Eid day special: Recipes from around the world

Our recipe section is committed to enhancing your culinary experience on Eid day. From juicy kebabs and exquisite biryanis to irresistible sweets, there is something for everyone. Come along on a flavourful trip with us, as we share delicious recipes that will make your Eid celebration truly special.

MALAI TIKKA PULAO

Ingredients

• 500g boneless chicken
• 750g basmati rice, soaked
•  ½ cup curd
• ¼ cup cream
• ½ tsp black paper powder
• 2 tsp green chilli paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 10-15 black peppercorns
• 4 green cardamoms
• 5 cloves
• 1 black cardamom
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 star anise
• 4-5 green chillies
• ½ cup chopped onions
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp mint leaves

Method

In a bowl, take chicken, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli paste, salt, black pepper powder, cumin and coriander powder. After that, add cream and curd, mix everything. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken pieces until they become light brown. The chicken is not to be cooked completely now. Take 3 tablespoons of oil in a large pan and fry all the whole spices in it on low flame, after 2 minutes fry the onions until golden.  Add chopped tomatoes and fry. Then add the remaining marinade and cook it. Add green chillies and fried chicken to it. Cook for some time. Add garam masala and mint leaves mix and add water as required. Let it to a boil and add pre-soaked rice.

When the rice is cooked to about 70 per cent, place hot coal inside a small bowl in the middle of it, add ghee and cover the pan with a lid. Cook on low flame for at least 15 minutes. After sometimes remove the coal bowl from the centre and serve hot by garnishing it with coriander leaves.

LAMB WITH CREAMY ALMOND SAUCE

Ingredients

• 1 kg boned lamb from the shoulder or leg, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
• 10 garlic cloves
• 2-inch ginger
• 50g blanched, slivered almonds
• ¼ cup oil
• 5 cardamom pods
• 5 cloves
• 2 cm cinnamon sticks
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 300ml single cream
• ¼ tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste

Method

Put the garlic, ginger, almonds and 5 tablespoons of water into a blender and process to a paste. Keep it aside. Put oil in a wide, heavy non-stick pan and set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, put in just enough meat pieces so that they lie in a single uncovered layer.

Brown the meat pieces on all sides, then remove them with a slotted spoon and put them in a bowl. Brown all the meat this way.

Put cardamom pods, cloves, and cinnamons into the hot oil in the pan. Within seconds the cloves will expand. Now add onions and stir fry until they turn a brownish colour. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the paste from the blender as well as the coriander, cumin, and cayenne. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes or brown. Add the meat cubes, salt cream, and water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour or until the meat is tender. Stir frequently during cooking. Add garam masala powder and mix well. Remove from heat and serve hot.

GINGER BEEF

Ingredients

• 1 kg beef undercut cubes
• 2-inch pieces of ginger
• ½ cup onion, chopped
• 3-4 green chillies
• 3 boiled tomatoes chopped
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 125g yoghurt
• ¼ tsp dry ginger powder
• 6-8 cloves
• 3-4 green chillies
• Coriander leaves as required
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup oil
• ½ cup water

Method

Finely chop the ginger and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped ginger and onions. Fry until golden brown. Now add beef and cook until the meat changed its colour. Now add cardamoms, cloves, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, crushed red pepper, and yoghurt. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Now add dry ginger powder, water, and salt to taste. Cover and cook on low flame for 8-10 minutes. Then remove the lid, add chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chillies, and chopped tomatoes. Cook and stir for a few minutes or until oil comes on top. Take it out in a serving dish and serve hot.

CRISPY CARAMEL CHICKEN

Ingredients

For the marinated chicken —

• 1 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp orange juice

For the caramel glaze —

• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey
• 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium shallots, chopped
• 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, minced

To grill and garnish —

• ¼ cup white sesame seeds
• ¼ cup black sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 2 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
• 6 bamboo skewers

Method

For the marinated chicken —
In a large zipper-lock bag, combine chicken, fish sauce, brown sugar, and orange juice. Shake well to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

For the caramel glaze —

In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, fish sauce, orange juice, rice vinegar, and honey over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add garlic, ginger and shallots and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until glaze becomes thick and sticky. Remove from heat and set aside.

