Marhaba! As you have realized from earlier posts, friends, TV shows or newspapers, millions and millions of Muslims around the world are celebrating Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic Calendar. A bunch of religious traditions and activities take place every day for around 28-29 days. Muslims are required to fast between sunrise and sunset, and afterwards they can break fast with family and friends. If you have been to any Iftar (إفطار), you would immediately know that some type of beverage/drink, sometimes with a hefty doze of (yummy) dates (تمر), is consumed to break fast! Today I am sharing the recipes for 3 popular Ramadan drinks that my wife and I have tried with friends before Iftar. Also, keep in mind that these drinks can be consumed anytime of the year and they’re so refreshing!
The first recipe is for Ayran (عيران). This is really popular in any Arab country and beyond. You can either buy it from a store or simply just prepare it yourself. It is quite easy to do and in addition to water requires two main ingredients. Ayran is simply perfect with meat pies, great on a hot summer day and awesome for breaking fast.
Image by Jarrod Trainque
Ingredients:
1 cup yogurt (preferably plain yogurt)- (لبن)
1 cup water, cold
1 clove garlic (crushed, if you like garlic)- (ثوم)
Pinch of salt to taste (ملح)
Method: Just mix the yogurt, water, and crushed garlic and place it in a fridge. It tastes really good once it’s chilled! My wife and I sometimes add dry mint (نعنع) or dry thyme (زعتر).
The second recipe is for Sharab El Remman (شراب الرمان), known in English as a Grenadine Drink. This is another popular drink around the world and does not require any fancy ingredients. I am certain you might have had variations of this drink mixed with different liquids. This is how I prepare this drink.
Image by SoniaT 360.
Ingredients:
10-12 tablespoons of grenadine syrup عصير الرمان))
1 liter of 7 UP, or Canada Dry, or Mountain Dew, or any other sparkling water with lemon مياه غازية))
5 lemon slices, chopped in wedges (شرائح ليمون)
Crushed ice or as many ice cubes as you would like (مكعبات ثلج)
Method: Just mix all the ingredients in a huge pitcher and if you are serving it to friends, just add lemon wedges in each cup with ice cubes so that the drink remains chilled!
The third recipe is one of the most popular Ramadan drinks: Jallab! (جلاب) Yes I saved the best to the last!! This is most popular in the Levant, mainly in Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. The drink is loved by millions around the world and is consumed throughout the year, and especially during Ramadan to break fast. This popular syrup is made from dates (yum), grape molasses (دبس العنب), rose water (ماء زهر), and carob (خروب). You can find this syrup in many countries around the world, specifically in neighborhoods that have Middle Eastern grocery stores.
Image by Yousef Afaneh
Ingredients:
1.5 cups of Jallab syrup (عصير الجلاب)
6 cups of cold water
6 teaspoons of raw pine nuts (الصنوبر)
Crushed ice or as many ice cubes as you would like
Method: Just mix all the ingredients in a huge pitcher. This is how I prepare it, but some of my friends have offered me this drink with almonds and raisins. It will taste as good with these additional ingredients!
Hope you try one or all of these great recipes! As you can realize, they are all simple and really straightforward. You should be able to find all these ingredients no matter where you are reside. Enjoy!! To those celebrating the upcoming holiday, Eid Fitr Mubarak!!
Image by Magiceye
Stay tuned for upcoming posts.
Have a nice day!
نهاركم سعيد
