Eid ka dastarkhan: There is much more to the festival than just biryani

Parbina Rashid

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THE early memories of Eid celebrations go back to the childhood spent in the sleepy town of Dibrugarh on the banks of the Brahmaputra. Living in a close-knit community, going around the neighbourhood to wish everyone ‘Eid Mubarak’ right after namaz was the norm back then.

And there was this elderly woman who used to be quite measured with her Eid generosity. As soon as pleasantries were over, she would ask us directly — food or Eidi? As the entire neighbourhood shared more or less the same menu which consisted of korma pulao, seviyaan, home-made cake and coconut laddoo, we, as second or third graders, would happily settle for the Eidi, a decent sum of Rs 20 each.

The word biryani was not yet a part of our vocabulary. It became a familiar word only after I joined Aligarh Muslim University. And visiting local families on Eid became more of a survival tactic as the hostel mess remained closed.

There used to be a set menu for casual walk-ins. Sheer khurma, chhole and kebabs; but if one managed to hang around till lunch time, the reward would be that coveted plate of biryani.

This was the time when the emotional plate of korma pulao got seamlessly integrated with saffron-flavoured Lucknowi biryani and a whole new journey began.

So much like the journey of biryani itself. It came from Persia in the garb of biriyani-birinj, and finding itself amidst an array of Indian spices, it metamorphosed into biryani. It did not just Indianise itself but regionalised too, keeping itself in sync with local spice flavours.

The fling with biryani became a full-fledged affair once I shifted to Delhi to join Jamia Millia Islamia. With Kareem’s at Chandni Chowk playing Cupid, it was impossible not to fall in love. What added to the legitimacy of the love affair was that my local guardian painstakingly taught me how to cook Lucknowi biryani and shami kebabs. In Delhi, my status changed from ‘biryani seeker’ to ‘biryani giver’ as Eid would be spent at their home serving guests from morning till night.

Memories of the festival in Delhi came flooding back when Delhi-based author Rakhshanda Jalil described her Eid celebrations: “My house is open to all. I cook biryani and seviyaan in bulk so that I can feed everyone right from the courier boy to friends, neighbours and relatives. Everybody in my friend circle demands biryani on Eid.”

Biryani, without a doubt, enjoys a cult following. But does it alone carry the weight of the Eid platter?

“There are certain dishes cooked across the sub-continent like kebab, seviyaan, biryani, sheer khurma, zarda and muzaffar. But kebab, biryani and seviyaan are a must on Eid,” says Pushpesh Pant, food historian who has authored several books.

By and large, the number of dishes prepared for Eid varies from region to region and the taste, too, changes according to regional preferences.

Celebrity chef Kunal Kapoor elaborates, “When it comes to the food eaten during Ramzan that culminates in a big feast on Eid, there are three main components — meat, dates and seviyaan. Consumption of meat and dates is universal, but eating seviyaan on Eid is unique to India. While recipes of kimami seviyaan or sheer khurma remain more or less the same throughout the country, it’s the meat preparation which changes from region to region depending on the local ingredients.”

Kapoor substantiates his argument with the example of aleesa, the Malabari sibling of the mighty haleem. Hyderabad’s haleem is a spicy mixture of coarsely-ground wheat along with meat, while Kerala’s aleesa, keeping the basic texture, consistency and key ingredients intact, sees the addition of coconut milk and raisins.

If geography plays a major role in shaping a dish, it’s the human factor which helps in preserving these time-tested delicacies.

Naheed Rana, who belongs to Bengaluru’s Mehkri family who held key posts under the Mysore kings, is an example of how far one would go to present the culinary heritage on Eid. “Mutton dum biryani and haleem are a must. So is baghare baingan, which is cooked in tomato-coconut based gravy as an accompaniment to biryani,” she says.

While the first meal after Eid’s namaz for her family is sheer khurma and parantha with phaal (mutton curry), Naheed serves all special dishes from morning till midnight for anyone who would walk in.

As a custodian of the Mehkri family’s culinary secrets, Naheed prepares her sheer khurma with 15 types of seeds and nuts, some familiar, some exotic. She also makes a rare culinary gem called ande ki piyosi, an egg and khoya-based dessert with saffron. “We use plenty of saffron both for sweet and savoury dishes,” she says.

To keep the dining table laden at all times, preparations start three days prior to Eid. “That’s because our family recipes are a closely guarded secret. Right from grounding the spices to preparing the meat cuts, all family members do everything themselves. No outside help for Eid feast,” says Naheed, a trained Bharatnatyam dancer and professional choreographer.

Similar is the case with Urfi Qadri from Srinagar. A teacher by profession, Urfi needs at least two days for preparing a scrumptious Eid meal that includes yakhni (mutton in white gravy), Kashmiri pulao, goshtaba, rogan josh and rista. “Though these days youngsters influenced by YouTube culture prefer cooking biryani with basmati rice, I use local Kashmiri rice for pulao and lots of dry fruits and ghee,” says Urfi.

Being conservative while following the Eid tradition does not sound like a bad idea. After all, this is a day friends and neighbours, both Muslims and non-Muslims, wait for the traditional treats.

Shams Tabrezi, Urdu poet, writer and television host from Punjab, loves spreading Eid cheer among all his friends. “As most of our friends are non-Muslims, they wait throughout the year to have seviyaan on Eid. We cook about 12 types of seviyaan at home; some are customised to suit various sugar levels,” says Tabrezi. Preparations start almost seven days prior to Eid.

Tabrezi and his close friends have devised a smart way to delegate responsibilities. “Eight or 10 families get together before Eid and decide which family will cook which dish. Someone cooks biryani, other families cook korma, chhole, kachori, etc. When we visit each other, we get to taste everything that Eid has to offer. Sharing food creates a bonhomie that rejuvenates our bonding,” says Tabrezi.

