How to Prepare Halal Food

Halal food, like kosher food, is food that is prepared according to religious dietary rules. Halal food follows Islamic dietary instructions.

Instructions

1. Avoid meat and meat byproducts that are not halal. Pork, carnivorous animals, blood, and gelatin are all off limits.

2. Select meats that are killed in the halal way. This means that they were ritually slaughtered by someone who has said a prayer to Allah and faced Mecca before performing the slaughter. Check the Halal Business Directory for halal butchers, restaurants and shops worldwide. A link is available in the Resources section.

   The animal should be slaughtered with a sharp knife to prevent unnecessary pain and bled fully. The throat should be slit, which enables a quick death, and the animal must not be thirsty at the time of the slaughter. "Allah" must be said at least once during the slaughter, and anyone over the age of 13 may perform the halal slaughter.

3. Select any vegetable desired for a halal recipe. All vegetables are considered clean, according to the dietary rules.

4. Avoid preparing any halal food with alcohol. Consumption of alcohol is not permitted in Islam.

Resources

• Halal Business Directory Worldwide