Flavours of Eid Al Adha in the UAE
Emirati, Moroccan, Indian and Pakistani residents share their Eid food traditions
Dubai: Eid Al Adha – it's that time of the year again, when Muslims across the world gear up to prepare an elaborate feast to enjoy with their loved ones. As every year, the UAE celebrates the occasion with a long weekend, to mark the end of the Haj pilgrimage. The highlight of the celebrations in most families is the dawat or special feast arranged or offered to celebrate the occasion.
Gulf News Food team caught up with an Emirati, and expatriates from India, Morocco, and Pakistan, to find out what they cook during Eid celebrations.
Sara Brihich, a 26-year-old Dubai-based Moroccan expatriate, misses home a lot, especially around Eid, a big celebration in her home country. She moved to the UAE nearly two years ago and hasn't been able to visit home since then. Today, her family will celebrate at home in Morocco, but she will continue working in the UAE. "I am working during Eid because I work in the hospitality sector, and it is open," she said. “However, I will go to a Moroccan restaurant with my friends and celebrate by eating some traditional food. There are some absolute must-have Eid dishes in Morocco like boulfaf (skewered and grilled lamb liver and heart wrapped), lamb baharat, which basically requires slow-cooking meat with vegetables, salt and pepper for nearly 12 hours,” explained Brihich. "I miss my family, and hopefully, eating my favourite Eid dishes will help me be a little less homesick," she said.
I am working during Eid because I work in the hospitality sector, and it is open. However, I will go to a Moroccan restaurant with my friends and celebrate by eating some traditional food. There are some absolute must-have Eid dishes in Morocco like boulfaf (skewered and grilled lamb liver and heart wrapped), lamb baharat, which basically requires slow-cooking meat with vegetables, salt and pepper for nearly 12 hours
For Imroze Nasim Khan, a 37-year-old Dubai-based entrepreneur from Karachi, Pakistan, Eid celebrations bring people together. She said: "The day begins with Fajr or morning prayers, followed by eating sheer khurma (a sweet dish prepared with vermicelli or sevai)."
The day begins with Fajr or morning prayers, followed by eating sheer khurma (a sweet dish prepared with vermicelli or sevai
In the UAE, the Eid Al Adha celebration is traditionally called El Eid El Oud, which means The Big Eid, explained Nazek Al Sabbagh, a food entrepreneur. She added: "The food prepared for Eid is usually a communal affair between families, and every family has its own preference. When we visit our relatives, we greet them by saying 'Eid Mubarak'. Then, we are welcomed with traditional beverages like – tea and Arabic coffee and the familiar scent of bakhoor, an Arabic essence commonly used in Middle Eastern homes, lingers.”
Nazek explained that after the meet and greet, they proceed towards largely meat-based meals. Dishes like ghoozi (a meat and rice dish, something like a biryani), harees (an Emirati preparation of chicken soup), and sweet dishes like balaeet (Emirati sweet vermicelli and egg) and khabeesa (a sweet made of sautéed flour and molasses) are some popular choices.
The food prepared for Eid is usually a communal affair between families, and every family has its own preference. When we visit our relatives, we greet them by saying 'Eid Mubarak'. Then, we are welcomed with traditional beverages like – tea and Arabic coffee and the familiar scent of bakhoor
Sikandar Ali, a Pakistani expatriate and general manager of Daily Express Pakistani restaurant in Dubai, explained the significance of Eid, especially for children. He said: "This celebration gives children the opportunity to meet their elders and seek blessing and receive Eidi." Children are also fond of the traditional sweet dish made during Eid, called sheer khurma. A dish where vermicelli is cooked in milk and garnished with raisins and saffron." Ali explained that sheer khurma, unlike other dairy-based desserts, does not use milk powder. "It is only made with fresh milk, and that's why it tastes the best," he added.
A typical Eid gathering in a Pakistani household will have a table filled with traditional dishes, especially different kinds of kababs like chappli kabas, shammi kababs, beef biryani and mutton bhuna to name a few.
Officially the celebration lasts 4 days. Khan added: "We usually prepare many elaborate meat dishes for several days. However, when we want to rest on certain days, we resort to something easy like Haleem; which is basically made of meat, lentils and broken wheat, with a porridge-like consistency. It is nutritious, filling and does not involve much labour."
On a sweet note
It does not matter the number of sweet dishes cooked during Eid; sheer khurma is customary. It is loved by the young and old alike. "The best thing apart from its taste about sheer khurma is that it can be served both hot and chilled,” said Ali. The perfect sweet ending to a feast. On this note he also shared his recipe for sheer khurma for Gulf News readers. Here it is:
The best thing apart from its taste about sheer khurma is that it can be served both hot and chilled,
Recipe for Sheer Khurma
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
2 tbsp clarified butter or ghee
1-litre full-fat milk
4 tbsp sugar
1 cup vermicelli, roasted
4 to 5 saffron strands
For the garnish
8 to 10 cashews, chopped
8 to 10 de-skinned almonds, slivered
8 to 10 golden raisins, washed
Method:
In a stainless steel pot, add milk, sugar and saffron. Bring it to a boil by simmering it for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, add ghee or clarified butter in a separate pan to roast the dried fruits – raisins, cashews and almonds. If you use pistachios, you do not need to roast them unless you like; roast them for about 5 minutes and keep them aside.
Once this is done, you will need to roast the vermicelli. You can either dry roast it or use clarified butter. First, break the vermicelli, around 1 inch in length, pour clarified butter into the pan and roast until golden or brown in colour.
Note: You also get store brought dry roasted vermicelli, so check the packaging. In that case, you can skip the last step.
Add the vermicelli to the pot of milk. Cook for 15 minutes or until the vermicelli softens and is cooked.
Add the dried fruits except for raisins to the milk pot and continue to cook until the milk thickens to desired consistency. Add the raisins once cooked.
Note: It will thicken further upon cooling. So adjust the consistency accordingly.
If you are looking for more recipes to make this Eid try this vegetarian side - Lebanese spicy potatoes, a Pakistani-style Kurkuri Bhindi or crispy ladies' fingers, and a drink to welcome your guests with - Tamar Hind, Shammi Kabab, Biryanis and Haleem.
Do you have a favourite recipe you make for Eid and would like to feature it? Share it with us at food@gulfnews.com