A cultural cornucopia of food and religion, Ramadan is that time of the year when our streets are buzzing with adrenaline and hunger. Sizzling kebabs, delicious kheer and the ever popular haleem – it’s a clear sign that Ramadan sure brings with it a culinary awakening. At the same time, Ramadan is all about discipline and faith. While folks have to fast for almost 16 hours, those in other countries like Norway and Russia, have a whopping total of 22 hours to fast. Fasting in a hot weather can be difficult, but there are ways to tackle these obstacles. Nigar Sultana, a home chef who runs her own catering business, says, “The fast is intended to bring the faithful closer to God, and to remind them of the suffering of those less fortunate. Ramadan is the time to detach from t h e worldly pleasures and focus on one’s inner self. It starts from the night before, to prepare for hydration. Dehydration must be avoided at all costs. In the pre-dawn meal, it’s a must to include hydrating veggies, fruits like tomatoes, cucumber, oranges, and watermelons. Traditionally, the fast is broken with nombu kanji, dates and fruit juice.” Food blogger Dr Wasim M Mohindeen adds, “I try and stay away from spices during the sehar. Another thing to remember is not to stuff yourself while breaking the fast. The haleem has almost hijacked the place of nombu kanji. The kanji is nutritious, filling and easily breaks down. Given the heat during this time, it is the best thing to have.” Rama Krishnan, an engineer turned food consultant and owner of a pizza chain who observed the Ramadan fast last year says, “Food in general has evolved over centuries to help people keep up their fast. Unlike the popular perception of fasting until dusk and feasting after it, I realised that feasting goes against the spirit of Ramadan food. Rich foods make you lethargic and prevent you from fulfilling the prayer norms required. Food that is too spicy or salty makes you thirsty and makes it tough to go through the fast. At the end of it, I came to the conclusion that the key is simple fuss-free, less-spiced, nutritionally balanced food, with a lot of water, both at dawn and dusk. This is exactly what the traditional foods like haleem and nombu kanji are designed to do -they are easy to cook, easy to eat, nutritionally balanced, and less spiced.” MBA student Rehas Kareem concurs. “During iftar, there is temptation to eat a lot of fried stuff, especially since the parties are so grand and lavish, but it can work against the body. I personally try avoiding them and eat grilled meat and vegetables and food that gives the necessary minerals and salts. The intake of sugar should also be avoided. I follow a lot of boards on Pinterest so that I get an idea on how to keep changing my diet.” Iftar parties and the Ramadan month go hand-in-hand, and with every year, the parties only get more lavish and upscale. Arshiya Abdul, a fifth grade teacher says, “Iftar parties are scaling up every year. We try to bring in a lot of variety to the food, and try to expand the menu. The one great thing about iftar is that everyone is invited and it is void of religion. Nigar however, has a word of caution, “There are Islamic conventions, hosted on a large scale at mosques and on smaller scales at people’s homes. Nothing beats praying and breaking fasts with total strangers from across the city. For many families, such conventions are an annual routine that counts as a family trip. Though there is a goal to make the period less lavish and focus more on charity, some parties do end up being a little OTT. However, most people make an effort to ensure that there is no wastage of food. Though there is a culture of having rich food, we need to serve healthier options whenever we can.” Home baker and amateur cook Tasneem Ayub concurs, “I love this time of the year so no scaling down for me as I want to prepare some lovely new delicacies. Yes the first thought would be how to make it healthier, without com promising on the actual taste. So, I am going to be serving lots and lots of liquids and smoothies, and less of fried stuff and more baked stuff.