Tantalising Eid-ul-Azha with Radhuni

At the break of dawn, every household in Bangladesh resembles almost the same on the day of Eid-ul-Azha. Some prepare to join the prayers, and some prepare the feasts that will be rolled out throughout the day. After the prayers, the festive mood breaks out with the comforting hum of a busy kitchen as elders lovingly prepare festive dishes that define the day. The air is filled with the mouth-watering aroma of Bukhari rice, mezbani kalabhuna, and mutton curry — each pot a vessel of rich, spicy history.

Members of all ages in families gather, eyes twinkling with enchantment, around tables adorned with chicken roast and korma, their golden hues promising a feast of memories. Then, the desserts — creamy falooda and custard — are served, and each spoonful is a sweet testament to the joy of togetherness.

These dishes are more than just food: they celebrate family bonds, shared laughter, and stories told. This Eid, let the flavours of the home wrap around you like a warm embrace, making every bite a moment to cherish.

Here are the recipes that will make your Eid colourful and tasty!

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.

Ingredients

1 kg Chashi Aromatic Chinigura Rice
1 kg chicken

4 tbsp Radhuni Ghee

½ cup sliced onions

5 green chillies

3 carrots, julienned

1 tbsp crushed garlic

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp Ruchi Tomato ketchup

4 cardamoms

4 cloves

2 sticks of cinnamon

2 dry lemons

4 bay leaves

Salt, to taste

For the masala —

1 tsp whole peppercorns

4 cardamom pods

1 tsp cumin seeds

4 cloves

3 small pieces of cinnamon

For the garnish —

1 tbsp Radhuni ghee

3 tbsp raisins

3 tbsp blanched, sliced almonds

1 tbsp fried onions

For grill —

2 tbsp Radhuni Sunflower oil

Method

Wash and soak the Chashi Aromatic Chinigura Rice in enough water. Wash the chicken and drain water, keep aside. Blend all the masala and make a powder. Heat Radhuni 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, Ruchi tomato ketchup, Bukhari masala, dry lemon, salt, and cook for another 10 minutes. The chicken will release water, so you do not 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.

BEEF KALA BHUNA

Kala bhuna has a long history. For ages, this dish has held great sentimental value for the residents of Chattogram. It's a means to commemorate or mourn any significant occasion with loved ones, friends, and visitors.

Ingredients

1 Kg of medium-sized pieces, bone in

4 onions thinly sliced

3-4 green chilies

4 cloves of garlic thinly sliced

1½ tbsp of ginger paste

2 tbsp of garlic paste

250 ml Radhuni Pure Mustard Oil

1½ tbsp Radhuni Cumin powder

1 tbsp Radhuni Coriander powder

½ tbsp Radhuni Red chili powder

1½ tsp powdered Radhuni Kala Bhuna Masala

1½ tsp powdered Radhuni Garam Masala

¼ tsp nutmeg powder

3-4 bay leaves

2" cinnamon stick, broken into pieces

5-6 black cardamoms

5-6 cloves

1 strand of mace

1 star anise

4 dry red chillies

200g yoghurt

Salt, as needed

Method

Take the meat in a bowl. Mix everything with your hands after adding half of the chopped onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic paste, Radhuni cumin, coriander, and red chilli powders. Once everything is combined, break up the spices with your fingers and add the bay leaves, cloves, mace, cinnamon stick, green and black cardamom, nutmeg powder, two dried red chillies, star anise, and four tablespoons of Radhuni Pure Mustard oil.

Marinate the meat for about an hour.

In an iron pan, add the marinated meat and turn on the flame. Cover and cook the meat on medium flame. In about 10-15 minutes, the meat begins to release water. Continue cooking the meat for about 45 minutes with frequent stirring. Beat the yoghurt and add it to the pan. Mix everything properly and continue cooking the meat for another 20 minutes.

Add the Radhuni Garam Masala powder and Radhuni Kala Bhuna powder to the pan and continue cooking. In a pan, take the remaining oil and heat it. Once the oil is hot, add 2 whole red chillies, thinly sliced garlic cloves, and the remaining onion slices. As the onions start caramelising, pour the mixture into the pan.

This is an important step and should be noticed. Once done, continue cooking the meat for another 45 minutes or until the meat is cooked thoroughly. Eventually, during this entire "bhuna" process, the meat will turn black. Turn off the flame and serve with polao.

MUTTON CURRY

This is an original, flavourful, cosy, and simple mutton curry recipe that has been around for a long time. It is about to be shared with you with a splash of personal touch — flavourful mutton slow-cooked in a coconut sauce, enhanced with fragrant Bangladeshi curry powder.

