Ramadan is a month of blessings and these blessings extend to our tables being laden with yummy food. Being a foodie, imagine my delight when every day at ‘Iftar’ I have a variety of delicacies to choose from. Iftar time has truly been my favorite time of the day for as long as I can remember, aromatic smells from our kitchen and the neighbors’ make the build-up for iftar even more exciting.

However, now that Ramadan is halfway over and focus is shifting towards Eid, everyone is going easy on the food to fit in their glorious Eid outfits. Holding on to that idea recently I experimented with my air fryer microwave oven and made some delicious snacks with very little oil. Read through and try these recipes for a healthier Ramadan, and a more gorgeous you this Eid.


Healthy Food Alternatives for Ramadan 2016

Chicken Wings:

These wings are my go to food every evening to satisfy the immense craving I get for chicken at iftaar time. Toss them in some homemade or store bought sweet chili sauce and your taste buds will thank you till Suhoor.

Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

  • Chicken wings (frozen) 10pcs
  • Oil      2 tsp

Directions:

  • Brush the fryer bowl with 1 tsp of oil and place the wings in the fryer bowl without overlapping them
  • Put the fryer bowl on the metal tray
  • Select the menu by pressing the ‘Home Fryer’ button until FR-8 is displayed
  • Turn the knob towards right to select the time i.e. 15 mins
  • Press the Start ‘+30sec’ button to start frying
  • After 8 mins, press the ‘Stop’ button and take out the fryer bowl; brush the remaining oil on the fryer bowl and flip the wings
  • Press the Start ‘+30sec’ button to continue cooking
  • At the sound of the beep, take out the wings
  • Chicken Wings are ready to be served 

Spring Rolls:

Give a spin to the traditional spring rolls by using just 2 tea spoons of oil and enjoy these crispy crunchy staple iftaar goodies guilt-free.

spring rolls

Ingredients:

  • Mini Spring Rolls 12-15 pcs
  • Oil    2 tsp

Directions:

  • Brush the fryer bowl with 1 tsp of oil and place the spring rolls in the fryer bowl without overlapping them
  • Put the fryer bowl on the metal tray
  • Select the menu by pressing the ‘Home Fryer’ Button until FR-8 is displayed.
  • Turn the knob towards right to select the time i.e. 15 mins
  • Press the Start ‘+30sec’ button to start frying
  • After 8 mins press the stop button and take out the fryer bowl; brush the remaining oil on the fryer bowl and flip the spring rolls
  • Press the Start ‘+30sec’ button to continue cooking
  • At the sound of the beep, take out the spring rolls
  • Spring Rolls are ready to serve

5 Drinks To Stay Hydrated in Ramadan

Chicken Tender Pops:

Tender pops are the best munchies if you’re a chicken fan like me. The oil content in these however is a major turn off. If you don’t want your tender pops dripping of oil and still taste delicious, this is the easiest way to ascertain just that.

Tender pops

Ingredients:

  • Chicken Tender Pops (Frozen) 200gms
  • Oil 1 tsp

Directions:

  • Brush the fryer bowl with 1 tsp of oil and place the chicken tender pops in the fryer bowl without overlapping them
  • Put the fryer bowl on the metal tray
  • Select the menu by pressing the ‘Home Fryer’ button until FR-8 is displayed
  • Turn the knob towards right to select the time i.e. 17 mins
  • Press the Start +30sec button to start frying
  • At the sound of the beep, take out the chicken tender pops
  • For better taste, add sweet garlic sauce on the side
  • Chicken Tender Pops are ready to be served

Cadbury Cake:

Being healthy is all fun and games until you experience a sudden craving for chocolate cake at noon. The Cadbury cake is a classic example of chocolate decadence at its best, this guilty pleasure can be indulged on your cheat day.

cadbury cake

Ingredients:

  • Dark chocolate cake mix 1 packet
  • Oil   ½ cup
  • Water  ½ cup
  • Eggs 3
  • Cream 200 grams
  • Milk chocolate 200 grams
  • Liquid glucose         1 tbsp.
  • Condensed milk 2 tbsps.
  • Evaporated milk 2 tbsps.
  • Nutella     5 tbsps.

 Directions:

  • In a large bowl add cake mix oil, eggs, water and mix well
  • Grease two 9” microwave-safe flat bottomed pans
  • Divide the mixture in both the pans equally
  • Press the ‘Convection’ button once and you will see ‘180 C’ on display
  • Tum the knob towards right and pre-heat for 10 mins by pressing the ‘Start +30sec’ button
  • After pre-heating, insert the first pan in the microwave and press the ‘Convection’ button to select the temperature to 180°C
  • Tum the knob towards right to set the time to 45 mins
  • Press the ‘Start +30sec’ button to start baking
  • Alter 22 mins, press the ‘Stop’ button, take out the pan and let it cool
  • Now place the 2nd pan in the microwave and press the Start button to continue baking
  • At the sound of the beep, take out the cake from the second pan and allow both the cakes to cool for 2 hours
  • In another bowl mix Nutella, condensed milk and evaporated milk together
  • Spread the Nutella mixture between the cake slices
  • In another microwave-safe bowl add cream, milk chocolate, liquid glucose and cook for 1 minute on microwave mode
  • After the beep, take out the milk chocolate mixture, spread the paste evenly on top of the cake and garnish it with Cadbury flakes
  • Refrigerate the cake for 2-3 hours
  • Cadbury Cake is ready to be devoured

Let us know which recipes you tried in the comments below.

Contributed by: Maimoona Mobeen