Eid-ul-Fitr 2020: From kheer to biryani, a curated food menu to make the feast special

New Delhi: Marking an end to the Holy month of Ramadan and with Eid festivities in full swing, food is one thing that every household will be devouring. A traditional Eid spread is quite the delight.

Here is a curated list of our favourite festive dishes along with recipes for your Eid feast, courtesy The Almond Board of California. Pick from wholesome dishes or sweet treats, there's something for everyone:

ALMOND AND MAKHANA KHEER

Ingredients Quantity

Full cream milk 2 cups

Sugar 4 tbsp.

Saffron strands a pinch

Green cardamom powder 1.5 tsp

Almond slivers 1/2 cup

Makhana (fox nuts) 1 cup

Ghee 2 tbsp

Serves: 2-3 people

Method

Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, roast makhana and almond sliver till they are golden.

Heat milk and saffron strands in a heavy-bottomed pan and bring it to a boil; keep stirring the milk, so that it does not sticks at the bottom.

Add the sugar to the milk, and mix well.

Add the whole makhana to the milk. Add the almond slivers to the mixture.

Keep cooking the mixture till the makhana becomes softs and milk thickens a bit.

Serve the kheer hot or chilled. Top it with roasted almond sliver and chopped roasted makhana.

ALMOND AND CUSTARD APPLE RABRI

Ingredients Quantity

Custard apple pulp 2 gm

Double cream (fat) 1 gm

Castor sugar 30 gm

Almonds 30 gm

Serves: 4

Method

Toast the almonds at 1 degree celsius for 1 mins in the oven.

Grind toasted almonds to a coarse powder and chop the remaining.

Mix custard apple pulp, double cream, and sugar together, add the ground almonds and mix.

Chill in the refrigerator and garnish with chopped almonds before serving.

ALMOND MIXED GRAIN BIRYANI

Ingredients Quantity

Barley washed & drained 1/2 cup

Brown rice, washed & drained 1/2 cup

Pearl Millet, washed & drained 1/2 cup

Ghee 2 tsp

Garlic, Chopped 1 tsp

Ginger, Chopped 1 tbsp

Green Chilli, Chopped 1 tsp

Baby carrots, diced 1/2 cup

Onion red, sliced 1/4 cup

Black Pepper, Crushed 1/2 tsp Salt to Taste

Vegetable stock 7 cups

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Chopped Coriander 1.5 tsp

Chopped Spring Onion 1.5 tsp

Almonds 1/4 cup

Serves: 2-3 people

Method

Heat ghee in a large dutch oven/pot over medium heat. Add cumin seeds & bay leaf. As it crackles add onion, green chilli, garlic & ginger; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add carrots. Raise heat to medium-high, and cook, until carrots are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in all of the grains and cook for 12 minutes. Stir in stock; bring to a boil.

Add almonds. Cover the pot, and put in oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 180 degree celsius (check after 30 minutes; remove lid and cook a little longer if grains need to be softer). Fold in chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

ALMOND AND SESAME PINNI

Ingredients Quantity

Wheat flour 2 cup

Semolina 2.5 tbsp.

Roasted Almond slivers 1.5 cup

Roasted White Sesame powder 1.5 cup

Pure ghee 1.5 cup

Gram flour (besan) 1.5 tbsp

Sugar 1 cup

Water 1.5 cup

Green cardamom powder 1.5 tsp

Roasted white sesame 1 tbsp

Roasted whole almonds 3 tbsp

Serves: 4 people

Method:

Heat ghee in a pan, add semolina and wheat flour to it. Roast the mixture till a golden colour is achieved.

Mix the sugar and water in a pan, and put it over low heat. Cook till single string sugar syrup is formed.

Mix the sugar syrup with the wheat flour mixture. Add the green cardamom powder.

Cook the mixture till it becomes a little dry. Add the roasted almond flakes and ground white sesames to the mixture and mix well.

Allow the mixture to cool. Divide the mixture into equal parts and shape it into rounds.

