Table Talk: Ramadan, a time of purification

By CLAIRE HOPLEY

Published on September 05, 2008

On Sept. 1 Muslims began the Ramadan fast. They will continue fasting for a whole month, neither eating nor drinking from sunup to sunset. That's roughly a 13-hour period at this time of year.

Most non-Muslims find it hard to imagine going through this fast. Questions such as "What is it for?" and "What does it feel like?" inevitably arise. A further question is "What do people eat when the sun goes down?" "Do they just rush to the kitchen and grab whatever they can lay their hands on?" Or are certain foods prescribed?

Recently Abida Adnan gathered several friends from the local Muslim community at her home in Amherst to prepare some of the foods of the typical iftari, the meal that breaks the fast, and help answer some of those questions.

The most immediately obvious feature of the gathering was the variety of the women's attire. Naz Mohamed-Ahamed, from Pakistan, wore a black-trimmed yellow salwar kameez, the loose pants, tunic and scarf popular in her native Pakistan as well as in India. Her mother, Abeda, was draped in a green and grey sari, while Elizaveta Lozovaya, who grew up in Samara on the River Volga in Russia, wore narrow western trousers, a dark red top, and a red-flowered headscarf. Iranian Parvin Niroomand, and Egyptian Nevine Ibrahim wore western-style trousers and blouses, as did Abida Adnan, a Pakistani Muslim who grew up in Japan and later lived in England before coming to America and eventually settling in Amherst.

The differences in dress show the range of Muslim practices and reflect the many countries where Islam is a dominant or important religion. The foods also come from many countries. Adnan explained that apart from the usual things forbidden to Muslims - pork and alcohol for example - any food can be eaten during Ramadan, so inevitably different nationalities and different families make different choices.

Thus, though all the women at the gathering were Muslims and all agreed about the Ramadan fast, they learned new things from each other about Ramadan elsewhere as they discussed their dishes and their homelands.

For example, Nevine Ibrahim was asked whether Egyptians typically eat lamb in the meal that breaks the fast.

"Oh, no!" she said. "Lamb is not really economically viable in Egypt; it's so expensive. We eat beef or chicken. Also a lot of duck or goose. And in my country both rabbit and pigeons are popular meat."

In contrast, Elizaveta Lozovaya volunteered that in her hometown of Samara, in the center of Russia, a city where about 40 percent of the population is Muslim, lamb would be common. She also said that in contrast to Adnan's table, where all the dishes were displayed together buffet-style, in Russia food would most likely be served in three courses.

The others, however, agreed that the buffet-style was typical of their countries, though Pakistani Naz Mohamed-Ahamed noted that in Pakistan there would be few main dishes.

"We prefer a lot of snacks or appetizer dishes," she said, pointing out the piaji - split-pea fritters served with a spicy chutney - that she had brought for the gathering.

But while the foods chosen for the meal and the pattern of serving vary from country to country and family to family, all agreed that the first thing to eat when sunset comes is a single date, taken with water or perhaps milk or fruit juice. This tradition goes back to the origin of Ramadan.

The Qu'ran revealed

The word Ramadan is the name for the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar. It was the month when the Qu'ran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad - a period when he fasted and prayed, breaking his fast with just a single date. Muslims now fast in Ramadan in obedience to the injunction in the Qu'ran to fast at this time. In addition, the Qu'ran is read, one chapter a day for the 30 days of the observance, in the mosque. By this means the complete scripture is read during Ramadan.

Ramadan begins when the new moon is sighted. This can be taken literally - someone in your area must see the new moon - or the moment of the new moon's appearance in Saudi Arabia can be used as the beginning of Ramadan, or more typically, a regional community of mosques establishes the date for each area.

This year the month of Ramadan coincides with an entire month of the Western calendar. That's not usually the case. Since Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar, the date moves forward by 10 days each year. As a consequence, the length of the daytime fast also changes. When Ramadan falls in winter, the fast is shorter because the days are shorter, but at the height of summer, it is, of course, longer.

As the women discussed the challenges of fasting, it was clear that responses to the fast varied widely. "I don't find it so hard at the beginning," Adnan said, "except that sometimes I find myself just automatically reaching in the fridge for a drink and then I say, 'Oh no!' "

It gets harder for her in the middle, but easier again toward the end. She speculates that perhaps at the beginning, the body has reserves to call on, and at the end it has gotten used to the fasting regimen.

On the other hand, Niroomand and Ibrahim both agreed that the fast was toughest at the beginning, and Ibrahim noted that she took care to get up before dawn so she could have her essential morning coffee before fasting for the day. As a recent convert to Islam, Lozovaya is relatively new to Ramadan.

