Festivals and celebrations will be no longer be the same, at least for some time now. The new normal is about staying in isolation and no community togetherness. COVID has pushed everyone to be digital citizens with virtual platforms connecting us to the outside world.      

Eid celebrations 2020 too will mostly be virtual this year. No visiting places to get Eidi, no having Sheer Khurma with friends, no selfies in new clothes, no offering prayers at the mosque and so on. But don’t let your enthusiasm ebb. You can do a lot by staying home and spending some precious moments with your loved ones. If they are far away, do a video call and enjoy a meal together.  

APPRECIATING THE SMALL THINGS
Not just Eid celebrations, but people have missed out on Iftar parties too this year.  Vishal Jindal, director and co-founder, Biryani By Kilo, says that even if you can’t meet and celebrate don’t let your energy and happiness fade. “Get on calls, video-calls and use technology to interact with people,” he says. He also suggests that you can probably order from restaurants or even try a few dishes at home.

Husain Habib, co-founder and CMO, Hats-Off Digital Private Limited, says that this year Eid is going to be purely an indoor festival. He aims to make use of the time to cherish the moments with family and near and dear ones, and help out in preparing delicacies and value the small things they are blessed with in their lives. “I would also love to undertake some charity work and feed the less fortunate this Eid, making it a bit special for them. This way, we still get to celebrate,” he says.

If the situation was normal, Habib says his celebrations would be slightly different. “There would be early morning Eid Qutbah prayer gatherings at the mosque, and then going around and meeting near and dear ones, giving children Eidi, exchanging of Sheer Khurma and inviting people home for lunch/ dinner or going out for a new Salman Khan special Eid movie release and a nice dinner outside,” he says.

But since the pandemic has brought about a great emergency, he urges people to use minimal resources and make sure that there is no food wastage this Eid.  

STAYING CONNECTED
Zainab Jariwala’s family is spread out and not every member is with her at home now. Her Eid will be spent virtually connecting with them. “Of course, I am going to miss out on indulging in the delicacies that we used to make every Eid. But more than that I am looking forward to doing a video call with my loved ones to celebrate the festival together. This way, we will keep our spirits high,” she says.

For Aliya Hamidi, who resides in Dubai with her family, phone calls and video calls have always been a way to reach out to her extended family and friends living in other countries. “Having said that it is different this year. While we are safe at home and will celebrate Eid, these are still uncertain times and we are worried. Nevertheless, I and my cousins have planned a family outing on social media a day after Eid and we are coordinating our menu so that it feels like we all are in the same house,” she says. 

Here are some recipes that you can try at home and indulge in the spirit of Eid

WALNUT GULAAB KI PHIRNI
Ingredients
Basmati rice... ¼ cup
Walnut milk...4 cups
Sugar...¼ cup
Rose syrup...3 tbsp

Garnish
A few fresh rose petals
Walnut halves

Method
- Soak the rice in water for half an hour. Drain water and pulse in a grinder till you get a grainy textured paste.
- Bring the California walnut milk to a gentle simmer for 10 min. It shall also reduce and thicken slightly.
- Add the rice paste while whisking continuously. This will help avoid lumps.
- Bring this to a boil while whisking, and then lower the flame to a simmer. Keep stirring the mixture every couple of minutes till about 15 minutes.
- Add sugar and mix till it dissolves. Switch off the flame and divide the mixture into two parts.
- Mix rose syrup in one part and let the other one the way it is.
- Transfer into earthen pots and ripple both mixtures slightly.
- Place a California walnut half and some rose petals on top of the Phirni.
- Cool in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.
- Serve cold.

(Recipe by celebrity chef Varun Inamdar)

ROGINI GOSHT KORMA
Ingredients
Mutton curry cut with bone... 500 gm
Onion. .500 gm
Tomato puree... 250 ml
Ginger. ..75 gm
Garlic... 75 gm
Fresh coriander leaves... 50 gm
Cashew nut... 75 gm
Grated coconut (dry)...5 0 gm (optional)
Curd.. .50 gm
Kashmiri chilli powder... 20 gm
Coriander powder.. .25 gm
Cumin powder.. .10 gm
Garam masala powder. ..5 gm
Bay leaf.. 5 gm
Black cardamom... 10 gm
Salt as per taste
Oil.. .250 ml

Method
- Clean, wash and rinse mutton pieces. Marinate mutton with curd and salt for an hour.
- Peel onion and cut into very thin slices.
- Peel ginger and garlic and grind it to a fine paste.
- Wash coriander leaves and chop finely.
- Deep fry sliced onions to golden brown colour and grind it to a fine paste.
- Deep fry cashew nut to a golden brown colour and grind it to a fine paste by adding water.
- Roast grated coconut in a dry pan and make a fine powder without adding water.
- Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaves and black cardamom. Let it crackle.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and fry till the moisture is evaporated.
- Add tomato puree and fry till it saturates in the pan.
- Add coconut powder and fry further till coconut releases its own oil.
- Add marinated mutton and slit green chillies. Fry on slow flame till the meat is well browned.
- Add chilli, coriander and cumin powder and roast the meat with spices for a couple of minutes.
- Add brown onion paste, cashew nut paste and mix well.
- Cover the vessel with a lid on slow flame and allow the juices to come from the meat itself.
- Add 300 ml of hot water. Add salt. Cover with lid and cook the meat till tender.
- Served hot garnished with chopped coriander.
- This preparation can be best served with tawa parathas or jeera pulao.

(Recipe shared by Sidney Dcunha, executive chef, Conrad Pune)

MURGH GILAFI SEEKH KEBAB
Ingredients
Chicken minced, very fine...500 gm
Ginger paste.. .¾ tbsp
Garlic paste.. .¾ tbsp
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder... 1 ½ tsp
Garam masala powder...½ tsp
Royal cumin.. .½ tsp
Lemon juice.. .1 ¼ tbsp
Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped. ..½ bunch
Green chillies, finely chopped.. .4
Chicken fat.. .60 gm
Egg yolk. ..1 (optional)
Processed cheese.. .1 ½ tbsp
Kewra water. ..1 tsp
 
For the Gilaf /outer covering
Onions, finely chopped.. .40 gm
Red bell pepper deseeded, finely chopped. ..40 gm
Yellow bell pepper, deseeded, finely chopped... 40 gm
Capsicum, finely chopped.. .40 gm
 
For basting the chicken pieces
Melted butter...1½ tbsp

Method
- Squeeze out the excess moisture from the minced chicken.
- Add ginger paste, garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, royal cumin, lemon juice, fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped, green chillies, chicken fat, egg yolk, processed cheese and kewra water to the minced chicken.
- Keep aside for 2 ½ hours.

For the Gilaf
- In a platter, mix together the finely chopped onions, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and capsicum.
- Divide the minced chicken mixture into 8 balls and roll into elongated length, then roll these kebabs over the gilaf mixture, ensuring that they are bound properly.
- Skewer the minced chicken mixture along the length of the skewers and coat with the gilaf mixture.
- Roast in the tandoor for 6 min.
- If you are using an oven, then roast it for 10 min at 350F˚.
- Keep basting the kebabs with butter to prevent it from drying.
- Serve the kebabs hot, sprinkled with lemon juice and chaat masala accompanied with onion laccha salad and mint-coriander-yoghurt chutney.

(Recipe by Karann Talwar, managing director and the gastronome chef, Kitchen Kraft Luxury)