Retired scientist Shamshad Ali Khan from Panchkula is happy to offer special phirni to his friends on Eid and is willing to part with his secret recipe too. “We start collecting milk seven days prior to Eid and start thickening it. Once it is sufficiently thick, we put ground rice, coconut powder, badam, kaju, chironji into this thickened milk and cook it to the right consistency. Finally, seviyaan fried in desi ghee goes into it.” And cooking it on Eid is a family affair for the Khan family, with every member actively participating in the kitchen after the namaz. “It’s a hit with my former colleagues and neighbours,” he says.

Cementing the social bond is Patiala-based singer Kamal Khan’s aim when he throws an Iftaar party for his friends and neighbours, a bond which he plans to strengthen further with the Eid feast. With a guest list which includes names such as Gurlej Akhtar, Nooran Sisters, Master Saleem, Resham Anmol, Inder Chahal and Happy Raikoti, Kamal wishes to give out the message that ‘we are one’ and Ramzan is a great time to reiterate that by reaching out to all religious communities. Who can say no when such a message of harmony comes wrapped in drool-worthy foods?

Having seen how my own modest Eid recipes have helped me bond with my Sikh relatives and friends in my adopted state Punjab, there is no doubt that food is a great unifier and biryani definitely breaks barriers!

Tastes of India

There is no such thing as Mughlai cuisine, says Pushpesh Pant. “What goes by this name evolved after the decline of the Mughals. In Rampur, the kebabs are more robust and the kormas richer. In Lucknow, the galawati kebabs melt in mouth. In Malabar, the biryani is distinctly different from the one in Hyderabad. It is less aromatic and more spicy. It seems to be influenced more by the Arabs than by Persians. At times, fish biryani is also served on Eid. In Gujarat, the Bora Muslims have a cuisine that blends sweet and sour. This is where sheer khurma is more popular, a variation on seviyaan. The Kashmiris do not cook anything special for Eid other than pulling out their classic specialties from the Wazwan. Their seekh kebabs are far more popular than shami or galawati kebab. Pulao is preferred over biryani.

Special seviyaan

Zebi Zubair, who mesmerised the judges of MasterChef India in its first season with her dish called Banarasi kimami seviyaan, shares the recipe.

Banarasi kimami seviyaan

Ingredients

Fine Banarasi seviyaan 1 cup

Khoya 1 cup

Sugar 1 cup

Milk 1 cup

Water 1½ cup

Ghee ½ cup

Kewra water Few drops

Nutmeg (jaifal) & 1 tsp green cardamom powder

Makhana (chopped in half) 1 cup

Chopped dry fruits (cashews, ½ cup almonds, raisins)

Dry coconut 2 tbsp

Chandi ka warq 2

Method

Heat a pan on low flame and dry roast seviyaan until it turns brown. Keep aside. Don’t over roast.

In the same pan, heat ghee and fry makhana till crunchy. Add dry coconut, cashews, almonds and raisins. Fry and keep aside. In another deep pan, add sugar, khoya, milk, water and mix well. Cook and keep stirring until the first boil. Reduce flame to cook the sugar syrup until it is thick and feels heavy while stirring. Add half-cup water/milk to the thick syrup and boil. Add roasted seviyaan, dry fruits and cook on low flame for about 4-5 minutes and switch off. Pour a few drops of kewra and sprinkle nutmeg and green cardamom powder and mix well.

Cover the lid and leave for 10 minutes. Garnish with chandi ka warq and serve at room temperature.

Arabian delight

Kunal Kapoor, a celebrity chef, says haleem, also known as harissa or hares, was introduced by Arabs to Nizam’s soldiers in Hyderabad.

HALEEM

Ingredients

For grains & dals

Dalia 50gm/ ½ cup

Jau (barley) 2 tbsp

Chana dal 1 tbsp

Urad dal (dhuli) 1 tbsp

Moong dal (dhuli) 1 tbsp

Masoor dal 1 tbsp

Almonds 5-6

Cashewnuts 5-6

Water 1 litre

For mutton marination

Mutton ½ kg

Mutton bones 250 gm (optional)

Salt to taste

Turmeric 1 tsp

Red chilli powder 1¼ tbsp

Garam/potli masala 1 tsp

Black pepper powder 1 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste 2 tbsp

Curd ¾ cup or 180 gm

For cooking

Ghee 5 tbsp

Cinnamon 1-inch stick: 2

Cardamoms 8-10

Cloves 7-8

Peppercorns 10-12

Kebab chini (allspice) 8-10

Shahi jeera 2 tsp

Onion (sliced) ½ cup

Green chillies (slit) 2-3

Green coriander leaves A small sprig

Green mint leaves A small sprig

Salt To taste

Water 1 litre

For garnish

Fried onions & cashews , mint & coriander leaves

Method

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Add all whole spices and sauté. Add onions, sauté till brown. Add marinated meat and cook on high heat for 15-20 minutes. Add fresh mint and coriander leaves. Pour water and close the lid. After the first whistle, lower the heat, cook for another hour or till the meat is tender. Turn off the heat and let the cooker sit for 10 minutes. Open the lid and remove some ghee floating on top in a separate bowl. Remove the meat from the thin curry through a strainer; using tongs, remove all bones. Add the meat back to the thin curry and place it in a kadahi. Using a masher, gently press the meat to separate the fibre. Do not turn on the heat. Add puréed grains and lentils to meat. Turn on the heat and mash meat again for 10 minutes. Once it starts boiling, cook till it releases ghee from the sides. Add some ghee removed earlier. Serve hot with a garnish of fried onions, fried cashews, mint, coriander leaves and a drizzle of leftover ghee on top.