Ramadan recipes great for the iftar table

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line the baking sheet pan with parchment paper (or foil).
2. In a large bowl, places the red potatoes, olive oil, lemon zest, za’atar seasoning and salt. Toss well to coat.
3. Now, spread the tossed potatoes on a lined baking sheet pan in a single layer. Roasted for 30-35 minutes or until golden and fork tender (last 4-5 minutes of broiling gives nice crispy potatoes).

For serving

1. Take it out of the oven and allow it to rest for few minutes (you can dish out the potatoes, sprinkle parsley and serve as is).
2. Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle tahini sauce, top with chopped pistachios and pomegranate pearls, sprinkle chopped fresh parsley and serve right away!

1. Combine parsley, mint, scallions, tomatoes and bulgur in a medium bowl.
2. Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, (and other spices if using) mix well, taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.
3. Serve immediately or refrigerate if serving later.

1. Add Amira rice to a sieve and rinse under running water. Tip your rice into a bowl and cover it well with cold water. Set aside to soak for 1 hour. Add the saffron to a small heatproof glass and cover with 2 tablespoons of boiling water, then set aside to soak. Add the cranberries to a small heatproof bowl and cover in boiling water, then set aside to soak.
2. Once your rice, saffron and cranberries are halfway through their soaking time, add the oil and half the butter to a deep, preferably non-stick, frying pan and set over low heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion, cinnamon, cardamom and cumin and fry gently for 30 minutes until the onion is soft and lightly caramelised, then turn off the heat.
3. Drain your Amira rice and add to a large saucepan. Pour over boiling water so it comes a generous 3 centimetres above the rice and set over medium-high heat. Boil for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold running water to cool and drain well. The rice will have started to cook but will still have plenty of bites and the grains will not yet be fluffy.
4. Stir the cooled Amira rice through the onions in the frying pan, along with the saffron, cranberries and their soaking water. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stirring well, then dot the surface of the rice with the remaining butter.
5. Using the handle of a wooden spoon make 5-6 holes through the rice all the way to the bottom of the pan – this helps it to steam evenly. Tear off a sheet of baking paper, scrunch it up under cold running water, shaking off the excess, then lay snugly over the surface of the rice. Cover the pan tightly with a layer of foil and set over very low heat. Cook, undisturbed, for 40 minutes, after which time your rice will be cooked and fluffy and a delicious buttery crust will have developed on the bottom.
6. Whilst your rice is cooking, toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan until golden and smelling nutty. Tip into a bowl and stir through the pomegranate seeds, parsley, orange zest and garlic. Set aside.
7. Once your rice is ready, remove and discard the paper. Lightly fork through the walnut, pomegranate and parsley mixture and pile the rice onto a warmed serving dish. Scrape the lovely crunchy caramelised rice (the tahdig) from the base of the pan and sprinkle over the top. Serve immediately.

Ahead of time, pick through the sesame seeds to remove any debris. Spread them on a baking pan and toast the sesame in a 200°C oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sesame seeds are crunchy and nutty-flavoured.

Allow them to cool thoroughly, and then store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Make the Chebakia Dough

1. Grind one bowlful of toasted sesame in a food processor until it turns powdery. Keep grinding until the powder becomes moist enough to press or pack.
2. Mix the ground sesame with the flour and other dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with your hands to form a dough.
4. Add more flour if necessary to achieve a dough that is rather stiff but pliable.
5. Knead the dough by hand for seven to eight minutes or in a mixer with dough hook for four to five minutes.
6. Divide the dough into four portions, shape each into a smooth mound, and place the dough in a plastic bag to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Roll and Cut the Dough

1. Take one of the portions of dough, and roll it out to the thickness of a thin piece of cardboard. Lightly flour your work surface if necessary.
2. Use a pastry cutter to cut the dough into rectangles approximately the size of your palm.
3. Make four evenly spaced cuts lengthwise in each rectangle. These cuts should be almost the length of the rectangle, but should not cut through to the edges of the dough.
4. The resulting rectangle will have five strips of attached dough.

Fold the Chebakia

1. Take a rectangle, and thread the middle finger of your right hand through alternating strips of dough. This enables the rectangle to drape over your finger.
2. With your left hand, pinch together the outer corners of the dough which hang over the tip of your finger. This will form the centre of the flower shape.
3. While holding the pinched corners with your left hand, allow the strips of dough to slide down off your right finger while gently turning them inside-out around the pinched portion.
4. Gently pinch the opposite corners closed once the dough is turned inside out. If done correctly, you’ll have formed the dough into an elongated flower shape.
5. Place the folded piece of dough on a baking sheet or tray.
6. Repeat the process with the remaining rectangles and mounds of dough.
7. Gather together the scraps of dough as you work, mould them together into a mound, and return them to the bag to rest before you try rolling them out again.
8. Use up all of your dough in this manner. Cover the trays of folded dough with a towel until ready to fry.

Frying the Chebakia

1. Heat one inch of oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat.
2. At the same time, heat the honey almost to a boil in a large pot. When the honey is frothy but not bubbling, add the orange flower water to the honey and turn off the heat.
3. When the oil is hot, cook the chebakia in batches. Adjust the heat as necessary to slowly fry each batch of chebakia to a medium brown colour.
4. This should take about 10 minutes if the oil is at the correct temperature. If the oil is too hot, the chebakia will colour quickly but the insides will not be cooked crispy. 

Soaking the Chebakia in Honey

1. When the chebakia are cooked to a medium golden brown, use a slotted spoon or strainer to transfer them from the oil directly to the hot honey.
2. Gently push down on the chebakia to submerge them in the honey, and allow them to soak for 5 to 7 minutes.
3. They’ll turn a rich, glossy amber color as they absorb the honey. In the meantime, you can begin frying another batch of cookies.
4. Note: The longer you soak the chebakia, the more honey they will absorb, and the sweeter and less crispy they become. How long to soak them is a matter of personal preference. However, too short of soaking will result in pale-coloured chebakia that eventually lose their glossy coating.
5. When the chebakia have finished soaking, remove them from the honey to a strainer or colander, and allow them to drain for only a few minutes.
6. Gently transfer them while hot to a large platter or tray, and sprinkle the centres with sesame.
7. As you finish soaking other batches of chebakia in the honey, simply drain and add them to the platter in a mound, garnishing each batch with sesame.