Cooking with Dates: Chefs Get Creative with theTraditional Treat

Every sunset, during the holy month of Ramzan, fasts are broken with Iftar, which traditionally included dates and other fruits along with with milk and juice.Chefs are now mashing up the traditional dry fruit into easy-to-make desserts to deviate for the usual.  Chef Surjan Singh Jolly says he took inspiration from the Hyderabad-origin 'Qubani ka Meetha',  a dessert made from dried apricots, to create the 'Khajoor ka Meetha'.(Top 5 Things to Make with Dates)"All you need to do is blend the dates with milk till it gets mushy and garnish it with chopped almonds to get this quick-to-make dessert," says Chef Jolly. Since dates have a sludgy texture, it blends easily into the dish. Dates are good for health and are also sweet, so you need not add sugar. Hence, 'Khajoor ka Meetha' can be a good addition to Iftar parties, says the chef.(During Ramadan, Dates are a Unifying Staple)Dates are known to be a good source of fibre and since the ordinary eating pattern is restricted to two big meals during Ramzan, dates ensure one doesn't get constipation and there is clear urination. It also has enough calories to satiate the peak of hunger after the fast ends.(How to Make Date Shake)"Dates are also good source of iron that helps maintain hemoglobin, prevents giddiness, dark circles, loss of hair and strengthens immunity. So it is advisable," says Dr. Vidhya R,
a nutritionist.(Angela Hartnett's Chicken Tagine With Dates Recipe)Another delicious way to have dates is to warm it up with water, squish it with saffron and have it with bread or mush dates with white chocolate and have it, suggests Chef Jolly. He says that these date recipes are also convenient to prepare for those living in hostels and who miss home-cooked Iftar food.