Annie O'Neill, Post-Gazette Tugba Kucukkal and her husband Mustafa Kucukkal, right, help their son, Mert, 2, with his meal at their Forest Hills home.

By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Like many young mothers, Tugba Gul Kucukkal doesn't spend too much time trying out new recipes or planning elaborate meals. With two businesses to manage, a health column to write for an online Turkish newspaper, and an energetic 2-year-old son to keep from climbing the bookshelves, preparing multicourse dinners usually isn't a priority.

As the holy month of Ramadan draws to a close each fall, however, and Muslim families such as hers begin to prepare for a joyous three-day festival known as "Eid al-Fitr (eed al fitter)," that all changes for Mrs. Kucukkal, who was born in Ankara, Turkey, and now lives in Forest Hills with her husband, Mustafa, a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh.

Andy Starnes, Post-Gazette Pakastani chickpea salad, which can be part of the menu during Eid al-Fitr -- the festival of fast-breaking -- at the end of the Ramadan fast. Click photo for larger image.

All through Ramadan, observant Muslims are required to abstain during daylight hours from all food, drink and sensual pleasures; no matter how parched their lips or dry their throats, Mrs. Kucukkal points out, even a sip of water is prohibited. (There are exceptions for children, the elderly, and the sick and pregnant.) But once the new moon is sighted over the Muslims' holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Ramadan and its mandatory fasting period -- known as "sawm" in Arabic -- comes to an end, and Muslims the world round enjoy one of Islam's two most important celebrations, Eid al-Fitr, or the Festival of Fast-Breaking. (The other is Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, which will begin at the end of December.)

After a month of gastronomic denial, it goes without saying that food -- lots of it, and of an infinite variety -- is a big part of the festivities.

Everywhere you go, Mrs. Kucukkal notes, you eat, even if you're not particularly hungry or have already enjoyed that particular dish at someone else's house. Otherwise, she says, you risk making your host feel badly. As a result, most Muslim women spend several days before the festival preparing traditional meals: flaky baklava and a super-sweet confection made from thin sheets of pastry soaked in milk known as gullac, from Turkey; chickpea salad in a tangy tamarind dressing from Pakistan, bulgur salad from Saudi Arabia.

	Andy Starnes, Post-Gazette Foreground, left, is Hebah Ahmad, 3, holding Aloo Kabab, and her sister, Iman Ahmad, 5. Rear, left, Sadia Sabir holds sheer khorma while her sister, Shazia Ahmad, mother of Hebah and Iman, holds chana chatt (Pakastani chickpea salad). Click photo for larger image.

Unlike the most important Christian holiday, Christmas, Ramadan doesn't fall on one particular day every year. Instead, its observation is based on the lunar calendar, which is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian solar calendar used by Western countries. According to Islamic belief, the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during Ramadan, which this year began in the United States on Sept. 24 and will end Oct. 23.

While fasting during this most holy period is mandatory, that doesn't mean Muslims go completely hungry, as two meals are generally eaten each day. An hour or so before the sun rises and before the dawn prayer, Muslims enjoy a light meal known as "suhoor." In Mrs. Kucukkal's household, this is often "borek," a homemade pastry stuffed with spinach and cheese.

After sunset, the fast is broken with a meal known as "iftar." Because everyone eats at about the same time, Muslims will often invite one another to share in this meal, which is a little more substantial than suhoor. Two of the most popular traditional dishes served at iftar include eggplant salad and stuffed grape leaves.

Traditionally, the daily fast is broken by eating something considered pure, such as water or milk. But it can also be broken with a food that Muhammad might have eaten during the 7th century, such as dates. As outlined in the Quran, the Islamic holy book, the meals themselves must not contain pork, alcohol, blood or any meat that is not considered "halal," a word that means "permissible" in Arabic.

Today, many Muslims rely on a special Islam prayer clock, or azan, to wake them before daybreak and call them to prayer. But back in Turkey during the month of Ramadan, Mrs. Kucukkal recalls, drummers attired in traditional dress circulated through the neighborhood, waking up the faithful with a variety of beaten rhythms and chanting traditional songs. In evening, conversely, the sound of cannon fire from the center of town lets people know the day's fasting is over.

