Bakrid is also called Eid al-Adha. It is a colossal celebration observed in the Islamic calendar. People go to special prayers, share meals with family and friends, and else give back to those in need. They honor the story of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son to showcase his devotedness to God. It is a time of reflection, gratitude, and generosity. Here are some unique Bakrid sweets to make at home:
1.Sheer Khurma
This dessert is a mandatory dish during Bakrid. Sheer means milk and Khurma means dates. Roast vermicelli in ghee until golden brown. Add some milk and keep stirring until the vermicelli is entirely soft. Next, incorporate sugar and cardamom powder into the milk. You could also add dry fruits like dates to add to the sweetness. Garnish with chopped nuts.
2.Shahi Tukda
Shahi Tukda is the perfect sweet treat to celebrate Bakrid. Bread slices usually cut into triangles are deep-fried until they turn golden brown and crispy. Then, make a thick syrup using milk, saffron, and cardamom. You can dip the fried bread in the syrup or drizzle it on it if you do not prefer it to be too soggy. Garnish with chopped nuts such as pistachios and almonds.
3.Rose Falooda
It is a sweet chilled delicacy created using various ingredients and can also be customized easily. Soak some falooda seeds in water for them to swell out. Boil some vermicelli until it becomes soft and chill it. Take a long glass and drizzle the rose syrup on all the sides of the glass. Then, add the soaked falooda seeds, chilled vermicelli, milk, and alternate the layers. Finally, add one scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Garnish with chopped nuts and rose petals.
4.Kaju Ka Halwa
Soak some cashews in water for a few hours and grind them into a smooth paste. Take a pan, add a generous amount of some ghee, ground cashew paste, and keep stirring until it becomes golden brown. Then, add sugar and cardamom powder. After it becomes thick, turn the heat off. Garnish with chopped nuts and serve hot.
5.Jelly And Milk Sharbat
It is a popular drink often prepared to break the fast at Iftar. Create a base with jelly using gelatin, water and let it set. Then, add milk which is mixed with some Rooh Afza, a concentrated squash. It adds to the color and sweetness of the Sharbat. Additionally, plenty of fruits such as chopped apples, bananas, oranges, pineapples, and jelly cubes can be included in the drink.
6.Phirni
Phirni is a creamy rice pudding. Soak some rice and grind it into a fine paste. Take a pan, add milk, sugar and mix well. Add crushed cardamom pods and let it steep the milk. Next, add the ground rice paste to the milk and stir until it reaches a pudding consistency. Pour into earthenware pots and refrigerate it to help it set well. Before serving, garnish with sliced nuts and saffron.
7.Apple Kheer
Peel, chop and make a fine puree of the apples. Add the pureed apples, milk, sugar, and cardamom powder in a pan. Stir continuously until all the flavors are combined. You can also include some condensed milk for added sweetness. Garnish with chopped nuts and some apples for added texture.
8.Gulgule
Gulgule is a delicious fried sweet treat. The batter uses flour, sugar, milk, and sometimes grated coconut. Form small, round balls using the batter. These balls are deep-fried in hot oil until they develop a crispy outside and a soft inside. Once fried, soak it in a syrup made of cardamom and sugar. Drain the excess syrup and serve hot.
9.Bread Halwa
Bread halwa is a famous dessert in all houses during Bakrid. Fry pieces of bread in ghee until they become a golden brown color. Then, soak the bread well in a syrup made using sugar and cardamom to become soft and absorb all the sweetness. Condensed milk can be used for adding extra sweetness. Once the bread has absorbed all the syrup, garnish it with toasted cashews and serve hot.
10.Ragi Ladoo
It is a nutritious yet delicious sweet. Roast ragi flour for around five minutes and mix with melted jaggery. Then, include your desired flavorings, such as grated coconut, raisins, and chopped nuts. Add ghee at the end to help form the ladoos quickly. After the mixture reaches a sticky consistency, turn the heat off. Once it reaches room temperature, roll it into small, round balls.
11.Badam Halwa
Soak, peel, and grind the almonds into a fine paste. Take a pan, add ground almonds, ghee, sugar, and milk. Keep stirring until it thickens nicely. The consistency must be slightly thicker than that of a pudding. You could also flavor the Halwa with cardamom. Garnish with sliced almonds, saffron, and serve hot.
12.Pista Barfi
Heat condensed milk in a pan until it becomes thick. Add sugar and stir till it dissolves entirely. Then, incorporate chopped pistachios to the mixture. You could also add some green food coloring into it. Stir for about five minutes and spread the mixture onto a greased tray to let it set. Once cooled, cut it and serve. You can cut it into squares or diamonds.
13.Muthanjan
It is an authentic rice-based dish. Soak some basmati rice for about half an hour and drain the water. Add ghee, cinnamon, and condensed milk in a large pot. Next, add the basmati rice and stir to coat it well with the milk. Then, add some water to increase the volume and bring it to a boil. Cook over low heat till the rice becomes fluffy. Use the spatula to mash some thick rice for an even texture. Garnish with chopped nuts.
14.Zarda Rice
It is made only using the signature long-grain basmati rice. The rice must be cooked first separately. Then, infuse it with cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Dye the rice with natural saffron or food coloring, to give it a golden color. To increase the sweetness, sugar or condensed milk can be added alongside generous amounts of ghee. Garnish using toasted nuts and dry fruits.
15.Meethi Seviyan
Roast the vermicelli in ghee until it becomes a golden brown color. Ensure you add enough ghee to prevent the vermicelli from sticking with each other. Then, add some milk and keep mixing continuously so that it becomes soft and creamy. Add sugar and cardamom powder to flavor the vermicelli. Garnish with a generous amount of chopped nuts, grated coconut, and dry fruits.
16.Malpua
The dough is made using flour, semolina, and milk. Shape it into balls and flatten it out into small circles. Deep-fry in oil until it develops crispy edges and a fluffy texture inside. After it is fried, dunk it in a sugar syrup to add extra sweetness. Some variations include the addition of mashed bananas, coconut, or nuts for more texture. Serve warm after draining the excess syrup and garnish with chopped nuts.
17.Khubani Ka Meetha
It is a Hyderabadi dessert made primarily using dried apricots. Soak dried apricots overnight so that they plump up. Create a simple syrup using sugar and water. Add the apricots and cook slowly so that it can absorb all the sweetness. Puree the apricots according to your preference. The puree can either be chunky or finely ground. Garnish the dish with a dollop of heavy cream and sliced nuts on top.
18.Rasmalai
Start by curdling milk to obtain chenna (cottage cheese). The chenna is kneaded into soft, small balls. The balls are cooked in a thick sugar syrup with cardamom and saffron. Once cooked, soak it in milk infused with rose water and sugar so that the balls absorb all the flavors and swell out a bit. Garnish with chopped nuts, saffron and serve along with the milk, chilled.
19.Anjeer Halwa
Dried figs (anjeer) are soaked and pureed first. In a pan, add ghee, milk, and sugar. Stir until they dissolve into the milk. Then, add the pureed figs and cook till the milk reaches a thick consistency. You could also add other nuts and dried fruits to it. After it has become like a pudding, turn the heat off. It will thicken more as it cools in the refrigerator. Garnish by tearing up fresh figs on top.
20.Fruit Custard
It is made chiefly during Iftar. Heat milk with sugar until it is warm but not boiling. Take a bowl, mix the custard powder with a small amount of this milk to form a smooth paste. Add the custard paste to the warm milk and stir constantly to prevent lumps. Once it reduces to room temperature, refrigerate it. Garnish with chopped fruits such as apples, bananas, kiwi, pineapple, and pomegranate. Mix everything and serve chilled.
