Eid 2025: Chefs talk about traditional dishes that define their Eid celebrations
Eid ul-Fitr is a time for joyous reunions and nostalgic feasts.
When the crescent moon graces the night sky, the quiet reflection of Ramzan gives way to unfiltered joy. The streets light up with laughter, and the air carries the irresistible aroma of long-awaited feasts. Eid ul-Fitr is more than just the end of a month of fasting — it is a celebration of homecoming, nostalgia and tradition.
Across generations and borders, families reunite, their bonds reaffirmed over lavish spreads of fragrant biryanis, succulent gosht, crisp fritters and indulgent sweets. Food, after all, is at the heart of every Eid celebration. We spoke to chefs who grew up celebrating this festival, each with cherished childhood memories tied to the dishes that define Eid for them.
The sweetness of tradition
For Chef Sania Naqvi, Eid has always been synonymous with qimami sewain. “My earliest memories of Eid go back to when I was six or seven, watching my mother and grandmother finish the last-minute preparations. The one dish I always looked forward to was qimami sewain,” she shares, adding, “Every family has its own version. It’s a soft, caramelised dessert made from roasted vermicelli, cooked with just the right amount of milk and sugar to ensure the strands remain separate. Even after years of making it, I still get nervous — getting the caramelisation just right is an art.”
Of course, no Eid morning is complete without sheer khurma. This creamy vermicelli pudding, slow-cooked in sweetened milk and enriched with dates, raisins and nuts, is a staple in almost every household. A bowl of sheer khurma is often the first thing families eat on Eid morning, symbolising prosperity and sweetness in the year ahead.
A nostalgic feast
{{/usCountry}}Of course, no Eid morning is complete without sheer khurma. This creamy vermicelli pudding, slow-cooked in sweetened milk and enriched with dates, raisins and nuts, is a staple in almost every household. A bowl of sheer khurma is often the first thing families eat on Eid morning, symbolising prosperity and sweetness in the year ahead.
A nostalgic feast
{{/usCountry}}For Chef Sadaf Hussain, Eid morning was a ritual: a trip to the Eidgah with his father and brother, prayers, warm embraces and then — finally — the much-anticipated feast. “Breakfast was always sewain, Dahi-vada and chhole,” he recalls, adding, “But the three dishes I waited for all year were qimami sewain, sheer khurma and kaleji. The flavours of those dishes still take me straight back to my childhood.”
{{/usCountry}}For Chef Sadaf Hussain, Eid morning was a ritual: a trip to the Eidgah with his father and brother, prayers, warm embraces and then — finally — the much-anticipated feast. “Breakfast was always sewain, Dahi-vada and chhole,” he recalls, adding, “But the three dishes I waited for all year were qimami sewain, sheer khurma and kaleji. The flavours of those dishes still take me straight back to my childhood.”
{{/usCountry}}Chef Osama Jalali reminisces about a breakfast tradition that was uniquely his. “Once I returned from prayers, my grandmother would serve me paratha with mutton keema and hari mirch — a simple yet unforgettable combination,” he shares. But the true highlight of Eid for him was dinner. “The one dish I looked forward to all year was Raan — a whole leg of lamb, slow-cooked to perfection. That was only made on Eid, and the wait always made it even more special.”
By Rajlekha Roy Burman
