Making Mujadara

Due to the fact that there are not necessarily explicit halal recipes, I chose to make a dish that is commonly eaten during Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar.

This month-long holiday is very relevant to Muslim food practices because during this time observers fast from sunrise to sundown but eat their meals during the hours of darkness with family or the local community. Followers of Islam believe that this holiday teaches Muslims patience and modesty.

The meal served before dawn is called the suhoor and the meal served after dusk is known as the iftar. Before the iftar, Muslims break their fast by eating dates.

One such meal that may be consumed is majadarra, a rice, lentil and onion dish that is common in the Arab world, which is what I chose to make in my investigation of Islamic food practices. This dish is fairly simple to make and most of the ingredients are easy to come by.

Halal in the North End

After desperately trying to find Global Markets, the once halal certified grocery store in Burlington, which no longer exists, I pulled up in front of the Community Halal Store on North Avenue. When I asked the employee there about the Global Markets store, he told me that he had never heard of it, and when I asked him if his store was the only store that sold halal products in the area, he said that it was “one of two, I think.” Thus I began to wonder how easy it was to come across halal foods in Burlington, or maybe just as someone who does not normally seek these products, I just did not know where to look.

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Halal and Haram

 

Image credit: spicyjackdeli.com

Islamic law separates food into two categories: clean and lawful (halal) or unclean and unlawful (haram). Halal and haram are terms that exist outside the sphere of food as well for example they are also applicable to earning a living, dress code, and interactions with others. Another third category known as mashbooh or mustabahat describes foods that are questionable or doubtful. These distinctions come from the Quran and other religious doctrines based on what the Prophet Muhammad reportedly said and did.

There are strict rules surrounding halal foods, concerning what Muslims can and cannot eat. The reasons for prohibition are mainly impurity and harmfulness. The adherence to these food laws for followers of Islam is a matter of obeying God. The foods that are explicitly forbidden include animals that die themselves, blood, swine and carnivorous animals, as stated in the following excerpt:

“Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine…” (Surah al-Ma’idah, V: 53)

Fasting is another way in which Muslims can earn the approval of Allah. Muslims ritually fast on certain days and during certain months, such as the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, Ramadan. It is also a way to control appetite since excessive consumption is considered a sin.

All intoxicants are also considered haram, specifically alcohol. Many Muslims will not eat foods containing vanilla extract or soy sauce because these products contain alcohol and also do not eat foods cooked with alcohol.

In addition to these forbidden foods, other rules dictate the methods by which the meat can be slaughtered. The focus is on gentle and humane practices. An animal must be slaughtered by a Muslim, while simultaneously mentioning the name of God or Allah, and this meat is then called zabiha or dhabiha meat. For example, the Quran states:

“O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you, and render thanks to Allah, if it is (indeed) He whom you worship. (Chapter II, Verse 172)

In non-Islamic countries these food rules would obviously be difficult to adhere to, and concerns of cross-contamination are often an issue. For example, foods like gelatin in fact contain pork products although it is seemingly meat-free. However, halal markets are popping up worldwide. Especially in major cities there are many food trucks and carts serving primarily halal foods. Organizations exist which can certify these markets and companies to accommodate growing Muslim populations in North America and Europe.

VPR reports that there are more than 2,000 Muslims living in Vermont. Here in Burlington are two businesses that provide halal foods: Community Halal Store and Global Markets, which used to be Halal Vermont. These are some of the only providers of certified halal foods around, especially meats.

Riaz, Mian N., and Muhammad M. Chaudry. Halal Food Production. Boca Raton, FL: CRC, 2004. Print.

“VPR: Vermont’s Muslims.” VPR: Vermont’s Muslims. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.