Iftar prep for a super-quick feast
Ramadan starts again on Sunday, May 5. And since the days are getting longer, we can imagine that once the sun has set, you want to get your food on the table as quickly as possible. With these tips, you can prepare your Iftar meal.
For those unfamiliar with it: Iftar is the meal Muslims eat after sunset during Ramadan. Usually enjoyed together, but sometimes alone. Either way, preparing all that delicious food takes time—and you don’t always have enough of it.
1 Pick up snacks
It’s very admirable to aim to make everything yourself, but don’t make it too difficult for yourself. Many delicious snacks and sweets are readily available from specialists or at the Turkish supermarket, such as Serifoglu in Amsterdam Nieuw-West or Sultan’s Patisserie in Utrecht. Here, for example, you can pick up delicious baklava or creamy kunefe.
2 Keep it simple
Not everything has to be difficult. Simple snacks that require no preparation can be incredibly delicious too. Think dates, olives and bread in all shapes and sizes. You can also buy kajmak with a generous drizzle of honey in advance and simply take it out of the fridge when you need it.
3 Chop, mix and freeze
Are you planning to make elaborate meals? You certainly can. In the week before Ramadan, you can already start chopping vegetables and mixing spices. Put anything that doesn’t keep for long in the freezer, then take it out when you’re making the dish. Think of the vegetables for this shakshuka from our cookbook. Falafel can also be made in large batches in advance and frozen. You can even store entire meals in the freezer—think soups that you can reheat weeks later.
4 Save for later and you’ll have something
If you have enough space, make many snacks a day or a few days in advance and store them in the fridge. Baghrir, the Moroccan thousand-hole pancake, can be reheated later and then devoured with butter and honey. Borek can also be made in advance and is delicious eaten cold.
Is it later in the month? Then use your leftovers from the days before. For example, you can do this with your leftover chicken.
Enjoy your meal!
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