Vegetarian Iftar Recipe | Tunisian Chickpea Soup

Today we feature a vegetarian iftar recipe from Tunisia called the leblebi, which is chickpea soup. This dish is made a lot in Tunisia during the Ramadan period. This recipe is relatively easy to make, and is a nutritious vegetarian iftar meal that will be loved by all in the family, especially the children.


Vegetarian Iftar Recipe
Leblebi
Tunisian Chickpea Soup




Ingredients

28 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed OR
2 cups dried chickpeas soaked overnight in 2 quarts of water, then drained and rinsed after 1-2 hours of steady, covered simmer until tender [Length of cooking depends on age of chickpeas and heat intensity.]
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
5 cups water
2 generous teaspoons toasted ground cumin (Heat for 5 minutes in a dry skillet or until browned and fragrant.)
2 teaspoons harisa, prepared or homemade
[No additional salt needed. Harisa, capers and preserved lemon all contain salt.]

Any one or more of the following garnishes:

capers
cilantro leaves
parsley leaves
chopped bell pepper
toasted cumin seeds
chopped hard-cooked egg
preserved lemon slices
toasted bread strips or croutons
additional harisa

Method

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil then add the onion, stirring occasionally until it is translucent and golden without browning. Add garlic, coating with onion mixture before stirring in the chickpeas, water, ground cumin and harisa. Simmer for 30 minutes. Garnish as desired.

Try this Vegetarian Iftar Recipe Today!

Vegetarian Iftar Recipe | Harira Soup

Today we feature a special vegetarian iftar recipe from Morocco called the harira, which is a popular soup served during Ramadan. The Harira can be made with meat, but this recipe shows the vegetarian version, which is equally, if not more tasty and nutritious.


Vegetarian Iftar Recipe
Moroccan Harira
Vegetarian Soup




Ingredients

* 1/4 cup green lentils
* 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas (soaked overnight and cooked. Or simply use canned chickpeas)
* 1 onion,chopped
* 1/4 ground ginger
* 1/2 ” cinnamon stick
* 2 large tomatoes, chopped (or you can use canned chopped tomatoes)
* 1/4 cup Vermicelli
* generous sprigs of parsley and cilantro
* few lemon wedges for garnish
* salt to taste (if needed)

Tadouira
* 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
* 1 tbsp lemon juice
* 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
* few sprigs of cilantro,chopped

Method

1. In a skillet, add 1/4 tsp oil, add the onions and little of cilantro and cook until soft.

2. Add the chopped tomatoes along with other seasoning like ginger,cinnamon stick etc and cook until soft.

3. Add about 2 to 2-1/2 cups of water along with lentils, close the lid and cook until lentils turn soft – anywhere between 15-25 minutes.

4. Add vermicelli ( more water/stock if needed – the vermicelli will thicken the soup). Season with little salt. Cook until vermicelli is soft . Add cooked/canned chickpeas

5. Make the tadouira. Combine all the ingredients given under it to make a paste.

6. Add it to the soup and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve hot garnished with the herbs.

Note: You can squeeze some lemon juice on top or else simply serve them as wedges for your guests.

Try this Vegetarian Iftar Recipe Today!

Eid Recipes | Roasted Winter Squash and Apple Soup

Eid al Adha 2009 is fast approaching. We plan to feature some exciting Eid recipes from around the world in this blog. So that you may try these Eid recipes for your family and friends.

Today, we feature a fantastic hearty soup that is delicious and healthy! This soup recipe has been created by Dr. Andrew Weil, who is among the best-known doctors in America, an alternative health guru who espouses the power of healthful eating and stress reduction as the best way to improve health.

We think it would be great for an Eid soup dish. It is called the Roasted Winter Squash and Apple Soup.

This Eid recipe is a must try for you!


Eid Recipes
Roasted Winter Squash and Apple Soup




Ingredients:

1 large winter squash (about 2 1/2 pounds), such as butternut,
buttercup or kabocha; peeled, seeded and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tart, firm apples, peeled, cored and quartered
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and red chile powder to taste
4 to 5 cups vegetable broth

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large roasting pan, toss the squash, onions, garlic and apples with the oil to coat. Season well with the salt and chile. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until the vegetables are fork tender and lightly browned, about 40 minutes.

