The impact of the cost of living crisis continues to wreak havoc.
New research from Asda shows that around 90 per cent of British Muslims expect soaring prices to impact their Ramadan and Eid plans this year, with nearly one in five planning to spend between £20 and £30 less on food per week than last year, and a third forced to buy fewer or cheaper ingredients.
To help support families during their observance and provide some culinary inspiration for those hosting, without breaking the bank, Asda has partnered with 2012 MasterChef winner Shelina Permalloo to create four delicious recipes that start at just 45p a head.
“I myself know how challenging it can be to find new and exciting recipes to enjoy over the Ramadan period, irrespective of other constraints such as who might be attending, your budget, time or motivation,” says Permalloo. “With the cost of living continuing to take its toll, having access to and using low-cost, versatile ingredients is even more important.”
Using Asda ingredients, plenty of store cupboard seasonings and cost-saving smart ingredient swaps, Permalloo’s flavour-packed recipes are bound to delight.
“The recipes, which serve six and start at just 45p a head, are packed with flavour and designed to help families come together to celebrate and break fast without breaking the bank.”
From a filling Suhoor meal of tropical overnight oats to a delicious Iftar feast of juicy beef kebabs, Permalloo has ensured that these curated recipes are simple, flavoursome and most importantly affordable.
And, for an impressive showstopper dessert for Eid celebrations, Gulab Jamun Barfi is also on the menu.
Breakfast: tropical overnight oats
Serves: 6
Time: 15 mins
Price per serving: £0.94
The long fasting days can be tiring and I find that having a nourishing breakfast (called suhoor) is the best way to get you through the day. The coconut milk, oats and honey all provide you with energy, and then of course, I’m Mauritian so it must have a sprinkle of sun in this with our hero pineapple livened up with some spices and mango. Perfect. My daughter will eat this for her breakfast and because we’re a single-parent household, I will make this up in advance and we have three breakfasts done, making Ramadan so much easier for me.
Ingredients:
250g porridge oats
2 tins reduced fat coconut milk
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tin pineapple chunks (drained)
½ tin KTC mango pulp
50g flaked almonds to decorate
Method:
1. Mix together the coconut milk, cinnamon, honey and mango pulp in a bowl.
2. Next add the oats to the mixture and stir together.
3. Once combined, place the mixture into bowls or a container.
4. Top the mixture with pineapple chunks and almonds.
5. Leave in fridge overnight and serve for breakfast.
Lunch: Iftar Moroccan harira soup
Serves: 6
Time: 40 mins
Price per serving: £0.94
No Ramadan is complete in our house without this staple soup. My daughter is half Moroccan so I like to keep her close to her Mauritian and Moroccan culture by exposing her to certain recipes that I hope will be what she passes on to her kids when she is older. Whilst this recipe is most often made with meat, this vegan version has all the nostalgic spices and flavour of the original soup packed with fibre and nourishment perfect for the long fasting days.
Ingredients:
1 medium brown onion
4 cloves fresh garlic
400g tin chickpeas, drained
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp cumin powder
½ tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon powder
1 tsp ground ginger powder
½ tsp ground black pepper
Salt to taste
50g vermicelli
50g cornflour mixed with 200ml water
1 litre vegetable stock
Fresh coriander, to serve
Lemon, to serve
Method:
1. Fry off the onions and spices, then add in the chickpeas, and vegetable stock and cook for 15 minutes.
2. Thicken with cornflour to liking, and cook for a further 10 minutes.
3. Add in the vermicelli and cook for 5 minutes and serve.
4. Garnish with coriander and freshly squeezed lemon juice
Dinner: juicy beef kebabs
Serves: 6
Time: 35 mins
Price per serving: £0.81
I don’t think Ramadan can pass by with at least one type of kebab recipe swinging by through the long weeks. My daughter is a meat fiend, and these are her absolute favourite. She has these packed up for her lunches on the go as well. I love to make these in bulk and freeze them, then I can pop them straight in the air fryer when I need them. I often find that kebab recipes have a million herbs and spices in them. I’m keeping it simple here and it pairs perfectly with the sumac red onion salad which cuts through the fattiness of the beef.
Ingredients:
400g halal beef mince
1 brown onion, grated and squeezed of all the juice
1½ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 medium red onions, sliced
1 tsp Sumac
10g freshly chopped parsley
½ lemon, juiced
Small pinch of sugar
Spoon of natural yoghurt
Method:
1. Mix together the beef mince, grated brown onion, 1 tsp salt and pepper in a bowl and place into the fridge.
2. For the salad, add the red onions, sumac, ¾ tsp salt, chopped parsley, lemon juice and sugar into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Then refrigerate for half an hour.
3. When you're ready to begin cooking, take the beef mixture from the fridge and divide into 8 equal parts.
4. Press the meat onto 8 metal skewers and air fry them at 180C for 12 minutes.
5. To serve, get some roti, spread down yoghurt, add the kebab and top with red onion salad fresh from the fridge.
Dinner: gulab jamun barfi
Serves: 12
Time: 20 mins
Price per serving: £0.45
The convenience of being able to make ready-made gulab jamun never ceases to amaze me! This chocolate fudge is so simple and you are not lifting any pan over heat. All you need is a microwave.
These are sweet and decadent and one square is enough served with a nice coffee on the side. The perfect sweet for Eid where we usually consume our body weight in sugar for the day. This is a cost-effective sweet to gift as well.
Ingredients:
1 tin sweetened condensed milk
6 Royal Dessert Gulab Jamun, cut into quarters
50g ground almonds
100g white chocolate
Method:
1. Place the condensed milk and white milk chocolate into a pan on a medium heat.
2. Cook the pan mixture until the sides come away and the mixture comes together as one, this will take around 8-10mins.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and tumble in the gulab jamun.
4. Place into a greased small brownie tray.
5. Top with more gulab jamun and almonds for decoration.
6. Cut into squares and gift or serve.
Feeling inspired to give this delicious menu a go? Make sure to stock up on everything you need at Asda or pop into your local store.
