it is still hot in the city so i am going to prepare rezala a mutton dish cooked with lots of yoghurt juices of onion garlic green chilies and ginger and a bouquet garni i will be serving it with pita bread for a change and not the usual fried parathas mehboob ali who runs a bakery in masab tank informs many have bought the usual shirmals but they also took pita bread garlic bread and multigrain bread for eid mehnaaz shibli a resident of ameerpet has an array of dishes that go well with bread however those having gardens in their homes clearly have an edge hummus is my favourite informs shaheen ahmed ali who has just shift ed to her murad nagar house after spending two decades in the middle east it wouldnt be an overstatement to say the festivities of eiduladha revolve around the dining table my plan is to serve the platter with a variety of dips and salads we are going to grill kebabs bread time while biryani accompanied by kebabs is ubiquitous on eid many love dipping chunks of breads of their choice shirmal nihari in the shorba curry or simply stuff chunks of kebabs in the shirmal homemakers begin stocking up on the seasonings and accompaniments days in advance zaitun bano a 45 yearold teacher residing at banjara hills shares i started buying the spices required for my bakrid cooking days in advance crazy kebabs eidulazha definitely is not about chicken and most of the households grill fry and roast the mutton kebabs she shares i am going to make nargisi koftas boiled eggs wrapped in kheema and then fried with garlic bread topped with dollops of cheese i am going to prepare sindhi biryani that has its origins in pakistan exotic flavours tradition dictates the goat sheep or the animal of ones choice thats been sacrificed to be divided into three portions one each for the family friends and relatives and the poor from succulent lamb kebabs roasted over hot charcoals platefuls of platefuls of biryani mutton kandahari shahi mutton qorma an assortment of mouthwatering indulgences dominate the threeday long festivities i am going to cook kandhari gosht the second day as we are expecting many guests dollops of yoghurt are used to marinate the mutton to help keep the taaseer effect cool on the stomach in most households verandahs balconies or rooftops double up as kebab corners as its convenient to let out the smoke the right proportion of spice and the heat is what makes a dish stand out i am also going to make chaapli kebabs shaami kebabs and gilawati kebabs the most popular is seekh kebab marinated with spices and roasted over hot charcoals the mutton is cooked in pomegranate juice mixed with special herbs and condiments