"Last year I sometimes broke down around lunch time," she said. "I hope I can do better this year."

She explained that while the religious reasons for the fast were potent, she nonetheless found it especially hard not to drink. "It's because my consciousness has an idea of what's healthy," she said, "so I keep thinking I must drink."

All agreed that eating a pre-dawn breakfast was a good idea, as was drinking before daybreak.

Islam takes account of hardships in its teaching about the Ramadan fast. Children don't have to fast until after puberty, neither do the elderly, the frail, the sick, or women who are pregnant, nursing or menstruating. If for whatever reason a person does not fast, they can make it up later or by feeding someone for a day for each day they missed fasting, either by offering actual food, or by making a donation for the purpose.

Breaking the fast

Given the challenges of fasting, the meal that breaks the fast is especially welcome. Nothing apart from that first date is prescribed, but particular foods, varying from community to community, have become associated with Ramadan, and their appearance is welcomed with pleasure. The date and the first drink are followed by prayer, and then the meal proper begins with soup, typically one with lots of well-flavored broth. Niroomand had brought to the gathering Aashe Sak, a refreshing lemony spinach soup with tiny meat balls. Ibrahim has a recipe for a chicken and vermicelli soup, but notes that tomato and other sorts of soup are just as popular.

Other dishes on the table included a milk drink flavored with saffron and rosewater, made by Mohamed-Ahamed, who explained it was drunk with the first date. It tasted so delicious and refreshing that it is easy to see how delightful it would be after the dry hours of fasting. She had also made savory fritters, while Adnan had created a chicken pilau served with a yogurt raita.

Among the desserts were zolbiya, a lacy Iranian confection that's a specialty of Niroomand; a cardamom-flavored date, almond and pistachio delicacy from Pakistan made by Adnan; and katayeff - raisin and hazelnut-filled pancakes soaked in syrup - made by Ibrahim, who is renowned among her friends for her desserts. They are a favorite from Egypt she said.

Commenting on the dishes, the women agreed that while they were all attractive and delicious, they were not over the top in terms of quantity. Adnan explained that it had become the custom in some places for people to throw lavish meals to break the fast, but that was not really in the true spirit of Ramadan, which emphasizes reflection, prayer and moderation so Muslims can focus on their spiritual lives.

"It's a month of purity," Ibrahim said. "No backbiting or gossiping. No hurting anybody. It's about patience and abstention from worldly or casual desires."

Traditionally Muslims observe the breaking of the fast with a family meal. But that varies according to circumstances. "Now that so many people work, often it is nightfall before they get home," Ibrahim said, "so some people put tables in the street where anyone can stop to take a date and a drink."

That custom was new to the other women, who appreciated the thoughtfulness of the gesture. They also agreed on the difficulty of cooking a big meal after coming home from work. Partly for this reason and partly because as a minority Muslims are more isolated in America, there are more community meals for Ramadan here, where people can enjoy iftari together.

At the Hampshire Mosque in Amherst, for example, Ibrahim is one of several women who cooks for about 70 people a day to make sure that everyone, including students who are far from home, can come together for the meal.

On Sept. 14 there will be an Interfaith Iftar at sunset in the downstairs Large Meeting Room at the Jones Library. The gathering is free and open to the public. For more information, email the Hampshire Mosque at info@hampshiremosque.org.

To try some of the traditional dishes at home, here are some recipes.

MILK SHERBAT

Even those who don't normally like drinking milk will be seduced by this delicious, refreshing drink. The recipe comes from Naz Mohamed-Ahamed, who notes that this is a suitable for drinking with the single date that breaks the fast.

8-10 strands saffron

¼ cup rosewater

2 cups whole or 2-percent milk

4 tablespoons sugar dissolved in water

6-8 crushed almonds

Soak the saffron in the rosewater or in warm water for 10 minutes. Pour the cold milk in a pitcher and stir in the dissolved sugar, the saffron-rosewater mixture and the crushed almonds. Stir well and serve with ice cubes.

AASHE SAK

Some Ramadan foods are also served on other important occasions. Parvin Niroomand, whose recipe this is, says that it is often cooked for the Iranian New Year, Nowrooz, which falls in early spring.

For the soup:

3 tablespoons cooking oil

1 large onion, chopped

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ pound yellow split peas

salt and pepper to taste

2½ tablespoons rice flour

1 pound spinach

½ cup fresh lemon juice

For the meatballs:

½ pound ground beef or lamb or chicken

1 tablespoon minced onion

salt and pepper to taste

In a deep saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and soften the chopped onion in it for 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of water and the turmeric and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Add the split peas and cook for 30 minutes or until soft.

