While Eid al-Fitr is the most anticipated of the two Eid festivals because it follows 30 days of fasting, Eid al-Adha is considered the more significant religious event.
Often referred to as “the big Eid”, Eid al-Adha means the”festival of sacrifice”.
It is a three to four-day celebration, which this year most people around the world will celebrate on Friday. It falls on the tenth day of the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar, known as Dhu al-Hijjah.
It marks the climax of the Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, obligatory for those who are financially and physically able to complete it at least once in their lifetime.
To followers of Islam, Eid al-Adha marks the willingness of the Prophet Abraham (known as Ibrahim in Arabic) to sacrifice his son Ismail after receiving a command from God, even though ultimately Abraham did not have to sacrifice his son and was provided a ram to sacrifice in his son’s place.
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The sacrifice is a reminder to Muslims to place their relationship with God before attachment to the material world – to trust in God’s plan, surrender to God’s will, and promote social cohesion and the ties of kinship through giving some of the slaughtered meat to others, particularly those less fortunate.
Consequently, those who can afford to sacrifice an animal share the meat. One-third of the meat is meant to go to those in need, one-third should go to relatives and friends, and the last third to one’s own family.
Eid al-Adha is sometimes known as the “salty” Eid because there is more of a focus on savoury dishes compared to Eid al-Fitr where many sweets are consumed as well.
The following is a brief snapshot of dishes from around the Muslim world, outside of the ubiquitous barbecue and grilled meats commonplace on Eid, which may be traditionally made and consumed with the meat from the ritual sacrifice (referred to as qurbani).
Bosnia
In Bosnia, a liver dish (known as dzigerica) is traditionally consumed for breakfast. The liver is pan-fried with lots of onions, butter and Vegeta (a Balkan seasoning made from dehydrated vegetables, parsley and spices).
The liver is normally accompanied by an unleavened bread called pogaca and cottage cheese. The meat from the qurbani tends to be roasted and is known as pecenje.
It tends to be cooked with salt, pepper and some garlic, and is consumed throughout the day. It is even eaten cold.
It is generally accompanied by roasted potatoes. Eating qurbani meat is seen to be a blessing, and people are encouraged to eat a little, even if they are not hungry.
Egypt
In Egypt, fattah is a quintessential dish typically eaten on Eid al-Adha. It consists of multiple layers: a bed of white rice topped with spiced pieces of lamb or beef, toasted pitta chips, and a tangy garlic and tomato sauce.
Tomato sauce is unique to Egypt. In the Levant, yoghurt, tahini, and garlic sauce are typically used instead of tomato sauce.
Gambia
In Gambia, qurbani meat is typically seasoned with spices and other seasonings and then grilled or roasted and is commonly called afra.
The term afra is used interchangeably with dibi, which is a dish the Senegalese typically make with mustard and onions.
Senegalese and Gambian cuisine share many similarities due to their close geographical and historical ties.
The grilled meat is served with jollof rice, attieke (made from cassava), salad, and/or soup before being washed down with hibiscus or ginger juice.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, beef rendang is one of a handful of dishes traditionally consumed on Eid, but it is also popular year-round.
It is said to have originated from West Sumatra but has found its place in kitchens across the nation, as well as that of neighbouring Malaysia.
The spicy dish has been influenced by ingredients used in Indian and Pakistani cuisine. It is normally made by first preparing a paste made from turmeric, onions, garlic, and ginger.
The meat is then cooked with the paste before being stewed in coconut milk and additional herbs and spices such as lemongrass, lime leaves, and cinnamon sticks for a few hours until the meat is tender.
Rendang is normally accompanied by rice.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, pulao is an iconic dish featuring rice and meat that is consumed for lunch or dinner on Eid.
The cooking process is similar to the way Spanish paella is made. Traditionally, qurbani meat is boiled in a stock flavoured with onions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper and cardamom.
Once the meat has been gently boiled, it will be removed from the stock and fried with onions, cloves, cumin and yoghurt until it is brown.
The stock will then be added to the fried onions and meat. It is then brought to a boil, and rice is added and cooked until fluffy.
Pulao is traditionally served with yoghurt (raita) and salad, and sometimes a meat curry.
The Levant
In the Levant region, which includes Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, maqlooba is a popular dish on Eid al-Adha.
Meaning “upside down,” the name refers to the process of turning the pot upside down after cooking to give the dish a layered appearance.
The one-pot dish is comprised of three main layers – meat, rice, and vegetables.
Aubergine and cauliflower are the most commonly used vegetables and are either fried or roasted.
The meat is also prepared before being added to the pot and is layered either underneath or on top of the vegetables. Rice, which is mixed with spices, is traditionally added on top.
After the maqlooba is ready, the pot is emptied so the rice is at the bottom of the dish, and the colourful layers of meat and vegetables are on top.
Pine nuts or slivered almonds are used to garnish the dish.
The dish tends to be accompanied by yoghurt and salad.
Qatar
In Qatar, people consume a variety of dishes popular across the Middle East, such as kabsa and mandi.
One popular dish, originating in Mecca according to legend, is a bread soup called lamb thareed.
It is comprised of a traditionally unleavened flatbread topped with a stew made with meat, vegetables and spices.
The dish is said to have been consumed by the Prophet Muhammad and has both cultural and religious significance.
Although lamb is the most popular choice for the dish, beef and chicken can be used as well.
Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia, rice and meat dishes are standard fare during Eid al-Adha, but the exact dishes vary across the country’s regions and are influenced by diverse cultural and historical influences.
For example, kabsa is a dish that is influenced by Persian and South Asian biryanis.
The rice is cooked in the same spiced broth the meat is cooked in, lending depth to the rice with notes of cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Meat is usually placed on top of the rice and is served on a platter, so that it can be shared in a group and eaten by hand.
Mandi, on the other hand, is a simpler dish. The meat is cooked in a clay tandoor oven, obtaining its flavour from the smoke, and roasted until it is tender and juicy.
It is served on a bed of fragrant basmati rice and accompanied by salad, yoghurt, and spicy tomato sauce.
Sudan
In Sudan, a dish made with lamb cubes – known as Shaya – is popular on Eid al-Adha.
The lamb is marinated in a paste made of onions, garlic, vinegar, small green chilli peppers, and tomatoes for a few hours and then typically barbecued, while some fry it.
Shaya can be accompanied by a salad and is normally eaten with other popular vegetarian dishes such as a fava bean dish (known as fuul) and Sudanese falafel (known as tameeya).
Turkey
In Turkey, meat from the qurbani is traditionally consumed for breakfast. All parts of the animal are consumed, including the liver (ciğer), kidney (böbrek), and heart (kalp), and these parts tend to be eaten first.
The meat itself tends to be cut into cubes and slowly cooked in its own fat along with salt until it’s tender, a process traditionally known as kavurma.
Additional optional ingredients such as onions, bell peppers and tomatoes can also be added, but most people prefer to eat kavurma plain.
Kavurma will typically be served with side dishes such as rice, bulgar or salad.
Uzbekistan
In Uzbekistan, people do not always consume qurbani meat on Eid itself. When qurbani meat is consumed, it is traditionally made into a broth called qaynatma sho’rva.
The meat is traditionally cooked with onions, carrots, potatoes, peppers, herbs and spices. The soup is also consumed when people are sick.
Some Uzbeks will also traditionally use qurbani meat to make labour-intensive delicacies from liver, intestines, feet, the head, and brains.
One such popular dish is stuffed lamb intestines, known as hasip, which is made with onions, ground meat and spices. The intestines are boiled and served sliced into rounds.
