During Ramadan, everyone is on the lookout for easy and delicious iftar recipes to make. This roundup of tested and perfected middle eastern iftar recipes will keep your family delighted and satisfied!
Table of Contents
- What is Ramadan?
- Health Benefits of Ramadan
- What is Iftar?
- What is Traditionally Served at Iftar?
- Iftar Soups
- Appetizers, Salads, and Dips
- Main Dishes - Chicken
- Main Dishes - Beef and Lamb
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims, which requires us to fast from sunrise to sunset, for 30 days. This includes fasting from both food and drink. By fasting and abstaining from things we take for granted (like food and water), it will allow us to reflect on the purpose of life and grow a closer connection to God.
Ramadan is also a month full of charity, kindness, and spirituality. Muslims tend to increase their charity to the needy, and strengthen their spiritual connection with Allah. It's a beautiful month that revolves around community, and there's so much more information about it online.
The Health Benefits of Fasting
If you have heard about the latest health trends such as intermittent fasting, you may already be familiar with the health benefits of fasting from food for a period of time.
Fasting has numerous benefits such as weight loss, decreasing inflammation, decreasing blood sugar levels, boosting your metabolism, and even helping with heart health. The benefits are so great, and all are backed by science.
What is Iftar?
The meal that Muslims consume when we break our fast at sunset is termed iftar. It simply means the "breaking of the fast". It's the most anticipated meal for the day! While fasting, much of our thoughts are occupied by what we want to eat!
Iftar meals are not meant to be extravagant, but culturally it is typical for most families (if they have the means) to cook a variety of dishes and create an iftar spread for the family. Many Muslims also gather with friends and family to break their fast together.
There's an Arabic saying that goes "your eyes are bigger than your stomach" and this couldn't more true during Ramadan! While fasting, we are obviously hungry, so we want to eat so much. But as soon as we break our fast, since fasting helps to shrink the stomach, we actually don't end up eating much at all!
What is Traditionally Served at Iftar?
Since the body has been fasting, it's best to ease the digestive system into eating. That's why it's typical for iftar to start with the following food:
- A glass of water to re-hydrate the body
- Dates which are high in natural sugars and will provide an energy boost. Your body needs to rejuvenate with the right carbohydrates, and dates are a healthy source
- Soup, most commonly lentil soup, also to continue the re-hydration process and prime the digestive system
After this, a typical spread of appetizers and mains follows. This can include a variety of vegetarian, chicken, beef, or rice based dishes, depending on what the family is craving. It's usually important to vary the food each day to keep things exciting. And of course, desserts always follow too!
Below I have a collection of recipes organized by category for your convenience.
Iftar Soups
Soups are always served at iftar, no matter what the main meal is. This is to help re-hydrate the body and prime the digestive system.
Middle Eastern Lentil Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
This Middle Eastern lentil soup recipe requires just a few ingredients, and not too much prep for the most creamy and amazingly flavorful soup! I’ve included instructions for making this lentil soup with red lentils in the Instant Pot and on the stovetop. If you know anything about Middle Eastern food, then you know that lentil soup is quite popular in every Arabic country.
Check out this recipe!
Authentic Moroccan Harira Soup
This classic Moroccan Harira soup is zingy, earthy, and comforting, filled with nutritious ingredients like chickpeas, lentils and noodles, and flavoured with warm middle eastern spices.
Check out this recipe!
Cauliflower Soup with Caramelized Onions
This 4 ingredient soup is really simple, but has one simple trick that will yield a deeply flavourful soup!
Check out this recipe!
Instant Pot Roasted Red Pepper Soup
This Roasted Red Pepper Soup gets its amazing flavor from charred red peppers and roasted onions and tomatoes. Made with simple ingredients and made super creamy using coconut cream. Roast the peppers in the oven and let the instant pot do the rest of the work!
Check out this recipe!
Appetizers, Salads and Dips
There is usually a selection of appetizers traditionally served at iftar. This includes crunchy pastries like sambousek or cheese rolls, as well as salads and dips.
How to make Homemade Sambousek
This Arabic sambousek recipe is the perfect crunchy appetizer to serve at any dinner! And I make mine with a hack I discovered years ago using ready made spring roll pastry — so easy! Whether you like sambousek with a meat filling or with a vegetarian potato filling, I've got you covered. This freezer friendly recipe is also super handy for Ramadan.
Check out this recipe!
Sigara Boregi
Sigara Boregi is a fried Turkish spring roll, typically stuffed with feta cheese and deep fried until super crispy. In this recipe, we use mozzarella, feta, parsley and chives for the perfect balance of flavours! They are so easy to make and irresistible!
Check out this recipe!
Authentic Homemade Fatayer (Spinach and Cheese)
Fatayer are savoury middle eastern pies filled with either a tangy spinach filling, delicious cheesy filling or meat. They are delicious as a snack or for breakfast!
