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End of Ramadan Celebrated with Rich Traditional Foods
Once the Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends this week, the feast and celebration of Eid al-Fitr begins.
In metro Detroit, Muslims will celebrate Eid, the holiday for breaking the fast, today or Friday, depending on the sighting of the new moon. On Eid, Muslims first head to mosques to pray, then socialize with family and friends and enjoy a celebratory meal.
For Mona Alaudhi, 28, of Belleville and a dietitian for Eastern Michigan University, that meal will include an entire roasted baby lamb stuffed with rice, ground beef, seasonings and lots of roasted nuts.
“Slivered almonds usually, but pine nuts are also very common in both sweet and savory dishes,” says Alaudhi.
You can use a bone-in leg of lamb or even boneless, “but the bone-in leg of lamb provides more flavor,” she says.
The lamb is marinated overnight in a yogurt mixture, roasted until tender and served with seasoned rice.
Side dishes of creamy hummus with a lemon and garlicky kick, fattoush or a green salad with vinaigrette are typically served. Another dish often served is a Middle Eastern pudding.
“It’s made with farina , with lots of butter, cinnamon, water and fresh cheese — usually a Mediterranean salty white cheese,” Alaudhi says.
During Ramadan, Alaudhi says, people tend to eat lighter foods that do not bring on thirst, such as fruits and vegetables. When Eid comes, Muslims “are able to eat heavier. Although they are high-calorie and high-fat foods, you can indulge briefly and, of course, in moderation,” says Alaudhi. While people need to be aware of what’s in the foods they are eating for Eid, Alaudhi says, the “balance and variation is what makes everything work out.”
While the Eid feast can vary from culture to culture, Alaudhi says, ma’amoul, a rich cookie for dessert, is common.
“It’s a butter-type cookie that is stuffed with dates or some sort of nuts, like almonds, crushed pine nuts or walnuts,” she says. “You either make a date-filled ma’amoul or a nut ma’amoul.”
Ma’amoul cookies are time-consuming because each cookie is individually pressed into a ma’amoul mold. Hundreds are made for Eid celebrations.
“People start making and keeping them ahead,” says Alaudhi. “They get together in groups because … it’s a group effort to make them.”
Susan M. Selasky
Detroit Free Press