Is alweer Labarang!
Eid-ul-Adha or the “Festival of Sacrifice” is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year.
It is also considered the holier of the two and culminates at the end of the hajj ritual in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
The festival honours the willingness of the prophet Ibrahim to follow God’s command to sacrifice his son.
Before he could go ahead, God sent the decree that an animal should be sacrificed instead and to this day Muslims do qurbani, i.e. slaughter camels, cattle, sheep or goats on this day.
The qurbani is carried out following the Eid Salaah.
In my family, the day is also known as the “Salty Eid” because of the large variety of savoury dishes on the menu.
In some families, the sacrificial animal is soema on the menu the same day.
The qurbani meat can then be divided into three equal portions; one-third is for you and your family, one-third is for friends and the final third is to be donated to those in need.
The day is spent celebrating with loved ones, wearing your best clothing.
For those who have relatives on hajj, it’s a day of snot en trane and long distance calls. But as every hajjie will tell you, it’s worth every tear.
The recipes featured are a combination of mains and sweet treats for you to enjoy. To those celebrating, Eid Mubarak to you all!
Try one of these delicious recipes: