Taste of Eid al-Adha in the UAE

Sara Brihich, a 26-year-old Moroccan expat in Dubai, misses her hometown so much, especially around Eid, the grand celebration in her home country. She moved to the UAE about two years ago and has not been able to return home since. Today, her family will celebrate at home in Morocco, but she will continue to work in the UAE. “I work during Eid because I work in the hospitality industry and it’s open,” she said. “However, I will go to a Moroccan restaurant with friends and eat some traditional food to celebrate. Morocco has some absolute must-have Eid dishes such as burfave (Skewered lamb liver and pericardium), Lamb Baharatwhich basically involves slow-cooking the meat with vegetables, salt and pepper for almost 12 hours,” explained Brichage. “I miss my family and hope that eating my favorite Eid dishes will help me feel less homesick, “she says.

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I am working during Eid as I work in the hospitality industry and it is open. However, I will go to a Moroccan restaurant with my friends and eat some traditional food to celebrate.Morocco has some absolute must-haves for Eid al-Fitr such as boulfaf (skewered lamb liver and heart wraps), lamb baharat, which is basically meat that is slow cooked for nearly 12 hours with vegetables, salt and pepper

– Sarah Brichic

For Imroze Nasim Khan, a 37-year-old Dubai entrepreneur from Karachi, Pakistan, the Eid al-Fitr celebrations bring people together. She said: “The day starts with morning prayers or morning prayers, followed by eating pure khurma (a sweet treat prepared with vermicelli or vermicelli) Sewai). “

The day begins with morning prayers or morning prayers, followed by eating pure khurma (a sweet treat prepared with vermicelli or sevai)

– Imroz Nassim Khan

Food entrepreneur Nazek Al Sabbagh explained that in the UAE, Eid al-Adha celebrations are traditionally known as El Eid El Oud, which means Eid al-Fitr. She added: “Food prepared for Hari Raya is usually a common affair between families and each family has their own preferences. When we visit relatives, we say ‘Eid Mubarak‘.Then we are greeted with traditional beverages such as tea and Arabica and familiar smells bakur, An Arabian essence that is often used in Middle Eastern households to linger. “

After meeting and greeting, Nazek explained, they were mostly meat-based. dishes like ghoozi (meat and rice dishes, things like biryani), Cares (an Emirati-prepared chicken soup) and sweets such as Barrett (Emirati sweet vermicelli and eggs) and hapisa (a sweet made from fried flour and molasses) are some popular options.

Food prepared for Hari Raya is usually a common affair between families, and each family has its own preferences. When we visit our relatives, we say “Eid Mubarak” to greet them.We are then greeted with traditional beverages such as tea and arabic coffee and the familiar aroma of bakhoor

– Nazek Sabah

Sikandar Ali, a Pakistani expat and general manager of the Daily Express Pakistan restaurant in Dubai, explains the significance of Eid al-Fitr, especially for children.”This celebration gives children a chance to meet their elders, seek blessings and receive Eidi,” he said. Children also love the traditional sweets made during Eid al-Fitr called pure kurma. A dish of vermicelli cooked in milk and garnished with raisins and saffron. ‘ Ali explained pure kurmaUnlike other dairy-based desserts, it does not use milk powder. “It’s only made with fresh milk, which is why it tastes the best,” he adds.

A typical Eid gathering of a Pakistani family will be filled with traditional dishes, especially different kinds of kebabs such as Chapley Cabas, Shami Kebab, beef biryani and mutton Just to name a few.

The official celebration lasts 4 days. Khan added: “We usually have a few days of fine meat dishes ready. But when we want to rest on certain days, we turn to something as simple as Haleem; it’s basically meat, lentils and Made of crushed wheat and served with porridge – like consistency. It’s nutritious, filling and doesn’t require much labor.”

The amount of sweets cooked during Eid is irrelevant; pure khurma is the rule. It is loved by young and old alike. “Apart from the sheer taste of khurma, the best thing about it is that it can be eaten hot and cold,” says Ali. It’s the perfect sweet end to a feast. On this note, he also shares his pure khurma recipe for Gulf News readers. here is:

The best thing about it other than the pure khurma taste is that it can be eaten hot or cold,

– Sikanda Ali

Prep time: 10 minutes

2 tablespoons clarified butter or ghee

1 cup vermicelli, toasted

8 to 10 peeled almonds, sliced

8 to 10 golden raisins, washed

In a stainless steel pot, add milk, sugar and saffron. Bring it to a boil for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, add ghee or clarified butter to a separate pan to toast the dried fruits – raisins, cashews and almonds. If you use pistachios, you don’t need to bake unless you like; bake for about 5 minutes and set aside.

Once done, you will need to bake the vermicelli. You can dry bake it or use clarified butter. First, break up the vermicelli, about 1 inch long, pour the clarified butter into the pan and toast until golden or brown.

Note: You can also buy dry roasted vermicelli from the store, so check the packaging. In this case, you can skip the last step.

Add the vermicelli to the milk pot. Cook for 15 minutes or until the vermicelli is tender and cooked through.

Add the dried fruit, except the raisins, to the pot of milk and continue to cook until the milk thickens to the desired consistency. Add raisins when cooked.

Note: It will thicken further as it cools. So adjust the consistency accordingly.

If you’re looking for more recipes to make this Eid, try this vegetarian noodle- Lebanese Spicy PotatoesOne Pakistani Style Kurkuri Bhindi or Crispy Lady Fingersand a drink to welcome your guests – tamar antelope, Shami Kebab, birianis and Halim.

Do you have a favorite recipe you made for Eid and want to feature it?share with us food@gulfnews.com