“It’s good AND filling!” 5 Easy-Yet-Nutritious ‘Sahur’ Recipes M’sians Can Try This Ramadan

Malaysians, are you ready to battle the fasting month ahead? 

Ramadan has always been an exciting and joyous month but it can also be challenging for some. Restraining ourselves from any food and drink daily can be exhausting, especially if we’re not well prepared to do so. This is why it’s important to consume nutritious sahur dishes that can fill us up and provide sufficient energy so we can go about our daily routine as usual!

Not sure what dishes to make? Read on as we list down a few quick, easy AND nutritious sahur recipes you can try this year!

P/S: All of these recipes are meant for one serving so if you’re preparing these for your family, make sure to double or triple the recipe accordingly!

1. Oat smoothie with bananas and dates

This is the perfect sahur for those who don’t like to eat in the early hours but still want to fill themselves up! Oats are high in fibre and protein which means they’re very filling. The banana and dates are also known to be rich in fibre, calcium, potassium and other nourishments making them the perfect source of energy.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 5 dates (pitted)
• 3-4 spoons of instant oat
• 1 glass of milk
• Optional: Cinnamon powder

Steps:

1. Simply add everything in a blender and blend away until all ingredients are mixed well. Pour the smoothie into a glass and sprinkle some cinnamon powder for some added flavour!

2. Breakfast wrap

If you love breakfast, this dish is for you! Eggs are known to be rich in protein and other vitamins that are crucial in producing energy. It’s also important to add some greens in your wrap to add fibre to your diet and avoid constipation when you’re fasting all day.

Ingredients:

• 1 tortilla wrap
• 1 egg
• A handful of spinach
• 1 shallot
• Salt & pepper
• Optional: Crab filament stick/sausage

Steps:

1. In a pan, prepare the stuffing by cooking a scrambled egg with shallot, spinach and other items you’d like such as crab filament sticks or sausages. Don’t forget to season it well with salt and pepper.
2. Next, toast your tortilla wrap in an empty pan. Once it has browned, add the stuffing you’ve prepared, wrap ’em and enjoy! (Optional: you can also add some sauces/mayo for extra flavour)

3. Stir-fried instant noodles

We all love some good instant noodles but for sahur time, you can give a healthier twist to it! For instance, add an egg for protein, throw in a ton of veggies for added fibre and instead of using the seasoning powder it comes with, use less artificial flavourings such as soy sauce and chilli flakes!

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of instant noodles
• 1 egg
• 1 crab filament stick
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Some chopped tomatoes
• Some garden peas
• Seasoning: Salt, soy sauce, chilli flakes

Steps:

1. Saute the shallot and garlic until fragrant. Add in sliced crab sticks and the egg and scramble them together. Then, pour in some chopped tomatoes and garden peas and mix them well until everything is cooked.
2. Add in the noodles that have been boiled and mix well. Lastly, season it well by adding salt, soy sauce and chilli flakes to taste.

4. Sardine sandwich with wheat bread 

This sardine sandwich is super easy to make! Use ready-to-eat sardine (choose sardines in olive/sunflower oil for a healthier option) and mix it with a boiled egg for added protein. Also, make sure to use wheat bread as it is higher in fibre and protein which can give you more energy and also keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of wheat bread
• 1 can of ready-to-eat sardines
• 1 boiled egg
• Cucumber/lettuce
• Optional: Mayonnaise

Steps:

1. On your piece of wheat bread, spread the sardine evenly. Then mash the boiled egg and add it on top of the sardine.
2. Add some veggies into the sandwich such as cucumber slices or lettuce leaves before adding some mayo on top.
3. Top it off with the other piece of bread and enjoy!

5. Mackerel aglio olio pasta 

For this dish, you can also use a ready-to-eat mackerel fillet to speed up the prep work. Plus, mackerel is rich in omega-3 which makes it a great source of energy when you’re fasting. Aglio olio pasta is also known to be one of the healthier options for pasta as it contains a light sauce and the olive oil is rich in good fat.

Ingredients:

• Approx. 80gm of any kind of pasta
• Olive oil
• 5 cloves of garlic
• Parsley (fresh or dried)
• Bell pepper
• Canned tomatoes
• 1 can of mackerel in oil
• Seasoning: Chili flakes, salt & pepper, some lemon juice, Parmesan cheese for topping

Steps:

1. First, make sure to boil the pasta so you can prep other things while it cooks. (You can also use fast-cook pastas if you’re in a hurry!)
2. In a separate pan, drizzle olive oil generously and saute the garlic (minced) until it’s fragrant. Add in chopped bell pepper, some canned tomatoes along with parsley and stir it well.
3. Add in the mackerel and make sure to break it apart in the pan. Season it well with salt, pepper and chilli flakes as well as a drizzle of lemon juice.
4. Once the pasta has been boiled, drain it and add that into the pan to mix everything together and it’s done. (You can save some pasta water and add some into the pan if you feel it’s too dry). Serve it with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Are you drooling yet? ?

The great thing about these recipes is that all of them can be prepared in 20 minutes or less which is perfect for sahur time! If that’s not enough, here’s another hack: prep your ingredients the night before.

For example, you can mince your shallots and garlic in advance, or boil the pasta or egg the night before and store everything in the fridge. Another shortcut you can take is by using ready-to-eat canned goods, like the ones from Ayam Brand!

We bet you’re already familiar with their famed yellow and red cans of sardines in tomato sauce. But did you know they also have plenty of other canned goods that will make it so much easier to prep your sahur dishes?

From ready-to-eat tuna in oil to convenient cooking ingredients like chopped tomatoes, say hello to a hassle-free sahur feast with these Ayam Brand products!

Some of our favourites from them include:

• Ayam Brand Sardines (ready to eat)
• Ayam Brand Mackerel Fillet (ready to eat)
• Ayam Brand Organic Coconut milk
• Ayam Brand Chopped Tomatoes
• Ayam Brand Garden Peas

We especially love the mackerel and tuna as they are packed with Omega-3 which can supplement you with enough energy to get you through the day while fasting. Plus, the organic coconut milk, chopped tomatoes and garden peas also provide a healthier and more convenient option that makes our cooking sessions a breeze. No need to chop our own tomatoes anymore. Just open it up, pour and voila! 

As we mentioned earlier, your sahur dishes can greatly affect your fasting experience which is why it’s important to consume nutritious food to prepare you for the whole day. And when you’re not fasting, these ingredients can also make up a super easy yet healthy breakfast at home (especially on those WFH days!).

So, if you’re interested to try any of the recipes above, don’t forget to get the Ayam Brand products from your nearest store. You can also check them out online via Shopee or Lazada. For more information, head over to their website here or follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates and other recipe ideas!