Going to the grandparents for Eid

Sajid and Akila with their three children Saher, Aman and Adam

There's always a buzz in the house when suitcases are out. Suitcases, packing, an element of disarray, all hold the promise of a vacation, a holiday, some excitement. And the Kagadis, an Indian Konkani family living in Sharjah for the last 11 years, are an excited bunch. Packing is seriously underway, as are last minute errands. They're off to India, Mumbai first and then to Ratnagiri in southwest Maharashtra. Eid will be with the parents and the in-laws, which is both sets of grandparents for the kids.
Sajid and Akila have a girl and two boys - Saher is the eldest, 11. Her two younger brothers Aman, 7 and Adam, 5 call her didi (elder sister), and Adam calls his brother bhai jaan (brother dearest). It's all very respectful and endearing. And all of them are full of beans, quick to break into laughter, something they obviously get from the parents.
Sajid works for Emaar Properties. He's been in the UAE 17 years. "A few when I was a bachelor before the family", he laughs. His wife, Akila, is a marine biologist. She works with Trakhees EHS. Everyday, she takes the bus at 5.30am to Jebel Ali and tests the marine waters in a lab. (During Ramadan, though, the bus has been leaving later and coming back sooner, and Akila talks of the bonds between commuters who take the bus together everyday, back and forth, same time, same bus.)
On the eve of their holiday, when there is so much to be done, Iftar has become a bit of a shortcut, Akila says, looking a bit guilty. They're going to have samosas, and a gravy and rice. "I don't want to waste food," Akila says, "We're leaving, who's going to eat all this if I make too much?"
The previous day's Iftars were more lavish - biryani, cutlets, springrolls, chawal ki roti - a bread made of ground rice, sandan (a steamed rice cake), a fresh kaju ki sabji (a gravy dish with cashewnuts), and dal pola, something of a gram cake made with chana dal that Akila says is a Konkani special. The kids love it. She says they eat everything quite happily, but the boys always want her to try something new in the kitchen. Saher, not so much; she has her favourite dishes and she likes mommy to stick to those. Akila says, "Her favourites are everything chicken," And Saher pipes in, "Chicken curry and rice, chicken puff pastries that mumma makes, samosas and seekh kebabs. These are the top dishes."
The two boys, who Saher says she doesn't bully too much, love falooda (sweetened noodles had with Kulfi, a divine, milky Indian ice cream) that also Akila makes.
There's little she doesn't make. She loves cooking, and makes sure that the husband is not forgotten in the melee of young kids around the house. "He likes dahi vada," so we often have that." And Saher, a mini chef, and assistant t mummy chef, is often seen pottering about the kitchen getting that ready.
What's the star iftar dish though in the house? There's almost a resounding echo: "Goldcoin!" the kids say. Which is Akila's term for a deepfried, egg layered chicken patty.
If the packing wasn't happening, the last week of Ramadan would be very special and full of preparations for Eid, Sajid says. It still is pretty special, as the kids are whooping about in a slightly lower than usual key (in an attempt to keep the noise down during Ramadan) gearing up to see nana-nani, dada-dadi - both sets of grandparents. "Our holidays have already started," Akila says.
nivriti@khaleejtimes.com  

• UAE
• Ramadan 2021
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