Eid al-Fitr literally means ‘return to be innocence’. This is a big holiday in Islam and comes after the holy month of Ramadan. After fasting for a full month, Muslims celebrate their victory in that month into a festive Eid al-Fitr. As with most of the festivities, you can find many unique Eid al-Fitr dishes.
Since Islam are prevalent in a quite large area in the world, there are lots of traditions and dishes you can find during Eid al-Fitr. Asia has its own way to celebrate this holiday. In term of culinary, here are some of the unique Eid al-Fitr dishes from Asia.
Sheer Kurma
In India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, you can find Sheer Kurma. You can only enjoy this sweet dish during Eid al-Fitr. The name Sheer Kurma means dates and milk that is served in the morning, right before the Eid al-Fitr prayer. This dish’s ingredients are milk, dates, rice vermicelli, and sugar. You can also add several items like almond, clover, galangal, raisins, and cardamom.
Bolani
To summarize, Bolani is a special dish, served at special moments. It’s not an Eid al-Fitr exclusive dish since you can also enjoy it on special occasions throughout the year. It is a thin-crusted bread with interesting vegetable fillings. Bolani might be stuffed with potatoes, pumpkin, and lentils. This dish is great when served with yogurt. This is just an appetizer, though.
You Xiang
Most of Muslims in China live on the western part of the country. The Hui ethnic group which are predominantly Muslims have a lovely cake to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. You Xiang is the name of this simple cake/bread. This is a very basic cake, you only need flour, yeast, salt, and oil to make one. However, this is just a side dish to accompany the usually big feast during the festive period.
Kulhi Boakibaa
This is essentially a spicy cake fish from the Maldives. Just like other cakes, Kulhi Boakibaa is also a snack in the small nation. Its ingredients is mainly of tuna, onion, turmeric, chili pepper, and salt. You can add other smaller ingredient to suit your taste. Originally an Eid el-Fitr dish, Kulhi Boakibaa is now a popular afternoon snack, usually enjoyed with tea.
Ketupat Opor
You can find ketupat during Eid el-Fitr not only in Indonesia, but also in Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Singapore. However, Indonesia has a special affinity with it. In Indonesia, the perfect counterpart for ketupat is usually Opor ayam. Ketupat is a rice cake wrapped in a diamond-shaped woven palm leaf. Opor ayam is chicken cooked in coconut milk with a special mixture of spices, especially galangal.
As with many other festivities, Eid el-Fitr calls for many delicious dish from many parts of the world. Asia which is popular for its foods with rich tastes, have some unique dishes. Some are only around during the festivities, the Eid al-Fitr dishes.
