- Tarun Kapoor is executive chef at Doha’s Horizon Manor Hotel. Send your feedback to:
exe.chef@horizonmanor.com

Eid al-Adha or the feast of sacrifice honours the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son. But just before he was to kill his son, Allah intervened and asked him to sacrifice a lamb instead.
That’s why Eid al-Adha is often celebrated with the sacrifice of a lamb and the meat is divided into three parts — one for the family members, second part for friends and third part for the poor. I especially enjoy this festival as a dessert lover and like the array of dessert spreads across the restaurants and other food outlets.
An Eid al-Adha meal is incomplete without a sumptuous dessert spread. The below recipes are enjoyed year round but are especially made during Middle Eastern Eid al-Adha celebrations. The recipes are simple to prepare and the results are delicious. I’ve chosen these recipes to share with you. They can be made easily even without much know how about cooking.

Balah el Sham
I call it a combination of Churros and American doughnuts. They have the crispiness and shape of Churros and the soft hear from doughnuts. Balah el Sham is a deep fried pastry sweetened with rose-flavoured sugar syrup.
This is a popular Middle Eastern dessert which is thought to have originated from Syria. And the name denotes dates of sham or Syria.
This is a nice and simple recipe, which is not only easy to make but is a treat for the taste buds. This dessert finds its way in most of the Eid buffet desserts and is liked by not only Arabs but other people from round the globe too.

Ingredients
Unsalted butter 100 gm
Water 400 gm
Flour 300 gm
Egg 6 no
Vanilla extracts Few drops
Oil To fry

For sugar syrup
Sugar 500 gm
Water 500 gm
Rose water Few drops
Pistachio To garnish

Method
Boil butter in water and gradually add flour.
Stir continuously to get a sticky dough and allow to cool down.
One by one add eggs and vanilla extract to the prepared mixture to get a smooth and soft dough.
Pour this mixture into a piping bag with star nozzle.
Prepare a medium thick sugar syrup by boiling water and sugar and add rose water to flavour.
For frying, tie a wire on the handles of the pan diagonally.
Heat oil in the pan and pipe the mixture  into oil by using the wire on the pan to cut the dough.
You can adjust the length of the dough as per your choice.
Fry over medium heat till the dough is golden in colour.
Strain using a strainer and dip in prepared sugar syrup.
Strain again on strainer to remove excess sugar.
Garnish with pistachio and serve hot.

Awamat

The word Awama in Arabic language means to float or swim and this dessert is so-called because the dough balls float in the oil while they are fried. I call this dessert as my spoon doughnut. Awamat is one of the most popular Middle Eastern sweets you can find in almost every pastry shop piled up in the shape of pyramid.
It is a traditional and common sweet from Lebanon. This is a fermented deep fried pastry balls sweetened with sugar syrup. This awama recipe or Awamat is easy and authentic Lebanese. These syrupy doughnuts are a famous treat in the Middle East. In Lebanon they are part of the traditional celebration of Christ’s baptismal night. The belief of the people is that upon this night the trees kneel down to pray for the Christ Child.

Awamat
Ingredients
Flour 400 gm
Semolina 200 gm
Yeast 1tsp
Corn flour 2 tbsp
Water 450 ml
Vanilla essence Few drop

For Sugar syrup
Water 500 ml
Sugar 500 gm

Garnish
Pistachio powder
Dry cherry

Method
Combine flour, semolina, corn flour and yeast and mix well.
Add vanilla essence to the water and knead into a soft batter, adding water gradually.
Keep the batter covered with a lid and leave aside for 2 hours.
Prepare a sugar syrup by boiling together water and sugar.
Stir the batter again gently to remove excess bubbles.
Deep fry in heated corn oil in a heavy bottom pan till golden brown.
Strain and dip for 10 minutes in sugar syrup till the awama balls soak sugar syrup.
Serve garnished with pistachio and dry cherry.