Ramadan Kareem! Hope everyone has been able to make the most of this blessed month while trying not to be too sleep-deprived. I hosted my annual iftar this past Saturday with a few close friends and I wanted to share some tips and ideas. I was really happy with how everything turned out but I do think that it did take quite a toll on me (it's Sunday night and I'm still recovering, and I have a full schedule all of this week while still needing to catch up on my Ramadan goals). My mom kept saying that I chose a difficult menu, and I realized that after I made everything LOL.
That being said, I did keep it pretty simple for a typical desi iftar. I'm not a fan of having a separate iftar and dinner and am actually against it because traditionally desis tend to gravitate toward fried food like pakoray, samosay, egg rolls, etc., which I LOVE but try to keep to a minimum. We take care of our cardiovascular system in this household. Cardiovascular disease runs deep in my blood.
I only had pani puri as an "appetizer" because it's not filling so you can still eat a decent amount of dinner, and not something you'd see at every other iftar (while samosay/pakoray are very commonplace). By the time you've finished "iftar food", you're already full, and unable to fill yourself with foods that will actually nourish you in time for your next fast. What you break your fast with does play a role in the quality of your fasts, your ability to focus while fasting, and overall cognition. I chose foods that I personally enjoy, and are comfort foods for myself. My main dishes were butter chicken (w/ rice), samosa pot pie, and Bihari kabab. Being a Bihari myself, of course this was an ancestral recipe carried down 6 generations and counting haha. I hope it tasted good because I didn't try it myself.
Tip 1: Marinate everything in advance, this not only adds flavor but also eases you into the process. Iftars are very time sensitive, so you want to make the best use of your time the day of. Creating a marinate doesn't seem like a lot of effort, but every small task takes up time and energy the day of.
I kept my desserts simple as well, with a classic cheesecake topped with ganache drizzle and strawberries. I also made anday ka halwa with my mom's recipe because it's comfort food and fit the Pakistani food theme I was attempting to maintain. They were both relatively easy to make and came out of the oven one after the other.
Tip 2: When it comes to desserts, quality over quantity. People will not have enough room after iftar/dinner to try every dessert (at least I don't), so have a few items that are really worth your time. It's likely that guests will bring desserts, too, so unless dessert tables are your specialty have a few great desserts that guests will love. Remember that presentation is half the enjoyment that comes from dessert — that's why I put effort into making the dessert look attractive. It's supposed to be the last and most enjoyable part of the meal.
The hardest part of throwing a party for me is cleaning and decorating because I'm sort of a perfectionist when it comes to how I want things to be.
Tip 3: Use your dishwasher, and try to decorate/clean the house the night before.
Tip 4: If you're a girl, try to coordinate your iftar so that you're not fasting. This is a game changer, and although predictions aren't always accurate you'll thank yourself for trying to do things in your favor. I mentioned this 2 years ago, and I'm so thankful that it worked out for me every time. All my iftars are singlehandedly organized and executed by myself so the exhaustion is real, and it hits (hopefully my guests can't tell but I'm sure some definitely can). An important note: not fasting is not a "break", but can actually feel more exhausting than fasting because of the physical and emotional toll. Although it is reassuring to be able to taste test your own food (because I have grown into my desi roots that eyeball a bunch of spices and hope everything works out).
Tip 5: Designate a friend to pass out dates at adhan time. It's interesting to see how differing the way we carry out our dawats are from our parents' generation. I usually just host close friends, who I'm comfortable being vulnerable with. I've been super busy this year and pulling off this iftar was difficult, but alH for people who helped out in whatever way they could. Anyone who has hosted an iftar knows how stressful it can be and I'm a mess until 20 minutes before the adhan when I finally change. I'm blessed to have friends who help me out last minute by opening the door, passing out the dates, or doing anything else last minute that I need help with.
I hope this gave some insight on how to start hosting iftars. It definitely is a learning curve so definitely start small and work your way to more people and hence more dishes as you feel comfortable. Even if you're not fasting, hosting an iftar is one of the most exhausting tasks known to mankind. Thanks to everyone who helped me out with mine or tells me that my food is good because it means a lot. Lately I've been thinking a lot about how we won't take anything to the grave, not even our talents, but just our deeds. I pray that my baking/cooking finds a way to benefit me in the long run. May Allah SWT accept iA.
