Celebrate Eid with these exceptional family recipes

Eid this year is particularly special for Munaf and the team at The Bohri Kitchen because they've just relaunched in a new avatar. Last year, when the pandemic hit, the business was in a phase of rapid expansion—they had four kitchens, a QSR outlet and were scaling up. The extended lockdown proved to be a massive blow to their business, with Munaf almost ready to shut shop.
 

But his wife Zahabia and operations head Kadir said they should go back to their roots and do what they do best—serve up home-style Bohri food—but have it delivered to customers’ homes. So, they reopened in 2021 and have managed to get back on their feet in just three months, right in time for Eid.
 

They have a special menu of Iftaar platters, sweets, and savouries, orders for which need to be placed three days in advance. (The marination time for dishes like raan is 48 hours, so you must order ahead.)
 

Here, Munaf shares his family recipe for mutton khichra, the Bohri version of haleem, a silky stew made with ground meat, lentils, broken wheat and spices. Says Munaf, "In my opinion, mutton khichra is far superior to haleem—it's milder and more flavourful, with a different proportion of pulses. Our version is served with slivers of ginger, ghee, birista (fried onions) and is accompanied by an onion and imli kachumber, which provides a beautiful contrast to the rich stew."

The recipe requires some patience and coordination at the stove—but the result is well worth it!
 

Mutton Khichra Recipe

For the mutton

•   1 kg boneless mutton
•   ½ tsp green masala*
•   2 cups oil
•   Just enough water to cover
   

*For the green masala (prepare beforehand)

•  50 g garlic
•  50 g ginger
•  50 g green chillies
•  50 g coriander leaves
•  50 g mint leaves
•  Grind all ingredients together with a little water to make a smooth paste
   

Method

•  Wash the broken wheat at least three times in fresh water to remove as  much starch as possible.
•  Similarly, wash the mixed dal three times in water.
•  Soak the wheat and dal separately overnight in sufficient water—both   the wheat and dal should be well covered.
•  The next morning, take the same water in which the wheat has been soaking and add the salt, 2 tsp of the prepared green masala paste, 2 cups of oil and the spice potli.
•  Cook the wheat on a high flame till it comes to a boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce heat and let it cook until the wheat becomes tender. (It’s best to cook it with a closed lid and pour a little water on the lid to maintain pressure.)
•  Side by side, empty the soaked dal, along with its soaking water into a  pressure cooker. Add 1 tsp salt and cook for two whistles.
•  While the wheat and dal are cooking, prepare the mutton.
•  Add mutton pieces to a pressure cooker with 1 tsp salt, 2 cups oil and ½   tsp of the prepared green masala paste. Add enough water to cover and cook for 6-7 whistles until the mutton is very soft.
•  Once wheat is cooked, take a larger vessel and strain the wheat, being  sure to retain the water it has been cooked in.
•  Add the blended wheat and dal mixtures into a pot and simmer together on a slow flame. This is the khichda base.
•  Once the mutton has cooked, empty it into khichda mixture and cook  for another 30 minutes until all the ingredients and flavours have melded.
•  Garnish with hot ghee, fried onions (birista) and serve with mint leaves and slices of lemon (nimbu).
  

One thing that stood out was that there would always be two different kinds of sawaiyan served (vermicelli pudding). The pandemic means Maliha can't travel to Karachi—but she's bringing a piece of her family to the table with her mother’s recipe for qemami sawaiyan. "Most people are familiar with sheer khurma, or the sawaiyan made with milk – but there is another kind of sawaiyan called qemami sawaiyan, with plenty of ghee and sugar."
 

Maliha says her mother's version is the best she's tasted because it's neither cloyingly sweet nor too rich. "Now that I have moved to Delhi, I make this sawaiyan every Eid to remind me of my mother who is in Karachi." Two things that she says one mustn't compromise on when making this dish are the dry fruits and nuts—she insists there must be lots on hand for garnishing!
 

Qemami Sawaiyan Recipe
 

Method

•   Heat the ghee in a big pot and once it's hot, add the cloves and cardamom until fragrant.
•  Break the vermicelli into small pieces and add it to the pot, mixing everything together.
• Once the vermicelli is roasted and reddish in colour, add the milk to it.
• Once the vermicelli has softened and the sawaiyan is about to come to a boil, add the sugar.
• Mix everything together until the milk and sugar have dried up and the vermicelli is cooked.
• Add the dry fruits as per your taste requirements along with the khoya or broken qalaqand. 
•  Mix everything and cook for a few more minutes until the dry fruits have softened.
• Serve hot and garnish with more dry fruits and khoya on top.