What better way to celebrate Eid than by making some traditional dishes? Here are a few easy-to-prepare sweet delicacies that comprise the flavour of the season. Like any other festival, Eid is also celebrated with luscious dishes meant especially for this day.
The traditional sweet dishes have mostly been derived from the Mughals. Phirni is a special dish made during this festival. Sevaiyan, keema matar, baba ghannouj, kibbeh, shahi tukra, sheer kurma are other popular dishes. These delicacies are prepared with the techniques that were used ages ago.
ZARDA RICE
Ingredients:
1.5 cups basmati rice
2.5 cups hot water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar (adjust to taste)
Pinch of saffron
1/2 cup chopped nuts
3/4 cup coconut pieces
2-3 tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
Pinch of kesar powder
Khoya for garnishing
Method:
Wash rice, soak it for half an hour and drain water completely.
Add saffron strands and sugar to milk. Microwave for a minute and set aside.
Heat ghee in a pan and fry nuts on low flame. After the nuts turn golden brown, add coconut pieces and drained rice. Fry this in the same ghee till a nice aroma comes.
Add hot water, kesar powder and orange zest to this. Reduce the flame, cover with lid and let it cook for 10 minutes.
After rice is 3/4 cooked, add sweetened milk with saffron strands and cardamom powder. Cover the lid again and let it cook on very low heat for another 10 to 15 minutes.
By now, all the liquid should have been absorbed by the rice and it will be fully cooked.
Serve garnished with khoya.
CREAMY CORN
Ingredients:
1 cup broken corn
1 litre full cream milk
200 gm sugar (adjust to taste)
1/2 tsp powdered cardamom
100 gm cream
10-12 chopped nuts
1/2 tsp ghee
Method:
Heat ghee in a pan and roast broken corn for few minutes till light brown in colour. Set aside and allow it to cool.
Add powdered cardamom and sugar to roasted corn. Stir mixture with milk on low heat until thickened.
Add cream and saffron strands. Refrigerate for sometime.
Serve garnished with nuts.
DATES BALL
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped dates
2.5 tbsp butter
1 cup powdered sugar (adjust to taste)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp salt
2.5 cups rice rava, roasted
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Few drops of vanilla essence
2 cups desiccated coconut
Method:
Boil water in a wide pot. Now put butter, chopped dates, powdered sugar, eggs, and salt into a shallow pot.
Place this pot on top of boiling water pot. Stir constantly for around 15-20 minutes until mixture is thickened.
Remove from heat and cool.
Add rice rava, chopped walnuts, and vanilla essence.
Mix well and form into small balls. Roll in coconut.
Keep refrigerated and serve cold.
