Ramadan recipes at the ready

Tonight marks the start of Ramadan, which runs through May 12 this year. During this month of spiritual reflection and self-improvement, Muslims will abstain from both food and drink from dawn to sunset. As with most religious holidays, traditional foods play an important role, both for pre-dawn meal (suhoor) and the meal consumed after sunset (iftar). There are a variety of foods suitable for each meal, although traditionally no iftar would be complete without rice. 

At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Traditionally, Eid al-Fitr begins at sunset on the night of the first sighting of the crescent moon. The magnificent Eid feast features traditional foods that vary from region to region, and The Kitchn gives us a sample with ten Eid al-Fitr foods from around the world.

If you are looking for inspiration on what to make during Ramadan, BBC Good Food offers a collection of both suhoor and iftar recipes, and allrecipes.com boasts 56 traditional Ramadan recipes. The Spruce Eats provides 15 additional foods (with linked recipes), while Saveur gives us 38 different recipes for the Eid al-Fitr feast. Ramadan Mubarak to all who celebrate!

Photo of Lentil soup (Shorba) from Delicious Magazine (Aus) by Nabila El-issa