Islamic holiday recipes
As a continuation of columns about various holiday food traditions, I’ve decided to tackle Islam, as Tuesday marked their new year.
I want to begin this column by saying I myself have never participated in these, so I’m writing from the ignorant stand-point of an outsider.
I hope I properly represent the practices and recipes. I’m also writing in very general terms, as good traditions vary greatly based on what type of Islam one practices, and other cultural influences.
Perhaps the most well-known Islamic tradition -- at least here in Columbia -- is Ramadan, when the Muslim Student Organization hosts a Fast-a-thon. It is the month in which Muslims fast from dawn until sunset. This fast is perceived as nourishment for the soul, since Muslims are denying themselves of earthly demands. Ramadan is also meant to show how the poor live their lives, deprived of food and water at times.
It is common for Muslims to also abstain from smoking, sexual contact and anything that does not enhance spirituality in some way, but it varies from culture to culture.
Once Ramadan ends there is a three-day festival called Eid ul-Fitr. While there are strongly religious-based practices and prayer, at the heart of the festival is a feast after the month of fasting.
The oldest known cookbook of Islamic food dates from the tenth century, which is pretty cool, but the following recipe is from an NPR article by Shomial Ahmad.
Seviyan, a roasted, sugar noodle dish is either eaten dry or in a soupy form. To make it, put five tablespoons of canola oil into a pot with a seven-ounce package of roasted vermicelli. Once the noodles turn brown, add two cups of milk, four tablespoons of slivered almonds, half a cup of sugar and eight to 10 cardamom pods (squeeze out seeds and add both seeds and shells). Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the milk evaporates, stirring occasionally. Once milk is just about gone, turn to low heat for a few minutes and allow the noodles to separate. Garnish with pistachios and serve in warm, separate bowls.
BBC offers an entire page on Eid recipes, and I recommend looking at it if you’re in the mood to try some ethnic food. Their simple Goan chicken curry recipe looked like a good dish for a beginner to ethnic foods, or cooking in general. The Pumpkin Halwa is vegetarian-friendly and looks delicious, but some of the ingredients might require going to more than one grocer.
Muslims follow dietary regulations year-round, not just during holiday celebrations. The food they can eat is called Halaal, which means lawful or allowed in Arabic. Haraam, an Arabic word for unlawful or forbidden, is what they call food they cannot eat. Again, the food culture varies greatly within the realm of Islam, but generally pig and other meats, especially if not properly slaughtered, and alcohol are considered Haraam. As the religion grows, Halaal butchers are becoming more prevalent.
