Keeping the month of Ramadan in mind, Star Lifestyle will present for its readers with various mouth-watering easy-to-make recipes that would be an ideal addition to your iftar or sehri dishes. From the secrets of the Mughal kitchen to the charm of Middle Eastern cuisine; from the culinary tricks of your grandma's magical hands, to the fusion cuisine that is all the rage these days, The Food Spread, hopes to be the golden key to Ramadan gastronomy.

It is week one of Ramadan. On day seven, we have for you a selection of local and international recipes to try your hands in. Quench your thirst with some sweet tamarind juice. Craving sweets? Then we have just the solution for you with some mouth-wateringly delicious Umm Ali—an Egyptian dessert to take you on a culinary adventure.

Sweet tamarind drink

Ingredients

150 gram sweet tamarind

4 cups water

Sugar to taste

½ a lemon's juice (optional)

1 tsp rose water (optional)

Method

Soak tamarind in 4 cups of water for 2 hours. Squeeze out the pulp and discard the seeds and fibre. Strain the pulp through a fine sieve. Blend the water with sugar in a blender.
If you like you can add lemon juice or rose water.
Add more sugar as per your taste. Keep it in the fridge for at least 45 minutes. Serve chilled.

Umm Ali : an Egyptian/Middle Eastern dessert   

Ingredients

10 medium sized or 600 grams croissants, cut into small pieces

4 tbs raisins

Sugar to taste

3 tbs coconut, desiccated

3 tbs almonds, flaked and toasted

4 tbs pistachios nuts, cracked

1 tin or 397 gram sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 litre water and milk mix, 2 cups of each

1 cup or 250 ml liquid or whipped cream

Directions:

Combine croissant pieces, raisins, coconut, almonds and pistachio in a baking dish.

Pour sweetened condensed milk, vanilla essence, water, and milk in a large saucepan and bring to boil. Remove from heat and immediately pour over the croissant mixture in the baking dish. Set it aside for 5 minutes or until croissants absorb most of the liquid.

Place whipped cream in a piping bag and pipe over the prepared mixture in the baking dish.

Place the baking dish in a preheated oven at 200°C using the grill part of the oven and grill for 5 minutes or until the cream topping turns golden in colour. Serve immediately.