Fasting from dawn to dusk, without any intake of solids or liquids… and a less known, but very significant fact is, it should be with abstinence from all types of worldly desires in practice, thoughts and emotions. A complete mind, body and soul refreshing and recharging detox for a month with a deep reflection and understanding of the holy book, sincere prayers and charity.

Welcome to the month of Ramadan!

Traditionally, the breaking fast is where one is almost spoilt for choices. A grand food feast on the table every day with a variety of home cooked and store-bought items .. it is a permanent and welcome feature of Ramadan…. While the practice of the Prophet of Islam was so simple, he was said to break his fast modestly with no more than three dates

On that thought I am attempting to simplify my fast breaking (iftar and dinner) habit this Ramadan from a massive double feast to easy and detoxing meal combos,  it could be…

  • An energy bowl of clean whole food and savoury lassi…. OR
  • A healthy bowl of soup and a protein fruit smoothie…. OR
  • A power bowl of shorba (chorba) and rice with mixed berries smoothie.

I will talk about this clean energy Iftar bowl today, which is very much inspired by the Buddha bowl, but a bit on the flexible side. That means adding raw and sautéed vegetables, fruits and cooked grains, plus healthy proteins and fats. And cutting back on sugar, salt, pesticides, additives, preservatives and unhealthy fats. A rainbow of food with their amazing benefits a well rounded meal of the day!

This is how I am going to arrange this Energy Iftar Bowl!

I have divided food into 5 groups here and will pick one or two ingredients from each group starting from group one.

Serves: 2 people  ||  Prep. : 15 minutes  ||  Cook: 20 minutes  ||  Difficulty: Easy

Food Groups:

  1. Carbs: rice, brown rice, quinoa, couscous, barley, chickpeas.
  2. Raw or cooked Veggies: soya bean, carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, tomatoe, peas, avocado, olives, red and white cabbage, sweet potatoe, courgette, any beans, reddish, pepper, onion, beetroot.
  3. Greens: lettuce, leafy greens, kale, baby spinach.
  4. Protein: chicken, lamb, seafood, lentils, cheese, eggs.
  5. Fruits: dates, apple, papaya, pear, orange, mango, banana, blueberry, grape, any berry, melons, grapefruit, Sharon fruit, kiwi fruit.

 

Dressing:

I made a Tahini dressing for my bowl (see the recipe below). You can use any dressing of your choice, another favourite of mine is a mixture of extra virgin olive oil, honey and apple cider vinegar.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup Tahini (sesame paste)
  • 2-3 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
  • 1 tablespoon garlic infused olive oil.
  • salt and pepper to taste

Direction:

Mix all the dressing ingredients until smooth.

Assembly

Pick one or two ingredients from each food group to form an Iftar energy bowl, topped with your choice of herbs, nuts and/or seeds and dressing.

It is so easy to prepare, since pretty much everything just goes in to the bowl but here is a preparation video of the Iftar Energy Bowl with brown rice and sesame dressing”  to inspire you…!

 

Energy Iftari Bowls with variations.

Ramadan Kareem.

Sadi