Just before the start of Ramadan, I sat down with Mubarakah Ibrahim of Fit Muslimah to discuss the science behind what happens to our bodies when we fast. She gave so many incredible explanations and tips on what, when and how to eat and drink during the Ramadan (dry) fasting, you just simply don’t want to miss a minute of this interview. Take a seat, grab a pen and paper and take notes- it’s super interesting.
One thing I love to do in Ramadan is to experiment with super simple ways to serve dates for Iftar. This one was inspired by my desire to make yogurt cheese, or labneh instead of creme fraiche or mascarpone cheese. I didn’t fill the middle of each date with any nuts, but you can if you want. Aside from pitting the Medjool dates, this was just so very easy.
To the top, I added crushed pistachios, light Acacia California honey, and a sprinkle of bee pollen just because I wanted to get those into my diet. If you have allergies to bees, you might want to be careful adding bee pollen, plus it doesn’t have the most desirable taste, but I’m used to it (I put it in my cereal).
To make your own yogurt, check out my quick-to-prepare recipe here and here.
Either way, this is so incredibly easy and quick to whip up for your guests or just for yourself at home. I think they’re pretty, too. Ramadan Mubarak!
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The first time I fasted in Ramadan I wasn’t a Muslim; I was a curious young woman who had recently experienced a very short but very impactful trip to Morocco during the blessed month several years earlier.
I learned that the Islamic way of fasting was quite different — detailed and comprehensive — in comparison to my Catholic upbringing, where my experience with fasting was to diligently refrain from one particularly favored item during Lent (for me it was always chocolate) and no meat on Fridays. The rules of Ramadan fasting, however, seemed set and clear, and everyone around me — my graduate school friends from various parts of the Muslim world — all seemed to follow these rules quite religiously.
I found the refrain from food and drink was a phenomen I could never picture myself participating in wholly, particularly because I loved food too much and partly because I didn’t think I had the willpower to deny myself the earthly pleasures I so treasured. I was impressed by their dedication, but not enough to consider it something to adopt for the rest of my life.
I ended up doing an experimental fasting solely out of curiosity for how it felt and to see how far I could push my inner strength. At the time, Ramadan occurred in winter, so sunset was around 4:30 p.m. I quietly pulled out a bag of Medjool dates during class and drank a few sips of water, then went home to eat. Easy peasy. That was, until my Muslim friends responded to my innocent attempt with a chuckle and told me that in several years Ramadan would occur in the summer months, and then it would be way longer.
And they loved doing it anyway.
Amazing.
Revelatory.
Really?
Yes, because it was their favorite time of year. It was special, blessed, and there was nothing like that feeling of breaking the fast with their families and friends.
This concept of enjoying the fast was completely fascinating and mind-boggling at the same time to me. How could anyone enjoy not eating for such a long time? Why would they embrace the denial of such a pleasure especially when they had some of the best food I’d ever tasted in their Egyptian, Emirati, Malay, Indonesia, Palestinian, Saudi and Turkish food traditions?
And then it occurred to me. Like a lightning bolt.
My three-day trip to Tangier, Morocco prompted all of this interest and curiosity to explore Ramadan further.
Travel Opened up My Soul to a New Way of Thinking
During my junior year of college I studied abroad in Segovia, Spain. I had a phenomenal history teacher who peaked my interest in the comprehensive history of Moorish Spain, which provided way more profound details in the Spanish language than I had ever learned back home in my Latin American history courses. I wanted to experience the North African connection to Spain myself so I convinced my classmates to travel to Morocco during our spring break.
We took trains and boats to arrive at the port of Tangier, on what I now know was a Jummah (Friday), at the time of the jammat (congregational prayer), where I first heard the adhan (call to prayer) during the holy month of Ramadan.
During this trip, I met the warmest, most hospitable people I have ever met in my travels abroad. They spoke several languages to try and see which one would unlock the key to communicating with us, which still impresses me to this day. Our tour guide, Ali, had a constant smile that hid any annoyances he may have had with us.
Ali showed us around Old Tangier and kindly explained that the reason it was quiet and the stores were closed was that there was a holiday of some sort. I’m sure he mentioned it was Ramadan but it went over my head. All of it went over my head — the Islam part, the Muslim part, the Ramadan part. Every bit of it. All I could see were kind, generous and humble people who willingly shared their food — even when they were not eating — and their culture with us.
