Daily Times

We all know that the month of Ramazan is about prayers, fasting, and feasts. Our desi culture places a lot of emphasis on food binging during sehri and especially at iftari. Iftar tables in our homes are covered in layers of fatty fried foods and desserts that are heavy on sugar, to satiate hunger pangs from the entire day. Many people neglect their health in this month and fail to realise that their meals need to be balanced and rich in nutrient value in order to survive the whole day of fasting without falling sick.

Ramazan falls at the peak of summer this year, so it is important to maintain energy levels and avoid the unhealthy food temptations that come with the month.

This Ramazan, we bring you healthy and scrumptious recipes that will leave you remembering the festival of goodness for a long time to come. Here are some quick and healthy Ramazan recipes that will tantalize your taste buds and are certainly worth trying.

Baked Cheese and Basil Samosa

Samosas are an essential item of any Pakistani Iftar. Our version of samosas is not fried, it’s baked, and hence it is low calorie and stuffed with cheese for that extra burst of flavour. We recommend you to make these in a bulk and store them in the freezer because you know you’re definitely going to run out with the many, many times you’ll make them!

Ingredients:

* 12 samosa sheets

* 1 cup cheese of your choice

* 2 tbsp. olive oil

* 1/2 cup basil (chopped)

* 1 tsp. lemon juice

* 1 tsp. pepper

* 4 green chilies (sliced)

* 1 egg

Directions:

Firs, preheat oven to 375 F. In a bowl, break the cheese into small pieces and add the olive oil into the bowl to make a smooth paste. Next, add the chopped basil, chilies, lemon juice and pepper, and mix them together. It’s time to lay out the samosa sheet and put a tablespoon of the cheese mixture in the center of the sheet. Overlap the longer edges over the cheese mixture to form a triangle, and seal the edges by dipping your fingers in water and pinching the edges. Beat an egg and brush the samosa with the egg wash for a crisp surface. Place the samosas in a baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes. Voila, your yummy samosas are ready to be eaten!

Cucumber and orange juice

A refreshing chilled cucumber and orange juice with hues of oregano is just what you need this Ramazan!

Ingredients:

* 2 cucumbers (chopped)

* 1 tsp. honey

* 2/4th cup of fresh orange juice

* ½ tsp. dried oregano

Directions:

Put the chunks of cucumber in a blender. Next, pour the fresh orange juice in, and add dried oregano and honey. Now, blend it until it is finely puréed. Your energy drink is ready.

Tawa Fish

As fish is filled with omega 3 fatty acids and is a great source of minerals, it is an amazing addition to your Ramazan menu. This Tawa Fish recipe will blow your mind.

Ingredients:

* 500 grams fish ( of your choice)

* 2 tsp. crushed red chili

* 1/4th tsp. turmeric powder

* 1 pinch carom seeds

* 2 tbs. lemon juice

* 1 tbs. dry coriander

* 1 tsp. garam masala

* 2 tsp. chat masala

* 2 tsp. ginger garlic paste

* 4 tbs. gram flour

* ½ tsp. salt

* 2 tbsp. water

Directions:

Mix all of these ingredients, except the fish, together in a bowl. Now, marinate the fish in the mixture for at least 30 minutes. In a skillet, shallow fry the marinated fish. Serve it with wedges of lemon and green chilies, and enjoy the yummy Tawa Fish.

Khajoor/ Date Truffles

No ifar table is complete without dates, as they are known as the food of Ramazan. Our date truffles recipe is quick and requires no cooking at all. Once you try the date truffles, you will not have dates any other way!

Ingredients:

* 2 cups dates

* 2 cups almonds (toasted)

* 2 tbsp. honey

* 1 cup dried coconut (unsweetened)

* ½ cup sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

Set the dried coconut in a shallow bowl. Combine all dates, almonds, honey, and sesame seeds in a food processor until soft dough is formed. Now, shape the mixture into balls. Lastly, roll the balls in the dried coconut and your delicious dessert is ready.

Chicken Fajita

This dish is very easy to make and is also super nutritious. You will find yourself crawling back for more.

Ingredients:

* 3 bell peppers (widely cut)

* 1 onion (widely cut)

* 3 tomatoes (wedges)

* 4 garlic cloves(chopped)

* 4 green chilies

* 1.5 lbs. chicken strips (breast piece)

* 1 tsp. chili powder

* 2 tsp. cumin

* 2 tsp. coriander

* ½ tsp. salt

* ½ tsp. black pepper

* 1 tbsp. dried oregano

* 1 tbsp. dried basil

* 2 tbsp. olive oil

* Freshly lemon juice

* cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Put onion, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, chicken strips, and green chilies in a baking dish. In a bowl, combine cumin, chili powder, coriander, salt, oregano, pepper, and basil. Rub the spice mix on the chicken and veggies. Drizzle the olive oil on top. Bake in the oven for half an hour until the chicken is fully cooked. Garnish it with fresh cilantro and lemon juice. Serve it with boiled rice.

Published in Daily Times, May 24^th 2018.