BBQ remains hot favourite this Eid

Nothing brings people together better than at a table laid with dishes prepared for Eidul Adha. Among these, barbequed meat has a special allure, possibly taking many back in time to when their ancestors used to cook over a fire under an open sky. Due to three official Eid holidays (November 6-9), people had ample time to exchange greetings and share sacrificial animals’ meat with their relatives and friends and spend time with their families. After performing the ritual of sacrificing animals, most people thought of putting up a barbeque, not only inside their houses and on their rooftops but at various picnic spots with grills and the required paraphernalia.
Barbeque (BBQ) is a procedure of cooking meat (beef, mutton, chicken, or fish) over a fire. Most barbecuing techniques are used universally. This Eid, not only families but groups of boys descended on recreational sites with packs of meat to barbeque. The residents of Rawalpindi and Islamabad mostly visited Shamsabad Park, Jinnah Park, Jungle Kingdom, F-9 Fatima Jinnah Park, CDA Marghazar Zoo, Rawal Lake, Lake View Park, Daman-e-Koh, Shakarparian hills, and Pakistan Monument. Although the weather was chilly and not perfect for outdoor activities, people flocked to public places. Pir Sohawa, Daman-e-Koh, and Rose and Jasmine Garden witnessed a great crowd, as people thronged to these places to enjoy the third day of Eid. They ate already-prepared meat dishes or cooked on spot, and had get-togethers.
“We had watched with salivating tongues, family members preparing BBQ dishes a few times before. It did not seem that hard or dangerous. That is why I am here with my friends to enjoy the weather with BBQ tikkas,” said Hashim Raza, who was visitng Lake View Park. He said basically one needed coal or wood and a grill to place over the fire. “Proper grills can be bought from any market or you can borrow one – that is what we did,” he said, adding that some microwave ovens came with grills as accessories. Another youngster, Osama Pervaiz, said it was crucial where one did the BBQ. “A lawn is ideal but the availability is rare and a good alternative is the rooftop. The top of a high-rise building will give you privacy and the open air will blow away the smoke from the first few burnt pieces. An open space is important mainly because you can then run around screaming in case the meat is burned to a fossil,” he joked.
Bushra, who was with her family at Pir Sohawa said that was the perfect spot to enjoy Eid with one’s family as the tiny drops of rain made it more special. “A personal barbeque not only acts as a special moment to savour the food but also to have a good experience. Unlike in a shop, you do not have to scream at the waiters to bring your order. You just scream at your friends and relatives instead. It is the perfect get-together, being with the people you care for and the cool wintry air providing the perfect setting at this height,” she said.
The three Eid days were not only reserved for grilling meat on barbecues, however. Many housewives also prepared sweet dishes.
Sana Jamal, a housewife, said sweets were something that could not be neglected. “Eid without sweets is incomplete. People present sweets to their relatives and guests that come to visit on Eid,” she said, adding, however, that most people focused on buying spices, recipe books and ingredients for meat dishes and barbecue. “Eidul Adha is always fun-filled as all my cousins gather at our rooftop and we enjoy a barbecue party and meat dishes at night,” a local resident said. “Mutton biryani, pulao, beef nehari and shami kabab are the special dishes which are cooked during Eid,” he added. A colorful Eid cannot be imagined without women as they cook, make dresses and cheer on the family members who are to supervise the Eid preparations.