Global Courant
SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir
Rubeena Akhtar has a lot of work to do before Thursday, when Indian-administered Kashmir will celebrate Eid-al-Adha or “Eid al-Adha.”
Relatives and friends will come during the day and Akhtar wants everything to be perfect.
She’s already gone to her neighborhood bakery to stock up on Kashmiri “cultivars,” which are pastries, cookies, cakes, and a local delicacy, savory biscuits.
“Our Eid day will begin with morning prayer and a breakfast of these baked goods with ‘doodh kehwa’,” Akthar said, referring to a rich beverage made with cardamom, grated almonds and sweetened milk, which has its roots in Kashmir’s royal cuisine. .
Then, after the Eid prayers in various places, people start to wander around to meet their loved ones.
This is when Akhtar brought kulchas and “afternoon tea”, a specialty savory tea synonymous with Kashmiri cuisine, to the point where it is commonly known as “Kashmiri tea” outside the region.
Then the focus will only be on lunch, the main gathering that his family hosts for Eid al-Adha.
“I cook at least 7-8 dishes every year for the feast and most of them have meat dishes,” 42-year-old Akhtar told Anadolu.
Renowned as a top chef in his family, he prepares delicacies such as “rogan josh,” a curry meat dish made with spices, fried shallots, and lots of oil, and “methi maaz,” centered on lamb intestines and fenugreek leaves.
There is also the plate of “meatballs” or “meatballs” as it is called in Turkish: meatballs served with various seasonings and onions, served with delicious spices.
“Korma” and “yakhni” are two other dishes Akhtar excels at; the first is a thinly spiced meat curry and the second is a meat dish made with yogurt sauce and whole spices.
Also in their repertoire is a vegetarian delicacy known as “tamatar chaman”, a delicious dish with paneer — soft, uncured cheese — cooked in tomato sauce.
‘No one eats alone’
According to Zareef Ahmad Zareef, a Kashmiri writer and poet, food has always been an integral part of social life in Kashmir.
“Our food brings us together. It is a force that fosters unity and brotherhood,” he said.
“No one is dining alone here. You won’t see that here. Whether it’s a holiday, a wedding, or any family gathering, that’s the beauty of this place. Everyone eats together.”
Most Muslims prefer to sacrifice their victims on the first day of the three days of Eid al-Adha, giving them ample time to distribute the meat to their relatives, friends and the poor.
The main feature of the Eid-al-Adha, which is the second major holiday of the Muslims and takes place between the 10th and 13th days of the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah and is the fifth and last holy pilgrimage of the religion, is the animal sacrifice. column – ends in Saudi Arabia.
However, Sacrifice, honoring Abraham’s willingness to renounce his son Ishmael by Allah’s command, is encouraged in Islam, not a requirement.
“After the sacrifice and meat are distributed, people begin to gather for the festive meal,” said Zareef.
“We have a wide variety of dishes for such events, and they are usually all prepared for the festive feast.”
Changing traditions
Zareef also shed light on how traditions have changed over the years in Kashmir.
“Eid was a different feeling when we were kids. “I remember the excitement gave us sleepless nights,” he said.
“Everything looked great, from the clothes to the holidays (money from the elders). We have some of these today, but others not so much.
One of the changing aspects in Kashmir is traditional clothing.
For women, there were ’tilla’ embroidery, handcrafted designs of dizzying complexity woven onto garments such as the ‘pheran’, a loose coat worn by Kashmiris.
Mohammad Nayeem, a designer, said that people’s clothing preferences have changed drastically over time.
“The internet and social media have made a huge impact,” he told Anadolu.
“For this Eid, I received dozens of orders from customers who saw something on social media and asked me to do the same for them.”
Another thing seen in the past was the “ruf”, one of Kashmir’s most famous folk dances, a part of spring celebrations or important holidays like Eid.
“While we still celebrate Eid with great enthusiasm, we miss certain cultural practices that are unique to us,” said Zareef.
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