Reem Rashed Al Mazrouei, 21, Emirati
Dish: Luqaimat
Flour, dates, spice and honey are essential ingredients of most Arabic sweets and every Emirati home has a secret recipe that’s been handed down through generations. Reem will be using a recipe given to her by her grandmother to prepare traditional luqaimat, which are dumplings drizzled with date molasses - also known as dibs.
Haitham Alazawi, 40, Omani
Dish: Shoowa
Omanis have a culinary tradition associated with Eid and Alazawi’s household is preparing the famous Omani Eid dish – the shoowa. Consisting mainly of goat, cow or camel meat it is served with rice and salad. The preparation is very elaborate and time consuming. The meat is marinated in spices, wrapped in banana leaves before being put inside an earthen oven and where it’s cooked on charcoal for several hours.
Sadia Furhad, 25, American
Dish: Tuna pasta and a cinnamon chocolate banana bread.
Tuna pasta and cinnamon chocolate banana bread are two must-haves in this American household on Eid. The pasta is a twist on the classic American tuna salad and is made from whole wheat spiral pasta.
Onions and garlic are sautéed and the tuna is added to the mix along with sea salt, freshly ground pepper sweet corn and chickpeas. Parsley and parmesan shavings are sprinkled for garnish. The sweet bread is made from ripe bananas. Sweet cream butter, vanilla extract, baking soda, salt, whole wheat flour, cane sugar, an egg, cinnamon and dark chocolate chunks and chips go into making this dessert.
Bai Norhaya Maulana, 36, Filipina
Dish: Adobong Atay, Teriyaki, Piniñahang Manok and Inihaw na Salmon
Bai will have cook an array of traditional Filipino dishes as she is expecting friends over at her place. Plans are to prepare adobong atay or chicken liver sauteed in ginger and garlic with lemon and parsley; teriyaki – a crunchy chilli chicken wings with peanuts and sesame seeds; piniñahang manok or pineapple chicken simmered with cream and herbs and inihaw na salmon or grilled salmon served with greek yoghurt. For dessert she will serve moist and chewy chocolate crinkles
Yoshita Anand, 48, Sri Lankan
Dish: Watalappam and kiribaath.
Watalappam is a coconut custard pudding made of coconut or condensed milk, jaggery, cashew nuts, eggs and spices like cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. It is a hugely popular dish at weddings and festivals and is usually prepared by Sri Lankan Malays.
Kiribaath is a traditional Sri Lankan dish made from rice and is prepared with coconut milk. It too is an essential dish during festivals.
Darren Rankin, 30, Canadian
Dish: Maple salmon and broccoli cheese soup
The broccoli soup, as the name suggests, has shredded pieces of broccoli, milk, low fat cheddar cheese, steamed onions and bouillon cubes.
The maple salmon is a sweet dish. The salmon is placed in a shallow glass baking dish and coated with maple syrup; covered and kept in the refrigerator for half an hour. It is then baked for 20 minutes and placed on a bed of spinach and carrots.
Redab Mwalla, 44, Jordanian
Dish: Fattet al-betenjane (eggplant casserole)
Redab is preparing this classic Levantine dish as it’s a firm favourite in his family.
Traditionally it is prepared with chunks of eggplant which are deep fried and served alongside some bread.
But Redab is toasting the eggplants in the oven in order to keep it light. The dish is served as an entrée or appetiser.
Jemsheer M.P., 34, Indian
Dish: Kallummakkaaya and
Chatti Pathiri
These are two must-have dishes every Eid in Jemsheer’s household. Kallummakkaaya is a popular dish in Thalassery, formerly known as Tellicherry on the Malabar Coast in Kannur district, Kerala. It is made from mussels stuffed with rice and spices. They are boiled, later deep fried and served hot.
Chatti Pathiri is another hot favourite among Keralite expats. The main ingredient is chicken that has been marinated with a number of spices.
Mehwish Taimur, 31, Pakistani
Dishes: Sindhi biryani and nihari
No Eid is complete in most Pakistani homes without these two dishes. The aromatic Sindhi biryani has a classic blend of traditional spices which make it delicious and peppery. It is served with a light gravy dish and yoghurt.
Nihari is a stew consisting of slow-cooked meat (beef, lamb, mutton or chicken) is also hugely popular.
