Iftar—a fast-breaking meal— is a daily ritual during the holy month of Ramadan.
Iftar—a fast-breaking meal— is a daily ritual during the holy month of Ramadan.
A traditional Iftar menu comprises fruits, juice, milk, dates and water. The belief is that Prophet Mohammad ate three dates when he broke his fast.
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However, meals tend to vary from one place to another. For instance, in Hyderabad, haleem is popular, but in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, observants usually break their fast with nombu kanji, a dish prepared with meat, veggies and porridge.
Other popular dishes are rice-based pulao and biryani, mutton curries, desserts, and sherbets. In Afghanistan, for instance, an Iftar meal tends to include soups and onion-based meat curries, kebabs and pulao. In Pakistan and Bangladesh, jalebis, haleem, parathas, meat curries, fruit salads, kebabs, piyajoo, and beguni, are famous.
The following pictures show Muslims around the world ending the day with a meal—some elaborate, some meagre.
