Thrifty Ramadan Ideas Needed!

dk67

I love using all the thrifty recipes, but now its Ramadan, my usual thrifty ways seem to go out of the window as I have to buy different types of food to keep us all going when we are fasting.

I would be really grateful for any ideas on cheap, filling dishes and finger foods to serve for breakfast (which we eat around 7.30pm this month!)

Thanks everyone

Pink.

Hi dk67,

I'm afraid that I know very little about Ramadan, but after reading your post I looked it up and as far as I can make out you will be fasting from dawn to dusk and therefore will need something filling to keep you going throughout the day??? If I've got this wrong please correct me.

If I have got it right, then this is a site that I use quite a lot that may help to give you ideas for some power packed breakfasts:

breakfastandbrunch.com

Wishing you a good Ramadan.

Pink

bluep

Not much help here but when I was travelling through Morocco a few years ago, it happened to be Ramadan and as we were staying in pretty small local places, it seemed rather rude not to fast as well.

As soon as the mosques started calling sundown, everyone would rush to the market and eat big bowls of harira (chickpea stew) and darn me, it was THE most delicious thing I have ever eaten after fasting all day! I don't have a recipe but I'm pretty sure its google-able and cheap to make.

dk67

Thanks Pink-winged. Yes, that is exactly right - we fast from sunrise to sunset for 30 days.

I will definately have a good look at that website tomorrow , a hearty breakfast is whats needed!

bluep - Harira is our staple Ramadan meal (my husband is Moroccan!) - it is lovely and filling and cheap to make - actually if you would like the recipe I can post it. (I am sure there is a more authentic method, but I think mine tastes as good as my mother-in-laws!):D

made smoothies tonight with soft fruit from the end of the market - really cheap and healthy snack.

thanks again

ceridwen

dk67 wrote: »

Thanks Pink-winged. Yes, that is exactly right - we fast from sunrise to sunset for 30 days.

I will definately have a good look at that website tomorrow , a hearty breakfast is whats needed!

bluep - Harira is our staple Ramadan meal (my husband is Moroccan!) - it is lovely and filling and cheap to make - actually if you would like the recipe I can post it. (I am sure there is a more authentic method, but I think mine tastes as good as my mother-in-laws!):D

made smoothies tonight with soft fruit from the end of the market - really cheap and healthy snack.

thanks again

I would please - like the recipe for harira that is.

Gingham_Ribbon

Oats are great for keeping you full for longer. What about porridge with dried fruit and milk or oatcakes and fresh fruit for breakfast?

Porridge toppings
Porridge oats

Primrose

I was going to suggest porridge too, because it digests slowly and stops hunger pangs. I usually microwave it in a big bowl with lots of chopped up apple and sultanas, or any other fresh berries available at this time of year. I also nibble oatcakes because they are also made from oats, are full of fibre and quite filling. Wholegrain bread is also filling. My favourite loaf is Vogel wholegrain, but it is quite expensive to buy but this type of loaf has more fibre in it than white bread which stops you feeling hungry so quickly.

thriftlady_2

I know oats are supposed to keep you feeling full, but they have the opposite effect on me. I'm always ravenous by 10 am if I have porridge for breakfast.

I find some protein at breakfast is the key to staving off hunger. It is supposed to keep you full for longer then carbs. Eggs are quick and easy. What about pulse based dishes like felafel, hummus, lentil dhal ? Or cheese for breakfast ?

needaspirin

My Islamic friends used to tuck into large quantities of savoury rice dishes as soon as the sun went down, mainly lamb based, but I would imagine that chicken would be cheaper and just as tasty. Makes me hungry now thinking of all those Arabic dishes!
Ironically food consumption seemed to increase during Ramadan as people seemed to overeat on a night to make up for a day without food.

bellsbells

What about having something cooking in the slow cooker all day, so that when you end your fast a meal is all ready for you? That would also mean that you don't have to spend a lot of time preparing food before you are allowed to eat it! You could do a stew or a soup type thing easily and cheaply (do you have halal butchers near you?) You could also do this at night with some sort of breakfast/porridge style thing cooking, so that when you get up early in the morning to eat before it is light you have something warm and filling waiting for you.
You could also get big bags of dates/nuts etc for fast breaking - I believe this is a traditional way to end the fast in some Muslim countries?

Zziggi

This is another vote for the harira recipe (please).

When you are getting up and eating at 4.30am-ish and you can't eat for the next 15 hours:eek: then my vote is for traditional (english), good old porridge. Maybe throw in some dried fruits, bit of brown sugar/maple syprup/honey. Let's be honest, who wants to be up before 4am to be cooking something fancy for the family? I stick with porridge although 15 hours is really a long stretch.

As for breaking the fast. Dates & dried fruit and plain old water. Followed 1/2 hour later with a rice dish/stew or something else that is filling. Putting something in the slowcooker is a good idea as you aren't actually then having to deal with food when you are at your most hungry, but you do have the lovely smell of food wafting round the house (which is worse!!!). Surprisingly, i tend to go for english foods rather than traditional asian/arab foods in ramadan.... and i am sure the food intake and waist line expands.