Kitchens of Faith for Ramadan 2023!

The news has come! Ramadan will begin on the evening of March 22 and ends on the evening of April 20. Daytime fasting for all Muslims will begin tomorrow! Some Muslims will begin Ramadan with an evening prayer on March 22nd, but all will start Ramadan fasting and prayers on March 23rd. Many are hurrying at the last minute to buy dates and other foods for the evening breaks from the fast. Check out this recipe for an option!

Indian Chicken Curry in Kitchens of Faith for Ramadan

In the sacred center of Islam, Saudi Arabia, there was high attention to sighting the new crescent moon that marks the start of Ramadan. However this year, the moon sighting committee in Saudi Arabia could not see the new crescent moon because of a haze, so that automatically means that Ramadan starts for Saudi Arabia on the evening of March 22.

Each country has its own moon sighting committee. However, the United States has several such committees because of theological differences. Several cities have their own moon sighting committees. Nevertheless, the word has gone out, Ramadan will start soon!

One such group in New York City has declared: “The crescent moon to commence the month of Ramadan 1444 AH was looked for after the sunset of Tuesday, March 21, 2023. Reports from all sub Committees of Central Hilal Committee, both local and regional, unanimously confirmed that the moon was NOT SIGHTED. Thus, Thursday, March 23, 2023 will be the 1st day of Ramadan 1444 AH [i.e., “After the Hijra”–the migration of Muhammed and his followers away from mortal enemies].”

Many Shia Muslims follow the calendar established by the Islamic Society of North America, which has set the same dates as the Central Hilal Committee.

The holy day is a time for fasting, reciting the Quran, prayer, and self-reflection. The naming of the month Ramadan in the Arabic calendar stems from the Arabic root “ar-ramad,” which means scorching heat. Certainly in Saudi Arabia, when Ramadan falls more into the summer, fasting in such heat is pretty hard. Fasting is like a scorching of worldly concerns out of one’s heart. Ramadan is a whole month of fasting during the day! Exemptions are allowed for the ill, pregnant, traveling, elderly, or menstruating.

Pre-dawn breakfast, or suhoor, usually occurs at 4:00 a.m. before the first prayer of the day, fajr. The evening meal, iftar, can begin once the sunset prayer, Maghreb, is finished—normally around 7:30. Since the Prophet Mohammad broke his fast with dates and a glass of water, Muslims eat dates at both suhoor and iftar. After the last day of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate its ending with Eid al-Fitr—the “festival of breaking the fast”—which begins with communal prayers at daybreak. During these three days of festivities, participants gather to pray, eat, exchange gifts, and pay their respects to deceased relatives.

Ramadan commemorates that in 610 A.D., Muhammad was visited by the angel Jibreel (Gabriel), who revealed to him the beginnings of what would later become the Muslim holy book, the Qur’an. The event took place in a cave called Hira, located on the mountain Jabal an-Nour near Mecca. The Quran consists of 114 chapters and is taken to be the direct words of God or Allah. The hadith, or accounts by the companions of Prophet Muhammad’s thoughts and deeds, supplement the Quran. Together they form the religious texts of Islam.

If you are not a Muslim, you can at least appreciate a day of fasting and contemplation followed by the eye-watering, aroma-rich Indian Curry Chicken as prepared at the Islamic congregation Anjuman-E-Badri in Queens.

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Recipe for Mrs. Alefiya Faizullabhoy-Poonawala’s Indian curry chicken (serves 4)

1” piece ginger

7 cloves garlic

1 sprig of curry leaves (approximately 10 leaves)

½ cup almond powder or cashew powder

½ teaspoon aniseed

2 Pieces (2 Stars) Star Anise

5 tablespoons raw peanuts

5 pods of black pepper

½ teaspoon chili powder

Salt to taste

1 lb chicken (cut in 2” chunks)

½ cup coconut milk

3 tablespoons oil

½ tomato finely chopped

10 easy steps to prepare Mrs. Alefiya Faizullabhoy-Poonawala’s Indian curry chicken

Grind the ginger and garlic to a fine smooth paste. (You may use a coffee bean grinder or a blender to grind the ginger and garlic to a fine paste.)
Cover the chicken chunks with the paste and boil the chicken in about 4 cups of water until the meat is tender (approximately 15-20 minutes for boneless chicken thigh chunks). Set the meat and the broth aside.
Take all the dry ingredients and use the “pulse” button to make a fine mixture. If you don’t have a pulse button on your blender, just use the “blend” or “grind” button.
In oil, add about 10 curry leaves until they crackle.
Add the dry ingredient mix. Cook until the oil is separated from the paste. You should see the oil separating from the paste after a minute or two.
Add finely chopped tomato. After it is well fried, add the chicken chunks.
Add about 4 cups of chicken broth.
Simmer for a few minutes until a layer of oil appears on the surface.
Add ½ can of coconut milk and salt to taste.
Serve with rice or bread.

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Mrs. Alefiya Faizullabhoy-Poonawala is a member of the Islamic congregation Anjuman-E-Badri

131-24 Springfield Boulevard

Springfield Gardens, NY 11413

Website: www.anjuman-e-badri.org

Leader: Janab Aamil Saheb Yusuf Bhaisaheb Mohammedi

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