Ramadan fasting: Different iftar food items consumed around the country

Ramadan is a period of fasting, observed during the holy month, which culminates with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr.
During the 30 days or so, people belonging to the Muslim community exercise restraint in their eating habits and eat only twice a day — a pre-fast meal at dawn called ‘sehri’, and a post-fast meal after sunset called ‘iftar’.
While largely, the meals may look the same, since there are a few essentials that are included — like dates, for instance — iftar food has variations and preferences.

In India, based on geographical locations, people prefer their meals to look and taste a certain way after long hours of fasting. If you are curious about what they are, here is everything to know.
In the most traditional sense, people break their fast with water and dates, which can give them a boost of energy. Normally, juice/sherbet and milk are also consumed in some households. It should be noted that iftar meals are personal and incorporate both non-vegetarian and vegetarian food options.
Dates are a must in the iftar meal. (Photo: Getty/Thinkstock)
Iftar is a heavy meal and it is basically a feast, followed a lighter dinner before night prayers. Chicken and mutton recipes are common, which are washed down with cooling drinks followed delicious dessert options.

In the southern part of India, mainly Hyderabad, people break their fast with haleem, which has quite a rich taste. Muslims in Tamil Nadu and Kerala break their ‘roza’ with a dish called ‘nombu kanji’, which is prepared with meat, vegetables and porridge, and cooked for hours to get the perfect taste.

In the northern parts of the country, street food is very popular and chaat is prepared at home, which is devoured family and friends. Fruit chaat is another popular dish prepared in the northern states, which is served with fried food items like pakoras and samosas.

In the eastern part of the country, if one is on a food hunt during iftar, they can find themselves following the smell of fish, which is an addition to the iftar menu here. Cooked in Mughlai style, with the same spices, one can break their fast with various delicacies of fish.
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