Delicious and mouth-watering recipes for you to try this Eid and give everyone the feast of their lives.

Bengali Roast Chicken

Prep: 35 mins

Cook: 55 mins plus marinating

EasyServes: 4 – 6

Serve this spiced chicken in an aromatic masala for a starter at a family feast. Packed with flavor, it’s a popular Bengali dish – one you’re sure to cook time and time again.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks, flesh scored
• 1 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 5 tbsp ghee or oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 large cinnamon sticks
• 3 cardamom pods
• 2 large onions, finely sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• 5 green chillies, sliced, to serve
• chopped coriander, to serve

Method

1. Put the chicken in a bowl, add the marinade spices and yogurt with ½ tsp salt and mix well. The chicken can be left to marinate for a few hours, or cooked straight away – leaving it to marinate will make it more tender.
2. Melt the ghee in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the chicken for 5 mins on each side until golden. Remove from the pan and transfer to the bowl, leaving the ghee in the pan.
3. Keep the pan on the heat and scrape it to release any caramelized bits stuck to the bottom. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon and cardamom pods and fry until they start to smell aromatic. Add the onions and garlic, followed by the ginger and 1-1½ tsp salt. Stir, cover and cook until soft and translucent, about 8-10 mins.
4. Stir in the rest of the spices and fry over a low heat for 5-8 mins. Add 200ml water, cover and cook for a further 3-4 mins, or until the ghee separates from the masala (it should be bubbling around the edges of the pan).
5. Add the chicken back to the pan, including any meat juices. Spoon some of the masala over the chicken and cover. Cook for a futher 10-15 mins or until the chicken is cooked through. Stir through the sliced green chillies and chopped coriander and serve immediately.

Baklava

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 50 mins

Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins

Servings: 36

Yield: 36 pieces

Ingredients

• 1 pound chopped nuts
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (16-ounce) package of phyllo dough
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
• Toss together nuts and cinnamon. Unroll phyllo and cut the whole stack in half to fit the dish. Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.
• Place 2 sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the prepared dish. Brush generously with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture on top. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with 6 sheets of phyllo.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into 4 long rows, then diagonally 9 times to make 36 diamond shapes. Be sure to cut all the way through to the bottom of the layers.
• Bake in the pre-heated oven until golden brown and crisp, about 50 minutes.
• While baking baklava, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in honey, vanilla, and lemon zest; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon syrup over it. Let cool completely before serving. Store uncovered.