Ramadan is a holy month observed by Muslims to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran, where they practice a time of abstinence from food and drink from dawn till dusk as an act of spiritual self-purification. It is also the best time to learn new recipes and get together with family at the dinner table.
No doubt, it can get pretty exhausting if you're doing it all by yourself but cooking is always easier with good appliances and the right techniques. From preparing food in advance to keeping your kitchen organized, we've compiled a list of 10 foolproof hacks that you can use to make prepping meals for iftar and sahur easier this Ramadan.
10 Cooking Hacks To Make It Easier To Prep Meals This Ramadan
1. Create an iftar and sahur meal calendar
As the saying goes – if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. It can be hard to whip up delicious meals every day during the fasting month, especially when you’re exhausted from work or house chores. Hence, planning ahead of time can help you save a lot of effort and make meal prepping easier.
Take some time to create a meal calendar, write down a list of ingredients that you need to buy and stock up on them so you're not running out of ingredients at the last minute. You can even put this meal calendar on the fridge so your kids will stop asking, “Mummy, what’s for iftar?” ?
2. Use the right tools for more efficiency
A hearty meal to have during Ramadan is Mee Bakso! Preparing the dish, however, might take some time as it’s flavoured with a combination of aromatics like onion, ginger and garlic that require a lot of slicing and chopping, as well as meatballs that have to be minced finely beforehand. If you want to save yourself from all the hard work, then buying the right kitchen tools will make things a lot simpler.
This multi-functional food processor from Mayer has multiple functions such as grating, kneading, blending, grinding, slicing and shredding in both fine or coarse mode! Definitely handy when you’re planning to make dishes like Mee Bakso, as its powerful blade can finely mincemeat into fine and consistent textures. It also comes with three BPA attachments – a 2L processing bowl, 1.8L Blender Jar and 200ml Grinder. You can easily switch up the accessories to create a wide range of recipes.
3. Prepare and organize ingredients in advance
To cut down further on time spent on cooking daily, prepare frequently used ingredients in advance by keeping them in an airtight container in your fridge. Ingredients like minced garlic or blended chili are a great option to have on hand. You can even stock up on chicken stock or minced meat that's already been cubed for easy stir-frying. Even herbs can be kept fresh for weeks when stored in the fridge. Just remember to label the containers with an expiry date and thaw them before use!
4. Keep your kitchen cool and ventilated
This is not exactly a cooking hack but the long hours spent in the kitchen preparing food can be uncomfortable as it gets hot and stuffy. If you don’t have an exhaust fan in place, having the windows wide open and a fan in place makes it ideal for cooling down small kitchens.
Mistral’s 12 inch High Velocity Fan is a compact yet powerful fan with adjustable heights, so you can either place it on the floor or wherever that fits your kitchen space. By making little tweaks to your kitchen, you can create a comfortable space to prepare delicious meals!
5. Get your groceries online
Save time by purchasing your groceries online! Whether you're purchasing meat or ready-made cooking pastes, there are many supermarkets and meateries selling halal groceries with home delivery in Singapore. There are many options out there, so try a few different kinds and see which ones work best for you. This way, you won’t have to carry the heavy load and you get to stay away from the crowds too!
P.S. Mayer’s Hurry Raya Sale is happening from 1 April to 3 May, and you absolutely can’t miss it. There’ll be a 65% off discount on Mayer & Mistral products storewide! ?
6. One pot meals
If you haven't discovered the one-pot cooking method yet, you've been missing out! Its quick and easy to make, so you don't need to spend all day cooking and washing up – just a few minutes prepping ingredients, then leave your dinner to cook away.
This compact yet powerful multi-cooker has four cooking functions available, so you can choose to either use it to prepare Hot Pot, Stew, Soup or Porridge – perfect to prepare dishes like Bubur Lambuk, a Ramadan staple that is loved by many.
The 1.8L cooking capacity of the Disney x Mayer multi-cooker also makes it a comfortable size to prepare one-pot meals for up to two pax. With this, you can easily prepare iftar in a very fast and convenient way, so you don’t have to rush for terawih!
7. Bake instead of frying
If you're looking for ways to cook more healthily, why not try baking instead of frying? The Mayer 38L Digital Electric Oven comes with 360 degree convection heat and a preset function making it suitable to use for any occasion. Once your ingredients are prepped, put it on a baking tray and let it bake. Cook more efficiently – with less noise and clutter too! There are many recipes that don't require many ingredients so it could be an ideal way for anyone to cook in a small kitchen with limited space and cooking utensils.
8. Have some convenience food on standby
We have to admit that sometimes, we just don’t feel like cooking. That’s when convenience food might come in handy and the air fryer is the perfect appliance to help you with this! The oil-free air frying technology used in Mayer Air Fryer allows you to enjoy your favorite crispy snacks (hello fried chicken and epok epok!) and dishes without the guilt!
With a temperature range from 80-200°C, it’s easy and convenient to cook a variety of food for your Ramadan meals. We love how the Mayer Air Fryer has a large capacity so you can pop a whole chicken in - perfect for iftar! It also uses less electricity compared to traditional ovens, which makes it very energy efficient.
P.S. If you need another reason to get the Mayer air fryer, Mayer has launched an adorable edition of the air fryer in partnership with Disney!
9. Get creative with your leftovers!
Make use of leftovers from the night before by transforming them into delicious snacks, incorporate them into a fresh new dish or tweak the recipe for a completely new meal. For example, leftover white rice from iftar can easily be turned into a delicious plate of Nasi Goreng or Porridge that can be eaten for sahur. Not only are you saving time and effort, but you minimize food wastage too!
10. Clean as you go
Cut down the time spent cleaning up after cooking by using versatile gadgets that can be used for multiple uses or detachable parts for easier cleaning. The new Mayer Blender Jar with Grinder comes with detachable blades that can easily be removed from the glass jar, so that you can clean out any residue that might be stuck at the bottom. Alternatively, you can fill your device with equal parts water and baking soda first. Turn on the blender for a couple of seconds, discard the solution, then add your warm water and soap.
While it can be tiring to prepare meals during Ramadan or daunting as it’s your first Ramadan as newlyweds, cooking can be as easy as 1-2-3 with the right tools and hacks! Whether it's preparing iftar or testing out your Kuih Raya recipes, Mayer & Mistral products are the best companion for the Hari Raya festive season, allowing them to whip up delicious meals with ease and in comfort.
Plus, with Mayer’s Hurry Raya Sale happening from 1 April to 3 May, you’ll be getting 65% off Mayer & Mistral products storewide! What’s not to love? ? You could also stand a chance to win up to $435 worth of prizes with Mayer’s lucky draw. All you have to do is spend a minimum of $100 in a single receipt at any of Mayer’s showrooms or their e-store☺️
We hope this list of tips will help make preparing a feast this Ramadan easy, safe and enjoyable. Try them out and don’t forget to share this with your friends and family!
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