An iftar table groaning with plate after plate of delicious food – aromatic, slow-cooked meat, vibrant rice dishes flavoured with spices, salads studded with toasted nuts and slivers of fruit – is a sight to behold.
And yet, with abundant meals of any sort comes an underlying worry about wasting food. In the spirit of generosity and with the anticipation of a feast at the end of the day, it is easy to over-cater – only for a disheartening amount of food to be left uneaten.
These leftovers shouldn’t be consigned to the bin though. With a little effort, a bit of kitchen trickery and some clever storage solutions, they can be transformed into so much more.
Lamb
If you find yourself with leftover cooked lamb, pick the meat from the bone (if needed) that night, shred into strips and store in the fridge in an airtight container. The following day, turn it into crispy lamb. To do so, set a dry frying pan over medium heat, add the lamb and cook for 10 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then. Season generously and use the lamb to top warm Arabic breads spread with labneh, finished with pomegranate seeds and crumbled feta. Alternatively, layer the crispy meat with grilled aubergines, pine nuts and golden raisins for a substantial side dish, or pile into the middle of a bowl of hummus and garnish with paprika and toasted sesame seeds.
Rice
Cold rice that previously accompanied tagines, biryanis, fish and meat might not look particularly appealing the next day but it can still make a tasty dish. After all, for rice to develop an appealing crust, it needs to have been cooked previously and cooled.
With that in mind, fry leftover rice in a hot pan with a little oil until golden and crunchy, then combine with spinach leaves, grilled halloumi, chopped dates and fresh coriander to make a salad. Alternatively, keep the rice in the pan and add beaten eggs, blanched peas, shredded spring onions and soy sauce for a simple stir-fried rice dish.
For something sweet, try this quick take on zardat dibis wa haleeb (rice and date syrup pudding): simmer the rice in a saucepan with milk and cream until thickened. Once cool, drizzle with date syrup and sprinkle with ground cardamom.
Potatoes
There are plenty of options for leftover potatoes, be they mashed, boiled, fried or baked.
Boiled or steamed potatoes in particular are ideal for turning into spiced potato cakes. Combine the potato with a little beaten egg to bind, add a sprinkling of ground cumin and coriander and some chopped parsley. Shape into bite-sized balls, make a hollow in the middle and fill with a small cube of halloumi or feta. Form into a patty shape and flatten with the palm of you hand. Fry the potato cakes in a little oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden.
Roasted or baked potatoes can be used to make easy batata harra (Lebanese spiced potatoes). Dice the leftovers into cubes and add to a hot frying pan with a generous splash of oil and a couple of sliced garlic cloves. Stir frequently until crisp and golden. Mix in chopped coriander, a squeeze of lemon juice and add chill powder to taste. Serve it up as a side dish or finish with a fried egg to turn into a complete meal.
Fresh fruit
Even fruit that looks like it is well on the road to ruin can still be repurposed. The easiest way to do so is to stock up your freezer (freezing will inhibit the ripening process). Dice the fruit up and portion into individual smoothies mixes (think bananas, berries, mango and pineapple) and freeze, ready to be blitzed to make slushy, sustaining drinks as and when you need them.
Another option is to bake: banana bread, apple cake and berry muffins will all happily accommodate fruit that is on the turn. Pears and pitted fruit such as plums, peaches and plums can be turned into a quick fruit compote: simply cut up and simmer in a pan with a splash of orange juice or water and a little sugar, until the fruit is tender. Eat on its own, enjoy with yogurt and granola, serve with cakes and tarts or spoon over ice cream.
Arabic bread
Thanks in part to the humidity, bread tends to turn stale at an accelerated rate in the UAE. That doesn’t mean it needs to be thrown away, though.
Instead, turn dried-out flatbreads into breadcrumbs that can be frozen and used later for sprinkling over gratins or bakes, coating meat or fish, or sprinkling on top of salads for crunch.
