Eid celebrations through the course of the year signify different facets of faith honoured by those adhering to the Islamic faith. Bakrid in this regard highlights the sentiment of sacrifice. No Eid celebration however, is complete without a succulent menu planned out for the evening. Consider the following 5 dishes as potential additions to your meticulously planned evening of Eid festivities.
Ghosht Biryani
It almost goes without saying that having Biryani on the menu for an evening of Eid celebrations is a given. Ghosht Biryani — the traditional name for good old mutton biryani, is no doubt a labour of love, but one worth all the effort that goes into it. It does not matter if you are a first-timer in the complex world of biryani concoctions. Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s Kachche Ghosht ki Biryani recipe will turn you into a bona fide overnight chef.
Ingredients: Chopped mutton – 750 gms, Soaked Basmati rice – 1 1/2 cups, Raw papaya paste – 2 tbsps, Sliced onions – 4, Yoghurt – 1 1/2 cups, Chopped green chilli – 1, Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp, Red chilli power – 1 1/2 tsps, Ginger paste – 1 1/2 tbsps, Garlic paste – 1 tbsp, Rose petals – 2 tbsps, Chopped fresh mint leaves 1/2 cup, Chopped coriander leaves – 1/2 cup, Garam masala powder- – 1tsp, Green cardamom – 3, Cinnamon 1 stick, Cloves – 3, Black cardamom – 1, Black peppercorns – 8, Kewra water – 1/2 tsp, Rose water 1/2 tsp, Pure ghee – 3 tbsps, Shahi jeera 1/2 tsp, Kesar – a few strands, Milk – 2 tbsps, Wheat – as required for dum, Oil for deep frying, Salt to taste
Method: Slather the mutton pieces in the raw papaya paste and refrigerate for 8-10 hours. Next morning, begin by deep frying the onions till crisp. Then add yogurt, green chillies, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, half the fried onions, one tablespoon rose petals, half the fresh mint, half the fresh coriander and garam masala powder to the mutton and refrigerate for a further 30 minutes. Cook the rice half-way through in salted water then add the green cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom, peppercorns, half kewra water, rose water, 2 tablespoons ghee and shahi jeera over the rice and mix well. Top this up with the remaining fried onions, kewra water, mint, coriander, saffron, milk, ghee and rose petals. Cover the dish with a well-fitting lid and seal the ends with a strip of thick dough. Place a tava under the dish and cook on low heat for 45 to 60 minutes. Let the Biryani rest for about 15 minutes before breaking dough seal and serving.
Korma
Biryani is incomplete without a side serving of some delicious korma. This easy Korma recipe from Chef Ranveer Brar will add a smoky layer of flavours to your Eid menu. It must be noted that a Korma recipe can typically be replicated with any kind of meat.
Ingredients: Curry cut chicken – 1 kg, Bay leaves – 2, Green cardamon – 3, Black peppercorns – 6, Clove – 3, Mace – 2, Ghee – 1/4 cup, Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp, Brown onion paste – 1/4 cup, Cashew nut paste – 1/4 cup, Rose water 1/4 tsp, Kewra water – 1/4 tsp, Curd – 1 cup, Turmeric powder – 1 tsp, Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp, Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp, Coal – 1, Cloves – 4, Salt to taste
Method: Sauté the ghee, bay leaves, green cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves and mace then add the chicken, ginger garlic paste and salt to taste. Separately mix together the curd, turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder and add to the cooking chicken. Now add the brown onion paste and cashew paste and let the chicken simmer. After a while, take out the chicken pieces and let the gravy cook separately. Once the gravy starts thickening, add back the chicken. In a small heat resistant bowl, place the coal and cloves and position it in the midst of the gravy. Add hot ghee on the coal and cover the dish with a lid as the chicken continues to cook on low heat. Chicken Korma is best had with plain steamed rice or some stretchy naan.