2. Put half of the vegetables and 2 cups of the broth in a food processor and purée until smooth. Repeat with the remaining vegetables and broth. Return puréed mixture to the pot. If the soup is too thick, add more broth. Correct the seasoning and heat to a simmer.

3. Serve in warm bowls with dollops of cilantro-walnut pesto.

Cilantro-Walnut Pesto

Ingredients:

1 cup walnut pieces
2 cups cilantro leaves, washed, drained and stemmed
1 green jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Method:

1. Put the walnuts in a food processor and grind them fine.

2. Add the cilantro, jalapeño pepper, salt, vinegar and 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and blend. Blend in a little more water if necessary to make a thick sauce. Taste and correct the seasoning, adding more salt if necessary.

Try this Eid Recipe Today!

Oven Roasted Butternut Squash

Eid Recipe | Lontong from Malaysia

Eid ul Fitr 2009 is fast approaching. We plan to feature some exciting Eid recipes from around the world in this blog. So that you may try these Eid recipes for your family and friends.

Today, we feature a popular Eid recipe from Malaysia. It is called the Lontong. The lontong is made of compressed rice that is then cut into small cakes, and cooked in a broth with lots of vegetables. It is a healthy dish suitable for people of all ages.

Eid Recipe
Lontong




Serves 4

Ingredients:
60ml cooking oil
10 pieces compressed rice ketupat, from the store and cook according to packet instructions.
2½ cups (625ml) water
2 cups (500ml) coconut milk (extracted from 1 coconut)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Ingredients A: Spice paste
8 shallots (80g), peeled and sliced
6 cloves garlic (30g), peeled and sliced
2cm fresh turmeric root (25g), skinned and sliced
7 stalks dried chilli (5g), soaked in hot water until soften

Ingredients B:
1carrot (130g), cut into wedges
50g long beans, cut into 3cm lengths
1 long brinjal (100g), sliced
1 packet tempe "fermented soya bean cake" (100g), cut into 1cm slices
3 leaves cabbage (100g), cut into 3cm squares
50g glass noodles, soaked in water to soften

Method:
1) Using an electric blender, finely grind spice paste ingredients adding some water to move the blades if necessary.

2) Heat oil in a wok over medium heat, add spice paste and sauté till fragrant, stirring continuously. This will take about 5 - 8 minutes.

3) Add in 2 ½ cups water and bring gravy to a boil.

4) Add in Ingredients B except the glass noodles. Once vegetables are tender, add in coconut milk and the glass noodles, bring to a quick boil, stirring continuously as coconut tends to curdle if not stirred at this stage.

5) Season to taste with salt and serve lontong with some compressed rice "ketupat".

To serve:
Place a few pieces of compressed rice "ketupat" in a bowl, ladle hot lontong over and top with a dollop of prawns sambal for that extra kick.

Note: You can buy ketupat (rice compressed cakes) from supermarkets. Soak ketupat in water for 5-10 minutes and wash in several changes of water. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add in washed ketupat and cook over low heat for 45 minutes. Drain in colander. Leave to cool before cutting into cubes.


Compressed Rice Cakes

Iftar Recipe | Iranian Ramadan Soup

Iftar Recipe from Iran

Today we feature an iftar recipe from Iran. This dish is called the Aash-e Sholeh-Ghalamkar, which is a meat porridge dish. It is a popular iftar recipe during Ramadan in Iran. The Aash-e Sholeh-Ghalamkar is a hearty and spicy soup that is filling and delicious. But the Aash-e Sholeh-Ghalamkar is also a nutritious recipe being packed with protein goodness.

However, it does take some time to prepare. So for the working fasting person, you might want to try this recipe out during the weekend when you have more time to make it.

Try this iftar recipe out today!

