How to plan Ramadan meals: minimal work, maximum readiness

"Ramadan arrives this year in February, in the heart of winter. Short days, cold evenings and the pressure of everyday work mean that preparation is no longer about producing abundance, but about reducing effort while maintaining care. For many households balancing jobs, children and long commutes, the question is not what to cook, but how to make the month manageable."

"At the centre of this approach sits one essential dish: soup. Across cultures, soup is the quiet constant of Ramadan. In winter, it becomes indispensable. Warm, hydrating and calming, it allows the body to transition gently into eating after a long fast. A split red lentil soup is particularly suited to February fasting. It is affordable, quick to cook and freezes well. One pot prepared at the weekend can last several days, removing the need for daily decisions at sunset."

"Fried food often features at iftar and scale matters. One or two small items are enough. Anything more becomes tiring to cook and heavy to eat night after night. Lebanese sambousek small pastries filled with minced lamb, onions, parsley and pine nuts work particularly well because they can be prepared in advance and frozen uncooked. The same applies to simple cheese rolls. Both can be shaped in batches, frozen flat and cooked directly from frozen when needed."

Ramadan in February brings short days, cold evenings and work pressures that make preparation about reducing effort while maintaining care. Many households balancing jobs, children and commutes need manageable cooking rather than constant reinvention. Repetition of a small set of easy-to-digest, quick-to-prepare meals reduces daily decision-making and stress. Soup functions as an essential, warming and hydrating starter; it eases the stomach and slows the pace of eating after a fast. Split red lentil soup is affordable, quick, freezable and suitable for winter fasting. Make-ahead items like Lebanese sambousek and simple cheese rolls can be shaped, frozen flat and cooked from frozen.

Read at www.theguardian.com