In this series, we chat with cherished friends about what their culture’s festivals and celebrations mean to them. Ayesha Erkin is a shining light of creativity and connection. She is a trained architect and cookbook author (her debut, Date of the Day, has over 30 delectable recipes for stuffed dates). She also founded Brown Girls Food Club – a global sisterhood of food lovers that creates space for BIPOC voices in the culinary world. Based between London and Texas, Ayesha chats with us about the profound effect Ramadan has on her life, each year.
➺ What does Ramadan mean to you, how has this changed over time?
Ramadan is my favourite month of the year, though it wasn’t always. Initially, I saw it as an obligatory period that was hard to integrate into my routine, especially when I lived away from my family in non-Muslim environments. Without my family’s guidance in the spiritual aspects of the month, Ramadan felt difficult and lonely.
Then, in around 2019, my sister (who was also my roommate) moved out of our apartment in Austin, Texas. I was stressed, overworked, and lonely as I broke my fasts, so I started Brown Girls Food Club. I realised so many of us struggle with not having the community aspect of Ramadan when we're away from our families. I began to see Ramadan in a new light. It became a time to step back from capitalism and reshape my life for the better, serving as the beginning of a new year where I focused on developing the best version of myself. It’s not just about abstaining from food and drink, but about nourishing the soul and prioritising what truly matters.
➺ Do you have any Ramadan rituals?
One of my favourite traditions is ‘Date of the Day’, where I come up with a different date recipe every day. I started it during Ramadan in 2020 – the first one I’d spent with my family in a decade.
I also enjoy praying Taraweeh with my mum and spending quality time with my elders, as well as deepening my connection to our heritage. I love to burn bukhoor, douse myself in oud and dress in my abayas as often as I can. Dallas also has an amazing community when it comes to scholarly events, and I love going to Roots or the Yaqeen Institute and being a student.
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1. Ramadan nights – praying taraweeh
2. Preparing sumptuous dates for iftar
3. Ayesha's abu making iftar pakoras
4. Evening embraces at the mosque
5. Starting Iftar on a sweet note
➺ It's a time of self-reflection, how do you harness this beyond the daily fast?
I use Ramadan as an opportunity to redirect and reprioritise my personal growth and my relationship with Allah. During the month, I feel a distinct strength that comes with heightened self-awareness – I confront my faults and challenges directly, rather than ignoring them. Every Ramadan brings its own challenges, but taking steps to overcome them leaves me better equipped and more confident for the rest of the year. For example, I won't stop going to the gym during Ramadan, and this habit creates a base of self-discipline I aim to carry for the rest of the year.
If I can do something during Ramadan, I can do it for the other 11 months.
Time for a quick-fire round…
➼ Suhoor or iftar?
Iftar for sure! I always struggle with waking up for suhoor and have to really force myself to eat.
➼ What's your favourite thing to see on your iftar table?
I always look forward to my mum’s Quaker shorba – a comforting Saudi oat soup – and my dad’s pakoras. The perfect combination.
☾ Finally, talk us through your Eid day routine.
Eid morning starts with my parents yelling at us to wake up for the earliest prayer – a struggle because I'm usually up late the night before, making sangza and maamoul. I roll out of bed, make myself a chai (it’s so nice to have it again in the morning!) and we rush to the masjid to pray and hang out with Dallas’s huge muslim community. Then brunch with the family and the worldwide Eid food-coma nap. Next, it’s on to my aunt's house with my cousins for “Eid Baba" – our family’s muslim version of the White Elephant gift exchange. It's chaotically fun. We finish the day playing games, eating and catching up with friends who arrive for the festivities.
Adorn iftar tables with Ayesha’s Halloumi, Honey & Chilli Oil Dates or White Chocolate, Rose & Pistachio Dates, this Ramadan.
In our next Rooted in Ritual, OG Dishoom-walla Chef Naved Nasir reminisces about childhood Ramadans spent munching fresh bhajis and banging on nagaras. And spills why he doesn’t let anyone else make his suhoor chai…
The story continues
