More than meats the eye: 10 recipes to celebrate Bak-r-Eid with

Bak-r-Eid or Eid-al-Adha is the second most important festival for Muslims across the globe. It is celebrated with great joy and vigour, where families belonging to the community come together to pray, eat and offer their obeisance. As per the tradition, the meat of the animal sacrificed has to be distributed in three equal parts—one-third for the family, one-third to relatives and one-third to the less fortunate. This practice is rooted in community service and the act of sharing, which means that families are left with huge quantities of meat that cannot be consumed immediately. Some families salt cure the meat which means rubbing the meat either with salt or brine to increase its shelf life. Whether you are preserving it or planning a feast right away, here are 10 meaty recipes to celebrate Bak-r-Eid with this year.

Mutton Chops

An easy starter to prepare, these mutton chops require taking the meat and marinating it in a paste comprising coriander leaves, garlic, black pepper, cinnamon, green chillies, ginger and spices. To tenderize the meat, pressure cook it till one whistle goes off and then simmer for a few minutes after. Deep fry the chops by coating in egg wash and semolina and serve hot.

Lamb Galouti Kebabs

Lucknow's galouti kebab is one appetiser that we cannot get enough of. To add this melt-in-the-mouth recipe to your table, check out our take on the staple.. The chutney is made by blending ginger, garlic, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, desiccated coconut, fried onions, spices and raw papaya, which is then used to marinate the kebabs made using minced meat, eggs, ghee and flour. Deep fry and enjoy.

Peshawari Chapli Kebab

The word 'chapli' is said to be derived from the Pashto word chaprikh meaning flat, referring to the kebab's round and flattened shape. Chapli kebab can be made with any meat like beef, mutton or chicken. Ours is with minced mutton to which you add aamchur, whole spices, green chillies, chilli flakes, onion, tomato and eggs. Shallow fry it in butter till golden brown and serve with mint chutney.

Bhuna Gosht

One of the most popular mutton preparations, bhuna gosht is a dish made with slow-cooked mutton in an onion gravy with lots of spices and ghee. Some people pressure cook the meat and spices together while others take their time cooking it in a kadhai. Either way, it makes for an excellent curry that goes well with naan, rumali roti or steamed rice.

Mutton Dhaniwal Korma

Dhaniwal korma is a rich and creamy Kashmiri curry consisting of an onion-puree base flavoured with garlic, cardamom, cloves, turmeric powder, coriander, salt and pepper. For the creaminess, we have used saffron-infused milk and curd. Slow-cook it on the stove and garnish with coriander leaves once ready.

Kaala Mutton

Kaala mutton or black mutton is a popular Konkani curry and derives the name from its appearance due to the generous use of black pepper. Marinate the meat in green chutney, turmeric powder, curd and sliced onion for 10 minutes. Then, make a whole-spice paste with cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, poppy seeds, cardamom, coriander seeds and dry red chillies. Add this to sautéed onions and coconut then add the mutton. Cook for 10-15 minutes and finish off with tamarind juice and coriander leaves.

Mutton Rogan Josh

The popular mutton rogan josh from Kashmir is a thick, aromatic red gravy made with spices and cooked till the meat is tender. The base of the gravy, like most mutton preparations, is also made using onion, which is then accentuated with spices like, asafoetida, bay leaves, red chilli powder, fennel powder, coriander powder, cardamom, and cloves, all sautéed in mustard oil and cooked with the meat.

Mutton Frankie

This is by far one of the easiest recipes on this list. Toss your mutton along with onion and capsicum in a pan and add red chilli powder, salt and chaat masala. Place the mutton filling in your chapati and roll it into frankie for a nifty evening snack.

Sukka Mutton

Sukka mutton literally translates to dry mutton and is ideally paired with naan or roti. The recipe requires marinating the meat in turmeric powder and a green paste made with coriander leaves, garlic and ginger. Pressure cook this along with onion, tomato, garam masala and red chilli powder till tender.

Mutton Keema

Keema-pav is an all-time favourite, be it for a quick, on-the-go bite in college or office, or even for a lazy breakfast on a Sunday afternoon. To make it, sauté onion and tomato in oil, add spices like red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garlic, black pepper and garam masala. Add curd and minced mutton and cook it till the meat has absorbed the spices. Serve it with hot, buttered pavs.