Ramadan and Pakora's craving Dilemma

Pakora is not only everyone’s favorite food item in Ramadan, traditionally, in Indo Sub Continent the season of rain or spring is celebrated by serving deep-fried potato and onion Pakoras!.” Pakoras are crispy batter fried vegetables. The batter is made out of "Chick pea flour” which is very versatile because you can dip almost any vegetable even chicken bread or paneer to make the most delicious of Pakoras.

Pakora has been rated as the most popular food item at Iftar every Ramadan.As one of my friend remarked once, while discussing the Ramadan menu. “I wonder what Ramadan would be like without my Pakoras!.”The table set for Iftar would look empty without its presence. The reason for its popularity is that it takes relatively less time to prepare; its ingredients are few and simple, available at any local market; and it is very economical. It is probably one of the most affordable fried items you can have at home. Also after fasting all day people like eating fresh and crispy food at Iftar time.

A typical Pakora is simply a slice of potato or a bunch of onions coated in a mildly spiced, turmeric colored batter made of chickpea flour Besan, and then deep fried. Variations include using chunks of potatoes, spinach, onions, broccoli, cauliflower floret, or even slices of eggplant!

Pakora Recipe:

•          1 cup chickpea flour [Besan]

•          1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

•          1 teaspoon salt

•          1/2 cup water

•          2 finely chopped green chillies,

•          1 tablespoon coriander, finely chopped

•          1/2 teaspoon baking powder

•          oil for frying

•          An assortment of vegetables: Onions, cut into rings or sliced, potato

1. Stir the flour, salt and chilli powder into a bowl.

2. Pour in sufficient water to make a thick batter and beat well until smooth. Leave to stand for at least 20 minutes.

3. Stir the chilies, coriander and baking powder into the batter.

4. Drop in the potatoes/onions to coat with batter.

5. Heat the oil in a deep pan, drop in the battered potatoes/onions and deep-fry until crisp and golden.

6. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen towel and keep warm.

7. Serve hot.

Date with Dates Ramadan update

During the Holy month of Ramadaan 1.6 billion followers throughout the Muslim world break their fast following the tradition of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad [Peace be upon him]
 Dates, olive, pomegranate and water have a special place in the holy book Quran, so Muslims feel closer to God when they have these first. Today's date admirers and experts will tell you that Prophet Muhammad had a reason for breaking his fast with dates, because hunger comes not from an empty stomach, but from low blood sugar. Thus, eating two or three dates quickly restores blood sugar, quelling hunger, and prevents overeating after fasting. “Subhaan Allaah” for his insight wisdom and knowledge 1400 years ago.And he did not even have to Google for that information.Amazing!
The history of date cultivation can be traced back to the period of ancient Egyptians but it was the Arabs, who introduced this fruit to most of the other regions across the globe. The mention of Dates appears frequently in the Holy book of Qur’aan, as well as in Christian Bible and Jewish scripture. In one Quranic chapter Soorah Mariam about Bibi Mariam,[Alaiehis Salaam] it is mention  when she is in the pain of child labor, a voice advises her to shake a date palm and replenish herself with the fruits that fall. Dates are also frequently mentioned in many hadees,stories and sayings attributed to our Beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad.[Peace be upon him].
Dates are among the most indispensable ingredients in both Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines since Ancient times. Today, dates are used in such Middle Eastern dishes such as stuffed dates, date nut bread, ma’amoul, and haysa al-tumreya, a popular dip for dates. Dates contain a unique blend of glucose and fructose and have very high potassium content. Apart from its sweet taste, the fruit is highly nutritious as it is rich in vitamins A1, B1, B2, B3, B5 and has around twenty essential amino acids. Which is a soluble fiber that has health benefits and can increase the feeling of fullness.
Date trees are so similar to palm trees. The main difference between a date tree and palm tree is that palm tree has no fruits and the other difference is their leaves. Leaves of date tree are so thin and sharp while palm tree has flat and softer leaves. A date palm can grow to a height of 25 to 30 meters and possesses a crown of green leaves. The date is a single seed bearing fruit from the date palm tree which can take up to ten years to produce enough fruit for harvest. When unripe they can be bright yellow or red in color, and when ripe are brown and shriveled, similar to a prune. There are several different varieties of dates grouped together into three main groups based on their sugar content - soft, semi-dry, and dry.
There is a special species of dates in Madinah, the tree of it was planted by our beloved prophet Muhammed,[Peace be upon him] so it’s known as date of prophet. Prophet Muhammad used to consume all varieties of dates but was said to prefer the variety called Ajwa