If that doesn’t appeal, make homemade pitta chips: cut the bread into triangles, drizzle with oil and bake in a 180°C (gas mark 4) oven for 10 to 12 minutes until crisp. Leave to cool, then use for scooping up hummus and dips, or break into small shards for fattoush.
Alternatively, do not cook the bread – simply add to a tomato- based salad for a Middle Eastern twist on the Italian classic, panzanella (Tuscan-style tomato and old bread salad).
How to store leftover food safely
• Make sure your fridge is clean and functioning correctly. Check the seals are working properly and the temperature is between 1°C and 4°C. Keep cooked meat and vegetables, as well as other ready-to-eat food, on the top or upper shelves.
• Leave leftover food to cool to room temperature before refrigerating but try to ensure it is in the fridge within two hours.
• The majority of cooked leftovers (other than items you freeze) should be used within two days. Do let common sense prevail though; if something looks or smells unappealing, err on the side of caution and discard.
• Storing food in airtight containers helps to keep it fresher for longer, prevents leakages and stops pungent smells from escaping. Clear containers are particularly handy as they allow you to quickly identify the contents.
• When reheating cooked food, make sure it is piping hot all the way through. Only reheat cooked items once.
• Freeze leftovers such as soups, stews, tagines and curries flat, in sealable plastic zip-top freezer bags. Not only does this reduce the amount of space they take up in the freezer, the food will also defrost faster when needed.
Other ideas for leftovers
• Prepare a care parcel. Package up your leftovers and pass them on to a friend or neighbours who will appreciate it. It’s worth remembering that a non-fasting friend could eat the extras for lunch the next day.
• If you live in an apartment building, the chances are that some members of the concierge team who work during the night will also have been fasting. If that is the case, it’s worth finding out if they’d appreciate any of your extras.
• Organise an iftar or suhoor made entirely from leftovers. Working on the same premise as a potluck dinner party, ask friends and family to each contribute a dish that consists of leftovers from the previous night’s iftar. You’ll end up with a wide variety of dishes and it will save everyone involved both time and money, while also reducing wastage.
artslife@thenational.ae
What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
More on Quran memorisation:
Overview
What: The Arab Women’s Sports Tournament is a biennial multisport event exclusively for Arab women athletes.
When: From Sunday, February 2, to Wednesday, February 12.
Where: At 13 different centres across Sharjah.
Disciplines: Athletics, archery, basketball, fencing, Karate, table tennis, shooting (rifle and pistol), show jumping and volleyball.
Participating countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Qatar and UAE.
'Nope'
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The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
More on animal trafficking
GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
Du Plessis plans his retirement
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said on Friday the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in two years' time will be his last.
Du Plessis, 34, who has led his country in two World T20 campaigns, in 2014 and 2016, is keen to play a third but will then step aside.
"The T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I'm really looking forward to. I think right now that will probably be the last tournament for me," he said in Brisbane ahead of a one-off T20 against Australia on Saturday.
Honeymoonish
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
I Care A Lot
Directed by: J Blakeson
Starring: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage
3/5 stars
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2-litre%204-cylinder%20mild%20hybrid%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20S%20tronic%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E265hp%20%2F%20195kW%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20370Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh260%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
PSG's line up
GK: Alphonse Areola (youth academy)
Defence - RB: Dani Alves (free transfer); CB: Marquinhos (€31.4 million); CB: Thiago Silva (€42m); LB: Layvin Kurzawa (€23m)
Midfield - Angel di Maria (€47m); Adrien Rabiot (youth academy); Marco Verratti (€12m)
Forwards - Neymar (€222m); Edinson Cavani (€63m); Kylian Mbappe (initial: loan; to buy: €180m)
Total cost: €440.4m (€620.4m if Mbappe makes permanent move)
Company profile
Name: GiftBag.ae
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2011
Number of employees: 4
Sector: E-commerce
Funding: Self-funded to date
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Jawan
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
PRISCILLA
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The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
