1. Es Teler, a Malaysian iced fruit salad drink for Iftar
1 can of ripe jack fruit
1 can of young coconut meat in coconut juice can of longan in syrup
1 can of palm seed in heavy syrup
3 ripe avocados
1 can of coconut juice
vanilla flavoring
Cut jack fruit, coconut meat and palm seeds in to small pieces. Scoop avocado meat with spoon, then add all ingredients and syrup together and serve over ice.
2. Qatayef, an Egyptian sweet for iftar
Batter:
2 cups of warmed milk 1 cup semolina 1/2 cup of flour 1/4 package yeast 1/2 teaspoon salt (TIP: instead of all the above ingredients, you may find it easier to just use pancake mix for the batter.)
Filling:
1/2 cup grated coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts/pecans
1/2 cup raisins
Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
Mix ingredients for the batter together Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for a few hours. Mix well. The batter will be thin. Heat pancake griddle/frying pan to medium setting. Pour batter onto griddle and remove as soon as the batter begins to form bubbles. Do not turn over. The bottom should only be slightly brown. Combine all ingredients for the filling. Place one tea spoon of filling mixture in center fold over, and pinch edges closed. Deep fry in hot oil until both sides are golden brown. In a sauce pan, combine syrup ingredients. Over medium heat, stir syrup until sugar is dissolved. Dip qatayef in hot syrup. Serve warm.
3. Puris, a Pakistani fried bread for Iftar
Preparation time: 15-20 min. Makes about 25
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus additional for deep frying
Put the flour salt, and 1 tablespoon of oil into a bowl and add approximately 1 cup of cold water gradually to make a fairly soft dough. Knead with your hands for about 10 minutes. Cover and let rest for 15 or 20 minutes. Divide the dough into small balls about the size of a walnut. Heat about 2 inches of oil to 375 degrees F in a wok or deep heavy saucepan Roll out the balls on a floured work surface into 5-inch diameter circles. Work with one ball at a time and keep the rest covered with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. When the oil is hot, pick up the rolled-out puri with both hands and carefully lay it over the oil. Pat the puri very gently with the back of a slotted spoon as it floats on the oil; it should puff up like a ball in a few seconds. Turn it over gently and let it cook on the other side for 10 or 15 seconds. The puri, should be a golden brown. Do not turn more than once or oil will seep inside. Drain on kitchen towering. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough. (You may roll out all the balls of dough in advance and keep them covered with a damp towel.) Serve at once, or keep warm in a covered dish and serve at room temperature.
4. Shourba, special Algerian soup for iftar
1 lb. of lamb or other meat, chopped into bitesize pieces
1 small onion
1 small zucchini
1 small potato
3 red, ripe tomatoes oz. can of tomato paste
1 fresh bunch of coriander
1 fresh bunch of mint
1 can of chick peas
3 table spoons of oil
1 teaspoon of black pepper, aprika, cinnamon, and salt each
1 cup of angel hair pasta
Put the meat into a soup pot. Dice the onion, zucchini, potato, mint and coriander (save a little bit of coriander and mint for the end), and add to the meat. Add the oil and all the spices, stir it for a couple of minutes, until everything is mixed together. Then, add half a pot of water. Leave it until it boils and meat is tender. When water is boiling, add the whole tomatoes. When tomatoes are cooked, place them in the blender and blend with tomato paste. You then add this mixture to the soup. Strain the chick peas and add them to the soup. When meat is ready, add one cup of angel hair pasta to the soup, let it boil for one minute and then turn off the stove. Now, sprinkle the saved coriander and the mint. Serve hot.
