Traditional Eid snacks and dishes

Eid al Fitr has a chief agenda. Food! Well, that’s one of the central things about it, considering the whole month of Ramadan was focused on fasting. It is called ‘Sweet Eid’ for a reason. Eid is the time to feast and celebrate that well deserved treat after restraint from food during Ramadan.

Traditions and culture dictate a lot of our food choices. It is not a surprise that many dishes become synonymous to a country or culture on special occasions.

In Middle East the popular Eid sweets are round cookies filled with date paste or ground nuts, known as Kaek al Eid (Kahk) or Ma’moul.

In Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran certain foods take precedence over others on special occasions.

For Eid, the traditional sweets in Pakistan and India are Sheer Khurma, Firni, Gulab Jaman, Ras Malai, Kiwaamee Sevain, Parsi Sev, and the main courses include Biryani, Haleem, Nihari, gosht korma to name a few.

Sheer Khurma is made from vermicelli, sweet milk, dates and nuts and is made in almost every home in Pakistan on Eid.

Sheer Khurma

Biryani is hands down the most popular dish in India. Its aromatic spices are wafting from every corner during Eid.

Biryani

In North Africa the popular Eid dish is Tagine, also known as Maraq/marqa. Tagines are slow cooked stews or cooked on charcoal inside earthenware, including meat or fish with vegetables and sometimes fruits. The dish has variants in each region and has its significance as a special dish prepared for Eid.

Tagine

Libya celebrates Eid by cooking the pumpkin, chickpeas and raisins stew, called Tbeikhet.

In Kabul, Afghanistan, the Eid spread is stocked with bread, apples, dried grapes, nuts and tea.

Dolma is a popular dish in Middle East, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dolma is a stuffed vegetable dish, and may include meat or fish. The vegetables are mostly tomato, eggplant, zucchini, garlic and other assortments in various regions.

Ketupat is a Southeast Asian Eid dish common in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and Philippines. The ketaput is a rice cake or dumpling made by boiling rice wrapped inside a palm leaf. The rice cakes are cooked inside the leaves, which are then cut open to be served with other Eid dishes including grilled meat and stews.

Ketaput

Baklava, Kunafa, Kaek are popular sweetmeats in Middle Eastern countries, served with fervor especially on Eid. Kunafa is Qatar’s favorite sweet, especially on Eid.

Baklava and Kunafa

Have fun indulging your taste buds and gastronomy this Eid, and let us know what your favorite traditional Eid dish is.

Happy feasting!