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baba ghanoush, blend of spices, bread, break fast, chaat, chickpeas, coriander, culinary professional, cumin, dates, deep fried, dips, discipline, Falafel, garlic, herbs, iftari, iftari menus, imli chutney, jalebis, lemon, Middle Eastern, Middle Eastern cuisine, moment of pure magic, moutabbel, new dishes, nostalgic; pakoras, Olive Oil, olives, Poppy Agha, Ramazan, red chilli, rich flavours textures, salads, self control, spices, spinach pakora, spreads, tahini, taste buds, unity among people
Ramazan makes me nostalgic; the tastes and aromas of piping hot pakoras, tangy chaat and sticky sweet jalebis fill my senses. When I was a child, I would patiently wait for iftari time, in my mind elevating it to a moment of pure magic.
Even now, I find Ramazan incredibly exciting and I plan iftari menus with great detail. Iftari for me is not only the culmination of a day dedicated to discipline and self control, it is also symbolic of unity among people who break their fast at the exact same moment.
As a child I remember wondering: is iftari all over the world the same? Did everyone eat the same food? These questions would fill my head as I broke fast with my favourite spinach pakora dipped in imli chutney.
As an adult and a culinary professional I now know that the expanse of the universe of cookery is near infinite, and like the night sky dotted with starry beacons, it is filled with wonderful dishes and recipes. I love experimenting with new dishes in Ramazan; it keeps the magic alive and makes iftari more exciting.
Middle Eastern cuisine is my favourite. Simple, elegant and rich in flavours and textures; it is the perfect balance of herbs, spices and of course the triumvirate of garlic, olive oil and lemon.
Falafel – the Middle Eastern favourite – made from chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil and a squeeze of lemon and then deep fried is almost like a pakora. However, the flavours are a revelation to the taste buds: coriander, cumin and a dash of red chilli. This blend of spices has me enamoured.
Middle Eastern cuisine also offers a variety of dips, spreads and salads such as baba ghanoush and moutabbel; served with falafel, bread, olives and dates these can add an interesting twist to iftari. So this Ramazan, try something new and spread the magic created by good food.
— Poppy Agha
The writer is a celebrity chef and runs a culinary institute.
First published in the Adbuzzzz Section of the DAWN National Weekend Advertiser on August 14, 2011.