Muslims around the world look forward to celebrating Eid al-Fitr as Ramadan draws to a close. Traditionally, the sighting of the moon marks the beginning and end of Ramadan. The ideal moment is when the moon is positioned between the Earth and the sun so that the far side of the moon is illuminated. On the first day of the 10th Shawwal in the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Fitr, also known as Meethi Eid, is celebrated. This year's celebrations will take place on 11 April 2024. Eid celebrations include completing roza, thanking Allah for providing health and strength during Ramadan, getting new clothes, cooking elaborate meals, spending time with loved ones, volunteering and other activities. 

At the heart of the Eid celebrations is the lavish feast, a culinary extravaganza that families eagerly await every year. This annual tradition sees tables decked with an array of sumptuous savoury dishes, each brimming with tantalising flavours and irresistible aromas. Here's a curated selection of five timeless recipes that promise to tantalise your palate and reveal the essence of why these dishes hold such esteemed significance in Muslim culture.

Lip-Smacking Eid Recipes

1. Sheer Kurma

(Recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)

Ingredients:

50 grams roasted vermicelli

5-6 cups milk

2 tbsps ghee

10-12 cashew nuts, vertically halved

8-10 almonds, vertically halved

1½ tbsps chironji

¼ cup condensed milk

12-15 pistachios, blanched, peeled and slivered

½ tsp green cardamom powder

A pinch of nutmeg powder

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a wide non-stick pan. Add cashew nuts, almonds, and chironji and sauté till golden brown. Drain on a plate.

2. Heat the ghee remaining in the pan. Add roasted vermicelli and sauté for 1 minute. Transfer on the same plate.

3. Heat milk in the same pan. Add condensed milk and mix well. Cook till the mixture comes to a boil.

4. Stir in the fried vermicelli along with the fried nuts. Add pistachios and mix till well combined. Cook for 8-10 minutes, while stirring in between. Add green cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and mix well.

5. Switch the heat off and transfer into individual serving bowls. Serve.

2. Nihari Gosht

(Recipe by Chef Kunal Kapur)

Ingredients:

Spices for Masala Bag:

2 tbsp Coriander seeds

1 tsp Fenugreek seeds

¼ Nutmeg

For Marinating Mutton:

1 kg Mutton (nalli, noti, chop)

Salt to taste

3 tbsp Ginger garlic paste

½ tsp Turmeric

1 tbsp Chilli powder

For Oil:

½ cup Mustard oil

½ cup Water

1 Lemon

½ tsp Salt

For Frying:

2 cups Sliced onions

¾ cup Onion paste

3-4 Cloves

4-5 Cardamom

2 Cinnamon sticks (1 inch)

Water as required

For Curry:

½ cup Curd

3 tbsp Poppy seeds

¼ cup Dry Grated Coconut

1½ tbsp Coriander powder

For Potli Masala:

75 gm Whole coriander

80 gm Green cardamom

10 gm Cloves

10 gm Black peppercorn

8 gm Mace

2 Bay leaves

½ Nutmeg

30 gm Black cardamom

20 gm Fennel seeds

40 gm Cinnamon sticks

50 gm Shahi jeera

8 gm Dry Rose Petals

10 gm Cubeb pepper

20 gm Pan ki Jad

10 gm Long pepper

10 gm Stone flower

15 gm Indian cassia buds

20 gm Vetiver roots

25 gm Sandalwood powder

For Finishing:

3 tbsp Roasted gram flour

3 tbsp Cashew paste

2 tsp Potli masala

Pinch of Mace Powder

Pinch of Cardamom Powder

½ tsp Black Pepper powder

2 tsp Screw Pine water

1 drop Sweet Perfume

2 Green chillies, slit

Handful of chopped Coriander

For Garnish:

Handful of Fried onions

Few Lemon wedges

Method:

1. First we prepare a potli of whole coriander, methi dana and nutmeg and keep separately. Potli is basically a spice bag. You can use a muslin cloth to make it.

2. Marinate the meat in salt, turmeric, chilli powder, ginger garlic paste and keep aside.

3. In ½ cup water add some salt and a few drops of lemon. Heat mustard oil and once the oil is hot sprinkle the salt & lemon water in it.

4. Once all of the water evaporates, put the spice bag in the pan and add sliced onions and brown them.

5. Once they are brown, remove them while straining the oil, chop them and keep them aside.

6. In the same pan, pour the strained oil back with the spice bag. Heat the oil and add onion paste. Add cardamom, cinnamon,and cloves.

7. Add fried chopped onion, and the marinated meat. Roast the meat for 10 to 15 mins while stirring it continuously, then add water or stock and cover and cook till the meat is half cooked.

8. Heat a small pan, roast khus khus and desiccated coconut. Let it cool down. Add curd and grind it well.

9. Once the moisture is reduced and the oil surfaces add coriander powder, curd and khus and coconut paste. Now roast the masala till the oil surfaces and skim and remove the oil and keep aside for garnish.

10. For potli masala, roast whole coriander, green cardamom, cloves, black peppercorn, mace, bay leaves, nutmeg, black cardamom, saunf, cinnamon, shahi jeera, dry rose petals, kabab chini, pan ki jad, pipli, patthar ke phool, balchar, and khas ki jad. Cool it down, then grind it to a fine powder then add chandan powder and mix it well.

11. Add more water or stock and cook until the meat is almost cooked. For finishing, mix together bhuna besan and raw cashew paste with some water and add to the boiling nihari.

12. Finish nihari with pepper powder, javitri elaichi powder, potli masala, kewra water and ittar. Take out the spice bag.

13. Garnish with chopped coriander and fried onions and enjoy!

3. Shahi Tukda

(Recipe by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)

Ingredients:

4-8 white bread slices

4 cups milk

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon green cardamom powder

¼ cup blanched and sliced pistachios + for garnishing

Ghee for shallow-frying

Sugar syrup for drizzling

Silver varq for coating

Method:

1. To make rabdi, heat milk in a non-stick pan and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally, till it thickens.

2. Add sugar and mix well. Add cardamom powder, stir and cook for a minute. Add pistachios and mix well. Remove from heat and refrigerate to chill.

3. Heat some ghee in another non-stick pan.

4. Cut bread slices into 4 equal portions.

5. Shallow-fry the pieces in hot ghee till golden brown from both the sides. Drain on absorbent paper.

6. Take fried bread pieces on a plate. Drizzle sugar syrup and top with rabdi. Apply silver varq and sprinkle pistachios.

7. Transfer on a serving plate and serve immediately.

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