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That being said, I did keep it pretty simple for a typical desi iftar. I'm not a fan of having a separate iftar and dinner and am actually against it because traditionally desis tend to gravitate toward fried food like pakoray, samosay, egg rolls, etc., which I LOVE but try to keep to a minimum. We take care of our cardiovascular system in this household. Cardiovascular disease runs deep in my blood.
I only had pani puri as an "appetizer" because it's not filling so you can still eat a decent amount of dinner, and not something you'd see at every other iftar (while samosay/pakoray are very commonplace). By the time you've finished "iftar food", you're already full, and unable to fill yourself with foods that will actually nourish you in time for your next fast. What you break your fast with does play a role in the quality of your fasts, your ability to focus while fasting, and overall cognition. I chose foods that I personally enjoy, and are comfort foods for myself. My main dishes were butter chicken (w/ rice), samosa pot pie, and Bihari kabab. Being a Bihari myself, of course this was an ancestral recipe carried down 6 generations and counting haha. I hope it tasted good because I didn't try it myself.
Tip 1: Marinate everything in advance, this not only adds flavor but also eases you into the process. Iftars are very time sensitive, so you want to make the best use of your time the day of. Creating a marinate doesn't seem like a lot of effort, but every small task takes up time and energy the day of.
I kept my desserts simple as well, with a classic cheesecake topped with ganache drizzle and strawberries. I also made anday ka halwa with my mom's recipe because it's comfort food and fit the Pakistani food theme I was attempting to maintain. They were both relatively easy to make and came out of the oven one after the other.
Tip 2: When it comes to desserts, quality over quantity. People will not have enough room after iftar/dinner to try every dessert (at least I don't), so have a few items that are really worth your time. It's likely that guests will bring desserts, too, so unless dessert tables are your specialty have a few great desserts that guests will love. Remember that presentation is half the enjoyment that comes from dessert — that's why I put effort into making the dessert look attractive. It's supposed to be the last and most enjoyable part of the meal.
The hardest part of throwing a party for me is cleaning and decorating because I'm sort of a perfectionist when it comes to how I want things to be.
Tip 3: Use your dishwasher, and try to decorate/clean the house the night before.
Tip 4: If you're a girl, try to coordinate your iftar so that you're not fasting. This is a game changer, and although predictions aren't always accurate you'll thank yourself for trying to do things in your favor. I mentioned this 2 years ago, and I'm so thankful that it worked out for me every time. All my iftars are singlehandedly organized and executed by myself so the exhaustion is real, and it hits (hopefully my guests can't tell but I'm sure some definitely can). An important note: not fasting is not a "break", but can actually feel more exhausting than fasting because of the physical and emotional toll. Although it is reassuring to be able to taste test your own food (because I have grown into my desi roots that eyeball a bunch of spices and hope everything works out).
Tip 5: Designate a friend to pass out dates at adhan time. It's interesting to see how differing the way we carry out our dawats are from our parents' generation. I usually just host close friends, who I'm comfortable being vulnerable with. I've been super busy this year and pulling off this iftar was difficult, but alH for people who helped out in whatever way they could. Anyone who has hosted an iftar knows how stressful it can be and I'm a mess until 20 minutes before the adhan when I finally change. I'm blessed to have friends who help me out last minute by opening the door, passing out the dates, or doing anything else last minute that I need help with.
I hope this gave some insight on how to start hosting iftars. It definitely is a learning curve so definitely start small and work your way to more people and hence more dishes as you feel comfortable. Even if you're not fasting, hosting an iftar is one of the most exhausting tasks known to mankind. Thanks to everyone who helped me out with mine or tells me that my food is good because it means a lot. Lately I've been thinking a lot about how we won't take anything to the grave, not even our talents, but just our deeds. I pray that my baking/cooking finds a way to benefit me in the long run. May Allah SWT accept iA.
Make sure to subscribe by entering your email in the box on the left of the screen!
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