This post is about the collection of the best, healthy, and easy Ramadan Recipes. Iftar food ideas include dinner meals, drinks, desserts and sweets, and snacks from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Middle Eastern region.

The holy month of Ramzan, or Ramadan, is here. Iftar is the time of communal gathering and breaking fast together. As the sun sets, families and friends come together and enjoy the most delicious meal. Whether you are looking for nutritious and healthy meals and drinks to break the fast or easy vegetarian recipes, you are at the right place. We have covered it all. Most of my Ramadan recipes are from Indian and Pakistani cuisine. But there are also some simple Middle eastern recipes that you can make.
I have also shared freezer-friendly, make-ahead options, quick recipes, and marination tips in each recipe. You have to pick your favorite from each section and plan your Iftar and Ramadan menus.
Popular dishes
The most popular dish during Ramadan is the one prepared with dates. Dates (khajoor) are high in natural sugars and plays a vital role in restoring energy levels after fasting the whole day. They also help you keep full for a longer time.
While you are here, try our Date Pudding, Dates kheer, Popular Dates cake, Apple dates bread, and Dates ladoo (laddu) or energy balls.
For a large meal, meat-based biryani, one-pot chicken pulao or pilaf, kebabs, or grilled chicken are the best choice. If you are looking for a vegetarian option, there is nothing better than eggplant casserole or paneer tikka.
For a side dish, we love middle eastern food that includes hummus, falafel, baba ghanoush, and tzatziki which are all great options for dipping your favorite vegetables or pita bread. But also, don't miss out on the stuffed grape leaves, samosas, and pakoras.
No Iftar or Ramadan meal is complete without delicious desserts and sweets like baklava, cake, pudding, qatayef, kheer, and kunafa.
Chicken Recipes
Meat-based dishes are preferred during Iftar and Ramadan. Sharing some of the best Ramadan recipes, including chicken biryani, chicken lollipop, whole roasted chicken, kathi rolls or chicken wrap, Malnad-style green chicken curry, and grilled tandoori chicken (chicken tikka or kebab), chicken tikka masala, and tikka biryani.
Best Chicken Biryani Ever
Butter Chicken
Easy Chicken Pulao (Pilaf)
Crispy Roasted Chicken
Chicken Kathi Rolls or Chicken Wraps
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Tikka
Drums of Heaven, Chicken Lollipop
Orange Chicken
Spicy Chicken Tikka Biryani
Easy Chicken Green Curry
Dinner and Meal Ideas
I highly recommend one-pot meals like chickpeas pilaf or biryani, quinoa salad, turmeric Persian rice, paneer tikka, eggplant casserole, naan, kulcha, butter masala with paneer or mushroom for a healthy and delicious meal. This section is best option for vegetarian and vegan Ramadan recipes.
One Pot Chickpeas Pilaf (Chana Pulao)
Garlic Turmeric Rice
Healthy Quinoa Salad
Paneer Tikka
Eggplant Casserole
Garlic Butter Naan
Garlic Cheese Naan
Stuffed Aloo Kulcha
Paneer Butter Masala
Ghee Rice
Chana Masala
Snacks and Quick Bites
Snack and Quick Bites is my favorite section. It includes easy and addictive Ramadan recipes from puff pastry bites to Indian chaats like dahi aloo, dabeli, pav bhaji, and vada pav or fried snacks like pakoras, samosas, kachoris, and more. You can check some more easy snacks recipes.
Traditional Samosa
Pakora with vegetables of your choice
Kachori - Street Style
Aloo Tikki
Mini Veg Puff Bites
Dahi Aloo Chaat
Aloo Bonda or Batata Vada
Pav Bhaji
Aloo Chana Chaat
Desserts and Sweets
No festival or meal is complete without desserts or sweets. There is always some room for dessert, even after a heavy meal. We have kheer with dates, vermicelli, rice, and many more, payasam, ladoo, burfi (barfi), cake, pudding, halwa, baklava, basbousa, sheer khurma, balushahi, nankhatai, knafeh, Namoura. Also, check out more Indian desserts and sweets for Eid,Iftar and Ramadan.
Seviyan Kheer (Sheer Khurma)
Dates Kheer
Balushahi
Sticky date Pudding
Moong Dal Halwa
Mango Vermicelli Kheer
Popular Milk Barfi
Rice Kheer
Kaji Katli ( 3 ingredients)
Motichoor Ladoo
Dates Ladoo
Nankhatai or Ghee Cookies
Carrot Halwa
Mango Ice Cream
Vermicelli Kheer
Mango Chia Pudding
Drinks
During summer it is very important to stay hydrated during Ramadan. Some of the best drinks that are popularly consumed during iftar include fruit juices, lemonade, rooh afza, laban, milk, water, qamardeen, jallab, etc.
