There is so much that is beautiful about the Holy month of Ramadhan. Strengthening our spirituality and connection to Allah, the spirit of charity and giving and connecting with friends and family are a few of them. With that said, one of the aspects of Ramadhan that is truly essential is the Ramadhan Iftar.
We patiently wait all day with much anticipation for the beautiful feast that will be laid in front of us when it is finally time to break our fast. Now it is worth noting that though various households will have different dishes that are served daily, there are certain essentials that are a part of every Omani’s Iftar table every year.
Breaking the fast will always start with dates, Laban and water. We then go and pray, and once we return we begin eating our favourite Ramadhan dishes.
Shourba first
The first of these would have to be Shourba, which is a thick stew that can be cooked with meat or chicken, and it is made with oats and/or barley and some lovely spices like cardamom, cumin, and curry. Shourba is arguably the most essential of Iftar meals in most Arabic households.
The trusted Pakora
Next on the list would have to be the Pakora or the Bagia. This is a fried appetizer that can be made from beans, or gram flour and is served with either a Tamarind or a coconut chutney. There are families that like to get creative and put vegetables in their pakora, whereas in other households like mine, the bagias are made with beans and only onions inside. However you choose to make them; they are a daily Ramadhan essential in most Omani households.
The flexible samosas
It is very rare to come across a household in Ramadhan that does not have those beautiful triangular heavenly appetizers, Samosas. Whether they are stuffed with Kraft cheddar cheese as they are made in my house, or kiri cream cheese, or beef, or chicken, or eggs, it is absolutely essential that Samosas are available on the Iftar table.
Sweetening things with Asabe Zainab
‘Asabe Zainab’, which translates to Zainab’s fingers, is an absolutely delicious salty sweet pastry that is very popular during Ramadhan. It is a pastry that is filled with kiri cream cheese, and rolled up like a spring roll. It is then fried and drizzled with some sinfully delightful sugar syrup (called Sheera in Arabic), which is often flavoured with cardamom and saffron. The finishing touch, in my home, is a sprinkle of crushes pistachios. Yum!
Old fashioned luqaimat
Finally, just before we leave the table and go off to pray Ishaa and Tarawih, the final treat we indulge in would have to be Luqaimat, which are sweet dumplings that are made of flour, and spiced with cardamom and saffron. They are then rolled into round ball-shaped dumplings and fried. Traditionally, most households would then drizzle a sugar syrup over them and serve. Nowadays, Luqaimat has evolved and comes with many different toppings. Luqaimat with condensed milk, Luqaimat with Date Syrup, Luqaimat with Nutella, and Luqaimat with caramel are just a few examples of the new variations of Luqaimat. At my house we like it the old fashioned traditional way with the sugar syrup.
And that concludes the list of delicious dishes and essentials that are on most Omani Iftar tables. Kindly note, that all of the treats above are then washed down with a nice cool glass of Vimto. And that’s it until we get ready for Suhoor.
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