EID AL-FITR CELEBRATION FEAST
Lamb Biryani with Aubergine & Fenugreek | Green Pepper Pakoras | Fattoush Salad
Food plays an important role in our lives. Rejoicing in abundance and generosity are themes that appear in global feasting traditions through the ages. Whether religious or not, it is an emotion that translates as a universal human experience.
Generosity features as part of Eid more than in other festivals of this nature, by way of a commitment to make a charitable contribution helping those less fortunate to be able to celebrate too – literally bringing everyone together.
Eid al-Fitr, or the festival of the breaking of the fast marks the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan, a period of fasting, generosity, gratitude and spiritual reflection and these recipes capture that feeling of gathering together for a joyful celebration of everyday blessings.
Enjoy with our opulent Palm Cutlery and Dawn range to add the finishing touch and a celebratory accent to your table.
Prepared for us by Alicja Sieronski @twinsinmykitchen
Lamb Biryani with Aubergine & Fenugreek
Prep time: 30 mins | Cooking time: 1 hour | Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS:
500g lamb neck, cut into small cubes
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp ginger, grated
3 tomatoes, grated
3 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
Pinch of fine sea salt
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp + 1 tsp ghee
300g basmati rice
Generous pinch of saffron, ground and infused in 2 tbsp of warm water
1 aubergine, thinly sliced
150ml to 200ml oil for frying
1 large handful spinach
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (or 1 tsp paprika and ¼ tsp cayenne pepper)
1 bay leaf
6 green cardamom pods
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick, broken
1-2 green chilli, sliced
250 ml chicken stock
What else you'll need:
Dutch oven or casserole dish with a heavy bottom
Fine-mesh sieve
Aluminium foil
METHOD:
Toss the lamb in a bowl with garlic, ginger, grated tomatoes, fenugreek and salt. Marinate in the fridge overnight or at least for a couple of hours.
Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a dutch oven or casserole dish with a heavy bottom over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions caramelise and turn dark brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Remove half the onions and set aside, to be used as garnish. Add 3 green cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, garam masala, kashmiri chilli and turmeric. Sauté until the spices become fragrant, for around 30 seconds.
Add the lamb along with the marinade and fry for 5 minutes until it starts to brown. Be careful not to burn the fenugreek.
Add the chicken stock and green chilli, stir to mix well, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 45 mins to 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the lamb is tender.
Meanwhile prepare the rice. Place it in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under running cold water until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let it soak for 30 minutes.
Strain the rice and place it in a saucepan with 3 cups of fresh cold water, lemon juice, 1 tsp ghee, remaining 2 cardamom pods, ½ tsp salt and bring to a boil over a medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes until partially cooked, then strain.
Sprinkle ½ tsp fine salt over the aubergine slices and set aside for 10 minutes. Use a paper towel to dry them off and carefully squeeze out any excess water. Heat ½ to ¾ cup of oil in a saucepan until smoke starts to form. Now fry the aubergine in batches and drain the excess oil on some kitchen towel.
When the lamb is tender, remove the lid and increase heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, until the liquid starts to thicken. Scatter the fried aubergine and torn raw spinach over the lamb.
Using a clean spoon, spread the rice in an even layer over the meat. Now drizzle the saffron water over the rice and garnish the top with the rest of the caramelised onions.
Cover the dutch oven with two sheets of aluminium foil and form a tight seal. Cover with lid and place on the middle rack of a preheated oven (190°c). Let the rice steam for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, take the dish out of the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes, before carefully removing the lid and seal.
Serve the biryani onto a platter and garnish with some fresh coriander.
METHOD:
Toss the lamb in a bowl with garlic, ginger, grated tomatoes, fenugreek and salt. Marinate in the fridge overnight or at least for a couple of hours.
Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a dutch oven or casserole dish with a heavy bottom over medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions caramelise and turn dark brown, about 25-30 minutes.
Remove half the onions and set aside, to be used as garnish. Add 3 green cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, garam masala, kashmiri chilli and turmeric. Sauté until the spices become fragrant, for around 30 seconds.
Add the lamb along with the marinade and fry for 5 minutes until it starts to brown. Be careful not to burn the fenugreek.
Add the chicken stock and green chilli, stir to mix well, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 45 mins to 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the lamb is tender.
Meanwhile prepare the rice. Place it in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under running cold water until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let it soak for 30 minutes.
Strain the rice and place it in a saucepan with 3 cups of fresh cold water, lemon juice, 1 tsp ghee, remaining 2 cardamom pods, ½ tsp salt and bring to a boil over a medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes until partially cooked, then strain.
Sprinkle ½ tsp fine salt over the aubergine slices and set aside for 10 minutes. Use a paper towel to dry them off and carefully squeeze out any excess water. Heat ½ to ¾ cup of oil in a saucepan until smoke starts to form. Now fry the aubergine in batches and drain the excess oil on some kitchen towel.
When the lamb is tender, remove the lid and increase heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, until the liquid starts to thicken. Scatter the fried aubergine and torn raw spinach over the lamb.
Using a clean spoon, spread the rice in an even layer over the meat. Now drizzle the saffron water over the rice and garnish the top with the rest of the caramelised onions.
Cover the dutch oven with two sheets of aluminium foil and form a tight seal. Cover with lid and place on the middle rack of a preheated oven (190°c). Let the rice steam for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, take the dish out of the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes, before carefully removing the lid and seal.
Serve the biryani onto a platter and garnish with some fresh coriander.
Green Pepper Pakoras
Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 15 mins | Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS:
150g small red potatoes, thinly sliced
1 large or 3 small spring onion, thinly sliced at an angle
1 handful of spinach, roughly chopped
1-4 spring cabbage, thinly sliced
2 Turkish green peppers, thinly sliced at an angle
1-2 green chillies, chopped
120g chickpea or gram flour
120g rice flour
2 tsp lemon juice
180ml water
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon butter
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
Vegetable oil for frying
METHOD:
Heat the butter in a small pan. Add the coriander seeds, nigella seeds and fenugreek and cook until the spices are toasted and fragrant.
In a bowl combine chickpea flour, rice flour, lemon juice, turmeric, cumin and salt, to make a smooth batter.
Gently fold in the vegetables into the batter.
In a deep, heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the vegetable oil (for best results use enough oil so that it covers around 1” depth of the saucepan), until it gets very hot.
Use a large spoon to drop loose spoonful’s of the batter into the hot oil.
Cook the first side until golden and crispy, flip and cook the other side. Drain the cooked pakoras onto some kitchen towel.
Serve with whipped feta and mint chutney.
Fattoush salad
Prep time: 30 mins | Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS:
1 large head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
5 radishes, thinly sliced
3 Persian cucumbers, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 small yellow pepper, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup of fresh mint, chopped
4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp of lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
A couple twists of freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tsp sumac
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp pomegranate molasses
½ cup pomegranate
2 pitta bread, cut into squares
3 tbsp oil for frying
Sea salt, to taste
METHOD:
Make the dressing by whisking oil, lemon juice, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, sumac, maple syrup and pomegranate molasses.
Make the crispy pitta squares by pan-frying them in the oil for 4-5 mins on each side until crispy and golden brown. Set aside and let them cool down slightly.
Put everything in a large bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Leave some crispy pitta to garnish at the end.
Assemble the salad on a big platter, garnish with the rest of the pitta, some mint leaves and pomegranate.