Collection
Ramadan Recipes
During Ramadan the day turns on two meals: the pre-dawn suhoor and the iftar that breaks the fast at sunset, a month that closes in the sweets and roasts of Eid al-Fitr. These are the dishes of that table, gathered from Muslim kitchens across the Middle East, North and West Africa, and South and Southeast Asia, from Moroccan chebakia to Emirati thareed, Indonesian rendang, and Saudi kabsa.
38 recipes
Assidat al-BoubarDoha, Qatar · easy · 50 minA warm pumpkin pudding of toasted flour, date syrup, and cardamom, a warming Qatari Ramadan sweet.
ChebakiaFès-Meknès, Morocco · advanced · 90 minFlower-shaped fried dough drenched in orange-blossom honey and coated in sesame, the sweet of the Moroccan Ramadan table.
Chorba FrikAlgiers, Algeria · medium · 80 minThe Ramadan soup of Algeria: a spiced tomato broth with lamb, chickpeas and smoky green freekeh, thick enough to eat as a meal.
Emirati HareesDubai, United Arab Emirates · medium · 230 minAn Emirati dish of whole wheat and lamb simmered for hours and beaten to a smooth savoury porridge, finished with ghee.
Emirati ThareedDubai, United Arab Emirates · medium · 100 minA spiced meat-and-vegetable stew ladled over thin crisp regag bread, a comforting Emirati dish, especially in Ramadan.
GhraybahTripoli, Libya · easy · 38 minMelt-in-the-mouth buttery shortbread scented with a hint of cardamom, a Libyan and Maghrebi celebration cookie.
LuqaimatDubai, United Arab Emirates · medium · 110 minCrisp golden dumplings drenched in date syrup and scattered with sesame, the classic fried sweet of the Emirati Ramadan table.
MasabibRiyadh, Saudi Arabia · easy · 35 minSoft, holey yeasted pancakes drenched in date syrup or honey, a Hejazi and Saudi breakfast.
Mbatten (Stuffed Potato Fritters)Tripoli, Libya · medium · 70 minPotato slices sandwiched around spiced minced meat, coated and fried until the outside is golden and the potato tender.
Omani HareesMuscat, Oman · medium · 200 minThe Omani wheat porridge: cracked wheat and chicken slow-simmered creamy, scented with saffron and a spiced Omani ghee.
SakhanaMuscat, Oman · easy · 55 minA thick, sweet Omani wheat soup of dates, date molasses and milk, made through Ramadan and eaten after the fast.
Bariis IskukarisMogadishu, Somalia · medium · 70 minFragrant basmati rice cooked with xawaash spice, caramelized onions, and raisins, Somalia’s festive celebration rice.
Beef RendangWest Sumatra, Indonesia · advanced · 240 minBeef simmered for hours in coconut milk and spice paste until the liquid vanishes and the meat turns dark, dry, and intense.
Bruneian Beef RendangBandar Seri Begawan, Brunei · advanced · 210 minA Bruneian dry curry of beef slow-simmered in coconut milk and a lemongrass spice paste until dark, tender and richly reduced.
Chicken BastillaCasablanca-Settat, Morocco · advanced · 105 minA sweet-savory pie of spiced shredded chicken and almonds in crackling pastry, dusted with sugar and cinnamon.
Chingri Malaikari (Prawn Coconut Curry)Dhaka, Bangladesh · medium · 50 minLarge prawns gently simmered in a subtle, creamy coconut-milk gravy with onion paste, ginger, and warm spices, a festive Bengali treat served with rice.
Egusi SoupEnugu (Southeast), Nigeria · medium · 65 minGround melon seeds cooked into a rich, nubbly soup with greens and assorted meats, the pride of the Igbo southeast.
FirniKabul, Afghanistan · easy · 35 minA silky ground-rice milk pudding scented with cardamom and rosewater, topped with pistachios, an Afghan celebration sweet.
GhooziManama, Bahrain · medium · 180 minSpiced rice crowned with tender roasted lamb, fried nuts, and raisins, a grand Bahraini and Gulf celebration platter.
Halwa PuriLahore (Punjab), Pakistan · medium · 70 minA festive Lahori breakfast of puffed fried puri, sweet semolina halwa, and spiced chickpeas.
Iraqi DolmaBaghdad, Iraq · advanced · 135 minVine leaves and vegetables stuffed with tomato-and-pomegranate rice, packed tight and steamed until sweet-sour and tender.
Iraqi QuziBaghdad, Iraq · advanced · 210 minThe Iraqi feast dish: spice-braised then roasted lamb piled on saffron rice and showered with toasted nuts and raisins.
KabsaRiyadh, Saudi Arabia · medium · 75 minSpiced rice cooked in aromatic broth with chicken, dried lime, and a whole-spice perfume, heaped high for sharing.
Kabuli PulaoKabul, Afghanistan · advanced · 120 minAfghanistan's national dish: steamed rice piled over lamb and crowned with candied carrots and raisins.
Kacchi Biryani (Dhaka-Style Mutton Biryani)Dhaka, Bangladesh · advanced · 160 minA Dhaka celebration biryani in which raw yogurt-marinated goat meat and potatoes are layered under par-boiled rice and sealed to cook together on slow dum.
KheerLahore (Punjab), Pakistan · easy · 70 minA slow-cooked rice pudding perfumed with cardamom and scattered with nuts, the comforting sweet of every occasion.
KibbehDamascus, Syria · advanced · 70 minTorpedo-shaped bulgur shells stuffed with spiced meat and pine nuts, fried until crisp.
MansafAmman, Jordan · medium · 150 minLamb cooked in a tangy fermented-yogurt sauce over rice and flatbread, Jordan's national dish of hospitality.
Maqluba (Upside-Down Rice)Amman, Jordan · advanced · 95 minLayers of chicken, fried eggplant, cauliflower, and spiced rice cooked in one pot, then flipped tableside.
Mauritanian CouscousNouakchott, Mauritania · medium · 100 minSteamed semolina piled with lamb and Saharan vegetables in a spiced broth, Mauritania's share of the Maghreb couscous tradition.
MéchouiNouakchott, Mauritania · medium · 230 minWhole lamb (or a shoulder) slow-roasted with cumin and salt until falling off the bone, desert feast food.
Ngalakh (Baobab & Peanut Millet Cream)Dakar, Senegal · easy · 45 minSteamed millet couscous folded into a sweet, nutty peanut cream soured with baobab-fruit pulp, chilled and scented with orange-blossom and vanilla.
Nigerian Jollof RiceLagos, Nigeria · medium · 65 minLong-grain rice simmered in a smoky, slightly spicy pepper-and-tomato base until every grain is stained red.
Shuwa (Home-Oven Version)Muscat, Oman · medium · 265 minLamb rubbed with date-dark Omani spices, wrapped in banana leaves, and roasted low until it falls apart, Eid on a platter.
Thieboudienne (Senegalese Fish & Rice)Dakar, Senegal · advanced · 110 minSenegal’s national dish: herb-stuffed fish braised with vegetables over deeply tomato-stained broken rice.
XalwoMogadishu, Somalia · advanced · 75 minA dense, glossy, cardamom-scented sweet set with cornstarch and ghee, the centerpiece of every Somali celebration.
Zereshk Polo ba Morgh (Barberry Rice with Chicken)Tehran, Iran · medium · 100 minSaffron chicken simmered in a tomato sauce, served with fluffy basmati layered with tart-sweet barberries fried in butter.
ZurbianSana’a, Yemen · advanced · 150 minA Yemeni celebration biryani: saffron rice layered with yogurt-marinated lamb and potatoes, finished over low heat.
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