Mohamed Cheikh’s Simple Iftar Ideas for Small Ramadan Gatherings

Not every Ramadan meal needs to be a large family gathering.

For many people, iftar is a peaceful meal at a small table, with unhurried soup and a thoughtfully prepared plate.

In France and elsewhere, an increasing number of Muslims spend Ramadan evenings by themselves, with a partner, or alongside only a handful of family members or friends. This changes the way meals are prepared, but it need not remove iftar’s sense of warmth or ceremony. French-Algerian chef Mohamed Cheikh, the winner of “Top Chef” 2021 and chef at Meïda restaurant near Paris, has developed his own approach to breaking the fast with a small group: uncomplicated, organised and reassuring.

Mohamed Cheikh’s approach to a small iftar

Mohamed Cheikh works from a simple principle: the ritual remains unchanged, while the portions become smaller. His iftar follows the same basic structure whether he is feeding three diners or twenty.

Dates, hot tea, a generous soup, a few crisp bites and vegetables cooked slowly in olive oil form the backbone of his Ramadan table.

He breaks the fast with dates and a hot glass of tea, before serving a large bowl of chorba, the traditional North African soup. He accompanies it with a modest serving of bricks - fine stuffed fritters - and a salad of tender, slow-cooked peppers inspired by Algerian felfel.

He then scales the quantities to suit the number of guests. For two people or a very small meal, he does not try to serve numerous dishes. Instead, he chooses a satisfying soup, one or two smaller accompaniments and a fresh-fruit ending, rather than an array of rich pastries.

Preparing chorba in batches for the week

For those with late finishes or unpredictable routines, the chef advises making chorba the dependable centrepiece of the week. He regularly makes a substantial pot once or twice weekly, even if only two servings are expected at the table.

Preparing a large pan of soup ahead of time saves effort on busy nights and guarantees a nourishing base for several iftars.

Chorba commonly combines seasonal vegetables and herbs with pasta, rice or small grains such as frik, or cracked green wheat. Its consistency is substantial without being too rich, helping the stomach return gradually to food after a day of fasting.

• Cook once: make a large pan on Sunday or in the middle of the week
• Cool and store: refrigerate it for two to three evenings
• Refresh: when reheating, add herbs, a squeeze of lemon or additional vegetables

This method suits students in shared accommodation, workers arriving home after a lengthy commute and parents whose children go to bed early. Rather than cooking anew each evening, they can warm through and adapt a reliable base meal.

Dates, milk and a genuinely satisfying soup

From a nutritional perspective, Cheikh remains close to established Ramadan customs. He recommends beginning with several dates and a glass of whole milk before progressing to soup.

Dates provide concentrated carbohydrates, minerals and fibre. Their naturally high glycaemic index means they increase blood sugar relatively quickly, which is precisely what many people fasting need at sunset. Milk supplies protein and fat, slowing digestion slightly and making it easier not to rush through the rest of the meal.

A bowl of vegetable-rich chorba after dates and milk can stabilise energy and reduce late-night snacking battles.

For two to four people, a single pot of soup can become the main event rather than an accompaniment. Carrots, tomatoes, courgettes, chickpeas or lentils, together with a drizzle of olive oil, make the meal feel substantial without the need for extra fried food or another main course.

Ending with fruit rather than fried pastries

While many Ramadan tables are laden with honey-drenched pastries, Cheikh favours freshness and hydration, particularly for quieter meals. Depending on the season and location, he recommends water-rich fruits such as melon, watermelon, grapes, peaches or oranges.

Swapping extra pastries for juicy fruit brings both water and vitamins after a dry day of fasting.

The fruit can be served with water, unsweetened fresh juice and herbal tea. For smaller households, this also helps to reduce waste. One bowl of prepared fruit can work as dessert, a pre-dawn suhoor snack or the following morning’s breakfast.

Bread, bricks and mhajab: the small details that matter

When he has additional time, Mohamed Cheikh focuses on bread. In many North African households, bread is far more than a side dish: it is a source of comfort, particularly throughout Ramadan.

The chef points to three traditional choices that are especially suitable for small iftars:

• Kesra: a flat, mildly dry semolina bread popular in Kabylie, ideal for dipping into chorba
• Matlouh: a thicker, softer bread, commonly cooked on a griddle, suited to sandwiches or soaking up sauce
• Mhajab: a stuffed form of msemen, or layered flatbread, usually filled with peppers and onions before being cut into small squares

He often makes these breads in small quantities before freezing them. As a result, a speedy iftar for two can still feel celebratory: a warmed piece of mhajab beside the soup, or a portion of matlouh brushed with olive oil and thyme.

With a well-stocked freezer of flatbreads, a complete evening meal can appear in minutes, without turning the kitchen upside down.

Sample iftar menu for two inspired by Mohamed Cheikh

The following example shows how his ideas can create an easy Ramadan evening meal at home for two:

Moment	Dish
Breaking the fast	3 dates each + 1 glass of whole milk or water
Main warm dish	Chorba with vegetables, chickpeas and small pasta, reheated from a batch
Side bites	2–3 small bricks per person + a spoonful of pepper salad (felfel style)
Bread	One piece of kesra or matlouh to share, warmed
End of meal	Bowl of watermelon cubes or grapes + still or sparkling water

This format makes preparation easier to manage while retaining the symbolic gestures many families value during Ramadan evenings.

Bringing together health, emotion and practicality

For nutrition specialists, this type of small-scale iftar offers many advantages. It allows a gradual return to food, starting with dates and milk, followed by a liquid-rich main course containing vegetables and pulses, limited fried items and a fruit-based dessert.

There is an emotional aspect, too, for people living away from relatives or for migrants working evening service jobs, as Cheikh often does. Following the same order - dates, soup, bread and fruit - can offer a sense of continuity and reassurance, even when there are very few people around the table.

Ritual matters as much as recipes: a simple bowl of soup served the same way every night can anchor the whole month.

Not everyone is able, or wishes, to cook like a television chef. However, the thinking behind Cheikh’s Ramadan evenings can work for many people: prepare one large pot, freeze bread, choose hydration and lighter endings, and do not cook for ten when only three people are eating.

Practical advice for Ramadan evenings alone or as a couple

For anyone experiencing their first Ramadan away from a large family table, several simple routines can make evenings feel more approachable:

• Choose smaller plates to prevent over-serving after a long day of fasting.
• Make chorba or another soup at weekends, then freeze it in individual portions.
• Create a “Ramadan shelf” in the fridge with chopped fruit, boiled eggs and yoghurt for quick suhoor or iftar additions.
• Keep bricks and deep-fried snacks to a few pieces per person on only a few nights each week.
• Lay the table, even briefly - with a cloth, two glasses and a small teapot - so that the occasion feels special, including when eating alone.

For those living with conditions such as diabetes, doctors generally advise adjusting portions of dates and choosing soups with plenty of vegetables and protein instead of large quantities of white bread or sweet foods. Mohamed Cheikh’s framework - structured, moderate in quantity and centred on whole foods - can be modified with medical guidance.

Ramadan traditions are frequently associated with large gatherings, yet the month also encourages quieter forms of care: simmering a pot of chorba for your future self, keeping back a small handful of grapes, or selecting one excellent bread rather than five side dishes. Cheikh’s small-group iftars demonstrate that simplicity can sustain both energy and spirit during the long fasting days.