If you are looking beyond polao and korma for the Eid-day luncheon, the following recipes will serve as blessings. Curated especially for you, the recipes come from diverse sources — from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and beyond. So, let the flavours go soft on your palate as we present these recipes from around the world.  

BUKHARI RICE

Bukhari rice is a flavourful and aromatic rice dish, popular in Middle Eastern countries and Saudi Arabia in particular. This dish gets its name from the famous city of Bukhara, although the recipe shared below is known to have originated in Afghanistan.

In this recipe, there is a special Bukhari masala preparation, and that is the only spice mix added to flavour the rice.

Ingredients

1 kg basmati rice

1 kg chicken

4 tbsp ghee

½ cup sliced onions

5 green chillies

3 carrots, julienned

1 tbsp crushed garlic

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

4 cardamoms

4 cloves

2 sticks of cinnamon

2 dry lemons

4 bay leaves

Salt, to taste

For Bukhari masala —

1 tsp whole peppercorns

4 cardamom pods

1 tsp cumin seeds

4 cloves

3 small pieces of cinnamon

For the garnish —

1 tbsp ghee

3 tbsp raisins

3 tbsp blanched, sliced almonds

1 tbsp fried onions

For grill —

2 tbsp oil

Method

Wash and soak the basmati rice in enough water. Wash the chicken and drain water, keep aside. Blend all the Bukhari masala and make a powder. Heat ghee in a pan, add whole garam masala. Add sliced onions and sauté. Then add green chillies and chicken. Fry for 10 minutes. Add tomato paste, tomato ketchup, Bukhari masala, dry lemon, salt and cook for another 10 minutes. The chicken will release water, so you don't need to add any extra water. Cook the chicken until its cooked nice and tender. Remove the chicken on a plate and keep aside.

Add water to the remaining masala in the same pan and bring to a boil. Now, add soaked rice, carrots, green chillies, and salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Switch off the flame and leave it for later use. Heat another pan, and add oil to the grill. Add the cooked chicken, and fry until crisp on all the sides. Remove from heat and keep aside. Fry the sliced almonds and raisins.

In a serving dish, place cooked rice, add grilled chicken, and finally, garnish with fried raisins and almonds.

KUZU TANDIR (TURKISH ROASTED LAMB)

Kuzu tandir is the most famous lamb dish in Turkish cuisine. It's lamb so fragrant and tender that it falls away from the bone and melts in your mouth like cotton candy. Kuzu tandir is a slow-cooked dish traditionally cooked in a clay, tandoor oven for long hours, until fork tender. (This means a fork will glide through the lamb pieces easily.)  Its name, tandir comes from the ancient technique of cooking meat in a special oven made from a pit in the soil.

Ingredients

1 leg of lamb with thigh

¼ cup olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

4-5 bay leaves

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp oregano

½ cup hot water

Method

Wash and clean off excess fat from the lamb leg. Then, have the leg separated into 3 pieces at the joints. Preheat oven to 280° F. Place the lamb in a shallow metal oven roasting tray. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. Pour the mixture over the lamb and rub the mixture all over the lamb properly. Add the bay leaves and oregano. Place the tray in the oven.

Let the lamb cook slowly at low temperature for about 1½ hours. After 30 minutes, turn the pieces of lamb over. Repeat this process two more times during cooking.  When 1½ hours have passed pour ½ cup of hot water over the meat, then close the roasting pan completely with aluminium foil. Turn up the oven temperature to 360° F and leave the meat to roast for at least an hour more.

After 1 hour, remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Remove the foil. Kuzu Tandir is ready to serve.

BEEF RENDANG

Beef rendang, a Malaysian curry, is considered by many as the king of all curries! Originally from Indonesia, but now more well known as a Malaysian speciality, Beef rendang is an extravagantly rich and flavourful dish that takes time to prepare but is easy to cook.

