Cooking good food fast is key for Ramadaan, writes Bonnie S. Benwick
HEN a cook like Rima Kasm prepares for Ramadaan, the holy monthlong period of fasting during daylight hours that began on Friday at sundown this year, she knows that planning is even more essential than usual.
“I will write down what I want to cook each day and get everything I need,” the Lebanese-American says. She will rise before dawn to make and share the morning meal known as suhoor, and cook the evening meal, iftar, without tasting sun sets.
“Following my good recipes makes it okay for me,” Kasm says. “I rely on them.”
At the top of the list: foods that hydrate and don’t take long to make, such as soups, because the fast also prohibits the intake of any liquids. Spicy dishes such as curries are avoided, since they bring on thirst. She makes a soup almost every day, as well as the pita and vegetable salads known as fattoush.
Dates and dessert sweets are on her daily menu, as she admits to a THERE’S not much of a rise in this cake, but its texture does approximate that of a baked carrot cake with a moist, dense crumb. And it couldn’t be easier to make. You’ll need a 15cm round cake pan. Adapted from
Makes 4 ¼ cup liquefied coconut oil 1/3 to ½ cup granulated sugar 1 large egg ½ tspn ground cinnamon Pinch freshly grated nutmeg ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup packed peeled, grated carrots, plus a few shavings for optional garnish
¼ cup unsweetened flaked coconut, plus more, toasted, for optional garnish ½ cup flour ½ tsp baking powder ¼ cup chopped pecans Cream cheese frosting/icing (optional)
Whisk together the oil, sugar (to taste), egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, carrots, flaked coconut, flour, baking powder and pecans in a medium bowl; do not over-mix. particular craving for them during the holiday.
Kasm says you’ll find a pressure cooker in many Ramadaan kitchens, an invaluable aid that allows her to make bean stews, lentils and fragrant chicken with rice and warming spices in as little as 20 minutes. For cooks who might not be quite as organised as she, or are looking to add variety to their pressure-cooker repertoire for the holiday, here are four recipes that work for the holiday – including dessert. – Washington Post
Pour a cup of water into the Instant Pot and then set a trivet in it; place the mix in the cake pan and place the pan atop the trivet. The water should not come up higher than the bottom of the cake pan. Lock the Instant Pot lid. Press the MANUAL button and set the timer to 20 minutes. Once the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Carefully quick-release any additional pressure until the float valve drops, then unlock the lid.
Transfer the cake pan to a wire rack to cool. (Drain the Instant Pot.)
To serve, invert onto a platter. Spread the frosting on top, if using, then garnish with the optional toasted coconut flakes or optional carrot shavings. Cream Cheese To make just enough cream cheese frosting for this cake, whisk together 115g roomtemperature cream cheese, 8 tablespoons (1 stick) roomtemperature unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 8 tablespoons icing sugar and a pinch of kosher salt in a mixing bowl, until smooth. LENTILS are a go-to ingredient for Ramadaan soups; this one’s quite flavourful and all done in a single pot. It’s also filling without being heavy. We noticed in testing that this soup thickens upon standing; feel free to stir in 1 to 2 cups additional water when you reheat it. You’ll need a 5l pressure cooker. Recipe adapted from a recipe at SkinnyTaste. com. 450g dried brown or green lentils 340g to 425g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
(fat trimmed) 7 cups water 2 tbsp curry paste 1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped 2 scallions, white and light-green parts, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium-size ripe tomato, cut into 1cm dice ¼ cup chopped cilantro (dhanya) leaves 1 teaspoon granulated garlic (powder) 1 tspn ground sumac (may substitute cumin) ¼ tspn dried oregano ½ tspn sweet paprika ½ tspn kosher salt, or more as needed COMBINE the lentils, chicken (to taste), water, paste, onion, scallions, garlic, tomato, cilantro, granulated garlic, ground sumac, oregano, paprika and salt in the pressure cooker. Lock the pressure-cooker lid in place. Turn the heat to high; once the pot reaches HIGH pressure, cook for 30 minutes, adjusting the heat to maintain pressure, as needed. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board; use two forks to shred it, then return it to the pot, stirring to incorporate. Taste, and adjust the salt, as needed. Serve hot. Chances are good you’ll have the sauce ingredients on hand to make this easy, kid-friendly meal. Serve with rice. Adapted from a recipe at PressureCookingToday.com
Serves 4-6 1kg boneless, skinless chicken breast
halves, cut into bite-size chunks Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 medium onion, diced (1/2 cup) 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup ketchup 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
flakes 2 tsps sesame oil 1/2 cup honey 2 tablespoons cornstarch 3 tbs water Toasted/roasted sesame seeds 2 scallions, white and light-green parts,
chopped, for garnish
SEASON the chicken lightly with salt and pepper.
Preheat the Instant Pot using the sauté setting, or heat the oil in a stove-top pressure cooker over medium heat
Once the oil shimmers, add the garlic, onion and chicken; cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the onion has just softened.
Add the soy sauce, ketchup and crushed red pepper flakes (to taste) and stir to incorporate.
Lock the pressure-cooker lid in place.
Increase the heat to HIGH; once the pot reaches pressure, cook for 3 minutes.
Once the timer beeps, turn off the heat.
Carefully do a quick-pressure release.
Uncover; add the sesame oil and honey to the pot, stirring to incorporate. Dissolve the cornstarch in water in a small bowl, then add to the pot, stirring to form a slightly thickened sauce.
Stir in most of the sesame seeds.
Divide among individual plates; sprinkle with the scallions and remaining sesame seeds.
Serve hot.