The holy month of Ramadan is just a few days away and the time of fasting and praying is about to begin. So in this post, I am going to share an exhaustive collection of recipes that are easy to prepare, full of nutrition, flavour and Taste and yet you do not have to spend much time in the kitchen.
NONBU GANJI (RAMADAN SPECIAL PORRIDGE)
Nonbu ganji is a nutritious rice and meat dish having porridge like consistency. It is very popular in South India and is often served at iftars during Ramadan with Ulundu vadai/ Urad dal fritters. The combination of vadai and ganji tastes delicious. The crispy vadai is usually dipped in hot Nonbu ganji and taken.
HALEEM
Another iftar special is a delicious meat based dish called Haleem. It is high in calories and fibre and gives instant energy to the body. The preparation of haleem generally takes several hours together where meat is cooked along with rice, dal (lentils) and spices till all the ingredients combine well and have a thick consistency.I am sharing with you my mother's Haleem recipe which can be cooked in less time as it uses a pressure cooker and tastes delicious.
Badam hareera is a healthy and delicious drink made using milk and almonds. It is commonly prepared for iftars during the month of Ramadhan and served hot.
BADAM HAREERA
FRUIT AND NUT ICE CREAM
This is a refreshing ice cream recipe filled with fruits, dried fruits and nuts.
STRAWBERRY PUDDING
STRAWBERRY PUDDING
Strawberries are one of my favourite fruits and I often use them in my desserts to add taste and colour. Strawberry kheer is one such dessert. Just the addition of strawberries to a kheer takes the taste to an all new level. Do try out this recipe and I am sure you will like it.
BANANA CHERRY AND TRIFLE PUDDING
Trifle pudding is a delicious dessert made by layering sponge cake with fruits and custard. It is best served chilled and is an ideally served after iftar. I have used bananas and cherries here, but you can any other fruit of your choice.
SEMOLINA AND COCONUT BALLS/ GULGULE
Gulgule is a delicious and easy to make traditional sweet that we often prepare at home. The recipe I am sharing today is my mother-in-law's who is an expert in making it. You can also make gulgules in large quantities at home and store them in air tight containers. They are an ideal snack for picnics and family get togethers.
MANGO ICE CREAM SHAKE
Mangoes are in season now and there are plenty of recipes that we can try with mangoes. I often make mango milkshakes or have it as a fruit salad but for Iftar I wanted to try out something different. So I made a shake with mangoes and ice cream. The result was mind blowing and the drink was creamy and delicious.
MANGO FALOODA AND JELLY SURPRISE
This recipe combines the vivid tastes of faluda (china grass pudding), jelly and mangoes in a single glass and not only looks good but also tastes delicious. This recipe makes 2 glasses and you can also make this for iftar, parties and special occasions and delight your guests.
APPLE CASHEW MILKSHAKE
Milkshakes are a great way to break the fast. This milkshake is filled with the goodness of apples and cashews.
STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE
Strawberries are known for their wonderful flavour and taste.This is a simple recipe of milkshake made using fresh, juicy, and red strawberries. This recipe makes approximately 2 glasses of strawberry milkshake.
MANGO MILKSHAKE
Mangoes are one of the most cultivated fruits in the world. They are the king of fruits and recipe makes you like mangoes more than ever before.
CHICKEN CUTLETS
This is yet another iftar special recipe from Amina Creations. Quick and easy, these chicken cutlets can be made a day ahead and fried just before iftar. They taste great with tomato ketchup.
KHEEMA SAMOSA
Kheema samosa or minced meat samosa is a very delicious type of samosa commonly prepared in the North Arcot district of Tamil Nadu. Here there are several layers of dough on top of each other and the samosa is usually stuffed with minced meat (kheema) filling. As a result these samosas are crunchy on the exterior and spicy and soft in the interior.These delicious Kheema samosas are a must have during festivals and parties and no Ramadan iftar party is complete without this.
SAVOURY FRENCH TOAST
Bread is a versatile food and you can make different types of delicacies with it. From french toast to sandwiches to upmas and even sweets, bread in any form tastes delicious. I have shared several recipes of bread in my blog and in this post I am going to share a savoury version of french toast the way we make at home.
CHICKEN PARCELS
This is a delicious snack/ starter recipe of Chicken parcels that my mother made for iftar. It does not take much time to cook and tastes awesome.
ULUNDU VADAI
Ulundu or Medu vadai is a popular south indian delicacy. This delicious vadai is served during iftars with nonbu ganji.
Another iftar special recipe made using boiled eggs. This recipe makes 8 egg bajjis.
EGG SAMOSA
Delicious samosa recipe with egg filling. Makes 20 to 25 samosas. You can adjust the quantity of ingredients according to your requirements.
SEEKH KABAB
Seekh kabab is one of the most popular varieties of kabab. Traditionally it is cooked in a charcoal oven which gives a wonderful texture and flavour to the kababs. But it can also be made easily at home by frying them in oil without any compromise on taste.
CHICKEN CROQUETTES
This is a delicious recipe made using dals. These vadais are easy to make and does not consume much time.
Chicken croquette requires very few ingredients and is easy to make. There are several different recipes to make this yummy snack. In this recipe, boiled chicken is mixed with white sauce, seasoned with salt and pepper and then deep fried in oil. This recipe also has egg whites, but if you are very fond of eggs, you can ignore it. This recipe yields 8 croquettes.