Iftar Recipe
Aash-e Sholeh-Ghalamkar
Iran Porridge Recipe




Ingredients
(serves 4)

* vegetables: parsley, dill, coriander, spinach, spring-onion ends, 500 grams
* long-grain or basmati rice, 100 grams
* peas, 100 grams
* beans, 100 grams
* lentils, 100 grams
* beef or lamb, 500 grams
* onions, 3 large
* turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon
* cooking oil
* salt
* black pepper

Method

1) Soak peas, beans and lentils in water for 4-5 hours. Peel and chop onions and fry in oil until slightly golden.

2) Cut meat into small pieces and fry with onions until it changes color.

3) Add peas, beans, lentils, turmeric, salt, pepper and hot water, and cook over low heat for about one hour. Wash rice and add to the soup (or aash, soup in Farsi). Cook for another 20-30 minutes.

4) Wash vegetables and chop finely. Add to soup and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more hot water during cooking if necessary.

Iftar Recipe | Harees

Iftar Recipe from India

Today we feature an iftar recipe from India. This dish is called the Harees, which is a chicken wheat porridge dish. It is a popular iftar recipe during Ramadan in India. Harees is a hearty and spicy soup that is filling and delicious. But the harees is also a nutritious recipe being packed with protein goodness.

However, it does take some time to prepare. So for the working fasting person, you might want to try this recipe out during the weekend when you have more time to make it.

Try this iftar recipe out today!

Iftar Recipe
Harees


Ingredients
1 pound boneless chicken, most of the fat trimmed.
1 medium Onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Whole grain broken wheat/bulgur wheat/daliya
3/4 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or 1/2 teaspoon each of freshly grated garlic and ginger
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon garam masala (Ground cumin,coriander,cardamom ,cloves and cinnamon)
1 teaspoon sea salt/kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro and mint
1/2 a lime, freshly squeeeezed.
2 tablespoon Olive oil

Method
1) Soak the broken wheat for about 15 minutes in cold water

2) Heat Olive oil in a big skillet and add the thinly sliced onions. saute until lightly brown ,remove half of the fried onions and reserve for garnish.

3) Add the chicken and spices. Saute until chicken changes color and spices aroma is toasty.

4) Add the soaked wheat and chopped cilantro\mint(reserve few for garnish), 2 cups of water, season with salt and cover.

5) Cook on slow heat for about an hour(about 25 minutes in a pressure cooker) while stirring occasionally.

6) When cooked,uncover and let cool for 10 minutes before coarsely grinding using a immersion blender or any processor, stir in the fresh lime juice. Serve warm, garnish with toasted nuts, chopped greens and fried onions.

Iftar Recipe | Haleem

Iftar Recipe from Bangladesh

Today we feature an iftar recipe from Bangladesh. This dish is called the Haleem, which is a meat wheat porridge. It is a popular iftar recipe during Ramadan in Bangladesh. Haleem is a hearty soup that is filling and delicious. But the haleem is also a nutritious recipe being packed with protein goodness.

However, it does take some time to prepare. So for the working fasting person, you might want to try this recipe out during the weekend when you have more time to make it.

Try this iftar recipe out today!

Iftar Recipe
Haleem




Ingredients

2lb Lamb or chicken(boneless) cut in cubes
11/2 cup Haleem Wheat or 2 cups of cracked wheat
1 tablespoon Ground spices like cloves, cinnamon ,coriander seeds and cumin seeds(Garam Masala)
1 cup Chopped cilantro and mint
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup Crispy fried onions for garnish
1/2 lime juice
2 green chillies
1 teaspoon red chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method

1) Soak Haleem wheat for 24hrs. Change water every 6 hours. For cracked wheat soak overnight.

2) The following day, marinate the cleaned meat (trim any white fat) with grated ginger garlic, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala and turmeric.

3) Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pressure cooker and add the marinated meat. Roast for couple of minutes and add the soaked wheat along with 2 cups of water. Cook 10 minutes at medium high flame. Another 40 minutes at medium low. Turn the heat off. Wait another 10 minutes before opening the lid. Let cool slightly.

4) Then coarsely grind it using an immersion blender or food processor.

5) Then Pour it in to a heavy bottom skillet and add the chopped greens ,lime juice and some more water.simmer until the blisters start. Garnish with crispy fried onions, roasted cashews or almonds and lemon wedges.

Try This Delicious Haleem Iftar Recipe