Traditional Indian Recipes for Ramzan and Eid

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Ramzan is the 9^th month in the Islamic lunar calendar and is observed by fasting everyday from sunrise to sunset. The end of the fasting month is marked by a festival called Eid-ul-Fitr with a feast to celebrate the month long abstinence from food and drink.

Both Ramzan and Eid are observed in different ways throughout the country. While there are a few basics like milk based desserts and meat based biryani, every region adds their own distinctive flavor to come up with their own authentic cuisine. Here we bring together different dishes from various parts of India, for a truly authentic Indian spread!

1. Haleem

Haleem is a fasting person’s super dish – an all in one meal in itself! The most popular version is Hyderabadi Haleem which is even transported from Hyderabad to places around the world during Ramadan!

1. Soak 100 g chana dal and 250 g broken wheat for 4-5 hours. Marinate ½ kg boneless mutton pieces with ¼ cup curd, salt, 1 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric and 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste for an hour.

2. Cook the mutton in a pressure cooker till done. Keep aside and cook the dal and wheat together till soft.

3. In a food processor, blend together the cooked meat and dal to a smooth consistency.

4. In a cup of oil, fry 3 sliced onions till brown and crisp. Keep aside.

5. In the same oil, fry ½ tsp turmeric with ½ tsp garam masala and salt. Pour in the meat-dal mixture and cover and cook till it becomes thick and porridge-like.

6. Serve garnished with the fried onions, chopped mint leaves and lemon wedges.

2. Ghee Rice

While biryani is a well known staple for Eid, its younger cousin, ghee rice isn’t far behind. This is a common dish in Malabar households and is very versatile – it can be eaten with any kind of curry!

1. In 2 tbsp of ghee, fry 3 cardamoms, 3 cloves, a ½” cinnamon stick and a tablespoon of cashew nuts.

2. Add 4 cups of water and salt to taste. Bring to the boil.

3. Add 2 cups of washed and drained jeerakasala rice. Lower the heat, cover and cook till all the water has been absorbed.

4. Serve garnished with fried onions and cashew nuts.

3. Shami Kebab

Lucknow is famous for its huge variety of kebabs. Many of them have influences from the Middle East and Central Asia and most of them deal with meat. This one features chicken, for a change.

1. Soak 100 g chana dal for 6 hours. Cook ½ kg of chicken mince till tender. Grind to a paste.

2. Grind 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp pepper corns, 1” cinnamon stick and 1 tsp cumin seeds into a paste. Mix with the chicken paste and add salt to taste.

3. Mix 1 large beaten egg and 2 tbsp flour into the paste. Add 1 finely chopped onion and green chilli and mix to form dough. Shape little round balls out of the dough, flatten into patties and fry till brown on both sides. Serve with chutney.

4. Rogan Josh

This dish is a must have at any authentic Kashmiri feast and its trademark is its rich red color and fiery gravy. Another Ramadan favorite, it goes perfectly with both rotis and rice.

1. Heat oil in a pan and fry 1” cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, 3 cardamom pods.

2. Add ½ kg lamb pieces and fry till they’re brown.

3. Add ½ tsp turmeric, 3 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, 1 tbsp ginger paste and salt. Stir well and cook the lamb till done.

4. Add ½ cup yogurt and simmer till the required consistency is reached.

5. Sheer Korma

This is an extremely popular Eid dessert in North India. Made with fine vermicelli and whole milk, it can be customized with your choice of dry fruit.

1. Fry ¼ cup fine vermicelli in a tablespoon of ghee and keep aside.

2. Boil 2.5 cups of milk and cook till it’s nearly half its volume. Add ½ cup of cream and cook till thick.

3. Add the vermicelli and cook till soft. Add ½ cup of chopped dried fruit of your choice. If using figs or dates, soak them beforehand in warm milk. Cook for 2 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat and serve hot, garnished with cardamom powder and slivered almonds.

Do try out these dishes and send us pictures, we’d love to know how your family enjoyed them!