I was clearly disappointed that the restaurants were closed, but Ali happily found us a place to have lunch while he sat without eating but chatted us up the whole time. When I probed a little more about what time they would be eating, he invited all of us to dinner at his family home that evening. Much to my dismay, no one else wanted to go.
This was not my way of traveling, as I would never turn down a home-cooked meal with locals. Imagine the once-in-a-lifetime experience that would be! It’s still one of the biggest culinary travel regrets I have to this day.
Coming Home with Fresh Eyes
Upon returning to the States, I knew that I needed to know more about Muslims and the various cultures they represented. I got closer to my Muslim classmates by asking more questions about their lives and engaging in dialogue that would eventually change my perspective on the world — and my life — forever. Those classmates became my friends who invited me to many, many meals to experience breaking the fast in their humble college digs.
They may not know it even today, but they became cultural and culinary diplomats for their respective countries as well as for Muslims, Islam and for the deeper meaning of Ramadan. It may have taken years for the impact to take hold in my mind, but in my heart the change was quite instant. I began to see them as people I could relate to — young men and women with dreams, ambitions, challenges and fears just like myself. Simply being human outweighed the concept of “the other,” and that was something I sorely needed to learn.
Taking Time to Digest The Experiences of Traveling Abroad
Years later, I embraced Islam, and I believe it had more to do with the conversations I had over the meals I ate and the hospitality of those Muslims than anything else I experienced.
Yvonne’s Moroccan Harira | MyHalalKitchen.com
You see, one never knows what can happen over food, and that’s a fantastic thing. We can come to the table emotionally charged, with our own assumptions about a particular race, religion or political leaning, but as we share from the same plate or at least eat something together, an important bonding begins to occur. I always feel that a meal is the greatest neutralizer of emotions but it’s also a great equalizer.
We all have to eat, so why not experience it together instead of alone? Why not use the opportunity to bond and to get to know the person next to you or across from you in a more meaningful way by allowing the free flow of conversation that slowly begins to soften as we take pleasure in the great taste and texture and cultural exchange that is in every single type of food around the world.
It’s a song and dance, a storytelling opportunity about who we are. When someone cooks for you or decides to share their cuisine with you by taking you to a restaurant representing their cultural cuisine, they are trying to tell you a story of who they are and of what is important to them.
The Ramadan Community Iftar is an At-Home Travel Experience
That said, we as Muslims have this fantastic opportunity in Ramadan at every single iftar (breaking of the fast meal) — and if you’re brave enough to let anyone in on your suhoor (meal before the fasting day begins) — to close the gap between us and our neighbors, our family members, our friends, and yes, dare I say, complete strangers. It’s more important than we realize. It’s more impactful than we can comprehend today, because its implications are long-lasting.
For non-Muslims, the imperative of this opportunity is the same: when you seek out how you can participate in this experience, you are extending an olive branch, too, in that quiet inquisition brings a message of tolerance for diversity and a willingness to learn about a deeply sacred event performed by your Muslim neighbor, co-worker, friend or even a relative.
Culinary Diplomacy is for Everyone, Any Time
What prompted me to remember how incredibly important my culinary travels has been to my own life is the sad news of Anthony Bourdain’s passing last year. He gave a spotlight to places like Gaza that wouldn’t normally be seen in such a way — through the lens of the food of its people — while affording them a platform to talk about their plight. That is culinary diplomacy at its most clever, and most effective.
We can do the same, in our own ways and in our own format. I think we should all take advantage of that opportunity during the precious days of Ramadan and extend this practice well beyond the blessed month and well beyond the borders of the country in which we reside. Peace starts with us, wherever home is.
The suhoor meal is such an important one to have because it can really make or break the experience you have on the fasting day. If it’s a good suhoor, you’ll feel energized and ready to tackle the day; if not, it can leave you drained and exhausted, unable to do the things you need to do to keep your household running.
Spinach, Strawberry & Mango Smoothie. Sometimes you just want a thick and energizing drink instead of eating much food at suhoor. If that’s the case, this is one you don’t want to pass up any time soon, as the ingredients go surprisingly well together.
Chicken Sausages with Heirloom Tomatoes. Chicken is light enough to have at suhoor, if you’re in the mood for some serious protein. You can also do this with beef or lamb. Get the recipe here.
Chicken Sausages with Heirloom Tomatoes
Baked Phyllo Shells with Scrambled Eggs. I love this recipe because they’re fun and bite-size, which means you will mostly likely have a small portion of them and still feel satisfied. Get the recipe here.
