Ramadan 2023: 5 healthy and lip-smacking recipes you must try

Ramadan is just around the corner, and for Muslims around the world, it is a month of fasting and spiritual reflection. While fasting during Ramadan can be challenging, it is also an opportunity to focus on healthy eating habits and nourish the body with wholesome foods. However, the long hours of fasting can be challenging, especially during the summer months when the days are longer and hotter. It is important to eat nutritious and filling meals during the pre-dawn and post-dusk meals, known as suhoor and iftar respectively, to maintain energy levels and stay hydrated. So, let's dive in and discover some lip-smacking Ramadan recipes that you must try! (Also read: Ramadan 2023: Know all about date and rules of fasting in the holy month )

1. Sheer Khurma

(Recipe by Chef Ranveer Brar)

Ingredients:

½ cup water

1 tin condensed milk

1 litre full fat milk

7-8 dates, seedless and chopped

3-4 green cardamoms, crushed

½ cup sugar

¼ cup ghee

2 tbsp chironji

¼ cup golden raisins

7-8 pistachios, sliced

8-10 almonds, sliced

8-10 cashews, chopped

1 cup whole wheat vermicelli (seviyan), crushed

¼ cup dessicated coconut

Chopped nuts, for garnish

Saffron, for garnish

Method:

1. Add water in a pressure cooker and immerse a tin of condensed milk in it.

2. Cover and cook for 2 whistles on medium flame.

3. Meanwhile, heat milk in a deep-bottomed heavy kadhai. Add dates and cook till it begins to change its color and reduces.

4. Add in crushed cardamom pods, allow to cook on simmer for 3-4 minutes and add in sugar, stir until the sugar begins to melt in.

5. Add the cooked condensed milk, mix well and cook till the milk begins to thicken.

6. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in another pan, add in chironji and roast till fragrant.

7. Add in raisins, pistachios, almonds and cashews. Roast till they begin to turn slightly brown.

8. Add in the seviyan and begin to roast till they turn brown.

9. Add in dessicated coconut and roast till fragrant.

10. Add in the seviyan and dry fruit mixture to the milk, mix well and cook till it comes to boil and thickens.

11. Garnish with dry fruits and saffron, serve hot.

2. Chiken biryani

(Recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)

Ingredients:

1½ cups Basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes and drained

750 grams chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces on the bone

2 bay leaves

5-6 cloves

8-10 black peppercorns

2 black cardamom

6-7 green cardamoms

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons ghee

1 inch cinnamon

1 teaspoon caraway seeds (shahi jeera)

2-3 green chillies, slit

2 medium onions, sliced

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

1 tablespoon biryani masala

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon red chilli powder

½ cup fried onions

½ cup yogurt

3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

2 teaspoons screwpine (kewra) water

3-4 tablespoons fresh cream-butter mixture

Saffron water for drizzling

Whole wheat flour dough as required

Fresh mint sprigs for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat 5 cups water in a deep non-stick pan. Add bay leaves, 5-6 cloves, 5-6 peppercorns, black cardamom and 3-4 green cardamoms and bring the water to boil.

2. Add salt and mix. Add rice, mix and cook till rice is ¾ done. Strain in a colander.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee in another deep non-stick pan. Add remaining green cardamoms, peppercorns, cloves, caraway seeds and cinnamon and sauté till fragrant.

4. Add green chillies and sauté. Add sliced onions and sauté till translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute.

5. Add chicken pieces, biryani masala and salt, mix, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.

6. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder and chilli powder, mix and cook for 1 minute.

7. Add ¾ of fried onions, yogurt, 2 tablespoons coriander leaves and 2 tablespoons mint leaves, mix, cover and cook till chicken is ½ done.

8. Add screwpine water, mix and cook till chicken is ¾ done. Adjust salt and mix.

9. Spread cooked rice on top of chicken mixture, drizzle cream-butter mixture, saffron water.

10. Spread remaining coriander leaves, remaining mint leaves and remaining fried onions on top, cover the lid sealed with wheat dough and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes.

11. Serve hot garnished with mint sprigs.

3. Lamb curry

(Recipe from Instagram/@anisagrams)

Ingredients:

1kg lamb meat

3 onions chopped

5 tbls oil

Few cinnamon sticks, cloves, whole black pepper, bay leaf

1 tsp whole cumin

1 heaped tblsp ginger/garlic paste

1 tblsp corriander and cumin powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp kashmiri chilli

2 tsp chilli powder

2 tbls karahi masala

Salt

2 tsp black pepper

2 fresh tomotoes

1/2 tin chopped tomatoes

2 tbls tomato puree

Method:

1. In a pot add oil and chopped onions, cinnamon sticks, clove, whole black pepper, bay leaf, whole cumin, fry onions till golden.

