Celebrating Eid Al-Fitr!
by Jawaahir Alim, Obesity Policy Project Officer, Cancer Council WA
- April 10, 2024
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It’s that time of the year to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr for many people around the world. ‘Eid Al-Fitr’ is an Arabic term which means “Festival of Breaking Fast.” This day marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.
For my family and many others, this is a special time of celebration. I cherish the memories I have of spending the day at festivals as a child, looking forward to the adrenaline rush from rides, catching up with friends, exchanging gifts and of course, enjoying lots of food!
Eid Al-Fitr is celebrated worldwide, so cuisines and traditions are diverse and unique to different communities.
In my family, we start the day with a quick and simple breakfast! An Eid breakfast tradition in my family is to make ‘Malawah’, a sweet pancake eaten in the Horn of Africa. Malawah is fairly easy to make, requiring only all-purpose flour, egg, milk, ground cardamom and oil (for cooking).
Malawah recipe
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2 ½ cups milk
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Olive oil for cooking
Method
Beat together the flour, egg, milk and ground cardamom in a bowl until smooth. Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium heat Ladle a thin circular layer of batter into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the Malawah is golden underneath. Flip the Malawah, add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan, and cook until slightly golden. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with some honey.
A healthier Eid
In times of celebration, it’s always fun to experiment with new recipes and dishes, so why not join me in trying something new this Eid! This year I’m committed to introducing some healthy and homemade delicious meals to the fam.
Looking for inspiration and some ideas? Look no further than Livelighter’s endless choice of healthy delicious recipes, ranging from sweet to savoury!
If you’re looking to make something sweeter, here are two mouth-watering choices for dessert!
My top 3 tips for a healthier Eid
- Make the most out of the sunny weekend to get out and about. It may be hard to schedule a workout, but a morning stroll is an easy way to add some physical activity before the celebrations start. Remember, don’t forget a broad brim hat and sunscreen!
- Go easy on the sugar
- Don’t forget your vegies (sneak some into your recipes!)
Eid means “feast” or “festival.” Mubarak means “blessed.” So, you can use Eid Mubarak as a greeting to wish a blessed feast and a happy holiday to friends, family and neighbours celebrating on this day!
Eid Mubarak!
