Tabarruk: A token of blessing
Tabarruk, or sacred offering, is a traditional food item distributed at religious gatherings during Muharram. Sweet dishes like kheer are popular, but new options like imarti with rabri are also gaining popularity. Bakery items like cakes, buns, and breads are common due to their longer shelf life. Some hosts are also adding personal vegetarian pizzas to the menu to attract a younger crowd. However, traditional items like sheermal, biryani, and kebab rolls are still preferred by many.
Tabarruk or sacred offering is typically any food item distributed among the majlis (religious gathering) attendees as they leave the venue. Majlises are held throughout the period of Muharram (month of mourning).
The traditional items have been the best picks, by and large, but a few new options too have found a market. We find out more about tabarruk servings in the city.
Sweet dishes including kheer, imarti along with other forms of sweetmeats are usually preferred over other items as far as tradition goes. Of late, the Majlis hosts have come up with the idea of compulsorily adding a sweet item to whatever else is being distributed.
The owner of Kashmiri Sweets & Café in the Old City, Badre Alam, says, “After Ashura (the 10th of Muharram), as the frequency of household majlises increases, the orders for kheer go up by 150% from the regular demand. People come asking for different sizes of mud bowls to serve kheer that starts from medium to large ones, cost varies from ₹25 to 40. Zaffrani kheer is the most preferred one for Muharram. Also, since the last year imarti with rabri has also been distributed at the event.”
Items like plain cakes, buns, samosas, patties and pastries, and various breads are common too.
“Bakery items are a favourite for tabarruk due to high shelf life. Items like buns, breads and cookies usually can be stored and distributed easily as a dry snack. This year, we also got enquiries for garlic loaves and slices. So, that is something interesting for us, as in a way, this will surely add to the regular menu,” says Imran Mirza of Modern Tea and Bakery.
Homemaker Afshan Mudassar, resident of Chowk area, prefers to add on to the tabarruk menu for the annual majlis at her residential Imambada. “We don’t stick to one particular item. The idea is to bring in the young crowd to the majlis so it’s important to keep tabarruk in accordance with their tastes. Last year, we distributed chips, fruit juice along with traditional sheermal but this year, we have decided to add personal vegetarian pizzas as it’s a full meal and packaging makes it easy while distributing.”
Considering the famous trademark items consisting of sheermal, biryani, kebab rolls, khamiri roti, haleem,khichra, kashmiri chai and fruits, there is no lack of variety of tabarruk that has been there for years and is still opted by many.
Owner of Biryaani and Kebab Corner, Mushtaq from Tooriyagunj adds, “We have been in this business for three generations and trust me a large number majlisdars still opt for traditional sheermal, roti and biryaani as Tabarruk. And the proof is the number of orders we have already taken for the coming weeks. Just recently, I had to say no to an order of two degh biryaani of 10 kg each, as we already had two orders for the same day. So, no new items can replace the trademark tabarruk in the long run.”