Check out this recipe!
Manakish (Cheese and Za'atar)
A Middle Eastern flatbread made with a soft dough and topped with either a mix of cheese and nigella seeds or a Za'atar and olive oil blend. A delicious way to start your day - always with a cup of tea.
Check out this recipe!
Lahm Bi Ajeen / Sfiha (Middle Eastern Flatbread)
Lahm Bi Ajeen or Sfiha is an Authentic Middle Eastern Flatbread made with perfectly spiced beef and a delicious soft dough. It's a must try.
Check out this recipe!
30-Minute Fattet Hummus (Canned Chickpeas)
Middle Eastern Fattet Hummus is made up of layers of crispy pita bread, chickpeas, a tangy garlic yogurt sauce, and topped with crunchy almonds and garlic olive oil. Its a classic brunch dish that you must try!
Check out this recipe!
Traditional Creamy Hummus
This creamy hummus is SO easy to make and much better than the store bought stuff! You just need a food processor to make this ultimate creamy dip that goes with anything.
Check out this recipe!
Baba Ganoush (Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip)
Baba ganoush is a Middle Eastern eggplant dip made with roasted eggplant, pomegranate molasses and finely chopped vegetables. I think it deserves just as much buzz as hummus! It's so easy to make at home and can be used in a variety of ways. Try it and you'll see.
Check out this recipe!
Roasted Eggplant Dip
A great alternative to Baba Ghanoush, try this Roasted Eggplant Dip made with simple ingredients such as onions, eggplant, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, paprika and garlic cloves. It's all baked together in the oven to enhance the eggplant flavor and create the perfect dip!
Check out this recipe!
Jajik (Cucumber, yogurt & mint salad)
Jajik is a refreshing yogurt salad made with cucumbers, mint and garlic. It's the perfect side to serve with grilled meat or rice. It's easy to make and only takes a few minutes. Must try!
Check out this recipe!
Lebanese Moussaka (Maghmour | Vegan)
This Lebanese Moussaka is a delicious vegan eggplant, onion and chickpea stew cooked in tomato sauce. It's flavoured with garlic and warm spices like cinnamon and cumin to create a magical final result! It's quick, easy and super flavourful.
Check out this recipe!
Malfouf Salad (Lebanese Cabbage Salad)
A simple but very flavourful Lebanese slaw made with shredded cabbage, herbs and a tangy dressing. It makes the perfect side to any middle eastern dinner!
Check out this recipe!
Healthy Bulgur Salad with Easy Dressing
A fresh and healthy bulgur salad mixed with cucumbers, red peppers and parsley, topped with a tangy vinaigrette dressing.
Check out this recipe!
The Best Tabouli Salad
This is the best Tabouli recipe around. Finely chopped parsley, tomato, and green onions, mixed with the best ever dressing: lemon juice, olive oil, some BBQ sauce and hot sauce! Trust me - once you try it, you'll be making it over and over again
Check out this recipe!
Main Dishes - Chicken
Whether you have bone-in or boneless chicken, whole or cut, there's definitely a chicken recipe for you! Chicken is very versatile and easy to cook.
Shawarma Rice with White Sauce (in one pot!)
This chicken shawarma rice cooked all in one pot is the best weekday dinner. Yellow rice, perfectly spiced chicken and the most amazing white sauce make the ultimate combination. A must try!
Check out this recipe!
Chicken Machboos (Rice & Chicken Kabsa)
This chicken Machboos is a popular Arabic rice dish. Onions, garlic, dry lime, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves are used to perfectly spice the rice to perfection. It's served with chicken that's been crisped up, along with toasted pine nuts and raisins. Such a soul satisfying dish and a must try for any lover of Arabic food!
Check out this recipe!
Chicken Mandi (Yemeni Chicken & Yellow Rice)
This chicken and rice dish is not your average recipe - a traditional Yemeni recipe that combines succulent chicken, perfectly seasoned with a warm spice blend and served with glistening yellow rice, topped with fried onions, almond and raisins. There's nothing like it!
Check out this recipe!
Roasted Za'atar Chicken & Potatoes
This baked honey za'atar chicken makes the best weeknight dinner. Mix the marinade together, pour it all over the chicken and potatoes, and bake until golden. Delicious with bread to mop up all the juices!
Check out this recipe!
Sumac Chicken and Onion (Sheet Pan Dinner)
This Sumac Chicken and Onion sheet pan dinner is bursting with Middle Eastern spices and requires very little effort to make! Simply marinate the chicken and onion slices then pop in the oven and you’re done! The flavours are inspired by classic Palestinian Musakhan. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner.
Check out this recipe!
