Ramadan is considered as a holy Islamic month in many parts of the world and is marked very auspicious for the followers of the Islam. The fasting continues for the whole month and begins from sunrise to sunset. During this period people abstain from eating food and also give up all the personal desires to mark the holy month. During the fasting people consume meal two times a day, one is before the sunrise called as the “Suhoor”, and the latter is after the sunset which is called as “Iftar”.
The most popular dish prepared during the Iftar is a stew which is slow cooked called as “Nombu Kanji” or most popularly called as the “Haleem”. The dish is so comforting to relish during the fasting season as the flavors are not too strong and has the subtle spice flavor cooked slowly with shredded chicken or mutton. The other dishes that people eat are simple and sweetened ingredients like dates, fresh juice and cut fruits. This will help them balance out their diet and not cause problems while fasting. Protein rich diet is also a must during fasting as the protein filled dishes will keep you full for a very long time.
Although the festival is all about fasting and performing prayers, the holy month ends with a lavish feast known as the “Eid-Al-Fitr”. This feast at the end is what breaks the fasting and is highly anticipated by the people. Even the children be eager to look forward for a wide spread of the food that will be laid over the table with various delectable dishes.
Many tradition follow a different set of customs and also there is a great change in the food tradition as well. Even though food tradition changes the idea of celebrating with the family and loved ones remains the same. The Ramadan celebration that we are aware is most popularly in India which is well known as “Ramzan”. The celebration in India begins in the morning where people freshen up and spray themselves with scented perfumes and the men dress up in white cloth which signifies purity.There will be prayers that will be offered in the mosque and after which they rejoice the occasion with a lavish meal. During the meal is when the friends and family exchange their greetings.
Here we have created the best 13 lip smacking dishes that are found to be prepared in most of the households. These dishes will leave you with a wonderful memory and you would love to try for more.
The meal begins with a flavorful starter made with minced chicken. The minced chicken is mixed along with fresh herbs like mint, coriander and dill leaves of your choice and then spiced up with flavorful spice powders. The mixed chicken is then molded onto a long steel skewers and placed in tandoor. The chicken is cooked in the harsh heat inside tandoor which will create a charred flavor. The seekh kebab can also be cooked over a flat tawa and roasted until it is golden brown.
The classic combination for the kebabs are pita breads or rotis with a combination of Mint Chutney, Yogurt Dip, Pickled Onions to make it more exciting.
This chutney is made from fresh coriander and mint leaves along with green chillies, ginger and lemon and a dash of sugar that gives this chutney a unique flavor. You can also mix a little bit of yogurt to create more creamy texture.
The chutney goes well with Seekh kebabs, Keema Samosa, and Gola kabab with some pickled onions.
A very special dish to the most of the people in India. This becomes the heart of the feast during Eid festival. Biryani is very essential to all the muslim community, there are two different ways the biryani can be made, one of the famous method is the dum cooked biryani. In this the rice is par boiled before and the meat is well marinated in advance with all the spices and yogurt. A huge “Handi” or a vessel is used to cook the biryani where in after sautéing the onions and tomatoes, the marinated meat gravy is layered first and then the parboiled rice is added with lots of caramelized onions over it.
The Mutton dum Biryani is serve along with boondi raita, cucumber and onion raita or Mirch ka salan to enjoy your biriyani with more delicious side dishes.
The brinjals are roasted and cooked in a delicious thick onion peanut gravy which makes it the perfect side dish with any Biryani. The peanuts and sesame seeds are first roasted well till golden brown and then the onions are sautéed well with green chilli, ginger, and garlic. The roasted are ingredients are then ground into a smooth paste and then cooked along with brinjal and spice powders so that the brinjal will soak in all the flavors.
The best accompaniment for the Bagara Baingan would be Biriyani rice and a cup of Boondi raita or cucumber onion raita by the side.
Mirchi Ka Salan is a very traditional recipe from the Hyderabadi/ Andhra cuisine served on the Eid festival. Salan is hot and spicy and has a tangy gravy. All the spiciness comes from chillies and tamarind, and the gravy blended with other freshly ground spices and peanuts.
Mirchi ka salan is traditionally served as a side dish for other dishes also like Hyderabadi Vegetable Biryani. Or you can also serve this dish with plain steamed rice or Tawa Paratha.
A refreshing accompaniment that can be had with various dishes. Raita is usually referred as a salad in India that is made with yogurt and mixed along with various ingredients. In this salad we have a classic combination of freshly cut onions, tangy tomatoes and cucumbers with the addition of green chillies and cumin powder in the tomato onion raita gives it a zing to the palate.
The Tomato onion raitha make it a perfect accompaniment to go along with the Mutton Dum Biryani or it can also be served along with Vegetable Biryani.
Yet another simple and popular yogurt based dish served as an accompaniment to biryani, pulav or tehari. The special ingredient is the boondi, that is made from a paste of ground chickpea flour with a little turmeric, salt and chilli powder added to the paste, little drops of the paste are deep fried, added to beaten yogurt which is flavored with black salt, powdered roasted cumin seeds and optionally garnished with pomegranate and fresh green coriander leaves.
The Boondi Raita can go well along with the Mutton Dum Biryani or it can also be serve along with Vegetable Biryani.
A simple gravy made by sautéing the onions with ginger and garlic till the onions are browned. Once the onions have a golden texture it is ground to a paste and then cooked in a kadai with chopped tomatoes and spice powders till the flavor is developed. The boiled eggs are then slowly immersed and simmered for few minutes until the eggs are well coated with the creamy masala.
The accompaniments for the egg curry can be your Malabar style flaky parottas, simple Tawa parathas or just a steam rice will do.
One of the famous Indian bread which has various many layers to it that creates a flaky texture. The parotta is made healthy so you can relish them with any kind of curries. The result of the flakiness is by rolling the dough thinly and then then folding it several times and then stretching it so that it forms a long thread. It is then folded into a ball and rolled thin.
You can serve these hot whole wheat parottas with Egg curry, Bagara Baingan, or even with hot Vegetable Stew.
Carrot Cucumber Tomato Salad with Lemon and Coriander Recipe
A delicious and simple salad made with grated carrots and a lemon coriander dressing. A great starter that goes well as a salad for the meal that we have made. The salad is not too heavy on the palate and is just right to be served along with Biriyani, Egg curry and Parotta.
Creamy custard filled with seasonal fruit is always a winner for a festive occasion like Ramazan. The custard is super easy to make. All you need is some custard powder mixed with milk till it thickens. Custard is all time favorite for children as well as people of all age and they never go waste as you can also store it in the fridge for couple of days and relish it as an when you like.
A quintessential dessert that ends the Ramadan meal with a sweet note. It is also prepared during the other important festive occasions like for a muslim wedding. Most of the firni is prepared with rice and milk but we have added a twist by added some grated carrot and cooked in milk. The addition of semolina to the firni creates a wonderful creamy texture which will urge you to try more.
Sheer Khurma Recipe (Seviyan or Vermicelli Kheer Pudding)
A delicious dessert dish traditionally made during the festival of Id. Sheer means milk and Khurma means dates in Persian and that is essentially what the kheer is composed of. The addition of more dry fruits like pistachio and raisins makes the Sheer Khurma a rich and delicious dessert that can be served for parties as well.
