BENGALURU: Eid is right around the corner and Muslim families in the city have started preparations for the feast. An integral part of the celebration is food with every household having their own specialties. A few Bengalureans share dishes that have been passed on from generations and are a must on the celebration menu.
Mutton Pepper
It might not be a usual dish on an Eid menu in Bengaluru but for Fathima Shaikh, a Mangalurean Muslim, mutton pepper is a staple in her household. The 60-year-old learnt the dish from her mother, which she has passed on to her daughters who have given it their own twist. “The dish is made for breakfast on the Saturday morning after the last Friday of Ramadan. It is paired with rice roti or idlis,” she says.
Cheesy Kebabs
It’s his ammi’s chicken samosa and chicken cheesy kebabs that Zafir Syed looks forward to during Ramadan. “These are simple dishes which are flavour bombs,” says Syed, who makes sure he is with his mother in Mumbai a few days before Eid to enjoy the delicacies of iftar.
Ande ki Mithai
On the long list of sweet dishes for Eid, Sameena Ahmed’s ande ki mithai is something that everyone in her household looks forward to. The dish is mostly seen at weddings, but in Ahmed’s home, it’s an Eid staple. “It’s a baked dessert recipe that my mother and grandmother prepared. They used to use the charcoal-baking style, with pressed charcoal on the top of the vessel since they didn’t have access to a modern oven,” says Ahmed, a home chef.
Sheer Khurma
It’s impossible to imagine Eid without sheer khurma, and in fashion designer Husna Sait’s home, it’s no different. But what makes her sweet dish different is the style of preparation. “On Eid morning, when people return from the mosque, they break their fast with dessert – in my house that’s usually sheer khurma. The one I make is my mother-in-law’s recipe,” says Sait.