This is what's inside Etihad's free Ramadan boxes for frontline workers

Etihad is sending Ramadan boxes to people in the UAE affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Doctors, nurses and front line workers will receive recipe boxes from the national airline of the UAE. Contents include fresh, pre-measured ingredients and recipe cards to create a home-cooked iftar.

Etihad is also serving free meals to people who have lost their jobs, are struggling financially or can't get to the grocery store because of health issues. Anyone affected by the Covid-19 pandemic can order a ready-made Etihad Ramadan meal on Zomato.

There is a choice of non-vegetarian or vegetarian menus with dishes such as grilled chicken, dal and paneer saagwala on offer. Meals are served with dates for breaking fast, water, cake and yoghurt.

How to order a free Etihad meal

• Visit or log on to Zomato and search for Etihad. Opening hours for the service are daily from 4pm to 7pm.
• Select a menu – you have the option of vegetarian or non-vegetarian
• Enter the code ETIHAD at checkout to get your free meal sent to your home address
• Note that orders are capped at one meal per person.

At this time of year, Etihad typically offers in-air iftar bags and menus to passengers on flights. This year, with commercial flights suspended in and out the UAE, the airline is offering food to those on the ground.

"Ramadan is a traditional time for gathering with friends and family, but with the impact of Covid-19, this year it is more challenging to do so. In these extraordinary times, we wanted to bring a touch of our signature in-flight hospitality to our local community and recognise the incredible efforts of the UAE’s medical staff and essential workers,” said Robin Kamark, chief commercial officer at Etihad.

What's inside Etihad's recipe boxes?

Doctors, nurses, volunteers and key workers will benefit from Etihad's Ramadan box initiative.

Each week, the airline will deliver boxes packed with pre-measured, fresh ingredients and an easy-to-follow recipe card to health workers in the UAE.

Designed by Etihad's in-flight chefs, the boxes are themed by cuisine from around the world, and the first delivery has everything needed to make a chicken biryani.

All the components in the box come packaged in trays similar to those that Etihad would use on its flights and there's more than 20 different ingredients, all pre-measured and pre-chopped or minced.

A recipe card, this week featuring in-flight chef Fera Indriany, lists the steps required to whip up the meal. It's easy to follow, and with everything already portioned out, cooking takes less than 30 minutes.

As well as the main course, there's also dates, oranges, water and laban, plus ingredients for an Arabic salad. Dessert is a traditional Kanafeh. Most items are provided in pairs so the box seems designed for two people, but the main course can easily feed four.

Etihad has been using its dedicated catering facility in Abu Dhabi to prepare meals for residents in isolation while passengers flights in and out of the country are suspended.

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