Eutonne (ET Food Voyage)
Eid celebrations are always about family. Moving away from home, I’m very grateful to have met another family here who took me under their arm. Everyone gets together on the day, give presents or money to one another as per tradition. The part I most look forward to is always the food. My favourite ought to be the special homemade Tandoori Chicken – it’s a family signature and you’ll find me sneaking around the kitchen trying to learn the recipe. The succulent chicken with that spicy & tangy flavour never fails to impress the table. Absolutely scrumptious biryani, kebabs, lamb chops, pilau, etc are also served. It’s one merry feast enjoying home cooked food with all your loved ones. A satisfied belly and lots of laughter – the best type of quality time in my opinion! Find Eutonne on Instagram.
There is no typical Eid as the MuslimTravelGirl. As a convert Eid was never a big deal for me, usually, during Eid, I would have travelled to see my family but as they are non-Muslim they don’t understand the importance of celebrating Eid.
Since I got married things have changed. Now we try to perform Umrah in Ramadan and if possible the last 10 nights. For the past few years, we have had the opportunity to break our fast in Makkah and pray in the Haram then continue the festivities in our hotel usually around eating with friends and staff. I love the atmosphere and the relaxing vibe of happiness. When at home it is more of a private family affair. Starting with the Eid prayer in the mosque, we then visit my in-laws for some delicious Asian food. My mother in law always makes fresh pakoras for me as she knows I love them. I always say I will not overeat but who can resist homemade samosas, pakoras, curries and sweets? I for one can’t. Once we have are able to walk, it is time for the traditional family bowling game. This is where every single one of us becomes a competitive maverick trying to win by any means necessary. Find Elena on Instagram.
As an Uyghur & Uzbek family – we make sweets called sangza and yupurmak sangza. The first, sangza, is made by rolling and stretching out an eggy and dense dough into long noodle-like pieces, which are then twisted and folded into their final shape. The yupurmak sangza is a lighter dough, first rolled out into thin sheets, which are cut into circular donut shapes using a zig-zag cutter. These are then also twisted to create what looks like a rose shape.
Both are then deep-fried. The sangza is cooked just the right amount of time to become a beautiful light caramel in colour. Each bundle is carefully stacked to create a beautiful tower—it’s all about the presentation. The yupurmak sangza becomes light and crispy when fried, and is finished off with a good dusting of icing sugar, and voila! Eid is well under way.
Both are the queens of a long dining table pre-emptively laden with a range of delicious treats usually featuring a selection of nuts, sultanas, dried fruits, fresh fruits, cakes (also baked at home), rock sugar (kan), and supermarket-bought sweets like Ferrero Rocher and fun-sized versions of the usual suspects.
On the day of Eid, it’s usually just my dad who goes to the masjid, although more recently my mum and I have been going too. The rest of the day is then filled with waiting for guests to arrive, serving tea, tea, and more tea. And washing plenty of teacups. Find Subhi on Instagram.
Sheenie Shaikh (Just Nice Things)
Every Eid-ul-Fitr begins with a hearty bowl of mum’s Sheer Khurma for breakfast. It’s unimaginable to have anything else especially when she’s woken up at the crack of dawn to make it. In fact very little has changed in how my family and I celebrate Eid. We always make the pilgrimage to the London Central Mosque in Regent’s Park for Eid prayers. The two bus rides are worth it for the atmosphere and it’s a lovely feeling to wish the stranger next to you ‘Eid mubarak’. Then it’s back to the house for a party with friends and family, which usually features mum’s amazing lamb biryani as the main attraction. Find Sheenie on Instagram.
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