Though literally millions of South Asian Muslims will fast during the upcoming month of Ramadhan, it's a safe bet that most of them will break their daily fasts with the same traditional iftari spread full of typical "chat-patti" snack foods—fried pakoras, chutneys, fruit chaat—before moving on to dinner. But who has the energy to slave over a stove after fasting all day long? And why bore your taste buds with the same old goods each night? While some traditional iftari foods should never be taken out of circulation (dates, for example, were used by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) to break the fast, and for good reason—they provide an instant shot of energy-boosting glucose), we broke with custom to create a fast, easy and delicious iftari that will leave your guests sated and begging for more. Best of all, you can prepare most of the items the night before or whip them up in mere minutes before sunset.

Sun-Dried Tomato Chutney
This chutney is an updated version of the classic condiment.

Blend all ingredients except oil in a food processor. In a small saucepan, combine the oil and the blended mixture. Fry on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes. The color should become a deep red. Serve with pita wedges or chips.

Recipe courtesy of Mirza Maghfoor Ahmad.

Salted Almonds
Prepare this easy snack the night before—they taste even better the next day. And they're an excellent source of protein after fasting.

Place almonds in a saucepan filled with water. Boil on high for about 5 minutes. Drain and run cold water over the almonds. The shell (or peel) will be soft enough to simply slide the almonds out.

After shelling the almonds, place them with the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry on medium heat for about ten to fifteen minutes. Keep stirring so the almonds don't burn. When they've become a dark golden color, turn off the heat and sprinkle the nuts with salt.

Peachy Cream Coolers
Don't suffer through your mother's concoction of milk and Coke any longer—offer her this sweet treat instead. Be sure to make this one at Ramadhan's beginning—when peaches are just at the end of their season.

Blend ice cream, peaches and honey in a blender until smooth. Garnish with peach slices, if desired. Serves 2.

Pomegranate and Banana Salad
This salad features some of the same ingredients as a traditional fruit chaat, but with a slightly different kick.

Combine lime juice with brown sugar; add salt to taste. Score and seed the pomegranates by cutting them into quarters. Place the pomegranate seeds in a mound in the center of a serving dish. Arrange banana slices around the edge of the seeds. Drizzle with lime juice mixture. Serves 4.

Recipe courtesy of Pomegranate Council.

Meat and Cheese Triangles
A savory shot of carbs is a must after fasting, and this easy dish replaces the mess and grease of pakoras and samosas. Prepare the filling the night before and assemble the triangles right before iftari.

To prepare the filling:

Mix ground round and water in saucepan over high heat. Add onions, salt, black pepper, red pepper, garlic, ginger and cumin. When water comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking meat (covered) on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until all water has evaporated. Sautee ground round on high heat for five minutes, stirring continuously. When the meat is dry and lightly browned, remove from heat.

To assemble triangles:

Thaw pastry sheets at room temperature for half an hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Beat together egg and water.

Unfold pastry sheets on lightly floured surface. Roll each sheet into a 12-inch square and cut each sheet into 16 3-inch squares. Place 1 Tbsp meat mixture in the center of each square. Top with 2 tsp cheese.

Brush edges of each square with egg mixture. Fold squares over filling to form triangles and crimp edges with a fork to seal. Place squares on baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with egg mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Yields 32.

Recipe adapted from Pepperidge Farms.