The manner and extent to which Muslims celebrate Eid varies from culture to culture. In countries with a Muslim majority, for instance, Eid is observed for three full days, while in the United States, it is celebrated for one. But many of its aspects are fairly universal. All Muslims will typically dress in their finest clothes, go to a place of prayer with their family and give children small gifts and money. They also serve lots of sweets.

"You want to make your children realize this is a special day," said Nasruth Ainapore, outreach director for The Islamic Center of Pittsburgh in Oakland, which provides services to Muslims from 29 different nationalities. Where you find minor variations, she said, is in the food that's served to holiday well-wishers as they travel from house to house for a visit.

Because Eid is such a special time, many Muslims prepare favorite traditional foods that have been handed down through the generations from mother to daughter, with sweets and desserts of particular importance. Happily, many of these dishes are fairly simple to throw together -- no small thing when you have so many guests coming and going.

One of Shazia Ahmad's favorite foods to prepare for Eid is a pudding-like dessert called "sheer khorma." It's made with roasted vermicelli noodles cooked in sweetened milk and topped with slivers of fresh coconut. It takes about 25 minutes to make, start to finish, and includes just six ingredients.

"Everybody in the whole country eats it in the morning before going to mosque," said Mrs. Ahmad, who was born in Pakistan and now makes her home in McCandless with husband Ishfaq, a software engineer for Mellon Bank.

Just as popular with her daughters Iman, 5, and Hebah, 3, is her mother, Shamim's, recipe for potato kabobs, which in a nod to American sensibility they dip in ketchup, and "chaat masala," a delightfully sweet and tangy side dish made with chick peas and potatoes.

Some dishes, however, require much more patience and dexterity, such as the wonderfully fragrant "icli kofte" that Mrs. Kucukkal plans on serving during Eid. These walnut-sized wheat balls are rolled out by hand and then stuffed with a spicy meat mixture and fried with oil -- a process that takes many attempts to master.

Nearly as time-consuming is her mother Gulderen Nogay's recipe for "patlican salatasi," or roasted eggplant salad. While some might choose to roast the eggplant in an oven, Mrs. Kucukkal does it on top of the stove, by wrapping the vegetable in foil and holding it over a burner.

Thankfully, one bite-sized treat served to guests with Turkish coffee or tea, a sweet confection called Turkish Delight, comes straight from a box. Ditto with another famous dessert, baklava.

How long it takes to prepare a certain dish, though, is really a moot point. The most important part of any Eid celebration, Mrs. Kucukkal notes, is simply coming together.

"It's the act of gathering and sense of community," she says.

ROASTED EGGPLANT SALAD (PATLICAN SALATASI

PG tested

Charring adds a smoky flavor to this classic Turkish salad, which can be served as a main dish or appetizer.

• 2 medium eggplant
  
• 2 medium red peppers
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
• Lemon juice from half a lemon
  
• Salt
  
• Chopped parsley and dill

Wrap eggplants in aluminum foil, leaving enough foil on the sides for makeshift handles. Hold eggplants over a low flame on the stove, continuously turning them around until they become soft. Alternatively, you can roast the eggplant, whole and unpeeled, in hot charcoal or on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until the vegetables are soft and starting to collapse, about an hour. After they are roasted and cooled, peel eggplant and finely chop them. Roast red peppers in same manner, peel, and chop into pieces.

Put chopped eggplant and peppers in a bowl, and add olive oil, tomato, garlic, lemon juice, salt and herbs. Mix well. Chill for ¹/₂ hour before serving. This will keep for several days.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

You can substitute jarred roasted red pepper.

-- Tugba Kucukkal

TURKISH PUMPKIN DESSERT (KABAK TATLISI)

This unusual dessert is made by cooking pieces of pumpkin in a simple syrup.

