KARACHI: Mutton leg and mutton chops from the qurbani at your own place, lean and meaty cuts from the neighbours, liver or kaleji from your phuppo’s (paternal aunt) house, a lamb’s leg with rump from another relative who sacrifices lambs every Eid and some more select cuts from those who sacrifice cows ... is there any more room left in your freezer?

Sacrifices, sharing, caring and freezer doors that don’t shut easily are all a part of Eidul Azha, also known as Bakra Eid. One thing is certain — no one buys veggies

such as okra, brinjal, pumpkins, etc during the Eid days. The greengrocer or sabzi-wallah is seen selling only stuff such as tomatoes, cucumber, beetroots and lettuce for the salads to keep on the side or onions, garlic, ginger, lime and raw papaya that are needed in the cooking of meat dishes.

Similarly, the supermarkets or superstores would be doing well selling meat tenderisers, barbecue sauces, salt and all kinds of spices, especially the prepared spices for roasts, haleem, nihari, biryani, pulao and what not. Since you also need yogurt in the cooking of many meat dishes, the milk shop too prepared well for the day by preparing extra yogurt.

Clearly, for many days after Eid you don’t have to go to the butchers to buy any kind of meat. Meanwhile, you are wondering what to do with all the meat stored in your freezers at home.

On Eid day, you can barbecue or look into making a delicious oven roast. Some families also prepare pulao and invite family and friends for lunch. By the third or fourth day of Eid you find people complaining about getting sick and tired of home-cooked food. But with many restaurants closed around this time there are some out there offering their services to cook for you.

“Yes, for about a month after Eidul Azha, we offer our services to anyone who wants us to make barbecue kebabs or boti for them. You bring the meat and we add the spices to it and cook it for which we have our nominal charges. It also helps keep us busy and in business,” said the man minding the counter of Waheed Restaurant at Burnes Road.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2019