Long days of fasting in the western hemisphere have come to a close — for this year at least. In some places the fast was up to 19 hours long and without the benefit of shortened work days made for a true test of patience.

Eid was much looked forward to, and now it is finally here. Close relatives (and some extended ones) will gather together for a family brunch post-Eid namaaz. All in their Eid best and the womenfolk brandishing hands brightly marked with henna the night before. Dahi barray, chholay, and a platter of samosas are laid out. The rich and nutty Sheer khurma takes its rightful place at centre stage. A short while later the lunch menu gets laid out; usually a catered affair pre-ordered weeks in advance from the best available Pakistani restaurant. It’s all the usual suspects: pulao, korma, a grilled meat dish plus a mixed vegetable item and homemade daal for the on-again off-again vegetarian in the crowd; gulaab jaman or shahi tukrray for dessert, along with the precious sheer khurma. Everything traditional, no surprises, no glitches … so humdrum.

In a previous year, a couple of us tried to mix things up for a change and take the Eid celebration outdoors. “Let’s do Eid brunch in the park!” What better way is there to make the most of the wonderful weather? Desi barbeque items brought along to grill instead of the regular desi foodstuff; sheer khurma ready to be gently reheated upon the glowing embers after all the grilling is done. Rejoice in harmony with Mother Nature.

This Eid try something new along with the traditional fare

Unfortunately the rejections were quick and brutal: “I’ll look a little ridiculous walking through the park in my Eid clothes and high heels”, “It’ll get messy and hot, too much to carry, too much work”, and even a genuinely shocked “Eid in the par ... what?” And finally “Eid must always be celebrated at home so that guests can drop in” was the seniors’ verdict which forced an end to that proposal.

The following year, we presented another proposal: since this is the North American edition of Eid, let’s attempt to bring the menu closer to its North American setting. The most obvious way to do this will be to hold a turkey feast with all the traditional side dishes: corn bread, sweet potatoes, green bean and fried onions casserole, cranberry sauce, and for dessert a seasonal fruit pie (strawberry rhubarb!) along with the one desi exception, sheer khurma (because there can simply be no Eid without sheer). The feasting would take place at home in case guests decide to drop in.

This time the reactions were more shocked and even less subdued. “You want to have Thanksgiving for Eid?” “No, it will confuse the kids.” “Sounds like something we could try for Bakra Eid.” And the seniors’ verdict? “That is a very stupid idea.”

Not willing to give up this time, we modified the proposal. If you’re not willing to eat turkey on Eid, how about food from Turkey instead? Imagine a table laden with delicious mezze — a variety of olives, creamy feta cheese, fresh baked bread, fava beans with herbs, grilled red peppers drizzled with virgin olive oil, tasty pickled sardines, warm grilled calamari, juicy tomatoes cut in thick slices, tangy garlic yoghurt, lightly fried eggplant strips ... and so much more. Everything healthy and a welcome change from the greasy, cooked options that are the norm at our desi feast. The desi sheer khurma firmly remains on the table though.

In Turkey, nationally celebrated festivals are called “bayram” and Eidul Fitr is popularly referred to as Ramazan Bayrami (or Ramazan Bayram). The perfect start to any festive meal in Turkey includes a simple yet delicious yoghurt based soup called Yayla Corbasi, which originated among Anatolia’s earliest settlers and nomadic herdsman. It’s easy to make and lightly flavoured with dried mint and paprika flakes. We can start our Eid meal with this mild soup and end it with soothing, fragrant homemade Turkish apple tea (Elma Cayi in Turkish) to aid digestion.

The seniors’ verdict? “Good idea. We will drink this apple tea after eating pulao and korma. Cut up some tomatoes and put out olives too, no big deal. Is this yoghurt soup a sort of raita?”

YOGHURT SOUP (YAYLA CORBASI)

Ingredients

1/4 cup rice
5 cups of water (or half chicken stock & half water)
2 cups of plain yoghurt
1 egg
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp dried mint or tarragon
1 tsp salt

Method

Boil rice in five cups of water with salt until (very) soft. In a bowl, beat the egg and flour well, and then add yoghurt and mix. Lighten up this mixture with 1-2 tbsp water. Pour the yoghurt mix in a pot and start cooking on very low heat for approximately 15 minutes and keep stirring. Slowly pour in the rice along with water into the soup. Keep stirring. First let it boil on medium and then turn it down and cook for another 10 minutes. Heat butter in a pan. Once it sizzles, add mint flakes and stir for 20-30 seconds (don’t let it burn). Pour into the soup.

APPLE TEA (ELMA CAYI)

Ingredients

8 ounces sliced dried apples
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
6 cups cold water
Honey to taste

Method

Place all the ingredients except honey into a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the hot tea into a teapot. Make sure to gently push on the apples to remove all the liquid.

Sweeten with honey then pour into tea glasses. (It’s easy to make your own dried apple slices: lay a single layer of thin slices on a baking tray and bake at 200°F for about 1.5 hours. Be sure to monitor regularly).

Published in Dawn, EOS, June 25th, 2017