5 classic recipes that are sure to give your Eid celebrations an upgrade

Eid al-Fitr is a Muslim festival that marks the end of Ramadan, which is the holy month of fasting according to the Islamic Hijri calendar. It is believed that the Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed during the month of Ramadan, making it a highly auspicious time for Muslims across the globe. And apart from observing long periods of fasting—that lasts from the first call for prayer or azaan to the fourth azaan—praying and practising restraint, Muslims also engage in their fair share of celebrations through food, be it during iftar, which marks the end of a fast, or on Eid, that comes at the end of the 30-day period of Ramadan. And since food is the one staple that brings people together, we at India Food Network have put together a five part Ramadan special food show that is bound to leave you wanting more.

This year, Eid will be different with yet another lockdown in place, in most cities across India, but we at India Food Network are serving respite in the form of I Believe In Korma—our marquee show that saw the coming together of some of the brightest and youngest minds from the Indian culinary space. From actor and food enthusiast, Mandana Karimi, to hospitality consultant Insia Lacewalla, to former Masterchef, cookbook author and podcaster, Sadaf Hussain and seasoned chefs, Ali Akbar Baldiwala and Ansab Khan, we roped in a unique mix of people, to show you how to perfect classic dishes in the comfort of your home.

Watch the full episodes, for a proper lowdown and for additional help, check out the recipes below:

Recipe: Nalli Nahari by Ansab Khan

Ingredients

3 peepli (long pepper)

1 star anise

3 kabab chini

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp black cumin

1/2 white cumin

4 green cardamom

1 black cardamom

1/5 (of a piece) nutmeg

1 mace

1 tbsp fennel

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 medium piece cinnamon

5 cloves

1 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp saunth powder (dry ginger)

1/3 tbsp salt

15 kg mutton

2 medium onion sliced

Nihari masala

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup refined flour

2 litres water

Method

Grind the whole spices mentioned under the nahari masala segment into a very fine powder

Heat oil in a 'degh' or cooking pot and add in the sliced onions and sauté till light golden

Add in the mutton followed by the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 5-7 minutes

Now add in the ground nahari masala followed by the remaining powdered masalas and cook for another 5-7 minutes

Add the water to the mutton & let it boil

Dissolve the flour in water to a smooth paste and add it to the boiling curry. Make sure to continue stirring as it will help dissolved the flour or there will be lumps

Cover the pot with a lid and let the curry simmer on a medium flame for 1 to ½ hour till the mutton is completely cooked

Serve the nahari and garnish with julienne ginger, green chilli & lemon

Kheema Samosa by Ali Akbar Baldiwala

Ingredients

500 gm mutton mince

2 tbsp ginger garlic green chilli paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp chaat masala

1 red onion (large)

1 cup spring onion greens, chopped

1/2 cup mint & coriander leaves, chopped

1 lemon

5 gm salt

24 samosa patti

1 tbsp maida

50 ml vegetable oil, plus more for frying

2 coal pieces

1 tbsp ghee

Method

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat up three tablespoon of vegetable oil on medium heat and fry the mutton along with the ginger garlic green chilli paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder

Cook the mutton till all the water has dried off and the mutton is fully cooked

Set it aside to cool in a large bowl

Now light the coal over a flame till it's burning red

Transfer the coal into a small metal bowl and place it in the mutton mince and keep a lid ready

Now pour the ghee over to get smoke and quickly cover with a lid, let the mince smoke for 30 minutes

Now, remove the coals after the smoking

Add finely chopped onion, chopped spring onion greens, coriander powder, cumin powder, chopped mint and coriander, chaat masala, lemon juice and mix thoroughly

Adjust the seasoning with salt

Make a paste out of one tablespoon maida and one tablespoon of water. This will act as a glue and help bind the samosas

Fold the samosas as shown and store in a refrigerator until frying. Pro tip: They can also be frozen at this point and can last for a month like this

Now, heat up vegetable oil for frying to 200°C in a large pot. Make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the samosas to ensure a crispy texture. You can fry a small piece of the samosa patti to check whether the temperature is correct

Fry the samosas till they get a golden-brown crust and then take them out and drain on paper towels

Serve hot, along with green chutney, lemon wedge and sliced onion, mint and coriander leaves

Recipe: Pao no halwo by Insia Lacewalla

Ingredients:

1 packet of ladi pav

1 litre milk

5 tbsp sugar

200 gm mawa

1 tbsp raisins

1 tbsp charoli

2 cups vegetable Oil for frying

1 tbsp pure ghee

Method

Break the pao into big chunky pieces

Heat oil in a wok

Fry the pao till it's golden brown

Remove and keep aside on a paper towel

In a saucepan, boil the milk and sugar

Add the mawa and cook till it has completely dissolved in the milk

Add the fried pao and cook on a low flame for 5-6 minutes

Add raisins and charoli Cook for a couple of minutes

Add ghee and cook for a couple of minutes

Serve warm

Recipe: Mutton Dum Pokht Biryani by Sadaf Hussain

Ingredients

500 gm lamb meat (try to take the meat from the rear legs)

500 gm basmati rice

5 tbsp ghee

3 onions, finely chopped

4 black cardamom

3 green cardamom

5-6 black peppercorn

1-inch stick cinnamon

6-8 cloves

1 tsp kewra essence

1/2 cup milk

4-5 saffron strands

Mint leaves

2 cups fried onion

Salt to taste

10-15 roasted cashews and almonds

3 tbsp fried raisin

For Marination

1 packet biryani masala (Shaan Bombay biryani is preferred)

3 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

Juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp raw papaya paste

1 cup yoghurt

Salt to taste

For Raita

Yoghurt

Jeera powder, roasted

Imli chutney

Green chutney/green chillies

Sugar

Rock salt

Method

Mix all ingredients under marination and add in the mutton pieces. Let it marinate for at least six hours or overnight

Soak rice in water for 30 minutes

Boil water with the whole spices and salt. Bring the rice to a boil, cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Take it off the flame and let the rice rest for five minutes Ensure that rice is cooked only 70%

Add ghee in another heavy-bottomed pan. Sauté the chopped onions till they turn translucent

Add in the marinated mutton. Cook the meat for a few minutes and cover with the lid and simmer it for another 30-40 minutes

In a pot cover, one layer of rice. Add in some of the mutton pieces. Repeat this alternate layering of rice and mutton pieces Finish with a layer of rice on top. Ensure in each layer you add extra masala, one tbsp ghee, mint leaves and roasted dry fruits

Take warm milk and add saffron Pour on top of rice

Sprinkle some Kewra on top of the finished biryani layers

Cover with a lid and seal the vessel by applying dough or aluminium foil

Cook on very low flame for about half an hour

Remove the seal and serve with raita.

Recipe: Shami kebab by Mandana Karimi

Ingredients

500 gm minced meat

1 onion, grated

2/3 garlic cloves

2 eggs

Salt to taste

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp turmeric

1 cup gram flour

1-2 tbsp oil

Method

Finely grate the onions and the garlic cloves

Remember to separate the onion from its juice

Mix and knead the grated onions, garlic and meat for a short while

Add the eggs and the salt, pepper and turmeric

Adding some gram flour, knead the whole combination. It should be kneaded enough to reach a satisfying level of consistency

Use your hands to put the combination into similar shapes and fry them in some oil

Garnish with fried potato fries, tomatoes and yoghurt