Ramadan Cook Book: Making the Most of Dates

Ramadan is a very auspicious months for us Muslims, and an equally auspicious food for this month are “dates.” Not only is it sunnah to break your fast with dates but they also have such immense health benefits too.

So, it is only good for you if you incorporate them in your meals this Ramadan. But how? The same old way? Well, surprise, dates can be made much more delicious than they already are with simple recipes. Lets take a look.

Stuffed Dates with Cream & Nuts

Dates can be combined with cream and nuts too. This is yet another way to satisfy your sweet cravings all while being healthy.

Ingredients

1. Cream 350ml (room temperature)
2. Milk powder ¾ Cup – Rose water 1-2 tsp
3. Sugar powdered 2 tbs or to taste (optional)
4. Khajoor (Dates) as required
5. Pista (Pistachios) chopped
6. Badam (Almonds) chopped
7. Akhrot (Walnuts) chopped
8. Kaju (Cashew nuts) chopped

Directions

1. In a frying pan, add 350 ml of cream (that is at room temperature), 3/4 cup of milk powder and rose water.
2. Then mix it continuously & cook on low flame for 10-12 minutes.
3. After it’s mixed properly, start adding sugar to the mixture. Again, mix it continuously on low flame for 6 to 8 minutes until it’s thick and creamy. Your stuff cream mixture is almost ready. Leave it to cool for some time and then transfer it to a piping bag.
4. Now, onto the dates. Start by cutting the dates in half and removing it’s seed. Then, stuff the already prepared cream in it.
5. Once the dates are stuffed from both sides, start coating the stuffed dates with pistachios, almonds, walnuts and cashew nuts.
6. Lastly, garnish it with dry nuts and rose petals. Your stuffed cream dates are ready to be devoured!

Read More: Ramadan Incoming: Healthy Iftaar Ideas

Chocolate Date Bites

This is just another fancy way to eat your dates. Even the ones who don’t like dates will start having them with this recipe.

Ingredients

1. Sesame seeds (½ Cup)
2. Dried figs: 7 pieces (50 g)
3. Hot water (½ Cup)
4. Peanuts roasted (150g)
5. Dates (150g)
6. Butter (1 tbs)
7. Cinnamon powder (¼ tsp)
8. White chocolate; 100g (grated)
9. Coconut oil (1 tbs)
10. Melted chocolate (as required)

Directions:

1. In a frying pan, start adding sesame seeds. Dry roast these seeds for 2 to 3 minutes until they are fragrant & golden. Then, keep this aside.
2. Now, in a bowl, add some dried figs and hot water. Let these dried figs soak for 1 hour. Once they are dried, strain the water and set this aside too.
3. Onto the peanuts. Put peanuts in a frying pan and dry roast them on low flame for 4-5 minutes. Then, let them cool. Now, in a chopper, start adding these roasted peanuts and then grind them coarsely. Transfer these ground peanuts in a bowl.
4. Now again, in the chopper, add the deseeded dates and soaked figs. Make sure they are chopped well in the chopper. In the grounded peanuts, you need to add the chopped dates & fig mixture. Once, you have added these 3 together, put in butter and cinnamon powder. Make sure to mix them well until it is all combined.
5. Here comes the most important part, you now have to take a small quantity of mixture (30g) and make it into a ball. Then, coat this ball with roasted sesame seeds.
6. Take a silicon mold of oval shape and then place coated balls in it. Press them gently to make an oval shape & carefully remove the silicon mold.
7. In a bowl, add white chocolate, coconut oil & microwave for a minute. Mix well until it’s smooth and then transfer it to a piping bag.
8. Fill the cavity of date bites with melted white chocolate & decorate with melted chocolate.
9. Refrigerate until set (14-15 minutes) & serve.

Read More: 7 Easy Recipes You Can Make In Ramadan Using Dates

Ma’amoul Date Cookies

Make your cookies centre-filled with dates and a beautiful exterior with this one.

Ingredients

Preparing the Date Filling:

1. Soft dates (150g)
2. Clarified butter (1 tbs )
3. Sesame seeds (1 tbs )
4. Chopped pistachios (1-2 tbs)
5. Chopped almonds (1-2 tbs)

Preparing the Dough:

1. Semolina (Sooji); (1 & ½ Cup)
2. Clarified butter (½ Cup)
3. Warm milk (1/3 Cup )
4. Caster sugar (½ tsp)
5. Instant yeast (½ tsp)
6. Sifted all-purpose flour (¾ Cup)
7. Icing sugar (½ Cup)
8. Cardamom powder (Elaichi); (½ tsp)
9. Nutmeg powder (1 pinch)

Directions: 

The Date Filling:

1. In a chopper, start adding dates and chop them well. Then, in these chopped dates add clarified butter, sesame seeds, pistachios and almonds.
2. With the help of greased hands, take out a small quantity from this mixture and make small balls of it in equal sizes. Once, that is done set it aside.

The Dough:

1. In a bowl, add semolina, clarified butter & mix well. Then, cover this mixture with a cling film and refrigerate it for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Now, in a jug, add some warm milk, caster sugar and instant yeast. Mix these well and cover it afterwards for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. After this, take out the semolina mixture from the refrigerator & mix it all well.
4. Take out in a bowl, add the all-purpose flour, icing sugar, cardamom powder and nutmeg powder. Once everything is added, mix them all together. –
5. Add yeast mixture & mix well and afterwards cover it with cling film. Allow it to rest for 1 hour (in a warm place).
6. Start kneading the dough again, with the help of greased hands. Then, take a small quantity of mixture (30g), make a ball and spread it.
7. Place a date filling over it and gather all the edges. It must have a neat ball shape.
8. Place them on a baking tray lined with butter paper and with the help of mooncake mold press (you can use any cookie mold of your choice) start pressing to pinch the top of the dough in a deep, decorative pattern.
9. Bake it in a preheated oven at 170C for 10 minutes (on both grills) & 5 minutes on upper grill.

And voila, your dates are much more delicious than ever! So, let’s fall in love with dates all over again this Ramadan season.