Your Eidul Azha table sorted

A festive feast full of kebabs, gravies, greens, and desserts

For us desis, Eidul Azha doesn’t end at qurbani; it’s about what happens after: the sizzle of meat hitting the grill, the scent of spices wafting through the house, and the joyful chaos of feeding everyone from your meat-loving chacha to your vegetarian best friend.

It’s a festival of flavour, and your table deserves more than just a pot of gravy. Whether you’re team kebab, craving chicken comfort, dodging red meat altogether, or just saving stomach space for dessert, we’ve got your Eid spread sorted.

Kebabs take centre stage

While gravies are a staple in many homes, there’s something deeply celebratory about the charred charm of kebabs. The most appealing thing about kebabs during Eid season is that they neutralise the sometimes-overwhelming scent of fresh meat.

Start off strong with the pride of Karachi’s Biharis, Bihari kebabs: thin strips of beef marinated overnight in raw papaya paste, mustard oil, fried onions, and a rich blend of garam masala. The secret is in the velvety tenderness and that hit of mustard that cuts through the richness. Grilled on skewers until the edges crisp, these kebabs are a smoky, silky indulgence that disappears faster than you can say “second helping.”

Then bring out the chapli kebabs, the rough-and-tumble cousin with a cult following. Originating from Peshawar, these flattened patties of minced beef or mutton come loaded with chopped tomatoes, chilies, and ground spices. Cooked on a griddle in a shallow pool of fat, the best chaplis are crisp at the edges, juicy in the middle, and unapologetically spicy. They’re the street snack that graduates to your Eid table with swagger.

For something that screams primal delight, try smoky mutton chops. These aren’t the dainty ribs of fine-dining menus; these are the meaty, marrow-rich hunks that hurrying Eid butchers mess up, marinated in yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, and vinegar, then grilled until the fat caramelises and you get that irresistible outer char. Served hot with a squeeze of lemon and sliced onions, they’re pure, unfiltered joy.

But don’t forget the spicy goat liver, best served the day after sacrifice. Cut into bite-sized pieces, liver is best prepared by soaking it overnight in a solution of water and vinegar to drain it off residual blood and scent until it is pale pink in colour.

Then the liver is flash-fried with green chilies, cumin, garlic, and a dash of vinegar or lemon. This is definitely an acquired taste, a favourite for those who like bold, minerally flavours. When done right, it’s not rubbery, it’s rich, buttery, and full of heat. Eat it hot with paratha, or wrap it up in roti for on-the-go grazing between guests.

And if you’re feeding a crowd, you need a showstopper, and a mutton leg roast takes the cake for this. This one takes hours, and that’s the point. A full leg is marinated with ginger, garlic, yogurt, crushed black pepper, and lemon juice, then slow-roasted in the oven or tandoor until it’s fall-off-the-bone tender. The crust is everything, spicy, salty, faintly sweet from caramelised fat. Bring it out with flourish, carve it tableside, and soak up the applause.

Something familiar, something comforting

Let’s face it: not everyone is in the mood for freshly slaughtered red meat. Some prefer the gentler appeal of chicken, and that’s okay.

Enter the simple chicken gravy, a no-fuss, crowd-pleasing dish that doubles as comfort food and celebration staple. Think golden-brown onions, tomatoes cooked down to a paste, bone-in chicken simmered until tender, and just enough spice to give it soul without burning tongues. It’s the dish that grandparents and picky kids both reach for.

Pair it with khushka, aromatic rice that’s cooked in stock, but without the intrusion of whole spices or vegetables. It’s light, fluffy, and absorbs the gravy like a dream.

Meatless, not joyless