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When it comes to lavish iftar meals, a Kenyan community may be difficult to beat. That is because, more often than not, an iftar get-together may continue well into suhoor.
Twenty-six-year-old Kenyan expatriate Hassan Mwadzaya came to the UAE seven years ago and found Ramadan to be very different from his hometown of Mombasa. But soon, he found a thriving Kenyan community in the country, which helped him keep his special coastal memories alive. "In our culture, the elders invite younger members of the group to their homes for iftar," Mwadzaya said.
"As I am one of the younger members, I often visit my father's friends living here. For them, I am like their own son."
But the most memorable iftars for Mwadzaya are those celebrated with close friends, with food, drinks, prayers and games to keep them together.
"We perform the Taraweeh prayers together and then sit and play games like carom, cards or dominoes," Mwadzaya said. "Sometimes the host has to entertain guests from iftar right up till suhour. This is a very Swahili tradition," he said.
Tasty treats
And with good company comes even better food. The Kenyan cuisine involves a unique mixture of Arab and Persian influences, with items ranging from biryani and pilao to the very filling 'scud' cocktail.
"I don't know when the name came about, but I have been having the 'scud' cocktail every since I was a child," Mwadzaya said. "With an avocado milkshake topped with a fruit salad and a dollop of ice cream, the drink can be as heavy as the missile." And if you thought this cocktail was part of a lighter iftar meal, you are fortunately mistaken. A typical Kenyan spread can fill your appetite with just a glance.
A 'kitoleo' is any fried item like fish, chicken or curry. This is served with fried rice and a separate curry, which is mostly coconut-based.
"Separating the different food items is always better. If you cook them all together, you'll end up having a large quantity of single dish. But by separating them, you have more options, which helps especially when you have to deal with the leftovers," he said.
When it comes to breads, you have the options of choosing from dumplings to thin breads to Mkate wa sinia or bread on a big plate, which is huge bread made of wheat, rice and coconut. With coconut making its presence felt in almost every dish, Mwazdzaya has this to say: "We basically use coconut in everything except tea."
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