Ramadan Iftar Recipes

Ramadan Iftar Recipes

Every kitchen in Morocco gets very busy during Ramadan, especially a couple of hours before Iftar. Every day new Iftar recipes are cooked and every family gathers at sunset around a colorful table full of delights. Soups, dry fruits, almonds, cakes, pancakes, tagines, you name it and it will probably be on the menu. The good thing about Moroccan Ramadan food is that most recipes are easy to make. So, if you’d like to incorporate a few traditional Moroccan dishes into your table, here are the easiest and most popular ones at Moroccanzest.com

Most of these recipes are part of my Recipe Cards collection.

Baghrir – The Extra Fluffy Moroccan Semolina Pancakes

These semolina pancakes, also called Baghrir, are a staple in a Moroccan Ramadan menu. They are super fluffy with dozens of holes that allow for a deep soak of honey and butter. Be careful, these pancakes are very addictive!

Check my mother’s Baghrir recipe here.

Traditional Moroccan Mint tea

Another Ramadan staple, Moroccan mint tea is Moroccans’ favorite drink. While it’s a daily drink outside of Ramadan, during Iftar Moroccans love to add aromatics and herbs for more fragrance and some health benefits. The most used aromatic is orange blossom water known for its relaxing properties.

Check the traditional recipe for making Moroccan Mint Tea here.

Moroccan Hearty Tagines

Ramadan is also the month of tagines. We serve tagines almost daily and women usually rotate between red meat, poultry, fish, and vegetarian tagines for more diversity. If you have a clay tagine pot at home, then I highly recommend this tagine cookbook with Morocco’s best traditional tagine recipes.

If you don’t have a tagine clay pot, then one of the easiest tagines to make – you can even make it in a pan – is this chicken tagine with vegetables.

Moroccan Cheese – Jben

Jben is the most popular cheese in Morocco. Creamy, nutritious, and super soft and which you can flavor with herbs and aromatics. It’s delicious as a spread on bread alone or mixed with honey or jam. It’s also easy to make. Here is the recipe for Moroccan Jben cheese.

Moroccan Split Pea Soup – Bissara

If you are looking for a hearty, healthy, and easy soup to make for the Iftar, then the Moroccan Split Pea soup – or Bissara – is the one you are looking for. It requires a few ingredients and it can be done in less than 30 minutes. In Morocco, we serve it with Jben cheese, cured olives, and bread.

The Fragrant Moroccan Carrot Salad

Moroccan fragrant carrots are a popular dish in Morocco. They are usually served as a side dish to tagines along with other accompaniments like olives and green salads. Carrot slices are sautéed in a mix of preserved lemons, garlic, and aromatics which transforms their taste beautifully. Check here the traditional way to make Moroccan carrots salad.