Farzana Kumandan is a busy businesswoman. She runs Sprinkles and Spice Cooking and Baking Workshops, is a radio host, newspaper columnist, cookbook author and has her own baking and spices range. So during Ramadan, when it comes to preparing Suhoor – the Islamic term for the first meal of the day, eaten before sunrise – she works smarter, not harder.
“Many struggle to eat this early in the morning,” says Farzana, but it’s critical to start the day with a wholesome, balanced meal and plenty of water. For this reason, one of her favourites is eggs and avo on wholewheat toast. She also recommends aiming to balance fibre, wholegrains, oats, nuts, protein, fresh fruit, dates and water.
“One of the challenges I also have in Ramadan is having enough time to prep and have everyone eat in the morning. Time is so limited and our family always aims to be done eating 15 minutes before the call to our first prayer for the day.” To make sure this happens, she plans in advance and works to a meal plan. “It saves so much time,” she says, and also eliminates the back-and-forth of discussing what everyone in the family feels like eating.
We asked Farzana to share two of her tried-and-tested recipes, both of which can be partially prepared the night before and that will help keep you full all day long.
Date smoothie
Five ingredients are all you need to make this glorious date smoothie. Soak the dates overnight to ensure they blend up to a beautiful creamy texture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve!
Get the recipe for Farzana’s date smoothie here.
Overnight oats
Overnight oats are a great fix for Suhoor as almost all the prep takes place the night before. Farzana’s version combines oats with chia seeds for a truly lush texture. She also adds cardamom and cinnamon for a gently spiced porridge, with dates and cranberries for sweetness. All you need to do in the morning is top with fresh fruit, roast nuts and a drizzle of honey. Delicious and filling enough to keep you going all whole day.
Comments