Ramadan Mubarak: Iftar Recipes For Ramadan Celebrations

The holy month of Ramadan is here; show support to those celebrating by cooking a lovely meal for Iftar. The main meal of the fasting day, Iftar occurs at sunset every day of Ramadan, where those observing gather over delicious meals to break their fast together. From Mazola.ca and MasterChef’s Reem Ahmed, we’ve got a recipe for a one-pot Koshary dish, made with thinly sliced fried onions, basmati rice, brown lentils and Mazola Corn Oil. Chef Reem explains that “Ramadan is a beautiful month that helps us focus on our spirituality, so making a hearty easy dish is key during this time. Koshary is known to have several steps, several pots, and so much time in the kitchen, however, by making it in one pot, we cut down our time and energy, without sacrificing the authenticity of its taste.” —Vita Daily

Koshary

The fried onions:
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 cups Mazola corn oil

For the one pot:
2 cups vermicelli
2 cups soaked and drained basmati rice
2 cups soaked and drained brown lentils
2 cups macaroni
1 cup spaghetti, broken into half
2 cups previously fried onions
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup Mazola corn oil leftover from frying the onions
1 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
Boiling water to just cover the mix (around 3 or 3.5 cups)

For the salsa:
4 tbsp Mazola Corn Oil leftover from frying the onions
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp white vinegar
For the Shatta (hot sauce):
4 tbsp Mazola Corn Oil leftover from frying the onions
4 tbsp cayenne powder
2 tbsp chili flakes
2 cups koshary made Salsa

For the Dakaa (koshary garlic vinaigrette)

2 tbsp Mazola Corn Oil leftover from frying the onions
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 green Thai peppers, thinly sliced
1 tbsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1 cup vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
3 cups boiling water

For the chickpeas:
1 can chickpeas drained

The fried onions: Preheat your pan to medium heat, then add Mazola Corn Oil. Add cornstarch to your sliced onions and mix. Fry until crispy and golden brown. Save the leftover Mazola Corn Oil to be used in the following steps. For the one pot: Add the Mazola Corn Oil leftover from frying the onions to your pot. Add the vermicelli and fry on medium heat until until golden. Add the rice after removing the water. Add the lentils after removing the water. Add the macaroni. Add some of the fried onion. Stir, cover and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Once done, give it a nice mix with a big fork. For the Chickpeas: Add 1 tsp minced garlic and 1 tbsp of Mazola Corn Oil leftover from frying the onions. For the Salsa: Add the Mazola Corn Oil leftover from frying the onions to a big pot. Add the minced garlic, coriander and cumin and sautee on medium heat. Stir until aromatic. Just before the garlic is golden brown, add vinegar. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir then let simmer for a few minutes. For the Shatta (hot sauce): Add the Mazola Corn Oil leftover from frying the onions to a small pot. Add cayenne powder. Add chili flakes. Stir for 2 minutes without burning the Shatta then add the salsa and turn the stove off. For the Dakaa (koshary garlic vinaigrette). In a glass bottle add Mazola Corn Oil leftover from frying the onions. Add minced garlic, green Thai pepper thinly sliced, chilli flakes, cumin, coriander, salt, vinegar, lime juice, and boiling water. Mix vigorously and let it set, make sure to mix every time before adding to your dish!

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