Iftar recipes for Ramadan

Gulf Today Report

Almost mid-way into Ramadan and you're running out of innovative recipes for Iftar? Well, how about ditching the innovation and sticking to classic dishes that are hit amongst the young and the old.

Chef Sabir, Banquet Tandoor Chef at a hotel in Noida, UP, India shares homemade Iftar recipes of good old favourites.

MUTTON SHAMI KEBAB RECIPE

Ingredients

500 grams boneless mutton

1 cup chana dal

½ teaspoon turmeric/powder

10 cloves garlic

2 inch ginger

3 green chillies finely chopped

¼ pecans finely chopped

3 spring mint leaves/pudina

Salt as required

Oil as needed

Whole spices:

4 red chillies

1 teaspoon black pepper powder

5 cloves

½ inch cinnamon stick

2 cardamom

½ teaspoon shahi jeera

2 black cardamom

To begin making the Mutton Shami Kebab recipe, wash and soak chana dal for minimum 1-2 hours.

Wash mutton pieces nicely and pressure cook it with soaked chana dal, turmeric powder, salt ginger, garlic and whole spices.

Once the mutton is done, pass it through a colander and collect the stock in a separate bowl which you can use later to make any mutton curry.

Collect the cooled mutton and dal mix in a grinder jar and grind to make a fine dough. The dough may look fibrous because of the meat.

Add finely chopped onion, chopped green chillies, chopped mint and coriander and mix nicely till everything incorporates well.

Heat a wide pan and grease it with 1-2 tablespoon oil.

Pinch a lemon sized ball from the mutton mix and flatten it to shape a round disk.

Similarly make rest of the kebabs and shallow fry from both sides in a wide pan till they turn dark brown in colour.

Mutton Shami Kebabs are a perfect snack option during Ramadan and also a great side dish with Chicken Biryani. Serve with onion rings, lemon and dhaniya pudina chutney.

This photo is used for illustrative purpose.

HALEEM RECIPE

Haleem made with lentils, spices and broken wheat, is a slow-cooked delicacy usually enjoyed during Eid festivities.

Ingredients of Haleem

½ tsp lamb (boneless)

150 gms moong dal (washed)

100 gms wheat (broken)

500ml desi ghee

10 cloves

4 bay leaves

1 gms saffron

30 gms green chilly paste

10 gms turmeric powder

6 gms mace

10 gms green cardamom

50 gms ginger paste

50 gms ginger, grated

150 gms onion, fried

3-4 litre lamb stock

To taste salt

How to make Haleem

Wash and soak all the lentils and broken wheat together for 2 hours.

Take a heavy bottom handi and add ghee to temper it with whole spices- cloves, bay leaf and green cardamom. When the spices start crackling, add the grated ginger and garlic paste till the colour turns brown.

Add the lamb along with all the powdered spices saffron, green chilly paste, turmeric powder and cook until it is half done and then add fried onions.

Drain the water from the lentils and add it to the lamb along with lamb stock. Add salt at this stage.

Let it cook until lamb gets tender and mixes with the lentils and becomes thick in consistency.

Check for the seasoning and serve with choice of breads.

Key Ingredients: Lamb (boneless), moong dal (washed), dal chana, wheat (broken), desi ghee, cloves, bay leaves, saffron, green chilli paste, turmeric powder, mace, green cardamom, garlic paste, ginger, onion, lamb stock, salt.