How to Prepare Your Kitchen for Ramadan: A West African-Inspired Guide

Ramadan is a time of reflection, fasting, and community. In many West African homes, the kitchen becomes the heart of Ramadan, filled with the aroma of rich stews, nourishing grains, and fresh fruits. Preparing your kitchen in advance can help you focus on worship and family while ensuring you have everything you need for suhoor and iftar.

 

Here is how to get your kitchen Ramadan-ready with a West African touch.

 

1. Organise and Stock Up on Staples

 

Before Ramadan begins, declutter your pantry, fridge, and freezer to make room for essentials. West African cooking relies on key ingredients that should be well-stocked:

 

Pantry Staples:

•Grains & Starches: Rice, fonio, millet, couscous, attieke, yam, cassava, plantains

  •Legumes: Black-eyed peas, lentils, cowpeas, peanuts

 •Flours: Corn flour, cassava flour (gari), millet flour

 •Spices & Seasonings: Suya spice, dawadawa (fermented locust beans), ginger, garlic, bouillon cubes, yaji, chilli powder, dry shrimp powder, crayfish powder

• Oils: Palm oil, groundnut oil, coconut oil

 

Fresh & Frozen Ingredients:

• Proteins: Fish, chicken, beef, goat meat

• Vegetables: Okra, tomatoes, peppers, onions, bitter leaf, spinach

• Fruits: Dates, baobab fruit, mangoes, oranges, bananas, pawpaw, velvet tamarind, tamarind, coconut, pineapple, watermelon, oranges, African star fruit (Alasa) (Agbalumo), Guava and soursop.

 

2. Meal Prep for Convenience

 

Ramadan meal prep can save you time and energy. Here are some ways to prepare in advance:

• Marinate and freeze meats with spices and herbs for easy cooking.

• Make broths and sauces ahead of time, such as tomato stew base or jollof base. Pepper soup, plam nut soup or light soup

• Soak and peel black-eye peas for Kose, Akara, Moi moi & Alele. Prepped beans can be frozen for use throughout the month. 

• Pre-chop and freeze vegetables like peppers, onions, and okra for quick stews.

• Prepare and freeze meat pies, spring rolls, spring roll sheets and fish pies ahead of time. This will save on time during the holy month. Your future- fasting self will definitely thank you! 

• Pre prepare condiments such us green seasoning, Nokoss, ginger and garlic paste, chilli paste , shito, green chilli sauce etc.

• Batch-cook grains like jollof rice, millet porridges, or fonio and store or freeze in portions.

3. Plan a Nutritious Meal Schedule

Writing up iftar and suhoor meal timetable for the month of ramadan can ease the stress and guess work of deciding on what to cook. Having a meal timetable makes shopping easier as no time is wasted when you know exactly what groceries to purchase.

Suhoor (Pre-Dawn Meal)

A well-balanced suhoor helps sustain energy throughout the day. Consider these nutrient-rich, slow-digesting foods:

• Mashed kenkey packed with fibre, probiotics and minerals, great with nuts and fruits and date syrup.

• Smoothies are a great way to pack nutrients for a long day of fasting . Add Greek yoghurt, frozen berries, mango, banana, moringa and boabab powder, date syrup or honey. My go to smoothie is a revitalising berry and boabab combo. I love to add a touch of moringa powder to boost the nutrients 

• Fonio and coconut milk porridge with chia seeds and toasted groundnuts.

• Boiled plantains and eggs “ A simple, filling meal rich in protein.

• If you prefer a heavier meals during suhoor groundnut soup with fufu  is a great option as it is a protein-packed option that keeps you full for longer.

• Boiled yam or boiled plantain with egg and mackerel stew.  

•Tuo zafi with ayoyo soup (jute leaves ), dry orka soup ( kuweiwa busheisei ) or Boabab leaf soup (Kuka)

 

Iftar (Breaking the Fast)

Start with dates and water, following tradition, and then move on to light, hydrating foods before heavier meals.

Coconut water, fruit juices, bissap or sobolo, baobab juice (bouye), spiced tamarind lamungin, Gambian ginger juice -Naturally refreshing and rich in vitamins.

Millet desserts and porridge's : Burkina, Thiakry, Couscous, Fura , Kunun kanwa, Bagaa, Bita yer yer , Kunun tsamia, Hausa Koko and more. 

Moi moi or alele (steamed bean pudding) “ High in protein and pairs well with hausa koko, pap, kunun gadda (groundnut porridge) or rice.

Kose, Akara, Masa, sinasir, pinkaso, fattayer, puff puff, meat pie, spring roll, rock buns and fish roll.

Rice and stew, Classic jollof rice, thieboudienne, Mafe with couscous or fonio and white rice with tomato-based stew and fried plantains.

Okra soup with banku, eba or pounded yam “ A comforting and nutritious dish.

 

4. Hydration & Energy Boosting Foods

 

Long fasting hours can lead to dehydration and fatigue. Keep a hydration station with:

Bissap, sobolo (hibiscus drink) A natural thirst quencher with antioxidants.

 

Strawberry and mint bissap

 

Sobolo spiced Ghanaian hibiscus drink 

Lamungin a spiced Ghanaian tamarind drink that high in vitamin C

Zomkom a great millet drink that originates from Burkina faso. Zomkom packs the benefits of fibre and spice and sweetness from pearl millet, dates ginger and pepper. 

Fresh coconut water -Restores electrolytes.

Tigernut date and coconut drink- great for digestion and for blood sugar stabilisation

Watermelon and oranges- Hydrating and packed with vitamins.

 

For sustained energy, include foods rich in fibre and healthy fats:

Groundnuts (peanuts), tigernuts, cashew nuts or almonds are great for snacking.

Dates stuffed with peanut butter and desiccated coconut . A delicious energy booster.

 

5. Create a Simple Cooking Routine

 

Cooking during Ramadan should be easy and stress-free. Consider:

Batch cooking stews and soups like tomato stew, jollof stew base,  egusi soup, peanut stew, and palm nut soup.

Using a slow cooker or pressure cooker to reduce time in the kitchen or canning sauces snd stews to extend shelf life. 

 

Canning jollof stew base  

Assigning cooking tasks to family members for quicker meal prep.

 

6. Reduce Food Waste & Share Meals

Ramadan is a time of generosity. Reduce food waste by storing leftovers properly and repurposing meals. Extra food can be shared with neighbours or donated to those in need.

Transform leftover rice into fried rice or masa the next day.

Use overripe bananas or plantain for banana fritters. banana bread, banana smoothie.

Freeze extra soups and stews for later use.

 

Final Thoughts

Preparing your kitchen before Ramadan makes fasting easier and more enjoyable. By incorporating West African flavours into your suhoor and iftar, you can stay nourished while celebrating the rich culinary traditions of the region.

 

Wishing you a blessed and fulfilling Ramadan!