Impress your families with these delicious iftar recipes…

This year, we may not have our luxurious Ramadan tents or buffet spreads, but there are several restaurants serving up iftars in Dubai, and some are just a phone call away where you’ll get your iftar meal delivered right to your doors.

Another option would be to whip up a delicious iftar feast at home. To help you out, four restaurants have shared some of their tastiest recipes to make your homemade iftar one to remember.

Here are 4 Ramadan recipes that are perfect for iftar at home

Sesame falafel by Six Senses Zighy Bay

Here’s what you’ll need:

This portion makes enough for 2 people – increase quantities to serve a crowd.

• 60g chickpeas
• 30g fava beans
• 10g onion
• 5g garlic
• 5g fresh coriander
• 5g cumin powder
• 5g coriander powder
• 5g sesame seeds
• 50ml corn oil
• 5g baking powder

Method

• Soak the beans and peas in water for 12 hours or overnight. Drain well.
• Chop the coriander/cilantro, crushed garlic onions.
• Grind all together in a food processor.
• Once mixed well together, add the remaining falafel ingredients and process again.
• Add baking powder and then allow to rest for 10 minutes.
• Knead the falafel mix together.
• Form spoonfuls of the falafel mixture into balls and flatten slightly.
• Heat oil in a deep pan over high heat, then fry until golden brown.
• Serve with tahini and Arabic bread.

Chicken kabsa with cacik by JA Resorts & Hotel

Here’s what you’ll need:

For the chicken skewers:

• 1kg chicken thighs
• 400g red onion
• 400g capsicum
• 1 tbs chilli flakes
• 100ml olive oil
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tsp salt

For the kabsa rice:

• 1kg Egyptian rice
• 100g butter
• 2L chicken stock, heated
• 200g onion
• 10g garlic
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tbs corn oil
• 3g turmeric powder
• 50g vermicelli
• 3g black pepper
• 20g salt
• 500g cooked chicken legs
• 100g cherry tomatoes
• Caramelised onions, to serve
• 3g chilli flakes
• 1 piece red chilli
• 1 pinch coriander
• 50g roasted nuts
• 50g dry fruits

For the cacik

• 200g Lebanese cucumber
• 300g full-fat yoghurt
• 1 pinch fresh mint
• 1g dry mint
• 1g Turkish chilli flakes
• 5g extra virgin olive oil
• 2g sea salt
• 1g black pepper

Method

For the chicken skewers: 

• Mix all the spices and marinate the chicken in the spice mix with capsicum and red onion.
• Thread them on the small skewer and cook in the pan with some olive oil.

For the kabsa rice:

• Soak the rice for an hour in water and strain it well. Then place it into a pot and cook for around 10 minutes with butter and add the hot clear chicken stock.
• Cook the onion, garlic, bay leaves in the corn oil.
• Add the turmeric, vermicelli, salt and black pepper.
• After, place the cooked chicken thighs on the top of the rice and cover it.
• Keep it on a low heat for 30 minutes.

For the cacik:

• Cut the cucumbers in small pieces and mix with yoghurt and all the spices.
• Finish it with some fresh mint, extra virgin olive oil and Turkish chilli flakes.

To serve: Put the rice into a serving tray and place the chicken skewers, cherry tomatoes and caramelised onions around. Finish it with some dry fruits, nuts, red chilli, fresh coriander leaves and Turkish chilli flakes. Serve with cacik dip.

Chicken Tagine Makful by One&Only Royal Mirage

Here’s what you’ll need:

Batch 1

• 2kg whole chicken, jointed into pieces
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 30g chopped garlic
• 800g chopped onion
• 20g dry coriander
• 20g fresh chopped parsley
• 30g ginger powder
• 1g saffron
• 40g smen (substitute with ghee)
• 10g ginger powder
• 20g salt
• 20g white pepper
• Yellow food colouring (optional)
• 1L chicken stock

Batch 2

• 150g preserved lemon wedges
• 100g green olives
• 100g fresh sliced tomato

Method

• Marinate the chicken for 1 hour with the olive oil, garlic, onion, coriander, parsley, saffron, smen, salt, pepper and ginger powder.
• Start cooking the marinated chicken in a tagine (or glass/ceramic oven dish) for 45 minutes at 180°C (with the yellow colouring) and the chicken stock.
• Season according to taste and add in ingredients from batch 2
• Continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until cooked through, then serve.

Braised lamb by Ramadan Nights

Here’s what you’ll need:

You’ll need to marinate the lamb in the fridge for 12-48 hours.

• 1.2kg boneless lamb shoulder

Batch 1 (for the marinade)

• 6 cloves of garlic
• 3 lemons juiced
• 2 tbs olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 eschalots
• 3cm ginger

Batch 2 

• 2 tbs coriander, freshly ground
• 2 tbs cumin, freshly ground
• 2 tbs paprika
• ½ tbs turmeric
• ½ tbs garlic powder
• ½ tbs tablespoon black pepper
• Salt and pepper

Batch 3

• 1 onion
• 2 celery stalks
• ½ leek
• 2 carrots
• 5 garlic cloves
• Chicken stock (varies, depending on the size of pan)
• 2 tbs tomato paste

For the rice

• 100g rice
• 200ml chicken stock
• Few strands of saffron
• 50g butter
• 1 eschalot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• ½ tbs cumin seeds

Method

For the lamb

• Place all the ingredients in batch 1 in a blender and blend till smooth.
• Place the mixture in a bowl and add all the ingredients in batch 2.
• Mix together and add a little olive oil to get a coating consistency.
• Rub all over the lamb shoulder and marinate overnight minimum, but 2 days is best.
• Place the lamb shoulder in a deep oven tray.
• Roughly chop the vegetables listed in batch 3 and add to the tray.
• Add chicken stock to the pan to just cover the lamb.
• Add in the tomato paste and stir into the stock.
• Wrap tightly with foil and cook for 5-6 hours on 150°C.
• Once cooked remove the lamb and reduce the sauce to a thick consistency, then skim to remove excess oil.

For the rice

• Melt the butter and sweat the finely chopped shallot and chopped garlic clove.
• Add in cumin seeds.
• Add the rice and mix together.
• Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
• Cover with foil, turn down the heat as low as possible and cook for 15 minutes. Let stand for five minutes and carefully remove the foil. Gently fork through the rice.

To Serve: Place rice into the centre of a large sharing dish and place the lamb on top. Pour sauce over the lamb and rice and serve.

Images: Getty/provided