Assala mo alykum & Welcome  to the first chapter of Ramadan an event to share. I am starting this event with my home country India. I know, I am being a little biased but it is what it is. So today  we have with us our special guest Lubna Kareem from Yummy Food. She is a well known name in blogging community and a very special friend of mine. Today she is sharing with us a special recipe of Ganji from her hometown of Andhra Pradesh which according to her is prepared in mosques during Ramadan.  Let’s  check what she has to say. 

Ramadan Kareem. My name is Lubna Karim and I blog at ‘Yummy Food’. Today I am here to share with you ‘Ramadan Celebrations in my part of Country’. I thank Huma for giving me this chance to guest blog for you all wonderful people visiting here.

Ramadan – The ninth month in Islamic Calendar, where we Muslims round the globe observe 30 days of fasting from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan is the time to control our ‘Nafs’. We recite Quran and spend more time on Ibadaat. This is the time where worldly things step aside and we soak ourselves in dikhr.

I hail from southern state of India and Allhumdulliah I got a chance to spend some years in capital cities of different southern states of India where pious month Ramadan is celebrated with full glory.Suhoor (early morning meal before sunrise) is mostly silent and simple meal eaten by the whole family together. Whereas Iftaar (quick meal before sunset) is always big as men mostly break their fasts in mosque and women (if they are staying in a community) will conglomerate at any one’s house to break their fasts. On any simple Ramadan day, the Iftaar table looks like this at my house. Despite of being away from Muslim community in Chennai, I am blessed enough to have good friends and neighbours who join me at my Iftaar table, which is always wonderful

As the sun starts to set, the lanes near the mosque hustle and bustle with fruit pull cats, snack stalls, sweet shops, kebab counters etc. will pop in from nowhere. Apart from this in most of the mosque’s in south India a special porridge called ‘Ganji’ is prepared daily whole through the month.Every mosque has got its very own recipe to make this ‘Ganji’. Ganji is mostly made of fine semolina and is of consistency in between soup and porridge. Not too thick or too thin. Ganji is very light and is gentle on empty stomach when you are fasting for more than 15 hours. Ganji is served hot by topping with fresh boondi (savory deep fried crunchy chickpea flour spicy balls) and lemon wedges.

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup fine Semolina

6 cups Water/Veg/Mutton Stock

1 Onion, sliced

1 Tomato, chopped

2 Green chilies, roughly chopped

½ tbsp. Ginger-Garlic paste

3 Cloves

1 1’inch piece Cinnamon

Salt

2 tbsp. Oil/Ghee

15 fresh Mint Leaves

10-12 sprigs fresh Coriander leaves, roughly chopped

FOR GARNISH:

150 gms. freshBoondi

4 Lemon wedges

Picture 3

PREPERATION:

1. In a heavy bottom saucepan, add oil along with cloves and cinnamon. When the spices start to release their aroma in oil add sliced onions and fry till translucent.
2. Now add tomatoes and green chilies. Fry till tomatoes turn mushy. Add in ginger-garlic paste and fry till raw smell wafts.
3. Now add in mint and coriander leaves. Fry for 30 seconds till leaves starts to wilt. Add 6 cups of water/stock and continue to boil until the consistency is reduced to 2/3^rd.
4. Now add in salt and garam masala. By stirring continuously add in semolina. On medium flame cook covered for 2-3 minutes. Stir and turn off the flame. Serve warm by topping with crunchy and spicy boondi and lemon wedges.

To know more about Lubna, connect with her on Blog, FB, Instagram