Generosity and hospitality are most abundant in our Muslim brothers. More so on Eid.
Eid-ul-Adha is a festival that involves sacrificing an animal. Not just any animal, but one that you have looked after and fed and started to care for. This shows the extent of sacrifice (Qurbani) that you would make for God.
The meat is then divided into three equal parts, one for the poor, another one for friends and relatives, and the last one for yourself.
In India, this tends to be a goat that is bought a few months ahead and taken care of and fed to be nice and plump before the slaughter.
The meat, therefore, is a lot better and fatter compared to your regular everyday mutton. It tastes this good only once a year. Eid time.
For breakfast, simply fried liver is served with salt, pepper, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. This is followed by hectic preparations and cooking a variety of dishes. Trotters are cooked as Paya a soupy gravy. Head is consumed too as Siri. The brain is cooked on a griddle and is lightly spiced. Practically every part of the animal is used.
Some special dishes are kebabs, korma, and biryani. The sweet dish is a Phirni – an Indian rice custard. The entire food is very aromatic, flavourful, and rich in fats. Not too chili hot though.
I am not a Muslim and Eid is not celebrated at our home but my memories of it are vivid.
Pulla uncle had a mutton export business in Sadar Bazar in New Delhi. He was not an uncle, not even a family friend. He had an endless supply of fattened goats that he had reserved for his Eid sacrifice. He was generous and slaughtered quite a few of them for the festival.
He was a friend of the father of my friend Anurag. We used to tag along for Eid ki Dawat (feast of Eid) every year. That was the only time we ever met him.
Proper freeloaders.
We were welcomed like a part of the extended family. Served lovingly. There used to be several sittings and so many eating at the dastarkhwan (floor seating of equality, normally men and women eat separately) of this stranger uncle.
Sana Khan, a home chef, and her husband, who I had never met, remembered me on this Eid and kept me a portion from the friends and family third of the animal.
Some bonds cannot be explained I suppose. These bonds are based on my “Kissa Kahani” or nostalgic stories from my life.
They came a long way to my home from the winding streets of old Delhi bearing dishes that were outstanding stand-alone, the emotion and affection made them fit as food for angels.
Moist biryani with that really fatty meat that is available only around Eid. A delectable mutton korma, some Khameeri Roti (leavened tandoori bread), and sheermaal (a sweet bread) from the bread makers of old Delhi and the sweetest and most flavourful Phirni ever.
Reminded me of Pulla uncle and the fact that all are welcome and included in Eid.
Eid Mubarak!
Mutton Quorma
Mutton Korma or quorma is a dish originating in the Indian subcontinent, consisting of meat braised with yogurt or cream, water or stock, and spices to produce a thick sauce or gravy.
For an Indian vegetarian celebration sweet recipe, see Paneer Jalebis.
Ingredients
- •400 grams (14 ounces wt) plain Greek yogurt
- •75 grams (2.6 ounces wt) ginger-garlic paste
- •25 grams (.8 ounce wt) green chili paste
- •1000 grams (2.4 pounds) boneless mutton, cut into cubes
- •Cooking oil, as needed for deep frying the onions
- •400 grams (14 ounces wt) sliced onions
- •355 ml (1½ cups) ghee
- •2 bay leaves
- •5-6 cloves
- •5-6 green cardamom pods
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) red chili powder
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) Degi mirch/Kashmiri chili powder
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) garam masala
- •10-15 ml (2-3 teaspoons) salt, to taste
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) ground coriander
- •5-6 green chilies, trimmed and sliced
- •2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) black cardamom powder
- •2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
- •About 15 ml (1 tablespoon) fresh ginger, julienned – for garnishing
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) kewra water or rosewater
Preparation
Marinate
- In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, and chili paste. Add the mutton and marinate for 30 minutes.
Onions
Heat oil in a sauté pan and fry onions until golden brown.
Remove onion from oil, let cool and dry spread on a paper or a pan.
Blend them into a paste in a food processor.
Sauté
Heat the ghee in a large sauté pan.
Add bay leaf, cloves and green cardamom and sauté till they release their fragrance.
Cool the ghee a bit.
Mutton
Add marinated mutton.
Sauté it for 7-8 minutes on medium heat.
Add red chili powder, degi mirch, coriander powder, garam masala and salt.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. If the mixture seems dry, add a bit of hot water as needed.
Cook uncovered on medium flame till the ghee separates and you see a rich red color.
Onion Paste
Add the browned onion paste.
Add 473 ml ( 2 cups) of hot water, cover, and cook until meat tender (about 165°C/74°F). Additional water may be added if required.
Simmer and Serve
Sprinkle the sliced green chilies, green cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, and kewra water.
Simmer Mutton Quorma for 5 minutes and serve with naan or roti.
Phirni
Ingredients
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) basmati rice soaked in 118 ml (½ cup) of water for an hour
- •1 litre (4.2 cups) whole milk
- •100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- •1.3 ml (¼ teaspoon) cardamom powder
- •1.2 ml (¼ teaspoon) saffron soaked in 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of lukewarm milk for an hour
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) kewra water (or substitute rosewater), optional
- •Sliced green pistachios and dried rose petals for garnishing
Preparation
- Make a coarse paste of the rice and water.
In a heavy-bottomed pan, boil the milk until it is reduced by about a third. Stir in the rice paste slowly and carefully, avoiding lump formation. Stir continuously for 5 minutes, then simmer for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the sugar, cardamom powder, kewra water (if using) and soaked saffron. Keep stirring and simmering till you get a thick custard.
Put in individual bowls, cool, and refrigerate until chilled and firm. Garnish with pistachios and rose petals before serving.