While it is cooking, make the meatballs by mixing the ground meat and minced onion together with seasonings of salt and pepper. Make into marble-size balls and brown lightly in the remaining oil. Set aside.

Combine the rice flour with about ½ cup of cold water, stirring to a smooth paste. Stir it into the boiling soup. Add the spinach, lemon juice and the meatballs and cook for 10 minutes. The mixture should be rather thick but not stodgy or like stew. If necessary add more water to make it soupy.

RUSSIAN SALAD

Elizaveta Lozovaya said that during the Soviet era all religion was frowned on, so occasions such as Ramadan were conducted discreetly with the foods that were Russian favorites such as this salad. Now, she says, Ramadan are more typically Tatar dishes, since Tatars are Muslims, or generally Middle Eastern in inspiration.

6 medium potatoes, peeled

4 medium beets

4 medium carrots, scraped

1 pound beef (which could be leftover cooked beef)

3 cucumbers, washed

hard-boiled eggs, shelled

1 big apple

1 yellow onion, peeled

1 bunch parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup mayonnaise or as needed

Boil the potatoes, beets and carrots in salted water in separate pans until they are tender but not overcooked. If necessary, cook the beef. Chop the meat, vegetables, eggs, apple, cucumbers and onion in small cubes. Finely chop the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add mayonnaise until the salad has the consistency of potato salad. You could use pickled cucumbers instead of fresh, in which case the apple would be unnecessary.

DATE NUT MITHAI

In Urdu, the language of Pakistan, mithai means "sweet." This cardamom-flavored delicacy is easy to make, and Abida Adnan, whose recipe this is, says that once you have made the log, you can keep it for weeks in the fridge and slice it as needed. The cut slices display the white almonds and green pistachios attractively.

½ teaspoon butter

Seeds of 4-5 cardamom pods

8 ounces chopped, pitted dates

½ can condensed milk

½ cup whole almonds

½ cup whole pistachios

about 1 cup dried, flaked coconut

1 teaspoon butter

Put the butter in a pan and throw in the ground cardamom seeds. When you begin to smell the aroma of the cardamoms add the dates in the pan. Stir regularly, and when the dates begin to soften add the condensed milk. Stir some more and then add whole nuts. Keep stirring until the mixture starts leaving the pan and forming into a ball.

Prepare to make a long roll by placing a sheet of cling wrap on the counter. Sprinkle a good amount of coconut and put the date-nut mixture onto it, sprinkling more coconut over the top. While the mixture is still hot, start molding it into a log shape, adding coconut as needed to cover all sides of the log. Wrap the log tightly in cling wrap and refrigerate overnight. Use a bread knife to slice into ½-inch round pieces.

KATAYEFF

These pastries look like plumply golden half moons. Actually they are pancakes filled with raisins, hazelnuts and sugar, then folded, deep fried and dipped in syrup. Nevine Ibrahim, who contributed this recipe, makes lots of confections that need a final bath in syrup, so she makes large amounts and keeps it on hand in the fridge.

For the syrup:

2 cups sugar

1½ cups water

a few drops fresh lemon

½ teaspoon vanilla extract.

For the pancakes:

1 cup flour

1/ 8 teaspoon yeast

1/ 8 teaspoon sugar

about 1 cup water

For the filling and frying:

¼ cup chopped hazelnuts

¼ cup golden raisins

4 tablespoons sugar

1-2 tablespoons coconut (optional)

2 cups oil

Bring all the syrup ingredients to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and simmer until thick. Cool and store in the fridge until needed.

To make the pancakes, mix the flour, yeast, sugar and ½ cup water in a glass bowl and leave until a little bubbly on the surface. Add more water if necessary to make a batter as thick as ordinary pancake batter.

In a heavy non-stick pan on medium heat, scoop batter in a ladle and pour on the hot pan in a 4-inch circle. If the pan is big enough you can cook a few at a time. The underside will become golden and leaves the pan when picked by a non-stick spatula. The top will be moist. Place the pancakes on a towel and cover by another towel till cool.

To make the filling, mix together the chopped hazel nuts, raisins, sugar and the coconut if using it. Put about 1 teaspoon in the middle of the round, cooked pancake and fold into a half moon.

In a deep frying pan heat 2 cups of oil hot enough to fry the half-moons. Test the temperature by dropping in a cube of bread. It should sink, then pop back to the surface within 8-10 seconds if the oil is at the right temperature. Fry the half moons, a few at a time, without crowding the pan. Remove when golden and while still quite hot, submerge them in the cold syrup.