Shish Tawook | Grilled Chicken Skewers
Tender chicken breast pieces marinated in yogurt, spices and tomato paste, grilled to perfection. Serve as a side or part of the main course, these shish tawook skewers make a delicious weeknight family meal.
Check out this recipe!
Marinated Chicken Joojeh Kabab (Grill or Bake)
These delicious Persian chicken kabobs are marinated overnight in a juicy yogurt and saffron marinade to yield the most succulent and uniquely flavoured grilled chicken!
Check out this recipe!
Pomegranate Chicken Recipe (Air Fryer Drumsticks)
These pomegranate air fryer drumsticks are tangy, sweet and spicy - the perfect combination.
Check out this recipe!
Arabic Biryani
Authentic Arabic Biryani comes together with fragrant yellow rice, spiced chicken, peas, potatoes, sweet raisins and crunchy almonds. A true celebration of Iraqi cuisine - it's a must try dish!
Check out this recipe!
Mediterranean roasted chicken
Marinated with the sweetness of pomegranate molasses, smoky paprika and garlic cloves, this roasted chicken is the best! Served with potatoes and onions and topped with sprigs of fresh thyme.
Check out this recipe!
Main Dishes - Beef and Lamb
Here are a variety of beef recipes, whether you're using ground beef or bone-in beef. These recipes are all great choices for iftar, and they vary by cooking time and complexity, so be sure to click the recipe to find out more!
Bechamel Pasta Bake (Macarona Bechamel)
This comforting Bechamel Pasta Bake is so delicious and requires simple ingredients. Make the pasta and the meat sauce, but the magic behind this dish is the silky Bechamel sauce that gets poured on top. Delicious!
Check out this recipe!
Maqluba (Makloubeh) with Lamb (Arabic rice dish)
Maqluba is a layered dish that is served by flipping upside down to reveal layers of vegetables (commonly eggplant, potato and cauliflower), meat and rice. It's so flavourful because everything cooks together in one pot. It's also highly customizable and made across many middle eastern countries. If you love Arabic food... this is the dish to try!
Check out this recipe!
Arayes (Middle Eastern Stuffed Pita)
Arayes are a classic middle eastern street food. Pita bread, stuffed with spiced ground beef and grilled (or baked) to perfection. Enjoy them with a yogurt or tahini dipping sauce as a lunch or light dinner! They are quick and perfect for using up some ground beef.
Check out this recipe!
Ground Beef Kafta Kabobs (Skewers or Patties)
This kafta kabob (or “kofta” or “kefta”) is so simple and delicious. Made usingground beef that’s skewered and perfectly seasoned with Arabic spices, thisrecipe is versatile and comes together in under 30 minutes!
Check out this recipe!
Tender Beef Shawarma (Quick Stovetop Method)
Homemade tender beef shawarma is perfect in wraps with tahini sauce, and it only needs a few ingredients to make!
Check out this recipe!
Easy Potato Moussaka With Eggplant
A delicious comfort dish made with baked eggplant, spiced meat, and fluffy mashed potatoes. So delicious and easy!
30-Minute Arabic Pasta with Yogurt Sauce
This Arabic pasta is the perfect solution to a lighter "white sauce" pasta. Its made with a yogurt, garlic and tahini sauce and layered with ground beef spiced with warm middle eastern spices. Top it with fresh herbs and crunch pine nuts, and you've got the perfect weeknight dinner.
Check out this recipe!
Iraqi Dolma (Middle Eastern Stuffed Vegetables)
This authentic Iraqi Dolma recipe may be a labour of love, but it is so worth it! If you ever wanted to be transported to Iraq through your taste buds, this is the recipe to try!
Check out this recipe!
Egyptian Goulash (Phyllo meat pie)
This Egyptian Goulash is an easy meat pie recipe that looks so impressive on your table but takes little time to put together. The end result is a crunchy pastry filled with a delicious beef stuffing seasoned with warm spices. Must try! It's simple to make and can even be made ahead of time.
Check out this recipe!
Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole (Kafta Bil Sanieh)
This authentic Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole is made up of layers of Kafta, Potato, Eggplant, Onions, Peppers and tomato, all cooked in a delicious tomato sauce. It's addictive!!
Check out this recipe!
Fragrant Lamb Kabsa (10 Min Prep Time!)
Authentic lamb kabsa is made up of fragrant long-grain rice cooked with tender lamb, using aromatic warm whole spices, resulting in the most delicious meal ever!
Check out this recipe!
Quzi (Authentic Iraqi Recipe)
This recipe features tender lamb served over a bed of yellow rice and garnished with crunch almond and raisins. An Iraqi national dish for celebrations and gatherings.
Check out this recipe!
Stuffed Eggplant Boats with Ground Beef
Eggplants are a staple in Middle Eastern cooking. We stuff, sauté, layer and even blend them into many recipes! This simple recipe for stuffed, baked eggplants combines select spices with ground beef, eggplant flesh, onions and tomato sauce. Drizzle with homemade yogurt sauce, and enjoy!
