June 25, 2018
Muslims around the world are united in celebrating Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan. As they observe the end of sunup to sundown period of fasting, families come together to share a feast in each other’s company.
Here is a small selection of some of the traditional dishes you can find at a Muslim feast during Eid from around the world:
Morocco – Laasida and Tagine
Moroccans kick of Eid with a breakfast of laasida, a dish similar to rice pudding, consisting of couscous, butter, honey and seasoning. This simple yet sweet dish starts the day whilst the day finishes with a traditional tagine. Tagines mostly use chicken and are popular all over North Africa.
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh: Sheer Khurma
This creamy dish made of toasted vermicelli noodles, known as seviyan is sometimes topped with dried fruits and almonds and is considered one of the most popular dishes across these Asian countries.
Indonesia: Lapis Legit
Indonesia celebrates Eid with a dessert inspired by their Dutch colonisation. Muslims will enjoy a delicious thousand layered spice cake which is also still popular in the Netherlands today. Each layer of this delicious cake is made from poured and broiled batter, before it is assembled into the finished cake.
Afghanistan: Bolani
Many special festivities take place in Afghanistan during Eid, most orientated towards children. The food, however, remains a family affair, and one of their traditional dishes is Bolani. This flatbread, stuffed with either leafy greens such as spinach, potatoes, pumpkin or lentils, is a savoury dish that is enjoyed heavily during Eid.
Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq: Butter Cookies
Butter cookies may be their closest English translation but these countries all have their own names for these dishes, as well as their own styles of preparation. Palestinians know them as graybeh and include pine nuts or almonds in the recipe; Syrians and Lebanese call them mamoul and add walnuts or dates. In Iraq they are named klaicha, and in Egypt they refer to them as kahk and fill them with honey.
For a taste of the sweet dishes of Pakistan, visit Royal Nawaab’s halal restaurant in Manchester.