Baked Phyllo Cups with Savory Scrambled Eggs
Homemade Chappati. I’m a huge fan of homemade breads. You know exactly what’s in them and when you get the hang of a certain recipe, it becomes something you can do with your eyes closed. Try this one, it’s delicious and really straightforward and you can make great wraps with them! Get the recipe here.
Breakfast Eggs with Sejouk. I love eggs any time of day, but I feel they give me quite the boost when I have them at suhoor, since they’re a great source of protein. To jazz them up a bit, sometimes I add that semi-spicy Sejouk, or Turkish sausage similar to what a Mexican chorizo is like. This recipe is for one, but so easy to double, triple, etc. Get the recipe here.
Breakfast Eggs with Sejouk
Savory Spinach Pie: I can’t express how much I love this, as I could eat it any time of day or night. My best friend who is from Turkey taught me her version and my cousin who is half Greek taught me her grandmother’s version. I combined the two ways and came up with this, which I just love so much and find it to be perfect for suhoor. Get the recipe here.
Savory Spinach Pie
Parmesan & Feta Quiche. More evidence of my love of eggs, this quiche is like a fluffy egg pie. I just used whatever I had leftover in the fridge, which was quite a bit of cheese, but you can add whatever you like. Choose light ingredients, however, as anything heavier will affect the cooking time. Fresh spinach, chives or something similar would be good substitutes. Get the recipe here.
Stuffed Figs with Yogurt Cheese, Honey & Almonds.On the lighter side of suhoor sits fruits, yogurt and honey and I love these. If you can find some really fresh figs, go for it completely; if not try dates or even other fruits like pears, peaches or apples. The combination is so very good. Get the recipe here.
Chicken Pot Pie in Phyllo Dough. This is what I call the leftover suhoor recipe. I would probably start out making it for Iftar and then have some for suhoor because it’s light enough and not spicy, oily or heavy in any way. The protein, however, really helps me get through the fasting day. Get the Whole Tied Chicken by Zabiha Halal, boil it or roast it and then pull it apart to use in this recipe. Get the recipe here.
Chicken Pot Pie in Phyllo Dough
Buttermilk Pancakes with Orange Zest. For the real breakfast experience, there must be pancakes of some sort, right? I love these so much because of the orange zest that gives it all that zing. These are spongy, not fluffy pancakes so if you like that style, this is yours to make. Get the recipe here.
Buttermilk Pancakes with Orange Zest
For more Sahoor recipes, get a copy of my Summer Ramadan Cooking Cookbook in either paperback or Kindle version.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that as an Amazon affiliate, I may receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. This helps keep my website running is very appreciated. Thank you so much for your support!
There are so many delicious recipes coming out of the North African country of Morocco and when I was there in the mid 90’s, I wasn’t able to try it because I was there for only a few short days during Ramadan and honestly don’t have any memorable food experiences while there. It wasn’t until I returned to the US that I started experimenting with Moroccan ingredients, asking more questions about the cuisine and started to experience it with Moroccan friends and at Moroccan restaurants in places like Washington, D.C., Cleveland, San Francisco and Chicago. Did I ever have Harira in those restaurants? No. This was hardly ever on the menus that I can remember, which is why I’ve only ever tried it from home cooks, and everyone seems to have their own take on it, so I created my own, too.
Maybe I enjoy the cuisine so much because it not only combines what I really love the most- that mixture of Mediterranean with Middle Eastern flavors- but also because the country itself was the very first place I ever heard the call to prayer, or the adhan. I visited Tangiers during a short trip while on holiday during a study abroad in Spain and it changed my life forever. I arrived frightened and scared at all of the tall tales I was told about visiting such a ‘mysterious’ place, but left with my heart open to an entirely new, peaceful and serene way of living.
And, as I just said, it was Ramadan.
While in Morocco as a student on holiday we did have a wonderful tour guide who took us to a restaurant that would serve us a lovely meal. I just remember feeling a little sad that it wasn’t more bustling with people at the time. Now I understand why.
Upon return to the States, I read everything I could about Moroccan cuisine and fell even more in love with the spice trail, the sweet and savory combinations and the love of local foods and beautiful agricultural lands that surround eclectic food-loving cities like Marrakesh, a place that is still on my travel destination wish list.