2. Add meat, ginger/garlic, salt and black pepper, turmeric powder. Stir and cook on medium heat till the water thats released from the meat evaporates.

3. Then add corriander and cumin powder

4. Chilli powder, kashmiri chilli, karahi masala, fresh and tin tomatoes and tomotoe puree, cook till tomotoes dissolve.

5. Pour in water depending on how soupy, gravy like you want the curry and add baby pototes. Simmer till meat is tender and potato's are cooked.

6. Garnish with chopped corriander.

4. Chicken keema pakora

(Recipe from Instagram/@salmasrecipes)

Ingredients:

Chicken/Lamb/Beef mince 1 kg (rinse few times & drain in a colander)

Onion large 2 (chopped small)

Green chillies (chopped small, adjust as required)

Fresh coriander 6-7 Tbs

Ginger paste/grated 1/2 Tsp

Garlic paste/grated 1/2 Tsp

Cumin seeds 3/4 tsp (optional)

Salt to taste

Gram flour 6-7 Tbs (add more if required, until it binds properly)

Oil to deep fry

Spices:

Tumeric powder 1/3 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Cumin powder 1 tsp

Chilli powder 1/2 Tsp

Bolst's hot curry powder 1 & 3/4 Tsp (use any brand you prefer)

Method:

1. In a bowl add the onions, chillies, coriander, ginger, garlic, salt and cumin seeds.

2. Mix it in, you can use a big food bag to use through your hand so the chillies doesn't burn your hand.

3. Add the spices listed above & mix it in and add the mince on top and mix it in. Best to use your hand to mix it in properly.

4. Now gradually add enough gram flour to make the mixture bind properly.

5. In a deep pan, add enough oil to deep fry.

6. The oil has to be very hot and on high heat while you put the mixture in batches. You can mould it into small balls if you prefer before adding it in.

7. Once the batches are in the oil, make sure it's on high heat, once all the bottoms starts to get solid then you can slightly adjust the heat so the inside cooks properly.

8. Then put the gas up again for few minutes before turning all of them around. These should be mainly fried on high heat to avoid them absorbing all the oil.

9. Take them out, once done. Place on a tissue paper in a bowl to drain excess oil.

10. Repeat the cooking process for the remaining batches.

11. Serve hot with your favourite dip as a snack or starter.

5. Beef Karahi

(Recipe by Instagram/@anisagrams)

Ingredients:

1.5kg Boneless or on the bone beef or lamb

5-6 onions sliced

2 plum tomatoes

4 - 5 tbls garlic & gingg

1 heaped tbls turmeric (cooking meat)

1 tsp turmeric (*add to curry with other spices)

1 tbls black pepper

1tsp Salt, add to taste

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbls Coriander powder

1 tbls cumin powder

1 tbls tandoori Masala

2 tbls kashmir chilli

1 tbls chilli flakes

1 tbls Achar Gohst Masala

1 tsp dry fenugreek

Few bullet chillies

Fresh coriander

2 cups water

6 tbls oil

Bay leaf

Few cloves

Few black peppercorns

Few cinnamon sticks

Few star anise

Method:

1. In a large pot add oil, sliced onions, bay leaf, whole cumin, cinnamon sticks, cloves, peppercorn & star anise.

2. Cook onions till golden brown, add the meat in and also ginger/garlic paste, black pepper, 1 tbls turmeric and salt. Mix and cook for around 15 mins till colour changes of the meat and is bubbling away.

3. Soak tomatoes in hot water fire 5 minutes, remove the skin and chopp into small pieces and leave aside.

4. Now add in coriander powder, cumin powder, tandoori masala, kashmir chilli, chilli flakes, dry fenugreek, achar Masala and *1 tsp turmeric powder and the chopped fresh tomatoes.

5. Add around 2 cups of water . Stir well and cover and cook on low to medium heat for approx 45 mins or until the water has evaporated and you can see the oil at the top. The meat should be tender. Make sure to occasionally stir so it doesn't burn.

6. Garnish with sliced bullet chillies and chopped coriander. Enjoy with Naan, roti or rice!