Actor Aamir Khan's sister Nikhat Khan Hegde, who resides in the city with her family, looks forward to celebrating Eid with her mom this year. Reminiscing her childhood days when her mum's cooking was a great hit with her family and friends, she shares with us the recipe of her mum's mutton biryani and some memories she has of the festival she will always cherish. "My mother has always been a great cook. She hails from Benares and the food cooked there has a subtle taste. As kids, I remember my father and brothers offering namaz in the morning on Eid with the congregration. Along with my mother, grandmother and sister, I would be ready all dressed up in our Eid finery and wait for them to return home. We would then sit together and have a sumptuous breakfast which was an Eid special including freshly fried puris, shami kebabs and sewai," she shares. Calling it a wonderful feeling to share the moment with the entire family, Nikhat adds, "Now, we all meet at her place to celebrate Eid. My father and grandmother are no more, so my mother is the sole bearer of the old times. She makes the most amazing biryani ever. My cousins, our friends and family all get together for lunch with her and she never disappoints us. Our family has also grown and now her grand children, daughters-in-law and sons-in-law savour her food. So now we are off to Mumbai, to celebrate Eid with my mum."

Ingredients for curry: (1 kg mutton) 

Onions 4 big

Ginger 4 tsp

Garlic 4 tsp

Corriander powder 4 tsp

Red chilli powder 2 tsp

Curd beaten 300 gms

Cinnamon 3 small

Cloves 5-6

Black pepper 10-12

Bay leaves 2

Cardamom 6 small

Kevda water 2 tbsp

Oil/ghee and salt (As per taste)

Ingredients 

Cinnamon 3 small

Cloves 5-6

Black pepper 10-12

Bay leaves 2

Cardamom 6 small

Salt 10-12 tsp

Kevda water 2 tbsp

Light brown fried onions 2 medium sized

A pinch of saffron

Ghee

Mint leaves

Cut the onions into thin long slices and deep fry the onions till they are light brown in colour. Keep this aside. In a vessel put some oil, when it is heated, put in all the garam masala, then put the garlic and ginger paste. Let it cook for a few minutes and keep stirring. Then add the coriander powder, red chilli powder and beaten curd. Stir well. Add the mutton and salt and cook together. When the mutton is partially cooked add the onions fried earlier (crush the onions and add). Cook till mutton is tender and the oil begins to come out from the masala. Add the kevda water and keep aside.

In a big vessel put a lot of water for boiling. To the water add the garam masala and salt. When the water starts boiling add the rice and let it cook. When it is three fourth done, strain the water and keep the rice separately. Now take a vessel and put a layer of the cooked rice, then put a layer of the mutton curry. Then place another layer of rice and another round of the curry and end it with a layer of rice. Now take a pinch of saffron and dissolve it in kevda water. With a spoon, sprinkle this on the rice. Put some ghee on the sides and all around the rice. Cover the vessel tightly and put the vessel on low fire to cook. When you see the steam coming out from the lid turn off the gas. While serving, put some lightly fried onions on the rice and some mint leaves.

Socialite Laleh Busheri and Dr CB Koppiker, will celebrate Eid in a grand manner this year. Laleh who recently tied the knot with Dr Koppiker will be hosting a few friends over at her home. "We celebrate all the festivals together. For me, religion is humanity. And during festivals, we get to indulge into a lot of delicacies. As I love food, I will make a lot of special dishes. Friends will drop in and it will be an open house party." And this being, their first Eid, post marriage, will be it extra special for him too? "For Anand (Dr Koppiker) it will be a normal day, as he will be busy in the hospital," adds Laleh. On sharing the recipe with the readers, Laleh says, "This recipe of sheer korma has been in the family and it's very easy to prepare. So I wanted to share this sweetness with everyone."

Vermicelli 1 packet

Whole milk 4 litres

Sugar 1 cup

Cloves 20

Whole Cardamom Pods 20

Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp

Almond, cashews and pistachios finely chopped 1 cup

Fresh cream 1/2 cup

Saffron strands 1/2 tsp

Charoli nuts 3 tbsp

Light brown raisins 1/2 cup

Rose water 1/2 tsp

Butter or pure ghee 1 tbsp

Fry the vermicelli in butter or ghee till it turns golden brown. Add 1/4 cup sugar and mix well. Cook for a few seconds and then add whole milk, cup by cup, and stir constantly. Bring it to a boil. Now, add raisins that have been soaked in water for half an hour, whole cardamom, 1/2 cup almonds, cashews and pistachios along with the remaining sugar. Reduce the heat and thicken the sheer korma to three-strand consistency, letting the milk boil until it reduces to half. The vermicelli must be very soft by now. Add rose water, charoli nuts and fresh cream and cover it and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with the saffron strands and powdered cardamom, you can add slivered almonds and pistachios and few rose petals to decorate and serve.