Check out this recipe!
Stews and Rice
Another typical middle eastern iftar meal consists of rice served with a variety of meat and vegetable based stews. These are generally simple to make and full of flavour!
Fasolia Yabsa (Iraqi White Bean Stew)
This dish is the ultimate Middle Eastern comfort food. Fasolia yabsa, which means dry beans, is a delicious stew made with meat broth, white beans, and tomato paste. It's served with rice and packs so much flavour. A must try Arabic classic!
Check out this recipe!
Okra Stew | Middle Eastern Bamia Recipe
Okra stew, otherwise known as bamia in the Arabic, is a classic dish served in many countries across the middle east. It's typically cooked with beef, lamb or veal and served with rice. It's so comforting and the best way to enjoy okra!
Check out this recipe!
Dawood Basha (Middle Eastern Meatballs Stew)
A middle eastern meatballs stew made of spiced meatballs, potato cubes and peas simmered in a delicious tomato sauce. It's a comfort dish that is packed with flavour, and typically served with some vermicelli rice. So good!
Check out this recipe!
Arabic Rice with Vermicelli
This classic Arabic Rice with Vermicelli noodles is served as a side next to many Middle Eastern dishes such as stews and meats. It's SO easy to make but be warned: it's addictive. You only need 3 main ingredients: vermicelli noodles, rice, and oil. Give it a try!
Check out this recipe!
Baghali Polo or Timman Bagilla (Dill Rice)
Baghali Polo or Iraqi Timman Bagilla is a popular rice dish made with fava beans and dill. It's so flavourful and comes together in one pot. You can make it with meat or keep it vegetarian. A must try if you are bored of plain old rice!
Check out this recipe!
Hashweh Rice (Arabic Keema Rice with ground beef)
Hashweh rice is delicious Middle Eastern rice with ground beef and vegetables. Seasoned with warm spices and cooked to fluffy perfection, it's the perfect complete meal in one pot!
Check out this recipe!
The Best Carrot Rice Recipe (Iraqi Timman Jizar)
This carrot rice recipe, also known as Timman Jizar, is an incredible Iraqi vegetarian recipe and basmati rice dish! Flavoured with onions, grated carrots, tomato, and a hint of cinnamon, it strikes the perfect balance. This quick and easy carrot rice recipe is ready to serve within just 30 minutes!
Check out this recipe!
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Middle Eastern Lentil Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
This Middle Eastern lentil soup recipe requires just a few ingredients, and not too much prep for the most creamy and amazingly flavorful soup! I’ve included instructions for making this lentil soup with red lentils in the Instant Pot and on the stovetop. If you know anything about Middle Eastern food, then you know that lentil soup is quite popular in every Arabic country.
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Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 onions diced
- 1 potato diced
- 1 carrot diced (optional)
- 2 cups red split lentils
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more per preference
- 1.5 teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 teaspoon black pepper more or less per preference
- 8-10 cups water or chicken stock
- 1 chicken stock cube if using water
- Lemon juice optional
- Crunchy pita chips optional
Instructions
- Start by peeling and chopping the onions and potatoes into large chunks. If you don't want to blend the soup at the end, then dice them into smaller cubes
- In the Instant Pot (I used 8Qt for this size - see notes), add the vegetable oil, potatoes, onions, and spices and cook for 5 minutes on saute mode. If using stove top, use a regular soup pot
- Add the lentils and water, mix well ensuring you scrape the bottom of the pot, and secure the instant pot lid. If using stove top, cover the pot
- If using Instant Pot, pressure cook for 15 minutes. The Instant Pot will take approximately 10-15 minutes to come to pressure
- If using stove top, allow it to boil for 40-60 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Adjust the liquid and salt half way through
- For the Instant Pot, manually release the pressure valve and blend the soup using a hand mixer
- For the stove top, you can leave it chunky or blend it as well
- Taste and adjust the salt and also the water. If you like it thinner, add more water and allow it to cook for a few more minutes on saute mode
- If you're making the crunchy pita topping, simply cut pita bread into small squares and fry on medium heat using 3-4 tablespoons of oil. Continue stirring until golden and crunchy
- Serve with a squeeze of lemon and crunchy pita on top
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Notes
- If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can follow the directions and cook on the stove top instead of pressure cooking. Cook time will be closer to 40-60 minutes.
- I used an 8 Qt instant pot for this batch size. You can halve the recipe and use a 6 Qt instant pot
- You can skip adding the potatoes if you don't have any (but don't skip the onion!)
- You can also add carrots to this soup, the same way the potatoes and onions are added
- Adjust the thickness of the soup at the end by adding more water for a thinner soup or allow it to boil for a thicker soup. This recipe yields a thick consistency
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