Table of Contents
Eid El-Fitir is upon us as the season of Ramadan ends. With the coming of the Eid El-Fitr celebration, also comes the need to cook a lot of dishes and host friends and family. So we have curated some unique meal recipes that you could prepare during the Eid eL-Fitr celebration. I am sure you were out of ideas already, so let me plug you in.
What is Eid El-Fitr?
Eid El-Fitr, Arabic: عيد الفطر, romanized to Eid al-Fiṭr is referred to as the ‘Holiday of Breaking the Fast’. It is the earlier of the two holidays celebrated in Islam, the other one being Eid El-Adha. The religious holiday is celebrated by Muslims worldwide because it marks the end of month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting, Ramadan. The holiday is known under various other names in different languages and countries around the World.
Eid El-Fitr has a particular salat which is an Islamic prayer that consists of two rakats (units) generally performed in an open field or large hall, it can also be performed in congregation and features several Takbirs in the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam.
Origin of Eid El-Fitr
The Eid El-Fitr was originated by the Prophet Muhammad, according to certain traditions, festivals were initiated in Medina after the migration of Muhammed from Mecca. A well-known companion of the Islamic prophet narrated that when Muhammad arrived in Medina, He noticed that people were celebrating specific days on which they entertained one another. At this Muhammad said that God had fixed two days of festivity: Eid El-Fitr and Eid El-Fitr.
When Is Eid El-Fitr Celebrated?
Traditionally the Eid El-Fitr begins at sunset on the night of the first sighting of the crescent moon. If the moon is not observed immediately after the 29th day of the previous lunar month (either because clouds block its view or because the western sky is still too bright when the moon sets).
Eid El-Fitr is celebrated for one to three days, depending on the country. It is forbidden to fast on the Day of Eid, and a specific prayer is said on this day. Alms are given to the poor as an obligatory act of charity before performing the Eid prayer.
African Recipes for Eid El- Fitr
There are a lot of meals that can be made to be served during the Eid El-Fitr festivities. It helps to not be monotonous with the choice of meals as it spices up the celebration and makes it so much fun as it feels like a new experience.
Biryani
Biryani is a mixed rice dish that originated among Indian Muslims. It’s made using Indian spices, rice, and generally some kind of meat (chicken, beef, goat, lamb, shrimp, fish), as well as eggs and potatoes on occasion. This meal is one that Muslims enjoy eating during the Eid El-Fitr celebrations.
It is one of the most popular meals in South Asia and among the region’s diaspora. In other parts of the world, such as Southern Africa, Iraq, Thailand, and Malaysia, similar meals are produced.
This not-too-spicy rice dish bursts with delicious Indian flavors and is a go-to when you need to binge on cool(not hot as in spicy) food. It is India’s traditional celebratory dish, a fragrant delicacy that dazzles as a superb one-dish dinner.
This dish is almost certain to have originated in Iran. Even the name biriyani comes from the Persian “birinj biriyan,” which means “fried rice.”
The preparation of this rice dish can be done in a variety of ways. The uncooked meat is sometimes cooked with rice, which is known as the “kacchi” method. In some cases, the meat is prepared separately.
With properly cooked, fluffy grains of perfumed basmati rice and delicate morsels of seasoned lamb, chicken, or any cut of meat, biryani is a celebration of aroma, color, and flavor.
Tarb (Grilled Kofta Wrapped in Lamb Fat)
This is a very popular meal prepared across Africa during the Eid El-Fitir celebrations. It is a traditional Eid El-Fitr meal. It is a heavy but delicious dish for family celebrations. You can find many restaurants which usually serve grilled chicken, grilled meat, Kofta, Tarb, kebab, and other grilled meat products along with rice, pasta, and desserts.
Tarb is kofta wrapped in a layer of lamb fat that has then been grilled to a golden brown color. It is a beautiful fatty twist of the usual “Kofta“. Kofta is made of minced meat, onions, a bit of minced fat, and spices mixed.
This recipe brings a whole new dimension of flavors and textures to one of the most popular dishes in Egypt and across the Middle East.
Dibi
Dibi (Lamb) is a popular Senegalese dish that is mostly sold by street vendors. The major component of this delicacy is lamb, but other meats can be used.
In other parts of Africa, like Guinea and Gambia, it is called Afra. Its popularity has spread across Africa and to other parts of the world.
Dibi can be classified as an appetizer but can also pass for a whole meal on its own. If you do try this for your Eid El-Fitr celebration, share it with us okay?
The sizzling scent of smoked meat fills the air as a lamb (and sometimes another meat) is seasoned and roasted on large, wood-fired grills, before being hacked to pieces and served in bite-sized chunks on grease-stained paper.
It is the Senegalese equivalent of a Turkish kebab without all the salad. There are different ways to make this Dibi or Afra. Every cook’s style is different but the goal is to get the targeted flavor, texture, taste, and look. This recipe is so easy to make.
Maqluba
This classic Middle Eastern recipe can be spelled in a variety of ways: Maqluba, Maklouba, or Maqlooba. This is definitely a must-try recipe during Eid El-Fitr.
Maqluba is a traditional Syrian, Iraqi, Palestinian, and Jordanian dish. The dish consists of meat, rice, and fried (or baked) vegetables placed in a pot. After cooking, this pot is flipped upside down and served, turning the contents over giving it a layered appearance. It is many centuries old and is often theorized to have been invented in the 13th century.
The types of vegetables most often included in this rice dish are cauliflower and eggplant.
Other vegetables added are usually based on what the cook has in the home at the time, which can be things like potatoes or carrots.
The meats that are commonly used in Maklouba are chicken or lamb; eggplant paired with lamb and cauliflower with chicken. To garnish Maklouba, it is best to add toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds along with chopped fresh parsley.
Great side dishes to include with this recipe are a simple salad or a yogurt-based sauce. Whatever sides you make should be appropriately large because this recipe is made for feasts. It is the perfect dish when you have lots of mouths to feed because you can always add to the recipe.
Pounded Yam
Pounded yam is one of the many yam recipes in Nigeria. It is very delicious, one of the best Nigerian swallows in existence, and also very popular.
It is known as iyan by western Nigerians, foutou in Ivory Coast, fufu in Togo and Benin, and yam fufu in Ghana, and is undoubtedly the most popular traditional yam culinary product in West Africa.
Pounded yam, made with boiling white yam is a sticky dough made traditionally created by pressing and kneading or pounding the yam.
We take a bite from the dish and use our thumbs to make an impression on it. Then we eat it with a spoonful of stew or soup.
It’s usually swallowed, although depending on the stew or soup you choose to serve it with, it may take some chewing. Fufu is produced from cassava or cassava flour, Eba, Amala, and other foods of the swallow family. This meal is definitely a must on the list for Eid El-Fitr celebrations.
These are a few of my recommendations for you in this season of Eid El-Fitr. I hope you try them out and share them with us on our social media pages if you do.
