Come Ramzan and the streets are dotted with kebab stalls, people frying samosas, bhajiyas and so many more goodies. Deep fried and dripping with oil, these aren’t exactly healthy options for your Iftaar (the meal after sunset, with which Muslims break their fast).

“But not every Muslim eats unhealthy,” clarifies Dr Zubeda Tumbi, PhD Clinical Nutrition, who has been keeping rozas (the fasts during the month of Ramzan) for the past 23 years.u00a0Busting another myth, Tumbi says that Ramzan isn’t about limiting your daily meals to two. Most Muslims eat three meals even during Ramzan — sehri (the meal that is eaten before dawn), Iftaar and dinner.

“Sehri is the most important meal, it takes you through the day. Iftaar can be light, with dates and fruits and then dinner — a regular meal of dal chawal or the like,” explains Tumbi.u00a0The point of fasting during Ramzan is to learn to empathise with the poor, explains Tumbi. You’re supposed to live as modestly as possible during the month and have meagre meals. “The idea is also to teach oneself discipline, self-restraint, to cleanse your body and to learn to control your emotions,” she says.u00a0

‘Haleem is the healthiesT option’
“There’s nothing healthier than Haleem,” says Bilkees Latif, a Hyderabadi food connoisseur, who is also the daughter of the late Nawab Ali Yavar Jung. “Apart from Haleem, Muslims in Hyderabad also have a dish of cooked dry savoury dal with chopped onions and lime juice and kachaloo, which is a mixture of chopped fruit sprinkled with salt and pepper — both very nutritious foods,” she says. She offers the traditional recipe of Haleem — cooked the Hyderabadi way, which is a porridge-like wheat and lamb preparation. “I don’t usually make it this way. I just cook the meat as a korma and then add it to the wheat.” Haleem is a staple during Ramzan.