Cut the roasted almond into halves and place it over the pinnis and roll the pinnis gently in roasted white sesame.

LAMB AND ALMOND KORMA

Ingredients Quantity

Lamb Shoulder Cuts 1 Kg

Chopped onion 1 cup

Ginger garlic paste 3 tbsp

Plain yoghurt 2 cup

Blanched almonds, skin removed 1 cup

Cinnamon 1 stick

Black cardamom 2 no.

Green cardamom 3 no.

Cumin powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Red chilli powder 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Ghee 4 tbsp

Water 3 cups

Serves: 4 people

Method:

Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan, fry the onions in the ghee till they are golden. Remove onions from the oil.

Add the lamb pieces to the ghee and fry it till they are golden in colour; add the ginger garlic paste and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

Make a smooth paste of yoghurt and � cup of blanched almonds. Add this paste to the lamb and keep on stirring it till oil separates out. Add the fried onions to the lamb.

Reduce the heat, and add water. Cover the pan and let the lamb simmer for an hour or till tender.

Cut the remaining blanched almonds into small pieces and add it to the korma.

SMOKED ALMOND RAITA

Ingredients Quantity

Almond Flakes 1/2 Cup

Yoghurt 1 Cup

Dry Roasted Jeera powder 1/2 Tsp

Black pepper powder 1/2 Tsp

Salt To Taste

Black Salt 1/2 Tsp

Chopped Garlic 2 Tsp

Chopped coriander leaves 1 Tsp

Sunflower Oil 2 Tsp

Hot Coal 2-3 pieces

Ghee 1 Tbsp

Serves: 2-3

Method:

In a heavy bottom pan, heat the oil. Roast the chopped garlic until golden.

In a bowl, add the yoghurt and whisk it well.

Add the jeera powder, black pepper powder, salt, black salt, roasted garlic. Mix gently.

Take the almond flakes in a bowl.

Make a small bowl-like structure out of the aluminum foil, and place it in the center of the bowl with almond flakes.

Place 2-3 small pieces of hot coal in the aluminum foil. And pour some ghee on top of it.

Cover the almond bowl immediately with aluminum foil and keep it covered for 10-15 minutes. The almonds are smoked.

Remove the foil and the coal from the almonds and add these smoked almonds to the raita and mix gently.

Serve the raita topped with chopped fresh coriander leaves and smoked almond flakes.

ALMOND AND WHITE CHOCOLATE GUJIYA

Ingredients Quantity

For Dough

All- purpose flour 2 Cups

Clarified butter (ghee) 1/2 Cup

Water 1/2 cup

For Filling

White chocolate 1 cup

Desiccated coconut 1/2 cup

Green cardamom powder a pinch

Almond 1/2 cup

Jaggery 1 tbsp

Serves: 10

Method:

Rub the flour and ghee together and bind them together with water to form a soft dough. Rest it for � hour.

In a bowl, mix the chocolate flakes, coconut, almonds together and add jaggery.

Make small balls of the dough and roll it out into 1/2 cm thick rotis.

Place filling in the center, do not overstuff it as it will result in bursting of gujiya while frying.

Apply water on the edges and seal the ends, the shape will resemble half-moon. Use cutter to make a design around the edges or pinch and twist the edges.

Heat oil/ghee in a deep pan; fry the gujiyas till golden brown.

ALMONDS AND ROSE KULFI

Ingredients Quantity

Milk, full cream 4 cups

Sugar 1/2 cup

Saffron 1/4 tsp

Almond meal 1/2 cup

Dried rose petals 1/2 cup

Serves: 5

Method:

In a pan, add milk and put it on a low flame. Keep on stirring; do not let the milk burn. The milk will start to thicken.

Once it becomes half the volume add the almond meal and sugar and mix them well. Strain the mixture.

Add the dried rose petals & saffron strands and mix well. Allow the kulfi mixture to cool, pour it into kulfi moulds or small bowls and freeze them.

Demould the kulfi and serve it garnished with roasted almond flakes.