Abu Dhabi: Good food and family togetherness is what iftar is all about at the home of the Ashrafs, who come from the South Indian state of Kerala. The iftar at their home is not merely about serving food, but more of an enjoyable event that is spread out over several hours, bringing traditional Indian culture to their home in the UAE.
For KK Ashraf, who came to the country 45 years ago, the presence of his children and grandchildren along with his wife is his pride and joy, a testament to the fruitful life he has managed to build for himself ever since he came to the UAE, that surely feels like a lifetime ago.
“I strongly believe in the united family. For the first day of Ramadan I make sure to bring all of the immediate family together to enjoy and celebrate the occasion,” said Ashraf, who works as the managing director at the creative education services.
Ashraf’s grandchildren end their fast on the first day of Ramadan at their residence in Abu Dhabi. Abdul Rahman/Gulf News
“I teach the same thing to my children, it’s very important to pass this tradition from generation to generation, and to make sure the family bonds remain strong. Ramadan is a perfect time for that. We come together and share our joy with one another during the iftar,” he said.
Explaining how a traditional iftar goes for a South Indian family, Ashraf said the iftar meals are served in different stages rather than all at one go.
“When the iftar time comes we end our fast with some light food and drinks. We eat dates and take some water and juices. We also eat fruits like apple, orange and watermelon and snacks like rice cakes, vegetable samosas and onion bhaji. After Maghrib prayers, we take tea with some Indian and Arabic sweets.
“The main meal is served after the Taraweeh prayers. So the whole iftar meal is spread out over a couple of hours rather than eating everything at once at iftar time,” he added.
The main iftar meal served at the home of the Ashrafs was a traditional Keralite chicken and mutton curry. It was served along with the pathiri bread — a soft rice bread that is dipped in coconut oil.
“This is a traditional meal for us that is usually served during Ramadan. We enjoy it a lot because we love our Keralite food, and we’re very happy to bring these recipes with us while we are outside India. Overall we keep it simple with the food and don’t do something really extravagant or wasteful, ” said Ashraf.
For Ashraf’s eldest son Asif, 36, the iftar gathering helps his two young sons to learn about the importance of family traditions and religious festivities like Ramadan.
“The kids really enjoy coming here because they spend a good time while playing with their cousins and get a chance to know one another. It’s like a fun event for them that they look forward to.
“In addition to having fun, the children want to fast as well. We don’t make it mandatory on them to fast, but they do so by fasting for half day or a full day,” he added.
- K.K. Ashraf | Abu Dhabi resident from the south Indian state of Kerala
Asif himself cherishes these family moments. “It’s just perfect time for all family members to be together, it’s something that I always look forward to. We all come together over the dinner table, enjoying food, and having conversation cracking jokes, talking about our lives here and what’s happening back home in India. This is what Ramadan and the iftar are really all about.”
Arif Ashraf, 32, the younger son of KK Ashraf echoed his father’s sentiments on passing the family bonds from generation to generation.
“Ever since our family came to this country we have been celebrating Ramadan and other events together. As long as we are in this blessed country we all hope to stay together and pass on our family values from one generation to the next. Religious events like Ramadan are a great time where the family can reconnect and keep those traditions alive.
“If you look around the home during the iftar you see a very happy and united family and it’s really great to see. We have the first, second and third generation of the family all under one roof, celebrating and enjoying good food together. It doesn’t really get any better than that,” he says.
Recipes
Kozhi Katta
Ingredients:
Coconut, jaggery, cardamom powder, rice powder, water, salt
Preparation:
Stuffing: Heat coconut, jaggery and cardamom powder together to make a sticky stuffing.
Rice shells: Boil water with little salt and add the rice powder in it. Mix well and put it in a flat surface for kneading. Make small balls and flatten between your palms. Put the stuffing in the centre and close from all sides to form a ball. Steam cook it for 10 to 15 minutes.
Rice Pathiri
Ingredients:
Rice powder, water and salt
Preparation:
Add rice powder to salted boiling water and mix it well. Put it on a flat surface and knead it well till you get firm dough. Make small lemon sized balls and roll it out thinly. Heat a non-stick pan and place one pathiri at a time on the pan, gently turning it around on both sides for 10 to 15 seconds each side. Serve with traditional chicken or mutton curry.
