The world is gearing up to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr and preparations are on in full swing. Eid marks the end of the Ramadan. A traditional Eid spread is a delight and a sheer indulgent affair. If you are planning to host an Eid feast at home and try some traditional favorites, here is a list of the best festive dishes.
Sheer Khurma
This ‘Meethi Eid’, treat yourself and your family with this sumptuous Eid staple. A wholesome sweet milk pudding with vermicelli topped with chunky nuts and raisins.
Ingredients
500 Ml Milk, full cream
50 Gram Vermicelli (broken into small pieces), roasted
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Dates, chopped
1/4 Cup Raisins
1/4 Cup Almonds (cut into pieces), blanched
1/4 Cup Pistachios
1/4 Cup Ghee
1/2 tsp Saffron
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
Directions
Take a pan and pour ghee in it. Add almonds, raisins and pistachios to it. Saute well. .Now in another hot pan with ghee, add vermicelli. Roast well. In another wide pan simmer the milk till it thickens, add sugar and simmer again. Add the roasted vermicelli and dry fruits along with dates and saffron. Mix well till simmer. Add cardamom powder. Bring to simmer. Serve chilled, garnished with dates.
Mutton Korma
This robust mutton curry is teeming with aromatic masalas, cashew nut paste, rose water and saffron. The succulent and spicy mutton pieces pair very well with sheermal and bakarkhani.
Ingredients
1/2 bowl oil
1 onion, sliced
700 gms mutton
3-4 tsp curd
1 bowl water
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garlic (roughly ground)
1 tsp ginger (roughly ground)
3-4 Cloves
2-3 Whole green cardamom
2-3 Cinnamon sticks
2 tsp onions, fried
Directions
Heat the oil in a deep dish, add the finely sliced onions and lightly fry it. Add the mutton, curd, salt, water, coriander powder, red chilli powder and stir for a few minutes. Now add the garlic, ginger, cloves, green cardamom and the cinnamon sticks and mix well. .Cover it and cook on a slow fire for about 30 mins, then add the fried onions and stir again. Cover and cook for an hour or till done. Garnish with thin deep fried onion rings and serve hot.
Phirni
Thickened milk pudding with ground rice, the fragrant treat is garnished with lots of nuts, dry fruits and raisins.
Ingredients
1 Cup Almonds, peeled
500 Ml Milk
100 Gram Sugar
2 Tbsp Rice
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
1 Tbsp Gulabjal
Directions
Chop the almonds finely and keep aside. Soak the rice for 15 mins. Now grind to a paste using little water. Keep milk for boiling, add sugar and cardamom powder. Once it boils, lower the heat and add almonds. Cook for 2 mins and then slowly add the rice paste. Keep stirring on a slow flame till the entire milk thickens and coats thickly on the back of a spoon. Remove from flame, add gulabjal and pour in small containers. Refrigerate and serve cold.
Bhuni Raan
Raan is a toothsome mutton dish made with fried mutton leg. It is a nice departure from the usual curry-based mutton Mughlai dishes. You can serve it with roasted potatoes and fresh veggies.
Ingredients
1 1/2 Kg Mutton leg
4 Tbsp Oil
2 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Malt vinegar
5 cm Ginger piece (ground into paste)
8-10 Garlic cloves (ground into paste)
1 tsp Cumin powder
2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1 Cup Yogurt
Directions
Marinate the meat. Make more slits if required to allow the marinade seep into the meat. .Keep aside for 6-8 hours. Heat oil in a kadahi, add mutton leg along with the marinade and cook for about 20 minutes. Pressure cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to drop on its own. Serve with roasted potatoes and steamed fresh seasonal vegetables.
Shahi Tukda
Milk, breads, nuts, ghee, sugar and thick cream; that is all that goes into this delectable dessert.
Ingredients
4 slices Large white bread (edges trimmed off)
Ghee (clarified butter) for deep-frying
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup milk
Rabri (made of 1/2 kg milk)
1 tsp gulab jal (rose water)
1/2 cup malai (clotted cream) or thick cream
Vark (silver leaves, optional)
For garnish:
2 tbsp almonds (slivered), blanched
2 tbsp pistachios (slivered), blanched
Few rose petals (optional)
Few kesar strands (saffron)
Directions
Cut the bread slices into half, lengthwise, and deep fry in hot ghee, till crisp. Dissolve the sugar in the milk and bring to a boil, and keep aside till cool enough to handle. Dip the bread in the milk and sugar solution, and arrange the pieces in a serving dish, in one layer.
Mix the rose water in the `rabri’ and spoon it over the bread slices, to cover all of them. Spoon the malai or cream over the center of each slice. Garnish the vark over this, in case you are using it. Garnish with almonds, pistachios, rose petals and the saffron strands. Serve hot or chilled.