Ingredients

For the spice paste —

12 dried chillies

1 large onion, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 lemongrass stalks, white part only

2 tbsp fresh, minced ginger

3 tbsp oil

For the curry —

1 kg chuck steak, beef cut into 4 cm cubes

1 tbsp oil

1 cinnamon stick

¼ tsp clove powder

3 pieces of star anise

½ tsp cardamom powder

1 lemongrass stick, the bottom half of the stick only

400ml coconut milk

2 tsp tamarind puree

4 large lime leaves, very finely sliced

1/3 cup desiccated coconut (finely shredded coconut)

1 tbsp brown sugar

Salt to taste

Method

Place spice paste ingredients in a food processor and whizz until fine. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy-based pot over high heat. Add the beef and fry until brown. Remove from pan and keep aside. Lower heat to medium-low. Add spices paste and cook for 2-3 minutes until the water has reduced and the spices paste darkens. Add remaining curry ingredients and fried beef.

Stir to combine. Put the lid on and leave it to simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes on low heat. Remove the lid and check the beef to see how tender it is. Turn up heat to medium and reduce the sauce for 10-15 minutes. Stirring now and then at first, then frequently towards the end or until the beef browns and the sauce coats the beef.

Remove from heat and serve.

HALLA KEBAB (EGYPTIAN BRAISED BEEF AND ONIONS)

Halla kebab is a signature Egyptian dish that makes an appearance at many celebrations. It consists of tender beef braised in a velvety sauce of caramelised onions. The word kebab might make you think of charred, sizzling skewers of minced meat over a ranging fire spit, but Halla kebab is an iconic Egyptian dish of braised beef and onions.

Ingredients

1 kg boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

½ kg onions

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

2 tbsp ghee

2 bay leaves

½ tsp salt

125ml water

2 tbsp fried onions

1 tbsp coriander leaves

1 tbsp seven spice mix powder (Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamoms, and nutmeg)

Freshly ground black pepper, as required

Method

Peel the onions. Then halve and slice them, but not too thin. Grind the seven-spice mix and keep it aside. Heat ghee in a Dutch oven or slow cooker and brown the beef all over for about 3 minutes on each side. Add the onions, ginger-garlic paste, cumin paste, bay leaves, and salt. Stir and bring to a simmer. Then reduce the heat, as we didn't add any water. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, stir it, and add water. Add seven-spices mix and stir. Bring it back to a simmer, cover and cook for another 45 minutes, or until the beef is cooked and is fork tender. Check seasoning and sprinkle freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fried onions and coriander leaves. Serve hot.

NAMOURA

Namoura is a delicious, semolina-based, Lebanese dessert that is rich, juicy, and decadent. It is popular in the Middle East. Semolina cake is soaked in a rose syrup, flavoured syrup to make this amazing sweet treat. It is crispy on the outside, and soft and creamy on the inside. Traditionally, it is served in small slices as it is a rich delicacy.

Ingredients

For the semolina cake —

1 cup plain yoghurt, preferably whole milk

3 cups semolina flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp baking soda

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup unsalted butter, melted. Plus, more for coating the pan

¼ cup slivered or whole almonds

1 tbsp rose water or orange blossom

For the sugar syrup —

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

1 slice of lemon

1 tsp rose water or orange blossom

Method

For the sugar syrup —

In a saucepan, combine sugar and water over medium-high heat. Stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Add lemon juice. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the syrup from heat, add rose water and mix well. Set aside and let it completely cool down before topping the Namoura.

To make the Namoura cake —

Preheat oven to 180° C, and line a non-stick half-sheet pan (17-inch x 11-inch) with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper sheet with ghee and keep it aside.

In a large size bowl, whisk together the semolina, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in the butter, rose water, or orange blossom and yoghurt until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, wet your hands with a little water and spread it out evenly. Score the batter into 1-inch square or diamond shapes with the butter knife and place 1 raw almond in the centre of each diamond.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the sides and top are golden brown. Remove from oven and pour sugar syrup evenly all over the sheet cake, immediately. Cut the cake along the lines that were scored. Let the cake come to room temperature to absorb the syrup before serving. Enjoy!