The holy month of Ramzan is not just about fasting but feasting too. Here are a few traditional recipes to park up your Iftar party

Ramzan is incomplete without Iftar parties. Politician Baba Siddique recently hosted a grand Iftaar party at Taj Land’s End, Bandra, which was attended by many Bollywood biggies. If you want to take inspiration from Siddique and organise an Iftar party, our chefs share recipes to help you whip up some amazing, simple and lip-smacking dishes.

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Ragi barfi
Ingredients

Ragi flour: 1 tablespoon
Jaggery: 4 tablespoon
Almonds: 2 gm
Cashews: 2 gm
Milk: 2 teaspoon
Ghee: 1 teaspoon

Method

• Heat ghee in a shallow kadhai and once melted combine the aashirvaad ragi flour. Stir until no lumps are seen.
• Add jaggery and allow it to melt while stirring continuously. Then add powdered almonds and cashews.
• Keep adding milk to the mixture and stir continuously.
• Once the mixture becomes slightly firm and separates from the vessel, then pour it on to a flat mould.
• Let it cool and then cut into diamond shapes. Garnish with more almonds and cashews.

Porridge halwa

This is a traditional Gujarati sweet dish made with fox millets, clarified butter and nuts.

Ingredients

• Fox millet (Kangni) whole: 1 cup
• Yellow moong dal: 1/4th cup
• Cardamom powder: 1 tablespoon
• Jaggery: 1/4th cup
• Clarified butter (ghee): 3 tablespoon
• Cashew nut: 2 tablespoon

Method

• Heat heavy-bottom pan and dry roast the yellow moong dal until light brown.
• Add foxtail millet, jaggery and cardamom along with two cups of water.
• Cover it with a lid and occasionally stir the mixture.
• Cook for about 30 minutes and then keep aside.
• Heat ghee in a heavy-bottom pan, add cashew nut and cook until golden brown. Now, add to the mixture of millet and lentils.
• Stir for 2 to 3 minutes.

Serve with garnished cashew nut. —Chef Manisha Bhasin

Beetroot & chickpeas cutlet

Ingredients

• 1 cup of grated beetroot
• 1 cup white chickpeas (kabuli channa) – soaked overnight in water
• 1 tbsp finely chopped onion, coriander and mint leaves
• 1/4 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and chaat masala
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• Hing – a pinch
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• Breadcrumbs (for coating)

Method

• Pressure-cook chickpeas with 1 cup water for 4-5 whistles. Let it cool. Later, mash the chickpeas.
• Heat oil in a pan and temper mustard seeds. Add chopped onions, green chilies and fry for few minutes.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and grated beetroot and saute for a while. Add turmeric powder, chaat masala, hing and salt as per taste.
• Cook till the moisture is absorbed. Combine the grated beetroot mixture with mashed chickpeas in a mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and chopped coriander to it.
• Now, mix corn flour. Make small balls and coat the balls with breadcrumbs. Fry them till it turns golden brown. Serve hot with mint chutney.

Banana date smoothie

Ingredients

• 4 cups of milk
• 20 dates
• 2 ripe bananas

Topping: Strawberries and toasted walnuts

Method

• Put the pitted dates, bananas, and milk in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Refrigerate.
• Pour into glasses and top with strawberries and toasted walnuts.

—Chef Vineet Chopra