Meethi Eid, as Eid ul Fitr is also called, is famously associated with foods like Sheer Khurma and Kimami Seviyaan, Biryani and Haleem. But there's a long tradition of vegetarian and vegan dishes associated with the festival too.
Dilliwalas, for example, love their dahi badey and relish these on Eid too. Such is the love for this dish that author Sadia Dehlvi also mentions dahi badey, chana dal and Kachalu chat as must-have dishes during Ramzan in her book Jasmine & Jinns.
Chef Sadaf Hussain, reiterates, “Dahi bade is common on all festivals in North India, including Eid-ul-Fitr. It is the beginning of a normal day after a month of fasting, and hence, you don’t want to start with heavy and rich food. Dahi vade, doused in curd, is a perfect dish to cool your gut. The vade, generally made of urad dal, are a good source of protein. This one is a complete meal.”
Also read: Decoding the original biskoot - naan khatai, an Eid special
Kachori chutney, is equally popular in Old Delhi, especially among the older generation. According to Hussain, “Growing up in Ranchi, we never ate Kachori for breakfast on Eid; but in Delhi, this is a staple dish. There are specialised shops in Purani Dilli selling kachori on Chand raat (Eve of Eid) and people wait in queues for their turn.”
Another easy-to-prepare, light and flavourful dish, is the kabuli, a white chickpea pulao and can be paired with a cold raita and a sweet or tangy pickle.
Gurgaon-based Sahana Ahmed, the author of Combat Skirts, shares, “Aloo tikki chat and Kala chana kababs, were always made by my mother on Eid. Kala chana kabab mimics the meaty texture of meat-based kababs and aloo tikki, of course is a universal favourite. In my home, as we have guests who are vegetarian, I make paneer jalfrezi, owing to its Bengali origins and because it is a relatively lighter dish than most paneer preparations.”
Khatte Baingan or Bagare Baigan, Subz Dalcha and Mirchi ka salan, are common in Hyderabad as side dishes, while Bhopal is another place where vegetarian dishes stand cheek by jowl with "non-veg" on the table on Eid. A lightly flavoured kabuli (chana dal pulao) is relished. Many families even prepare a simple kuska – a flavoured and spiced plain Biryani rice, paired with curries.
In Bengal, handesh, a Bangladeshi delicacy, which is a deep-fried, sweet made with rice flour, ginger, salt and date molasses, is relished. Veg korma, a medley of vegetables in a rich gravy, is another Eid special, in most homes in Bengal.
“Only the shaitaan (devil) fasts on Eid, as it is considered inauspicious to fast, so we feast instead, after fasting in the Holy Month of Ramadan,” states Imtiyaaz Ali, a Goa-based businessman.
Vegetarian delicacies across India
As people make lifestyle choice depending on taste, values and health concerns, more vegetarian and vegan food options are making their presence felt at the Eid feast table.
Kokni and Bohri communities
According to food historian Dr Mohsina Mukadam, Kokni Muslims’ Eid feast largely comprises meat-based dishes, possibly owing to the strong Arab influence. Yet, Sandan (sweet idli) is perhaps one of the popular vegetarian items on Eid, other than sweets like bottle gourd halwa made with coconut milk and cubes of bottle gourd.
Mumbai-based home chef-turned-entrepreneur Mumtaz Kazi Pawaskar of Kokni Dastarkhwan says: “In Kokni Muslim households, sandans or steamed rice cakes, are eaten with curries. Bagarey dhaan or rice cooked in coconut milk, is an Eid special too. Badishopit daal, cooked with fennel and coconut milk, figures prominently in the feast menu. Most dishes are cooked with red masalas and this one breaks that masala palate, as it does not contain any spice, yet pairs well with other dishes. Steeped in the aroma of fennel and the flavour of coconut milk, this helps in balancing an otherwise heavy meal on Eid.”
For Bohri Muslims, Dal chawal palidu or palita, a three-ingredient dish made with toor dal, basmati rice and a besan or gram flour gravy, is eaten extensively on Eid, according to Rumana Roowala, a Pune-based restaurateur, of the erstwhile Thaal, Goa. The tangy flavour in this dish, according to her, comes usually from the addition of kokum.
What’s on offer
Hotels, too, realise the importance of vegetarian food on Eid, and cater to all palates as part of their celebratory menus. If non-vegetarian platters are sought after, their vegetarian counterparts are appealing too. Dahi kebab, subz gilafi seekh, beetroot galouti kababs and paneer Patiala kebab for starters, and Dum aloo Kashmiri biryani and paneer makhanwala stuffed naan for mains are what some restaurants offer. Hotels in Hyderabad make it a point to serve subz ka dalcha, a lentil-based slow-cooked stew with vegetables.
The Bohri Kitchen in Mumbai makes mouth-watering veg samosas, Hariyali kababs and Nariyal kababs, which even meat-lovers love.
Mustard Café Goa offers the refreshing yogurt-based Bangladeshi drink Burhani to start the Eid meal, followed by a green jackfruit or Enchor Korma, which is meaty in texture and flavourful, along with a robust Jackfruit biryani, for mains. “With flavours and textures like these, who would miss non-vegetarian food,” says Salma Shaikh, a young professional, who has turned vegetarian by choice.
Vegan dishes too
Vegans need not fret or miss their meat-based treats on Eid any more. Hachi & Reggie, a plant-based cloud kitchen in Kolkata, by Sandra Hendricks, offers, Galawati Kababs made with pea protein, vegan mince and hand-pounded Galawati spices and the Kolkata biryani, in its vegan avatar, for Eid.
Explains Sandra, “I follow the traditional recipe and then make my vegan version. The biryani is made in dum style with original spices ground by me, while the curd is made with soy milk and the ghee used is vegan. But the best part is that though we serve rich feast food, it is all plant-based.”
Also read: Ramadan 2022 | Dates: types, health benefits and why they are good for breaking a fast
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