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The holy month of Ramadan, which begins at the end of May this year, is an important month for Muslims across the world. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and is an important month for Muslims as it is the month when the Qur’an was first reveled to Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) and is considered to be the fourth of the five pillars of Islam.
I remember explaining Ramadan for the first time to my kids, Leah and Jaf. They were fascinated by the fact that people fast from sunrise to sunset. The older they get, the easier it becomes for them to understand why we as Muslims celebrate the holy month of Ramadan. It’s more than just fasting during the daylight hours – the holy month of Ramadan serves as a time of reflection, spending more time with the family, being grateful for everything we have, and providing to those in need.
Each fast is broken at the end of the day by a meal known as Iftar which in Arabic means, breakfast. Iftar is served at sunset during the month of Ramadan, and breaking the fast usually starts off by eating dates and drinking some water.
After prayers are said, then friends and family sit down to enjoy a filling meal that consists of salad, soup, various appetizers, rice, plenty of meats, and a whole dessert spread. Iftar is a social meal, and you’ll often find yourself with plenty of invites to come break your fast from friends, family, and even neighbors!
One of the kids favorite easy Iftar recipes is a simple Middle Eastern chicken and rice dish that I’ve been making ever since they were young. The recipe requires very little prep, and is ready in about an hour’s time – it’s also a great way for the kids to be involved in Iftar preparations – Jaffer likes to measure out all the spices that go into the recipe, and also helps me toast the slivered almonds while the rice is cooking.
Easy Iftar Recipes: Middle Eastern Chicken & Rice
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 3/4 cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 lb boneless chicken breast
- 1 cup basmati rice, uncooked
- 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and add in garlic and the ground beef along with the cinnamon, and pepper. Cook until the beef is evenly browned.
- Then add in the chicken stock, season with salt and add in the chicken breasts. Cover the skillet and cook for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
- Remove the chicken and shred. Return to the pan and mix in the rice. Cover the skillet again and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid. Add more salt if required.
- While the rice is cooking, lightly toast the almonds in a pan. Stir often, making sure they do not burn.
- Once the rice is ready, garnish with pine nuts and serve.
What are your favorite Ramadan recipes? Let us know in the comments below!
Multicultural Kid Blogs is proud to be hosting its third annual Ramadan for Kids blog hop, where bloggers come together to share ideas for teaching kids about and honoring Ramadan. Don’t forget to check out our blog hops from last year and 2015. Be sure to follow our Ramadan board on Pinterest for even more ideas and link up your own posts below!
Participating Blogs
Middle Way Mom: All Things Ramadan
Jeddah Mom: Why Muslims Give Fitra Before Eid in Ramadan?
Sand in My Toes: 6 Ways to Get Kids Involved During Ramadan
A Crafty Arab: 2017 Ramadan Crafts 30 Day Challenge
Family in Finland: Childhood Memories of Ramadan in Peshawar, Pakistan
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Mother to LouLou & Jaf, Wendy is the mastermind behind Pint Size Gourmets, a kid-friendly food blog. It wasn’t long before her love for sushi, and the lack of Japanese cuisine in the Middle East led her to open the Dubai's first affordable Japanese restaurant, Sumo Sushi & Bento (www.sumosushi.net). Three restaurants and 14 franchises later, she serves as the President of Sumo International, Inc., a franchise consultancy and private equity firm. Along with her husband Youssef, they also owned and operated two famous food trucks in Hawaii; Xtreme Tacos & Fairycakes. Both currently co-own Hawaii’s first Moroccan-Lebanese restaurant in downtown Honolulu.
Latest posts by Wendy Awai Dakroub (see all)
- Easy Iftar Recipes: Middle Eastern Chicken & Rice - May 15, 2017
- Mixed Ethnicity: The Children of Asian-Pacific Islanders - May 2, 2016
- 5 Kid-Friendly Dishes from Lebanon - July 20, 2015
Interesting article! Sounds delicious!!