Ingredients

1 kg mutton, cut into pieces

400 ml coconut milk

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 large tomatoes, chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

1-inch piece of ginger, grated

2-3 green chillies slit (optional)

A handful of curry leaves

Lemongrass

2 tbsp Radhuni Coriander powder

1 tsp Radhuni Cumin powder

1 tsp Radhuni Turmeric powder

1-2 tsp of Radhuni Red chilli powder (adjust to taste)

1 tsp Radhuni Meat Curry Masala

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

Whole spices —

2 bay leaves

1-inch piece of cinnamon stick

3-4 cardamom pods

4-5 cloves

3-4 tbsp Radhuni Sunflower oil or coconut oil

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Water as needed

Optional ingredients —

Potatoes: 2 medium, cubed (optional)

Freshly grated coconut: 2 tbsp (for extra coconut flavour)

Lemon juice: 1 tbsp (for a tangy touch)

Method

Depending on whether the mutton has bones or not, chop it into pieces of the proper size. Put the pieces in a big basin after chopping the ginger and garlic finely or using a ginger-garlic paste. Add this to the mutton along with Radhuni turmeric, red chilli powder, curry powder, and salt. Mix everything well until the meat is fully covered. Let the mutton marinade in the fridge for at least half an hour and a maximum of 24 hours.

Finely chop the onions and sauté them in a big saucepan with one or two teaspoons of Radhuni Sunflower oil or coconut oil over medium heat until they soften. With caution, do not let the spices burn. Add the curry spices, lemongrass, curry leaves — sauté for 30 to 60 seconds or until aromatic.

After that, add the marinated mutton to the saucepan and stir to combine it with the spices thoroughly. After cooking the meat for a few minutes to ensure it is completely covered, cover the pot and simmer it for around ten minutes over medium-low heat. Then, pour one to two cups of water, cover, and allow the meat to simmer until it becomes soft.

Uncover the saucepan when the meat is tender and continue cooking to enable the liquid to evaporate and the flavours to concentrate, raising the heat to medium or medium-high as needed.

If you want your gravy thinner, add additional liquid: if you want it thicker, simmer it longer. To prevent the coconut milk from overwhelming the curry, add it last and boil it for a few minutes until the flavours combine. It's time to serve the mutton curry.

FRUIT CUSTARD

This combines the rich taste of custard with the vivid, fresh taste of a variety of fruits to create a delightfully creamy treat. Ideal for joyous occasions such as Eid, this dish lends a cosy quality to any family get-together. Fruit custard will make your Eid festivities happier and more communal, whether served as a refreshing snack or after a celebratory feast.

Ingredients

2½ tbsp Radhuni Custard Powder

¼ cup water

500ml milk

4 tbsp sugar

1 apple

1 cup grapes

½ cup pomegranate arils

1 cup diced strawberries

2 tbsp slithered almonds

2 tbsp pistachios

2 tbsp raisins

Method

Mix water and Radhuni Custard Powder until the mixture is lump-free and smooth. Pour the milk and sugar into a saucepan, set over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Now, lower the heat and whisk constantly to incorporate the custard powder mixture smoothly. Stir until all the ingredients are properly incorporated and the custard thickens. It will continue to get thicker as it cools, so remove it from the fire and let it cool.

After the custard cools to room temperature, stir in the chopped apple, raisins, slithered almonds, diced strawberries, grapes, and pomegranate seeds. Gently stir everything together to ensure that the fruits and nuts are distributed evenly. Add chopped nuts and raisins to the top as a garnish before serving. Enjoy your delectable fruit custard cold!

FALOODA

Falooda is a delectable and refreshing dessert that perfectly combines the richness of milk with the delightful textures of jelly, fruits, and ice cream. This layered delicacy, native to the Indian subcontinent, is popular during celebratory events and represents happiness, festivity, and the comforts of home.

The classic recipe gets a new touch from the Radhuni Falooda Mix, enhanced with tapioca pearls, noodles, raisins, and basil seeds. It becomes an appealing delicacy for family get-togethers.

Ingredients

Jelly powder

Radhuni Falooda Mix (this includes tapioca pearls, noodles, raisins, and basil seeds)

Additional ingredients required –

One cup water

1 litre milk

1 apple

10 strawberries

1 cup grapes

2 kiwis

Scoops of ice cream

Method

Preparing the jelly is the first stage with the help of Radhuni Falooda Mix. Whisk well after dissolving the jelly powder in a cup of water. For 4 to 5 minutes, while stirring constantly, bring this mixture to a boil over medium heat. Once the hot jelly mixture has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to a small dish and chill until it solidifies.

In the meantime, cut the grapes in half and chop the apples, strawberries, and kiwis into cubes. In a big pot, bring the milk to a boil. Add the whole Radhuni Falooda Mix and stir thoroughly. Over medium-high heat, let the mixture come to a boil while whisking continually. Remove it from the heat source as soon as it boils and let it cool.

Dice the set jelly into tiny cubes and add them, along with the chopped fruits, to the chilled falooda mixture. To present, arrange the fruit combination and falooda in serving glasses, beginning with a few jelly cubes at the bottom. Scoop some ice cream on top, then savour this deliciously cool treat.