To grill and garnish —

Scatter white and black sesame seeds and almonds evenly all over a baking sheet.

Thread the chicken on 6 bamboo skewers. Transfer to the grill and cook over direct heat, turning and brushing with the glaze every 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and crisp. When the skewers are nearly done, brush the chicken liberally one last time with glaze and roll the skewers in the sesame-almond mixture to coat. Return to grill and cook, turning until almonds are lightly toasted. Remove from heat, garnish with scallions, and serve

MUTHI KEBAB

Ingredients

• 500g meat mince
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 3 chopped green chillies
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 2 red peppers, crushed
• ½ tsp pomegranate seeds powder
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp gram flour (pan roasted)
• ½ tsp cumin seeds powder
• Oil for fry

Method

In a bowl, put minced meat and add all the ingredients except for oil. Mix with your hands until well combined and let stand for ½ an hour to blend flavours. Now take a handful of the mixture and give them oval-like shape. Then heat oil in a pan. Deep fry the kebab till golden brown. Remove on a platter and serve hot.

THAI GRILLED WHOLE FISH

Ingredients

• 1 medium size fish (red snapper, sea bass, sea perch, or any other white fish); cleaned
• Salt to taste
• 2 limes
• For the sauce —
• ½ cup water
• ½ tbsp tamarind paste
• 3 clove garlic
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 thumb-size piece ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup fresh coriander
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• ½ red bell pepper (de-seeded and diced)
• 2 fresh red chillies, minced

Method

Prepare fish by rinsing it, then patting it dry. Make 2 to 3 diagonal cuts on the side of the fish with a knife. The cuts should be several inches apart. Squeeze the juice of lime over and inside the fish. Sprinkle salt, mix and set aside while you prepare the sauce.

Place water, tamarind paste, garlic, ginger, sugar, coriander, chilli and fish sauce in a food processor. Process well. Pour the sauce into the saucepan. Add pepper and simmer over medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes. Cover and keep warm while you cook the fish. Grill the fish on the barbecue. Don't flip the fish too early, allow it to cook at least 3 minutes before turning. Turn and cook the other side for 3 minutes more. To serve, plate the fish and pour the prepared sauce. Garnish with fresh coriander and wedges of lime.

LOKMA

Ingredients

• 1½ cup warm water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tbsp
• 1 tsp salt
• Vegetable oil for frying
• For the syrup —
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Method

In a cup, add yeast and sugar to warm water. Stir until dissolved. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Add yeast water and stir with an oiled wooden spoon until a dough like consistency form. Cover and place in warm area and allow to rise for 1½ hours, or until doubled. Heat oil in a pan. Spoon dough by the tablespoon into vegetable oil and allow to cook for about two minutes on each side, until each side is golden brown. Repeat with the remaining dough. Drain on paper towels.

About 20 minutes prior to frying the dough, make the syrup. Mix all the ingredients in a pan until sugar is dissolved on medium heat. Bring to a boil, then allow to simmer on low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Drizzle syrup over the fried dough and serve immediately.

ROSE AND PISTACHIO PHIRNI

Ingredients

• 2 litres milk
• ¼ cup aromatic rice
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 green cardamoms
• A few rose petals
• 1 tbsp rose water
• Few drops pink food colour, optional
• ¼ cup chopped pistachios
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• ¼ cup condensed milk

Method

Wash the rice and soak it for an hour. Let the water drain. Grind the rice with ¼ cup of milk. Add the remaining milk to a heavy bottom pan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add the cardamom and pistachios. Add rice and stir continuously to avoid any lumps. Then add sugar, mix and simmer till the pudding starts to thicken. Add rose petals, rose water, and pink food colour. Keep stirring the phirni in intervals until it is thick. In the end, add heavy cream and condensed milk. Mix properly and cook for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer onto a serving dish and refrigerate. Garnish with pistachios and serve cold.