn't rely on any specific measurements, or even exact times. This will make some of you very nervous, but just go with it.

For a traditional Pakistani/Indian dish, simmer tender morsels of chicken in a creamy, spicy blend of onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, tomatoes, yogurt, mint, cardamom and cinnamon. Finish by steaming with fragrant saffron rice and potatoes.

Beef and potatoes are the main ingredients folded inside these wonderful deep fried samosas. Chicken livers may be substituted for beef, if you choose. My friend from Bangladesh gave me this savory, spicy recipe. You just can't buy better in the shops.

A favorite Palestinian dessert! Crunchy shredded phyllo dough is baked with a layer of creamy sweet cheese and then drenched in rosewater syrup. It's simple yet impressive. The cheese filling is traditionally made from Nabulsi cheese that is desalted. The ricotta-mozzarella mix is a great substitute, and lower-fat products can be used. If you have access to a Middle Eastern grocery, you can probably find kanafa dye, which turns the dough into the orange or reddish color that is the signature of kanafa.

This is a Somali recipe. I learned it by watching my Somali friends around Ramadan and I was able to make my own variation. They are really good and I can't stop eating them. They are served during Ramadan, Weddings, Parties, or just because. Since I am married to a Somalian man, I learned to cook a few things, and there are some of my American dishes he loves as well. For a variation you can substitute shredded beef for ground beef.

This is a great recipe for falafel. Everyone that I have made it for loves it. Yum!

Basmati rice is topped with chicken pieces cooked with aromatic spices, garnished with toasted slivered almonds.

A very spicy dish. This recipe is inspired by my mother's Bengali fish recipe she used to make in India.

Manti is a famous meal from my country. To prepare this dish takes time, but I'm sure you'll agree it's worth it! Enjoy-afiyet olsun (bon appetit)!

This is a traditional Muslim bean pie that most people have never had and even more have never made. Made with navy beans, it is surprisingly a wonderful dessert. Once you've had it, you'll love making it. There are only a few recipes for this pie and it took me years of tweaking other recipes to come up with one that actually makes an edible bean pie. This recipe you can trust to make an awesome dessert.

This is a traditional Turkish dessert with rich ingredients which is cooked especially for Eids, delicious for real!

These are served in every restaurant in the Middle East. You can easily make them at home and make them taste just as good, if not better. Don't substitute sour cream for the yogurt, as the yogurt is a meat tenderizer.

This is a very flavorful Indian rice pudding. It's the best rice pudding I've ever had, and very easy to make!

Unlike most of America's other favorite fast foods, falafel is rarely attempted at home, which is a shame, since it's very simple to do, and even a relative novice like me can get some very decent results. One word of warning: you do need to know you're going to have a craving for this a full day before you actually want to eat it.