TV chef Nadiya Hussain publishes Rooza, a cookbook that celebrates Ramadan food

28 February 2025 Ray Bonsall

Nadiya Hussain’s new Islamic cookbook offers main meal and dessert inspirations from Muslim communities around the world for each of the 30 days of Ramadan – and we’ll be publishing recipes from the book every week until Eid.

Nadiya Hussain has published a new cookbook, Rooza, as a tribute to Islamic cuisine.

Rooza is the Islamic word for Ramadan and the book features main meal and dessert inspirations for each of the 30 days of the month plus a selection of feasting recipes for Eid festivities.

Hussain explores Muslim culinary traditions from her Bangladeshi heritage to Turkey, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan, Mauritius and beyond, shining a light on the rituals, flavours and variety of dishes across the Islamic world.

Nadiya Hussain is a celebrated chef, born in Luton to British Bangladeshi parents. Since winning the British Bake Off in 2015, she has become a national treasure, presenting her own cookery series on BBC 2 to great acclaim.

Hussain said: ‘For me as a mum and as the head of the kitchen, what we eat during the holy month of Ramadhan is so important.’

‘After not having eaten from sunrise, what I lay on the table at sunset really matters to me. It has to be nutritious, filling and most of all, it has to be delicious.’

Ramadan will start at sunset on 28 February and lasts until the end of March.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink between dawn and sunset, and will often gather for meals known as iftar to break their fast.

The end of Ramadan is celebrated with Eid-al-Fitr, which will fall this year around the 30 March and can last from 1 – 3 days.

Over the next month, the Slice will be publishing a selection of recipes from Rooza for iftar meal inspiration.

Rooza was first published by Penguin on 16 January 2025 and is available to buy online and in store at Waterstones, Foyles and WHSmiths.

If you liked this read How Bengali newspapers in Tower Hamlets are fighting to keep Bangla alive and relevant to a new generation .

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