I have always been an intuitive cook and an insatiable eater. Although the combo yields delicious discoveries, the two traits are not the best when fasting from sunrise to sunset for a month-long holiday, especially when you work all day and live by yourself.
Ramadan, which runs from April 13 to May 12, welcomes Muslims to retreatfrom human and worldly desires and anchors us spiritually. Abstinence from food, drinks (yes, even water) and sexual activity for 16 hours each day for 30 days, all to renew Iman (faith) in the body and soul.
This Ramadan will be new terrainfor me now that I livein a new city and work at my first full-time job. I'll have to start planning meals to fit my busy schedule — because sadly, this year I can’t rely on my mom’s usual spread of traditional dishes likesamosas,dahi bhalla (lentil fritters dunked in yogurt and topped with spicy and sweet chutneys) and fruit chaatthat appear punctually on our dining table as the Athan —the call to prayer — signals the time to break the fast.
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That’s one of the many things I’ll miss this Ramadan, now that I live in a little apartment in West Philadelphia, 1,000 or so miles away from my family and home in Memphis, Tennessee.
I’ll miss my mom dragging me out of bed an hour before sunrise to sluggishly eatwhatever we can scramble to put together for suhoor —the meal that starts the fast.
I’ll miss the morning prayers with my family, and after,listening to my mom's quiet whispers as she reads aloud from the Quran.
I’ll miss the iftars —the meal that breaks the fast— for whichmy sister and I eagerly set the table as my mom finishes frying the pakoras, veggie fritters, and my dad mixes together Rooh Afza, a pink, sweet andsyrupy drink.
I’ll miss dressing up in my traditional Pakistani clothes and going out for Iftar parties at the houses of family friends, where eating till your stomach hurts is required and expected.
I’ll miss gobbling up desserts like kheer (rice pudding) and chugging a cup of chai to beat the crowds for night prayers at the mosque. And I’ll miss staying up past midnight praying at the mosque alongside my family and community on the last 10nights of the holiday.
But despite all that I will miss, I’m excited to embrace a new type of observance and celebration that’ll allow me to refocus my connection to Allah and find traditions that fit the new normal of my life and the pandemic.
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There’s a spiritual high that motivates Muslimsthroughout the month (even in a pandemic) —a feeling of communion that comes with the knowledge that you are praying, worshipping and working to better your faith with 1.8 billion other Muslims around the world.
Last year, the pandemic altered the way we celebrated with no communityiftars and shutteredmosques,forcing us to adapt and modify the traditions we hold dear. But despite that, many found new traditions that made the month extra special.
My family beganpraying togethermore. We spent more time cooking and brainstorming iftarsand suhoors. My sister and I started weekly Zoom calls with our cousins in Chicago, California and Pakistan, which have continued to this day.
This year, there is sure to be a hybrid of old and new traditions asa semblance of normalcy returns as more people receive vaccines.
With all the twists and turns of this year, I'm reminded of Tawakkul (having trust in Allah’s plan) and that we, Muslims,believe that Allah wants ease for his believers, not difficulty (those who are sick or traveling are not commanded to fast).
So to emulate the prophetic behavior, I will save those memories of past Ramadans and let them inspire me to make the most of this year’s holiday in my new home.
I’m thinking somefestive decorations, virtual suhoors with my family (hopefully my mom’s calls will have the same effect), getting acquainted with the Philadelphia Muslim community and hosting iftars with new friends as vaccines are distributed might be the way tofill my apartment withthe holiday spirit.
And of course,usesome of that intuitive cooking totry my hand at my mom’s dishes and bring Memphis to Philadelphia.
To spread the Ramadan cheer, I’d like you all to join me onmy food journey this Ramadan in a weekly written and audio series called "The Ramadan Kitchen Diary," where I chronicle my kitchen experiments, explore South Asian cooking andshare my fastingescapades.
Get ready for some delicious sounds and descriptionsof my month-long eats and treats, that you too cancreate in your kitchens.
Hira Qureshi covers food and drink for the greater Delaware Valley and Jersey Shore. She can be reached at HQureshi@gannettnj.com or 856-287-8106.Help support local journalism with a Courier-Post subscription.