CHICKEN MEAT BALLS
This is a traditional recipe from my mother. It is very easy to make, takes just about 30 minutes and uses minimal quantity of oil.
MASALA VADAI
VEGETABLE BREAD ROLLS
Bread rolls can be prepared in several different ways. They can be stuffed with vegetable or meat filling and stir fried or deep fried in oil. In this recipe the rolls have vegetable stuffing and have been deep fried in oil. You can serve these hot bread rolls with tomato ketchup or green chutney.
ALOO SAMOSA
Potato samosa are very popular in India. I am sharing the recipe of the potato samosa we make at home. The outer part is crunchy while the inner potato mixture just melts in the mouth.
SHAMI
This is a traditional recipe from my mother’s kitchen. It is very delicious and can be had as a snack or as a side dish with rice and dal. There is another variation of shami called the ‘Shami kabab’ which contains more spices.
RAW BANANA FRITTERS
Raw banana or plantain is commonly used in Indian cooking much like the potatoes. It is versatile and can be used to cook curries, stir fries, snacks, etc. Raw banana fritters or Vazhakka bajji is a very popular snack in Tamil Nadu and is also prepared for iftar.
VEGETABLE CUTLET
Cutlets are a great favourite of mine and my mother’s cutlets are simply yummy. They are very easy to make and can be made a day earlier, refrigerated and fried the next day. It is a good option especially when you have guests coming to your home for iftar. This recipe makes approximately 25 cutlets.
CARROT CHEESE ROLLS
This is a very simple and easy to cook recipe. The rolls are crispy on the outside, soft inside and the cheese just melts in the mouth. This gets done in about 20 minutes.
CHICKEN BIRYANI
Biryani is an exotic dish made using a variety of spices, meat and rice. No doubt it is one of the most sought after dishes in India and festivals, special occasions and feasts are incomplete without it. This is my mother's chicken biryani recipe which is simply delicious. This is an easy to cook recipe and can be cooked in about half an hour. Here we have used a pressure cooker to create 'dum' for the biryani. This ensures that flavour and aroma are intact and the biryani comes out perfect.
HYDERABADI BIRYANI
Hyderabadi Biryani is by far the most popular variety of Biryani. Even this Biryani tastes slightly different in different places due to its preparation method and the secret ingredient used, but there is no denying the fact that its taste is simply wonderful. This recipe of Hyderabadi biryani has been adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor's Hyderabadi biryani recipe. It requires a lot of work, patience, precision and most importantly time to make this mouth watering delicacy at home. But it is worth the effort.
VEGETABLE MASALA KHICHDI
VEGETABLE FRIED RICE
Think about Chinese food and the first thing that comes to our mind is fried rice. Vegetable fried rice tastes best when served with Kung pao chicken or Cauliflower manchurian.
BREAD UPMA
Bread upma is a flavourful and delicious dish made using bread. It can be prepared for iftar if you want a change from the regular iftar meal. We usually add only potatoes in this recipe, but you can add peas, carrots or any other vegetable of your choice.
CHICKEN MACARONI
This is the one of the most tastiest recipes from my mother’s kitchen. It is simply yummy and is a must have at the iftar table.
MASALA MAGGI NOODLES
This recipe gives a delicious twist to the regular Maggi noodles. The addition of tomatoes, onions and masalas add a wonderful taste to the noodles. This is my Mom in laws recipe and is a great hit at home.
SWEET CORN AND CHEESE PASTA
This is yet another delicious recipe using pasta. Of late, I have been making pasta dishes at home as they are quick, delicious and easy to make. Sweet corn and cheese pasta is just a perfect dish you can prepare for iftar.
SPINACH AND TOMATO PASTA
Pasta is one of my favourite dishes and I often experiment with it mixing different ingredients. Spinach and tomato pasta is one such dish. I combined whole wheat pasta with spinach, tomatoes and cheese and the result was simply awesome. The dish was filling, nutritious and you can feel the taste in your mouth even after you have finished eating.
KHEEMA SEVIYAN
This is yet another delicious traditional recipe from my mother’s kitchen. This is easy to make and tastes delicious.
VEGETABLE HAKKA NOODLES
This is a very simple and easy to cook noodle recipe that gets done in less than 20 minute. I have used carrots, beans and capsicums but you can use any vegetable of your choice.
PESARATTU
Pesarattu also called upma pesarattu is a very popular dosa variety from Andhra Pradesh. This dosa differs from the regular dosa as it is made using whole green gram and is often served with upma and ginger chutney.
KHEEMA PARATHA
IDLI MANCHURIAN
Manchurian style gravies using cauliflower, chicken and paneer are very popular and taste great with naan, fried rice and noodles. This recipe is a Manchurian recipe with a twist! It is Idli Manchurian that can be served as a main dish for iftar
ALOO PARATHA
Delicious parathas made using potatoes and spices.
PENNE PASTA WITH VEGETABLES
Easy to cook pasta recipe that requires very few ingredients and gets cooked in about 20 minutes.
KHEEMA WRAPS
Another delicious iftar special recipe where roti is filled with kheema and sealed with egg mix. Vegetarians can replace the kheema filling with potato mixture and egg with maida + water mix.
MINI SAMBAR IDLI
Sambar idli is a very popular dish in South India. Normal sized or mini (button) idlis are soaked in delicious sambar (lentil gravy) and served. The mini idlis
