Ramadan 2026: Chefs Share Crowd-Pleasing Recipes To Add A Traditional Touch To Your Iftar Table

From the quiet, pre-dawn hours of Suhoor to the celebratory Iftar feast, the month of Ramadan is all about praying, fasting, and all things traditional. And given the span of thirty long days, you are bound to run out of ideas to set up an authentic spread. Ensuring that after a long day of fasting, all your family members sit down together for the meal post-sunset has to be sumptuous and worth remembering. So, to help you get the menu ready, Indian chefs have shared some crowd-pleasing recipes. Be it chicken or lamb, these Iftar recipes are sure to be the highlight of Ramadan.

Also Read: Ramadan 2026 Hydration Tips: Master The 2-4-2 Rule This Holy Month

Ingredients:

• 1 kg desi chicken, cut into pieces
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, pureed
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ cup yoghurt
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh coriander, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add sliced onions. Fry it until golden brown
2. Add ginger-garlic paste next and sauté.
3. Add tomato puree and spices (turmeric, red chilli and coriander). Dry-roast it until the oil separates.
4. Add the chicken pieces, mix thoroughly and cook for 10 minutes
5. Pour in the yoghurt and a little water, then simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is tender and well cooked.
6. Finish by sprinkling garam masala and garnish with coriander
7. Serve hot with rice, roti or naan.

Bajra Chicken Curry

By Chef Varun Inamdar, Godrej Millets Cookbook, Godrej Vikhroli Cucina

Ingredients:

• 1 kg chicken, curry cut
• ¼ cup bajra flour
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder
• ½ tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp garam masala powder

Instructions:

1. Wash and drain the chicken, and add all the ingredients, excluding water. Transfer all to a pot.
2. Heat the water and add it to the marinated chicken.
3. Cook on medium to high flame. 
4. While the chicken cooks, keep it covered so its natural fat can render.
5. Serve with steamed rice.

Faizabadi Gosht Korma

By Chef Asif Qureshi, Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal

Ingredients:

• 500 g mutton (lamb/goat), cubed
• 1 cup yoghurt, whisked
• 2 tbsp ghee or oil
• 2 large onions, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ¼ cup almond or cashew paste (for richness)
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh coriander and slit green chillies, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Marinate the mutton with yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, and salt. Set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Heat ghee in a pan and fry sliced onions until golden brown. Remove half of the fried onions and reserve for garnish.
3. Add the marinated mutton to the pan and cook well until the oil begins to separate.
4. Mix in coriander powder, nut paste, and a little water. Cover and simmer on low heat for 45-60 minutes or until the mutton is tender.
5. Finish with a sprinkle of garam masala and garnish with the reserved fried onions, fresh coriander and green chillies. Serve hot.