Suhoor, or sehri, originates from the Arabic word seher, meaning the last third of the night. Traditionally, across the Muslim world, a plethora of local dishes eaten at sehri aim to provide nourishment, boost energy and delay hunger pangs, till Iftar or breaking of the fast.
Gut health is crucial to maintain for the entire month and thus, eating right at sehri is important. Kavita Devgan, nutritionist and author, is of the opinion that the month of Ramadan, falling in the beginning of summer, can be a stressful time for the body. She recommends focusing on unprocessed foods and consuming complex carbohydrates, such as rice, bread and wholegrains with vegetables, which keep one fuller longer and deliver fibre to keep the gut happy.
She adds, “Don’t skip sehri, as it may lead to a severe drop in blood sugar. Eat high protein foods. Drink plenty of fluids, eat a balanced diet (with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein). Stick to easily digestible foods and don’t experiment with new food. A combination of a complex carb, low fat dairy and some good fat (via nuts) is ideal.”
Healthy choices and the right foods at sehri are indeed integral to be able to go through the long period of fasting. Dr. Zubeda Tumbi, nutritionist, reiterates, “Ramadan fasting is a religious practice where practitioners of the Muslim faith undergo an annual ritual, where no food or beverages are consumed between sunrise to sunset for 29–30 days. So a good 4 weeks, wherein, if food is chosen wisely can make a person healthier as also, halt - undo – reverse metabolic imbalance based lifestyle disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, PCOS or even IBS( Irritable bowel syndrome).”
Traditional dishes
Nutritional aspects and health fads apart, the Muslim world has been observing the Ramadan fast with a healthy suhoor, since times immemorial.
Eggs have formed the core of a sehri meal across the globe, owing to their high-protein and satiety value, albeit eaten in variations.
While in Turkey, some families eat Sebzeli Yumurtali Ekmek or baked bread with eggs, cheese and vegetables, Çilbir - Turkish eggs perfectly poached, served over yogurt with a dash of garlic, are popular in Mediterranean cuisine. Shakshouka - a Maghrebi dish of poached eggs in tomato sauce with olive oil, peppers, garlic, cumin, is also favoured, while the Emiratis eat an egg omelette and sweet vermicelli laced with a hint of cardamom.
Protein-rich fava beans are eaten as a traditional stew, cooked in olive oil and served with parsley, lemon juice, garlic and onions, or just bolied and mildly spiced.
Cereals, again, are centre-stage for a sehri. A steaming bowl of Haleem or a flatbread topped with jam, feta cheese, honey, butter along with Persian Tea, is eaten in Iran. A sweet porridge made with coconut milk, palm sugar, and black glutinous rice, is the suhoor staple in Indonesia. In Malaysia, it is Nasi Lemak, a rice dish served with roasted nuts, eggs, anchovies and cucumber slices.
Sehri in India
In India, too, sehri differs across regions. In Kolkata, people generally prefer eating a light meal, according to Chef Hafiz Rahman of Aaaheli, Kolkata. “Milk is consumed and milk-based desserts like phirni, or fruits in milk or merely fruits are eaten. Typically, heavy, non-vegetarian food is avoided and kept for Iftar. ”
Milk is the most preferred food during sehri. Swati Sani, a Nagpur-based, cooking enthusiast of Swati’s Kitchen fame, shares, “Turri, an extremely delicious and nourishing dish for Sehri, is made from milk and dry fruits.”
Many opt for just fruits. At Mumbai-based homechef Mumtaz Kazi Pawaskar’s home, banana in some form is consumed. “From banana sheera or banana diced and added to milk with sugar, we ensure we eat bananas.”
Some families stick to a traditional dish. Chef Sadaf Hussain shares, “In our home, we usually eat dalia or broken wheat porridge, as it helps in the long stretch of fasting. Even oats are consumed or tiny wheat dough balls, in milk, similar to kheer. For us, no mutton dishes or biryani, early in the morning.”
The world is all about convenience today and sehri differs from family to family. “Some people even eat the previous night’s left over roti-subzi,” avers Chef Rahman. Swati quips, “Many families prefer a simple eggs and parantha combo with dates and tea.”
The health-conscious younger generation prefers fuss-free items like a boiled egg, chia pudding, low-fat yogurt, chickpea salad, hummus with toast or even a granola fruits bowl.
Taste plus health
Chef Hussain equates Ramzan with modern-day intermittent fasting and thus cautions. “Energy-boosting foods are important to help you go through the day. No fried foods or heavy foods, difficult to digest, should be eaten to maintain gut health. A balanced meal, which is slow-burning, is ideal. Sugar is necessary for energy, but can come from dates, honey or jaggery.”
Hydration is important and experts unanimously advocate coconut water rich in electrolytes and advise against tea, coffee, energy drinks or aerated drinks which are high in caffeine. Instead, a healthy drink or sherbet with milk, to which honey or jaggery is added, may be consumed. Too much salt or even, spicy and fried foods, are best avoided, as these increase thirst.
Dr. Tumbi, sums up, “It would be prudent to eat a healthy sehri or suhoor, comprising complex grains like barley, oats, jowar, and other millets, as these are rich in fibre and minerals especially, magnesium and calcium. Adding 10-120 gm of nuts (almonds, pista, kaju, walnuts , peanuts ) and seeds like sunflower, pumpkin, flax seeds and sesame seeds in the form of breakfast cereal mix or as flax and date laddoo, can help in boosting the energy of the rozadaars (people in a fasting state). So dishes, like a barley kheer or an oats porridge or oat smoothie, quinoa egg pancakes, oat dosa, or Spanish omelette with a ragi roti, are apt.”
Dalia for Sehri
Recipe by Chef Sadaf Hussain
Ingredients:
3/4 cup broken wheat/dalia
2 tbsp ghee
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 piece cinnamon stick
4 tbsp jaggery powder
4 pcs fresh dates, chopped or sliced
3 tbsp dried coconut, grated
8-10 pcs cashew nuts, chopped
½ tsp cardamom powder
Method:
- Wash and clean the dalia, and then let it soak for 25–30 minutes.
- Heat ghee in a medium-sized pressure cooker. Add a cinnamon stick.
- Cook the dalia until the aroma is released.
- Pour in the milk and water, bring to a boil, and then put the lid back on. Let it cook for 4–5 whistles over medium heat.
- When it cools down, take the lid off and stir it. Make sure the mixture is in the form of porridge. If there are lumps, add more milk and stir.
- Add the grated jaggery (or sugar) and stir until everything is mixed well.
- Add dates and dry fruits along with cardamom powder.
- Cook for 8–10 minutes over medium heat, or until the desired consistency is reached.
- Eat it cold for sehri in the morning.
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