Iftars are often synonymous with piles and piles of delicious food. And while that can be a sight for sore eyes after a day of fasting, it can also quickly lead to a lot of wastage.
However, with more people and companies striking up discussions on food waste in recent years, there has been a drive towards more wholesome and environment-friendly ways to break a fast.
Enter the zero-waste iftar, a concept that has been gaining popularity over the past few years. Zaina Kanaan, the co-founder of upcycling cafe Kave, which is serving zero-waste iftars for the second year in a row, describes them as meals with "rationalised portions and limited number of bookings".
“There’s no wastage of food that’s not been touched,” she says.
Chef Ahmad Halawa, who will be preparing one such zero-waste iftar at Kave as part of Alserkal Avenue's #ThisIsNotABuffet programme, adds that it's all about being mindful of our resources. "There are so many people who don't have access to regular food," he says. "We don't want to take what we have for granted."
Thinking of having a zero-waste iftar yourself? Here are some tips to keep in mind.
It’s all about portion-control
“When people have been fasting all day, they think they’re going to eat a lot – but there’s only so much you can have at one sitting. By the time people have their soups, salads and sides, they start getting full, so it’s really important to exercise proper portion sizes,” says Halawa.
Ensuring you don't make more than your guests can eat is a huge part of planning a no-waste iftar, he says.
Once the number of guests has been confirmed, a good rule of thumb is ensuring there’s approximately 200 grams of rice, 150 to 200 grams of protein and 150ml of soup per person.
He also usually makes 15 to 20 per cent extra in case guests ask for a second helping of a dish they like.
Present it in such a manner that the table looks full
“During Ramadan people want to see a table full of food – and a lot of people and restaurants tend to cook too much as a sign of generosity – but there’s a fine line between being generous and being wasteful,” says Halawa.
In such instances, when portion quantity is being controlled to stop wastage, presentation is everything, he says.
You can make the table look fuller by adding centrepieces, napkins and other decorative elements. Another hack is to have individual bowls for sides and dips for every guest.
However, ensure there’s no single-use plastic being used to create this table display. Opt for reusable cutlery and plates wherever possible, or those made from leaves, paper or other biodegradable materials.
Serve courses one after another
Having several courses served one after another is the norm in most restaurants – and there's a real benefit to doing this.
As Kanaan points out, when guests are served one course after another, instead of just putting everything out on a table, they tend to fill up slowly. It allows guests to better ration what they’re eating, stops them from consuming more than their body needs and minimises food wastage overall.
“That’s one of the reasons we never do buffets – it’s harder to reduce wastage when you’re serving food as a buffet,” she says.
Use 'waste' ingredients and leftovers
Minimising wastage begins in the kitchen. For example, Kanaan cites soups as a super-saver that can easily be prepared using ingredients that would otherwise go to waste.
“Bones can be boiled to make stock, and most vegetables can also be boiled and then ground into a tasty soup that’s perfect for iftar.”
Rice is another miracle ingredient that can be used in myriad ways. If there are leftovers, one can boil lentils separately and mix it with the rice to make mujadara, a classic Arabic dish. Leftover rice can also be turned into a pudding or a paella.
Finally, Kanaan recommends experimenting with ma'loubeh, a Palestinian dish that translates to "upside down". "In the old days, people made it with leftover rice, by adding chicken or meat and eggplant. It's an old recipe but so nourishing."
Parcel what’s left to the guests
Feel like there are some dishes that simply cannot be re-used? Simply pack it up for the guests. But, in the spirit of being zero-waste, ensure it’s done with biodegradable, eco-friendly containers.
AS IT STANDS IN POOL A
1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14
2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11
3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5
Remaining fixtures
Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am
Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm
Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Pakistan v New Zealand Test series
Pakistan: Sarfraz (c), Hafeez, Imam, Azhar, Sohail, Shafiq, Azam, Saad, Yasir, Asif, Abbas, Hassan, Afridi, Ashraf, Hamza
New Zealand: Williamson (c), Blundell, Boult, De Grandhomme, Henry, Latham, Nicholls, Ajaz, Raval, Sodhi, Somerville, Southee, Taylor, Wagner
Umpires: Bruce Oxerford (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG); TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS); Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
Tickets and schedule: Entry is free for all spectators. Gates open at 9am. Play commences at 10am
Mobile phone packages comparison
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
