Eid al-Fitr – sometimes referred to simply as Eid – marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting practised by Muslims around the world. The date of Eid is dependent on the lunar cycle — it commences the day after the crescent moon (which comes after the full moon) is sighted. In 2025, Eid in Australia will likely fall on the evening of Sunday 30 March, and the day is generally celebrated with prayers and visiting friends and family.
There is great diversity in the Islamic faith – Muslim communities are found throughout the subcontinent, across the Middle East, parts of Africa and Asia and, of course, in multicultural Australia. So it follows that the dishes cooked and eaten during Eid al-Fitr vary between households and cultures.
Here are but a few of our favourite Eid al-Fitr recipes, from festive desserts to slow-cooked legs of lamb.
Best Eid recipes to celebrate the holiday in 2025
Grain salad with tahini, grilled spring onion and baharat dressing
Buckwheat, barley and baharat. It’s combination that will awaken your tastebuds.
Turkish-style bread with lamb, spices and pine nuts
Inspired by lahmacun (Turkish-style pizzas), this spiced-lamb and flatbread number will fill your kitchen with the smells of just-baked bread.
Chickpeas with steamed eggplant, almonds and harissa
Steamed eggplant makes the perfect umami addition to this zesty chickpea dish.
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Chicken biryani
Serve with eggplant pickle, lime pickle or mango pickle.
Barbecued lamb in baharat and yoghurt
Barbecued lamb leftovers are perfect for wraps and salads to serve on Boxing Day. Begin this recipe a day ahead.
Roast pumpkin and fig fatteh with za’atar and whipped feta
Our Levantine-inspired roast pumpkin and fig fatteh recipe for autumn cooking and group feasts.
Baharat cauliflower and walnut-bread sauce
A Middle Eastern spin on roast cauliflower that makes for a quick and easy vegetarian crowd-pleaser.
Orange caramel sticky doughnuts
Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for Orange caramel sticky doughnuts
Lamb shawarma
A big cut that will satisfy a crowd every time.
Feta and greens gözleme
Roll up your sleeves, then roll and fold your way to flatbread heaven.
Fesenjan (Persian chicken stew)
This comforting dish has several elements to it: tart pomegranate molasses, a creamy quality from ground walnuts in the sauce and the warming spices of cinnamon and paprika. We can’t get enough.
Helly Raichura’s Mughlai lamb curry (kosha mangsho)
This curry is perfect for those of us who prefer things a little less spicy.
Fried cauliflower in baharat and tahini sauce
When done right, whole-roasted cauliflower is a textural dream: soft creamy middle with a golden outer crunch.
Paul Farag’s halawet el jibn and candied pine nuts
Mozarella in a dessert may make you baulk, but we guarantee that this sticky Syrian sweet will leave you reaching for more.
Paul Farag’s shawarma-spiced chicken with toum
Though you need to start this recipe a day ahead, it truly is minimal effort. Brined overnight, the chicken is moist and tender, elevated by the shawarma spice rub. This dish is a true show stopper.
Jacqui Challinor’s smoked eggplant and pomegranate salad
For lovers of eggplant.
Saba Alemayoh’s derek tibs (Ethiopian beef short ribs with capsicum)
Ribs, slowly braised with berbere spice, with the gentle sweetness of capsicums – there’s nothing better.
Saba Alemayoh’s birsen (red split lentil stew)
The owner of Saba’s Ethiopian Restaurant in Melbourne shares the recipe for her favourite legume recipe of all time.
Harissa-roasted lamb rump with pomegranate and eggplant
Elevate your next Sunday lunch with this simple Middle Eastern twist on the classic roast.
Za’atar manouche with haloumi
What’s better than crusty, freshly baked bread? Freshly baked bread with gooey haloumi.
Warm eggplant zaalouk with spiced lamb skewers
You don’t need a grill or barbecue to get perfect gooey eggplant.