With this year’s Ramadan being in the summer, I wanted to find a light and healthy soup and was reminded by all the cookbooks I have about Moroccan cooking, that harira is the soup to make in this holy month where we’re fasting from before dawn to sunset time. The only problem is, there are countless varieties of harira recipes. Different regions make it different ways and even families make it differently, tweaking it according to their own preferences and perhaps local food availability. This could be frustrating for someone just wanting a traditional recipe, but I actually found it quite freeing- I, too, would make my own according to what I had on hand, what was preferable in our home, but sticking as close to the traditional taste and cooking method as possible. At the end, what was important to me was that I tasted Morocco in the dish and that it was nourishing after a long day of fasting. I don’t use meat or meat bones in this recipe, but you could; instead I use lamb broth which can be swapped out for vegetable broth and therefore made completely vegetarian.
That said, if this recipe isn’t how you’re used to having harira, I’d love to hear what different things you do in the comments below.
Here are the ingredients I used- and I’m well aware that I’m missing carrots, but I didn’t have them on hand and it came out wonderful just the same:
Tomatoes, chickpeas (cooked), onions, lentils (cooked), celery, olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, black pepper, sea salt, leafy greens mix (Swiss chard and some kale), fresh herbs (mint, parsley, cilantro) and orzo (I was out of vermicelli).
I did not put an egg in at the end of the cooking process, but you could definitely do that; it’s really very good that way, too.
Use a large pot or Dutch oven to make the soup, which serves 6-8 depending on soup bowl sizes.
Once it’s gently heated, add the onions.
And the chopped celery stalks, diced small.
Next, add the tomatoes.
Give it a stir and a chance to heat up and cook down a minute or two.
Now add the tomato paste.
and minced garlic.
salt and pepper and all the rest of the spices can go in now, in no particular order.
Just watch that turmeric- it stains! And somehow I always end up wearing white on the days I’m cooking with it, go figure.
Now the lentils- mine are extra cooked here, which is fine because I wanted them to be really soft (i.e. I let them cook a little too long on the stove- probably because I was back here blogging about something else).
Anyway, you can cook your own or just get the canned ones. Just don’t do what I did- they’re still completely edible but just not as pretty as if you cook them just right.
Then blend them right into the mixture of all the other stuff you put in the pot. It all starts to look and smell amazing at this point. I like to give credit to the tomatoes sand tomato paste, but that’s just my food favoritism coming through…
Now add the cooked chickpeas. These were canned, but you can (and should) cook your own, in my opinion.
Now add the herbs. These were fresh from my garden. I love saying that…
Mix it all up and that greenery makes it look lovely once again, and the aroma is captivating- it will make you feel like you’re traveling half way around the world right from your kitchen.
Now the really important stuff. Why? Because, broth is not easy to make nor is it easy to get. Granted, it’s not hard to make. But it’s time-consuming and requires quite a bit of babying the broth over the stove to skim off all the impurities and keep a watchful eye on it every so often so that it comes out just right. Believe me, I know. I have made my own- chicken, vegetable, duck, lamb, beef and seafood. Mostly I made them because they make your meals so rich and delicious and also because many commercial brands have gelatin (obviously from the gelatin created by animal bones), they are mostly not halal. Saffron Road has several halal varieties and I’m incredibly grateful for the lamb broth because it’s rich enough that it darkens up many of my dishes with that added layer of flavor that simply makes your food taste like it came from a fancy restaurant. Really.
I use one whole box for this recipe.
Let it all come to a boil, then reduce the heat to a medium flame and cook for 20 minutes.
The soup is almost done. You can skp the greens, if you don’t have them or don’t want them. I have so many on hand right now, alhamdullilah, that it was just necessary to add and a very delicious addition at that.
Stir it all in.
Now for the orzo. I love orzo and always have it in my pantry because it’s great for so many soup additions. I rarely buy vermicelli, which is the more ‘traditional’ noodle to put in harira. I say use what you’ve got and make it your own. Some recipes call for adding flour to the soup, but I find that the orzo, with all its starch, will thicken up the soup a bit at first and much more later if you let it sit, especially overnight. Let the orzo (or any noodle) cook according to its own package instructions. In this case, it was about 7-10 minutes.
I took the harira off the flame before it got too thick (that’s what it will do overnight unless you add more broth) because I wanted to eat it as a soup for Iftar.
It was so very delicious and so very special. Even though I’m not Moroccan, it felt like I was experiencing a true Ramadan dish, if not for my own family tradition, then for one that a whole country loves to have on their Iftar tables. That was special enough for me to consider making it.
Does your family or someone you know make harira? How is it different or the same as this one?
