I remember the first year MarocBaba and I were together during Ramadan. I truthfully had no idea what to expect or what he planned to eat for iftar. I had been to some gatherings at our mosque and had seen such a wide variety of foods from around the world.
What I’ve learned over the years is that most every Ramadan table is a variation of the same things. There are some differences of course depending on family and part of the country but overall you will certainly see a pattern.
If you want to throw a traditional Moroccan iftar here’s how to do it!
(Hint: there’s a lot of bread involved)
Moroccan Ramadan Iftar Recipes
If having a traditional Moroccan Ramadan table is something you'd like to try here are some recipes to get you started.
Vegetarian Moroccan Harira
You will always find harira on the Moroccan Ramadan table. This soup has a tomato base and is made with chickpeas and lentils - and sometimes meat.
Moroccan Msemmen Recipe
These flaky breads are served with honey and butter, or cream cheese - but you can put whatever toppings on you'd like.
Moroccan Avocado Almond Smoothie
A super popular drink in Morocco all year round but especially during Ramadan.
Chebakia - The Ramadan Cookie
These cookies are a MUST on the Ramadan table and they can be intimidating. While traditionally they have this shape - you can make them whatever shape you'd like and enjoy.
Batbout - Moroccan Pita Bread
This stovetop bread is usually made into smaller versions, split in half and stuffed with different things to make small sandwiches for the iftar table.
Stuffed Medjool Dates
Dates are a must on the Ramadan table as it's the food used to break the fast. Serve them plain or you can stuff them like in this recipe for something a bit fancier.
Sellou Recipe - Sfouf or Zmita
Sellou is often eaten at iftar. The best part of this is while it's a bit time consuming to make it lasts a long time so you only need to make one batch for all of Ramadan.
Kefta-Filled Briouats with Classic Seasoning
Briouats are phyllo dough filled with a variety of things. This recipe is for ground beef filling but you also can make it with chicken, seafood or cheese.
Moroccan Ramadan Cookie Madness!
A plate of special cookies is standard for Ramadan, discover some that you can make and include.
Beghrir Pancakes
These pancakes are cooked only on one side and often drizzled with butter and honey - in this recipe I use Nutella and raspberries for something a little different.
In addition to these recipes you’ll also want to include;
- lots of water
- mint tea is usually also served
- fresh fruit juices, especially when Ramadan is in warmer months.
- dates, dates, dates.
- boiled eggs served with cumin and salt
- olive oil, jams, chocolate spread, cheese and any other items that might go well with bread or msemmen.
In Morocco the iftar table remains largely the same night after night but I encourage you to make your own traditions too. Add or remove items. I try each year to introduce my in-laws to other food options from around the world. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn’t!
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