Haleem
If there is anything more labour intensive than making Biryani from scratch, it is diving into a rustic Haleem recipe. Haleem makes for a rich and succulent menu item considering the fact that it combines pulses with meat and gravy. While an authentic Haleem recipe will involve hours and hours of toiling away in the kitchen, multiple instant pot recipes have come up off late which cut the labour by half, making this definitely worth a try. Take this recipe from Spice Chronicles for instance.
Ingredients: Boneless chicken – 1/2 kg, Oil – 2 tbsps, Chopped onion – 2, Minced garlic – 2 cloves, Mixed lentils – 3/4 cup (mix together chana dal, urad dal and masoor dal), Cracked barley – 1/2 cup, Rolled oats – 1/4 cup, Red chilli powder – 1 tsp, Coriander seeds – 1 tsp, Mace – 1, Star anise – 1, Garam masala powder – 2 tsps, Freshly chopped ginger, Fresh coriander leaves, Lemon juice – 2 tbsps, Ghee – 1/2 cup, Salt to taste
Method: Lightly toss around the coriander seeds, mace and star anise on a hot pan and blend in a grinder to create your spice mix for the recipe. In the instant pot itself, add some of the ghee, onions, garlic and chicken and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Now add your spice mix, salt, lentils, barley, rolled oats and 6 cups of water. Set to cook on high pressure for 20 minutes and let the pressure release naturally. This will take about 50 minutes or so. Once done, go in with your immersion blender and reduce the gravy to a fine puree. Garnish with the ginger and coriander. this is best served with rice or naan.
Hara Bhara Kebab
Hara Bhara Kebab makes for that one vegetarian dish that can proudly hold its own in front of a series of scrumptious, meaty delicacies. Chef Ranveer Brar has a simple recipe to create these lip-smacking nutrition filled bites.
Ingredients: Olive oil – 1 tsp, French beans 1/2 cup, Green peas 1/2 cup, Green bell pepper – 1, Spinach puree – 1/2 cup, Boiled potato – 2, Chopped ginger – 1 tsp , Chopped green chilli – 1 tsp, Corn flour -3 tbsp, Jeera powder – 1 tsp, Coriander powder – 1 tsp, Red chilli powder – 1 tsp, Garam masala – 1 tsp, Cashew nuts – a handful, Salt to taste and oil for frying
Method: Roughly sauté the vegetables in oil then let them stew in 1/2 cup water. Add to a blender to make a fine vegetable paste. To this add the spinach puree, potato, ginger, green chili, spices and corn flour. Once you have a tacky mixture, apply oil on your palms and start shaping them into tikkis. Garnish with a cashew in the middle. Deep fry and serve hot. For a healthier alternative, the tikkis can be air fried as well. Let the tikkis set in your air fryer for 10 minutes at 180 degrees. Then flip over and air fry again for 8 minutes at 160 degrees.
Kulfa
Kulfa is easily the most fuss free recipe on this list of potential Eid delicacies. Carrying an ice-cream like texture, Shahi Kulfa rides high on the subtle flavours of cardamom infused with varying textures of milk. Give this Slurrp recipe a shot.
Ingredients: Full fat milk – 1 litre, Cream – 1/2 cup, Milk powder -1 cup, Bread slices – 4, Sugar – 3/4 cup, Kewra water – 1 tsp, Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp, Saffron – a pinch, Almonds – 10, Pistachios – 10
Method: Add half a cup of the full fat milk to the milk powder and whisk well to get rid of lumps. Bring the rest of the milk to a boil then add the bread slices. Now add the slurry to thicken the mixture along with the saffron. Cook this for 20 to 25 minutes till the mixture significantly thickens. Add the sugar and dry fruits and cook for 5 more minutes. Now add the cream and cook for a final 5 minutes. Lay this out on a shallow dish and garnish with cardamom powder and remaining chopped dry fruits. Freeze for at least 2 hour or overnight before relishing.
What are you planning to feast on this Bakrid?
