Favourite fast food to suit Ramadan
Fasting during the month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam. From dates to buffalo wings and samosas, Kiwi Muslims share their favourite meals with Mildred Armah.
Aliya Danzeisen starts her morning an hour before sunrise as she prepares to fast through the day during the holy month of Ramadan.
It’ll be at least another 12 hours before she has another meal, so breakfast this month will be heavier than usual. ‘‘Breakfast in our household during Ramadan will be leftover stew or sometimes eggs and toast. Usually it’s a little heavier, so we can make it through the day,’’ she says.
Danzeisen, a member of the Muslim community, will eat again only after the sun sets.
She breaks her fast in the evening with Medjool dates, a dried fruit native to Morocco. Dates come in a hundred different varieties but Medjool dates are the only kind known as ‘‘the fruit of kings’’.
‘‘You’re supposed to have an odd number of dates so you either have one, three or five, and it’s usually taken with milk.’’
This is based on what prophet Muhammad would do and is a consistent tradition across the Muslim community, she says.
With a sweet, caramel taste and chewy texture, these dates were originally eaten by royalty and thought to fend off fatigue – the perfect appetiser after 12 hours of fasting, followed by attending evening prayer, Danzeisen says.
In Islam, Ramadan is believed to be the time in which the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It’s a time of reflection and begins with the first sighting of the crescent moon to the next, lasting from 29 to 30 days. This year, Ramadan began on Friday evening.
Muslims fast from dawn to sunset and break the fast with a nightly feast called iftar followed by a predawn meal called suhur.
‘‘Once a week we invite friends and family over and the socialisation and the community connection is done over food,’’ Danzeisen says.
‘‘We take turns hosting each other and this is when I like to share some of my specialities.’’
Danzeisen is American, so one of her specialities is hot buffalo chicken wings as an appetiser.
‘‘I’ll also serve samosas when guests are over, and sometimes I do banana puffs. Then we go into our evening sunset prayer, and we come back as a family or as a group, and we’ll have the main dinner. My partner is from Nigeria, so I’ll sometimes make hot okra stew with lamb as our evening meal.’’
Okra stew is a staple in West Africa, typically eaten with rice, either using a spoon or with one’s fingers by rolling the rice into a little ball and dipping into the stew, which is made up of blended onion, tomatoes, capsicum, salt, chicken stock, garlic, ginger, tomato paste and cayenne pepper.
For Danzeisen, Ramadan is an appreciation of how fortunate we
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are to have food, and understanding how it feels when others do not. ‘‘We’re also supposed to be monitoring our words, our actions and just making sure we’re treating each other well,’’ she says.
Somali community advocate Ibrahim Ali says Ramadan was something he inherited.
‘‘I grew up watching my parents fast. My dad is in his late 80s and is still fasting, so it’s something that’s significant to me in many ways.’’
Ali has been fasting himself since the age of 14. He is 38 now and wants to keep the tradition for the rest of his life. He says fasting in Aotearoa is ‘‘very easy’’ compared to his life in Somalia.
‘‘I don’t feel much thirst here but in Somalia, it was very hot. I remember having to look after our animals outside during Ramadan and there being nothing between me and the sun all day.’’
He recalls one instance of breaking his fast during the day. ‘‘It was when I was 14, and I couldn’t hold it. I started drinking
water. I didn’t tell my mum and dad and I acted as if I was fasting. But the following year when I turned 15, I felt there was a responsibility and started taking it more seriously.’’
A favourite meal for Ali during iftar dinner is a pancake-like bread called injera –a popular East African dish traditionally made out of teff flour, the world’s tiniest grain, along with water. It can be served with a combination of salads, gravy and sauce.
For Noha Nasef, whose parents are Egyptian, Ramadan is a time for reflection and selfimprovement.
‘‘It’s all about putting extra efforts to improve yourself spiritually, getting rid of the bad habits and starting a fresh page with a better version of yourself.’’
During Ramadan, she spends more time on self-discipline and creating healthier routines.
‘‘I prefer to wake up at around 4 or 5am for breakfast. I eat low carbs mostly. I’m a big fan of seedbased muesli with milk and strawberries and blueberries.’’
When it comes time for iftar dinner, she prefers to have something light such as cereal and fruit. ‘‘It takes awhile for my stomach to get used to eating, so I can’t really eat big meals. I’m quite happy to eat a nice nutritious breakfast-type meal in the evenings whether it’s cereal, muesli, fruits or vegetables. It gives me the satisfaction of a nice meal without the feeling of heaviness.’’
Afterwards, it’s all about learning about Islam, reciting the Quran and doing extra prayers, she says. ‘‘I go for night prayers at Auckland’s North Shore Islamic Centre, and it’s a really nice time to catch up with people.
‘‘Most years they have a Muslim scholar there with a beautiful voice, so you’re doing the prayers and listening to this beautiful melodious recitation of the Quran. It’s very nice.’’