Muslims and mutton biriyani are synonymous. But there will be twist in the tale for this year’s Bakrid biriyani – chicken, not mutton. With mutton and sheep being used as the primary meat for qurbani (sacrifice), and with Hindus abstaining from meat because of the Purattasi month, the city’s butchers are gearing up for chicken-heavy Bakrid.
Liyakat Ali Khan, who runs a butcher shop in Jafferkhanpet, says he is expecting to sell nearly 200 kg of chicken for the festival. But he adds that the sale of mutton will go down because of the qurbani. “Some people will buy it small quantities for breakfast, because after qurbani, they will have meat at their homes and would not need to buy it outside. And it will be a Muslim-special as Hindus will not buy meat at all because of the festivals.
Fathima, a college student, said that she prefers chicken since it was easy to clean and cook, unlike red meat. “If you have a little more time, you can also experiment with it by adding a little variety to the cooking,” she quipped.
However, Md Basha of Pudupet, told City Express that both chicken and mutton will have equal share in the total meat sale this festival. He said that most of the families will be able to cook the meat they get from the Qurbani only on the next day since they will be busy distributing the meat to others on Bakrid.