• 2 medium sugar pumpkins or butternut squash (about 3 pounds)
  
• 3 cups sugar
  
• Walnuts
  
• Shredded coconut
  

Peel squash and chop it. Place in a pan and add sugar. Cook on medium-low heat for about an hour, or until all the liquid is gone. Place it on a serving tray and let cool. Serve at room temperature, garnished with walnuts and shredded coconut.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

-- Tugba Kucukkal

TURKISH LAMB WITH CHICKPEAS

• 
  
• 2 pounds lamb, chopped
  
• 2 cups chickpeas
  
• 2 cups water
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  
• Cayenne pepper
  
• Salt and pepper

Place chopped lamb, chickpeas and 2 cups of water on stove and cook over medium heat until all the water is gone. This should take about an hour. In another pan, fry onions in olive oil. Add tomato paste, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste. When lamb is cooked, add onion mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

-- Tugba Kucukkal

TURKISH RED LENTIL SOUP

PG tested

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped
  
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons hot red pepper paste
  
• 1 cup red lentils, washed and cleaned
  
• 6 cups water
  
• Salt
  
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
  
• Chopped parley or dill for garnish, chopped

Fry onion in olive oil until soft. Add potato, carrot and pepper paste. Continue frying for a few more minutes. Add washed red lentils, water and salt. Let boil until the vegetables and lentils are soft, approximately 30 minutes. Put mixture in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add melted butter and fresh chopped herbs before serving.

Lentil soup can be served with a small piece of bread fried in butter.

Makes 4 servings.

Available at Indian specialty grocery stores.

-- Tugba Kucukkal

PAKISTANI CHICKPEA SALAD (CHANA CHAAT)

PG tested

This traditional salad gets its wonderful flavor from tamarind, a large tropical seed pod with very tangy pulp.

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained
  
• 1 potato, boiled and diced (extra for garnish)
  
•   1/2 onion, diced
  
• 2 tomatoes, diced
  
•   1/4 cup pure fresh tamarind
  
•   1/4 cup sugar
  
•   1/4 cup water
  
• 2 tablespoons yogurt
  
• 2 teaspoons chaat masala (a hot-sour spice mix used to garnish Indian snacks and salads)
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
•   1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
•   1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  
• Fresh mint for garnish

In large dish, combine chick peas and diced potato, onion and tomatoes. Combine tamarind, sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat on stove for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool and pour over vegetables, and mix well. Add yogurt, spice and salt and peppers. Mix well. Allow to sit for 2 hours to allow flavors to mingle. Garnish with fresh mint and chopped boiled potato.

Serves 10 to 12 people.

Available at Indian specialty grocery stores.

-- Shazia Ahmad

SPICY POTATO KABOB

PG tested

This traditional kabob can also be made with 1 pound ground beef in place of the potatoes. Kids will enjoy it served with ketchup.

• 4 large potatoes, boiled and peeled
  
• 1 onion, diced
  
•   1/2 teaspoon coriander
  
•   1/2 teaspoon cumin
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
•   1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• Fresh parsley, chopped
  
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  
• 1 egg, beaten
  
• Oil for frying
  

Mash potatoes in bowl, and add onion, spices, salt, pepper and parsley and lemon juice. Shape into small patties. Dip patties in beaten egg, and fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain and serve with lemon slices.

Makes about 20 kabobs.

-- Shazia Ahmad

PAKISTANI VERMICILLI PUDDING (SHEER KHORMA)

PG tested

This special Muslim dish is traditionally served on Eid day to the household after members come back from Eid prayers. It is then served throughout the day to all well-wishers and guests who come to visit.

• 4 cups whole milk
  
• 2 cardamom pods
  
• 1 cup roasted vermicelli, broken into 4-inch pieces (Ahmed brand preferred, but any roasted variety will work)
  
• 2/3 cup sugar
  
• 1/8 cup golden raisins, plus more for garnish
  
• Fresh coconut, slivered
  

Put milk in heavy pot and heat until boiling. Break the cardamom pods apart with your fingers and strip out the seeds. Add seeds and vermicelli to the hot milk and cook until soft, approximately 15 minutes. Add sugar and raisins, and cook another 10 minutes, or until mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Garnish with slivered coconut and raisins.

Serves 10 to 12.

Available at Indian specialty grocery stores.

-- Shazia Ahmad