Eid dastarkhwan goes green, grainy and fruitilicious

Lucknowites are adding more elements like greens, grains, and seasonal veggies to non-vegetarian delicacies to make the Eid dastarkhwan more colorful. Sewain remains a popular dessert choice, but some are adding mango and milk to create mango sewain-kheer. Chefs Kunal Kapoor and Pankaj Bhadouria share their recipes for Sheer Khurma and Kofta Kebab, respectively.

The festival of Eid-al-Adha (Bakrid) is all about celebrations, sharing and relishing delicacies with friends, family and others. The exclusive platter for the day makes it all the more fun and extra special. This year we take a look at how Lucknowites have added more elements like greens, grains, seasonal veggies and others to choicest of non-vegetarian delicacies to make the Eid dastarkhwan a bit more colourful.

Sheer Khurma by Chef Kunal Kapur

Adding greens

For real estate entrepreneur and true-blue Lucknowite Qambar Hussain, the festivity is all about celebrating with friends and having a long list of guests coming over. “I usually have a lot of my friends, acquaintances dropping by so a platter with a difference was on my mind this year. Along with regular non-vegetarian delicacies, my wife and I have decided to add a lot of greens and veggies and try some innovative recipes like bhindi, torai ke kebab, bhaigan bharwa and soya rice. As we also have a few vegan friends, for them too have dishes like whole roasted cauliflower, Tofu sandwich, lentil curry and more. So, you can say it’s a platter for all.”

Fashion designer and restauranteur Arshi Jamal says that though his friends love to enjoy special non-vegetarian menu on the occasion his own family members prefer veggies on platter. “Trust me, all of us in the family savour vegetarian delicacies. For visitors kebabs, chaap, kaleji fry, korma and biryani are a must but for the core family it’s vegetarian food. Also, some friends are vegetarians or abstain on particular days so they too are most welcome.”

Not just on Eid-ul-Fitr but on Bakrid too sewain remains an undisputed choice for dessert. Anjum Zaidi, a housewife from Chowk says, “Sewain ke bina eid kaisi. Main delicacies can be replaced like this year instead of korma we have decided on mutton stew, biryaani and seekh kebab but when it comes to meetha it’s always sewain as that’s more about our deep-rooted traditions. It’s customary to have sewain on dastarkhwan but to avoid repetition we have added king of fruits mango and milk to come up with mango sewain-kheer.”

Chefs take

Masterchefs like Kunal Kapur Pankaj Bhadouria share some yummy Eid-centred recipes along with Lucknow-based chef Mohsin Qureshi. “Delicacies are aplenty but at home we keep it simple. Kebabs, korma, kaleji and biryani are what traditionally women in the house prepare with love and is relished by guests with a perfect ending with sheer or qimami sewain,” says Qureshi.

Sheer Khurma by Chef Kunal Kapoor

Ingredients:

Almonds, chopped - 1½ tbsp

Dates - 5-7 nos

Pista, chopped - 2 tbsp

Walnut, chopped - 2 tbsp

Chironji - 1 tbsp

Milk, full fat- 1 lt

Sugar - ½ cup

Cardamom powder - ½ tsp

Desi Ghee - 2 tbsp

Semiyan (wheat vermicelli) - 40 gms/ 1 cup (fistful)

Saffron, optional- a pinch

Method:

Eid ki seviyan or Sheer Khurma is a dessert which is prepared during Ramadan. But it’s too tasty that you should make this at any point of the year!

For Eid ki Seviyan, in a hot pan, add ghee and melt it; desserts are always prepared in desi ghee, then add the chopped almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and some sliced dates. You can even use dried dates(chuvare) instead of dates. Roast them on low flame till golden brown.

Now, add milk. Add sugar and cardamom powder to it. We have to reduce the milk while making Sheer Khurma, and that’s what makes it different from Kheer. You can see it turning a little brown as the dates are releasing their colour.

We must roast the seviyan and for that, in a hot pan, add some ghee and melt it. Break the seviyan into half and roast them in ghee on low flame till golden brown.

Reduce the milk to 30% to 40% of the actual amount. Now add the roasted seviyan. Stir it gently and give it a quick boil. The seviyan will absorb the milk and it’ll be perfect. You can add some strands of saffron too.

Eid ki seviyan or Sheer Khurma is ready to be served. Enjoy!

Kofta Kebab by Chef Pankaj Bhadouria

Ingredients:

500 g mince meat, washed and drained

½ cup chopped onions

2 tbsp chopped garlic

2 inch ginger

4-5 green chilies

3tbsp roasted besan

Coriander powder

Cumin powder

Red chili powder

½ tsp baking soda

Oil to fry

Salt to taste

For chutney gravy:

4 red chilies, soaked

1 raw mango, chopped

1 tsp Cumin seeds

Method:

In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the kofta, mix well and set aside to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Wet your hands and shape walnut sized koftas of the mixture. Heat oil in a pan. fry the koftas in medium hot oil till golden. Remove and set aside.

Grind together the soaked red chilies, raw mango pieces, cumin seeds with ½ cup water to a smooth paste.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the prepared chutney and bring to a boil.

Add the prepared koftas and toss well till the koftas are quoted with the chutney.

Remove from heat and serve hot.