For My Son's First Ramadan Fast, I'm Blending Old and New Traditions

When I was growing up, the iftar meal was simple, but I wanted it to feel meaningful for my son's first fast. What started as a way to support and nourish my son has expanded into something more.

Family having Turkish dinner. Flat-lay of hands serving and eating with lamb in yogurt sauce, fresh arugula and strawberry salad, rice pilaf and flatbread. — Simply Recipes / Getty Images

My son, Evren, started observing Ramadan last year at the age of 11. He came home one day and declared that he would be fasting. “I know it’s hard, Mamma, but Isa does it, so I’ll have a buddy at school.”

I remember my own childhood, when we kept achirri roza—an Urdu term meaning a "baby bird" fast—where we only fasted for half a day as a gentle introduction to the practice. But my son insisted, “No, Mamma, I want to do the whole thing every Friday.” The whole thing, of course, being Ramadan’s signature challenge: no food and no water from dawn until dusk.

That meant suhoor—the pre-dawn meal before the fast begins—and iftar, the meal to break the fast at sunset, would become central to our rhythm for the month ahead.

With Evren’s first fast approaching, my husband, Zain, and I decided to split the responsibilities. He does the daily breakfast prep, so he would handle the pre-dawn meal, while I would take charge of the meal at sunset. Zain settled on oatmeal with nuts and roasted fruit, a nourishing option to provide steady energy.

I wanted the iftar meal to feel meaningful for Evren's first fast. I had just returned from a conference in Chicago and didn’t have much time to prepare, but I knew exactly what the main dish would be (it had to be one of my son’s favorites).

Fruit salad in a white bowl, showing banana slices, chopped apple, pomegranate arils, diced mango, and orange segments. — Simply Recipes / Shayma Saadat

Growing up, iftar meals in my home were intentionally simple. My father believed that the spirit of Ramadan was best reflected in a straightforward meal—plump, caramelized dates to break the fast, as per tradition, followed by whatever we ate regularly for dinner. The more elaborate spreads, with fried snacks like pakoras (a Ramadan favorite) and sweet treats, were reserved for weekends or when our family table would stretch to welcome guests.

While I do like making the simple, traditional Ramadan meals from my childhood, I wanted to mark Evren’s first fast in a meaningful way. So, I put together a menu that felt both familiar and fun: chocolate tahini dates (which I keep frozen in batches for an easy, satisfying treat), chana chaat, and, in my son’s words, “Mamma’s world-famous chicken biryani.”

As much as I love the meals I grew up with, I’ve found ways to add variety and practicality to our iftar table. My chicken biryani, which was a special treat on Evren's first day of fasting, is a little more elaborate, so on most evenings when he is fasting, I lean heavily on simpler dishes like one-pot pasta and chickpea curry. These meals have everything I want for my family in one dish: carbs, protein, and vegetables.

The same goes for the iftar snacks. Instead of deep-frying (typical for pakoras), I am turning to the air fryer this Ramadan. I plan to make zucchini chips, cauliflower buffalo wings, and French fries, all hot, crispy, and special. These small changes allow me to honor my family’s Ramadan traditions while making iftar more manageable for my schedule as a working parent.

Chicken biryani on a large, white porcelain serving platter. The rice dish is garnished with lemon slices, pomegranate arils, cashews, and mint and cilantro leaves. — Simply Recipes / Shayma Saadat

But of course, iftar is about more than just food—it’s also about community. What started as a way to support and nourish my son has naturally expanded into something more. His buddies will sometimes join us, eager to share in the meal whether they’re fasting or not, from the same faith or not. That’s the beauty of Ramadan: it’s a season of togetherness, of opening your doors and sharing what you have.