Harissa chicken with carrot, rice and quinoa pilaf
Chicken, boring? Things look up with the addition of harissa, the North African spice paste.
Lamb koftas with beetroot salad
Fast, fresh and flavoursome – this one’s the whole package.
Spiced yoghurt chicken with cardamom-coconut pilaf
A yoghurt marinade for the chicken produces super juicy results. Here we’ve served it with a fragrant pilaf for a complete meal.
Aloo paratha
An Indian dish that elevates humble ingredients – bread and potato – to tasty side dish or snack.
How to make beef rendang
When it comes to making the ever-popular rendang, patience is indeed a virtue. Persevere and you’ll be richly rewarded with a dish of delicious complexity.
Kibbeh
A blend of lamb mince, bulghur and spices, these Middle Eastern meatballs are comforting in winter and make a great summer starter when you’re entertaining.
Lamb korma
Korma curry came about during the Mughul Empire in India. It’s usually a mild curry, although some versions include Kashmiri chilli to add a little heat, which we’ve done here.
Shane Delia’s 12-hour roast lamb with pistachio and green-olive tabbouleh
Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for 12-hour roast lamb with pistachio and green-olive tabbouleh by Shane Delia from Melbourne restaurant Maha.
Parwana Afghan Kitchen’s morgh degee
The Adelaide restaurant shares the recipe for this celebratory dish of braised chicken with yoghurt and spices.
Za’atar roast chicken with pilaf, pomegranate and nuts
This fragrant chicken dish is made to serve in the centre of the table for guests to help themselves. We’ve made the za’atar fresh for a more intense thyme flavour.
Toum with quick za’atar flatbread and haloumi
Not familiar with toum? Don’t worry – one scoop of this dip and you won’t be able to forget its luxurious texture and heady garlic notes.
The Agrarian Kitchen’s lamb kofta with toum
Farm-to-table is served up in this lamb dish.
Rice, pasta, lentils, canned tomatoes: koshari is made for self-isolation cooking
Rice and lentils served with a spiced tomato sauce and a pile of crisp onion: no wonder this Egyptian comfort food dish is so well loved.
Paul Farag’s chermoula lamb ribs fatteh
The fresh drizzle of punchy chermoula that cuts through the rich fattiness of the tender lamb ribs makes this recipe by Aalia’s Paul Farag a must try.
Sumac-crusted chicken with fattoush
Australian Gourmet Traveller fast recipe for sumac-crusted chicken with fattoush.
Chicken fatteh
You too can make the pita-topped creation that combines layers of chickpeas, meat and yoghurt for a deeply comforting result.
Greg Malouf’s burrata with broad bean and chickpea stew
Greg Malouf’s take on ful medames, with the addition of creamy burrata.
Greg Malouf’s baharat lamb shoulder with onions and moghrabieh
“Lamb rubbed with spices and cooked slowly is quite a traditional preparation in the Middle East,” says Greg Malouf. “Served with moghrabieh, giant couscous, this is a great dish to put in the middle of the table with some yoghurt and away you go.”
Parwana Afghan Kitchen’s mattar paneer
Peas, cheese and spices – the Adelaide eatery knows how to deliver comfort.
Parwana Afghan Kitchen’s lamb koftas
The Adelaide eatery’s version of these meatball favourites.
Parwana Afghan Kitchen’s gulab jamun
The Adelaide eatery’s version of these sweet, syrupy spheres of delight.
Baklava rolls with pistachio, orange and cardamom
This baklava recipe is a tangy twist on a Middle Eastern dessert classic.
Pistachio baklava
We think the layering process of baklava is like meditation. The eating, meanwhile, is pure joy.
How to make ali nazik kebap (Turkish kebabs)
Just meat on a stick? Hardly. With a few pointers from Turkish chef Somer Sivrioglu, of Sydney’s Efendy restaurant, the humble kebab becomes so much more.
Parwana Afghan Kitchen’s dogh
A must-have recipe for this salty, tangy yoghurt drink.
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