Subhanallah Can't believe we are moving into Week 3 of Ramadan! Time is flying! I pray you are all making the best of your Ramadan thus far. I pray todays Iftar Recipes help to give you a little more time back in your day for worship.
During Ramadan we lose so many calories throughout the day the last thing we need to think about is "Whats for Iftar?" So here are two of my favorite dishes to have during Ramadan.
Rack of Lamb and Tomato Choka. The Halal Rack of Lamb recipe is simple and Tomato Choka if you've never heard of it is a Trinidadian Dish that my mother makes. I love, love love it!! These can be made together, on their own or with other dishes.
I pray you enjoy these recipes and please let me know if you try them.
Halal Lamb Chops
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
4-8 servings
Ingredients:
4-6 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
4 Cloves of Minced Garlic
4 Teaspoons Fresh Rosemary
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
8-16 Halal Lamb Rib Chops, about 1 inch thick (3-5 pounds)
Steps:
- Light Grill or heat Broiler. In a separate dish combine Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Rosemary(other seasonings if you like) and 4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil. Add Lamb Chops and turn to coat each side.
- Grill over high heat or broil Halal chops for 5 minutes, use remaining olive oil to baste. Turn and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve.
Tomato Choka
Tomato Choka is a Trinidadian vegetarian side dish that can be served warm or chilled. Goes great with meat dishes especially Curry Goat (I may share this recipe next week)
Prep Time: 10-15 Minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
4-6 servings
Ingredients:
2 lb. tomatoes
½ cup vegetable oil
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 Trinidad seasoning peppers, Cubanelle peppers, ají dulce peppers, or Anaheim chiles, coarsely chopped
1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile, finely chopped
1Tbsp. thyme leaves
Season to taste with Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. sliced chives
Steps:
- Heat a broiler. Broil tomatoes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet until skins are charred and flesh is beginning to collapse (cores should still be fresh and raw), about 3 minutes for smaller cherry or Sun Gold tomatoes and up to 15 minutes for larger heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes. Transfer to a shallow bowl or dish and gently crush with a fork or potato masher, removing any stems and tough bits; discard.
- Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Remove from heat; add onion, garlic, peppers, chile, and thyme. Stir to combine and drizzle over tomatoes; season with salt and black pepper.
- Just before serving, top with scallions, cilantro, and chives. (Choka can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.)
- Can be served with roti to scoop up all the various seasonings and chokas. Enjoy
I pray these recipes add a little spice to your Ramadan Iftars and make it easier to choose whats for dinner.
Need something to wear to your evening Iftars and Tarawih? We introduced our Jersey Maxi Dresses (Available in Taupe and Indigo) that are great for Casual evenings grilling in the backyard with family and friends (Practicing Safe Social Distancing of Course!)
