POST-IFTAR INNOVATIONS-

Who doesn’t love a dessert that can trick you into feeling like you’re being at least a little healthy because it has fruit in it? As if the copious amounts of toffee, whipped cream, and buttery biscuit base don’t count, the banoffee pie is a deliciously decadent treat that still manages to be light and airy enough to keep you wanting more.

A brief history lesson: The banoffee has been around for over 50 years, having first been developed in the early 70s by Englishman Ian Dowding when he was head chef at The Hungry Monk.

Shout out to Delight, whose banoffee is a crowd favorite at Enterprise global HQ with plenty a birthday and office party have been sustained by them. But if you like to try it out yourself, here’s a tried and true recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 10 digestive biscuits
  • 125 grams of unsalted butter
  • One can of condensed milk
  • Three ripe bananas
  • Double whipping cream
  • Dark chocolate (optional)

Instructions:

  • Crush the digestive biscuits in a food processor, or (if you need to channel some anger) by placing them in a plastic bag and smashing them with a rolling pin.
  • Melt the butter and pour it onto the biscuit crumbs.
  • Mix well before pressing the mixture into a pie dish.
  • Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 20 minutes.
  • Remove the label off the can of condensed milk, and place the can in a pot of boiling water, making sure that it is completely covered.
  • Simmer for 2-3 hours.
  • Once the can has been removed and cooled, open it up and pour the toffee onto the biscuit base.
  • Slice the bananas and place them on top of the toffee.
  • Whip up the cream until it’s thick before spooning onto the bananas.
  • Optional: Grate some dark chocolate on top for an extra touch of indulgence before serving.

DID YOU KNOW THERE’S A YEMENI VERSION? That’s right, the Yemeni’s have their own twist on the the classic banoffee recipe known as Ma’soub. While it incorporates a lot of the same flavors, it’s constructed more like a pudding than a pie.

Ingredients:

  • 3 ripe bananas
  • Ghee
  • Raisins and toasted almonds
  • Bread or ka’k (a type of Yemeni biscuit)
  • Cardamom powder (optional)
  • Whipping cream
  • Nigella seeds
  • Honey

Instructions:

  • Peel the bananas and mash them in a bowl.
  • Toast the raisins and almonds in ghee until browned.
  • Cut up the bread or ka’k into small pieces and toast them in a pan until golden brown.
  • Once they reach the desired color, add the mashed bananas into the pan and stir.
  • Once cooked through, add the mixture into ramekins or oven-friendly plates.
  • Cover mixture with whipping cream.
  • Garnish the cream with toasted raisins and almonds.
  • Sprinkle nigella seeds on top.
  • Drizzle honey on top of the mixture before serving.

But of course, it wouldn’t be an Egyptian Ramadan without some sort of local twist on a classic dessert. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, go ahead and try making a banoffee pie with a kunafa base, courtesy of this recipe by Nola (watch, runtime: 0:49).

📚 FROM THE BOOKSTORE-

Lucette Lagnado’s The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit is a gripping ode to Cairo and its history: The book tells the story of a Jewish family’s departure from Egypt during the post-World War II era, told through the eyes of the author’s father Leon Lagnado, and his family. The central theme focuses on a community’s fall from grace: from affluent, prominent and integrated components of a society, to nameless, dispossessed strangers in a new world. For those of us who live in Cairo, Lagnado’s work is an enchanting peek into a distant, glamorous cosmopolitan city set in the 1940s — nearly a century ago, and many worlds away.

About Lagnado: The late author was born in Egypt in 1956 and later emigrated to the US where she grew up in Brooklyn. She worked for over two decades as an investigative journalist for The Wall Street Journal. Her memoir was awardedthe Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature — one of the most prestigious in the realm of Jewish literature. Lagnado passed away in 2019 from complications from cancer treatment she received in her youth.

WHERE TO GET IT- The book is currently sold out in Diwan, but you can buy it on Amazon.

🍴 HOT AND FRESH OUT OF THE KITCHEN-

Tucked away in the heart of Cairo, the Khan El Khalili Restaurant et NaguibMahfouz Café is a portal to the golden age of the city. If its classical aristocratic decor and warm atmosphere aren’t enough to set the mood, the live band playing the oud, tabla, kanun, ney, and rik will definitely transport you to a different time. The menu features a range of classic Egyptian dishes, including mezze, grilled meats, and flavorful stews. The food is fresh, flavorful, and expertly prepared, with generous portions that are perfect for sharing.

What to order: We suggest you start out with their kawari’ soup, which has broth that is both hearty and flavourful. If you’re not a big fan of kawari’, the orzo soup won’t disappoint. We won’t waste your time listing the appetizers you should order — hot or cold, you can’t go wrong. We particularly loved the mombar.

For the main course, give their moussaka or molokheya with rabbit a try. Don’t forget to order their eponymous Naguib Mahfouz cocktail, which is an ingenious mix of karkade and tamrehindi. Sweet, but not too sweet, and tart but not too tart, this drink is the stuff of dreams, and a big reason we keep going back.

Even though its entrance is tucked away and unassuming, the restaurant is Khan el Khalili’s worst kept secret. To guarantee a table, call ahead and reserve, keeping in mind that seats fill up fast, especially in Ramadan.

💵 Per person: EGP 300-500

🪑 Outdoor seating: No

🍺 Alcohol: No

🦽 Accessibility friendly: Yes

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