Mango Smoothie (Lassi)
Homemade Badam Milk or Almond Milk
Virjin Mojito (Lemonade) - 2 ways
Traditional Rose Falooda
Mango Margarita
Mango Mastani (Thickshake)
Mango Thandai and Traditional Thandai
Special Rasgulla Falooda
Middle Eastern Recipes
Some simple and easy middle eastern Ramadan recipes from pita bread, hummus, and falafel to pita sandwiches, greek salad, and tzatziki sauce that you can make for a nutritious iftar dinner.
Pita Bread
Easy Falafel Recipe
Best Hummus Dip
Pita Sandwich with Tahini Sauce
Greek Salad
Recipe FAQs
The food that is served during Iftar and Ramadan varies by country, region, and family taste preference. Some of the best, traditional, and popular foods prepared during this festival include biryani, fattoush, soups, kebabs, samosas, drinks, fresh-cut fruits, and vegetables.
Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. The two main meals are suhoor and iftar. Suhoor is a meal eaten early in the morning before sunrise. Bread, egg, and yogurt are highly recommended. Iftar is the evening meal eaten after sunset, breaking the day's fast.
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Recipe card
Ramadan Recipes | Iftar Food Ideas
Ingredients
Pakora or Pakoda is one of the most popular food items at Ramadan or Ramzan food list
- 1 cup Besan or chickpea flour
- ¼ teaspoon Hing or Asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon Red chile powder or Cayenne powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- Salt to taste
- Any vegetables of your choice from raw banana, eggplant, capsicum, paneer, bread, cauliflower, potato to onion, spinach, corn. Check tips for more vegetable options.
- ½ to 1 cup Water
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- For detailed steps and video, you can check my post here on banana pakora (pakoda)
- Cut the vegetables of your choice into desired shapes and sizes.Any vegetables of your choice from raw banana, eggplant, capsicum, paneer, bread, cauliflower, potato to onion, spinach, corn.
- Add chickpea flour, hing, red chile powder, cumin seeds, garlic powder, and salt to taste in a bowl and mix. (for more flavor, you can also add green chilies and herbs if needed)1 cup Besan or chickpea flour, ¼ teaspoon Hing or Asafoetida, 1 teaspoon Red chile powder or Cayenne powder, 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, Salt to taste
- Start by pouring in ½ cup of water and continue to whisk until the batter is smooth and free of lumps. The consistency of the batter should not be too thick and not too thin. The aim is for the batter to fully coat the vegetable slices without running off too quickly. If you've added too much water, you can adjust by adding more flour. You can find a detailed video and more tips on making of pakora here.½ to 1 cup Water
- Heat oil for frying in a pan on medium flame.Oil for frying
- Once the oil is hot, dip each vegetable slice in the batter and drop them in hot oil.
- Fry till they are crispy and golden brown. Transfer it to a paper towel to absorb any oil.
- Serve immediately as they taste best when served fresh piping hot.
Notes
- The batter is the same for all the recipes. You can add aloo (potato), eggplant (aubergine), paneer (Indian cottage cheese), chopped spinach, chicken, cauliflower (gobi), capsicum, sweet potato, mushroom,raw banana, mirchi, corn, cabbage, and mixed vegetables.
- If you are making onion, cabbage, palak, or spinach pakora then chop them finely and mix them to form a very thick batter that holds its shape. Shape them into balls and fry them.
- For any other vegetables, cut them into desired shapes and thickness, dip them in batter and fry.
- Do not fry pakoras if the oil is only warm. This will absorb oil and make fritters soggy. If the oil is too hot, the pakoda will become brown on the outside faster, and the inside remains uncooked.
- The best frying practice is to switch the flame between medium and medium-high.
- I do not prefer adding any baking soda. Fritters taste great without the addition of baking soda.
Harriet Young
So many delicious recipe ideas! I loved the crispy roasted chicken and will be making many of the others over the coming weeks. Thank you!
silvia
You know what i love about posts like yours? That opened my mind and my taste buds to delicious food that is different from what I normally eat. Tasting a new recipe a month is something I enjoy doing and you have given me tons!
Amy Liu Dong
I love these recipes and all of them looks delicious and flavorful. I can't wait to try them!