In my neck of the woods, Eid-ul-Azha is called Bakra Eid, simply because, well...bakras, cows, even camels are omnomnom meat fests for a week or more post Eid. Now this may be a bit of surprise, but as much as I love eating in general, I somehow manage to skip meals during any kind of festive season. Whether it's Meethi Eid or Bakra Eid the very thought of a proper meal makes me feel full. Don't ask me how or why, it just happens. Which is why I end up eating things considerably lighter and easier to digest than red meat. I have to admit though, my sleeping pattern and zero interest in socializing are two other important factors that make me skimp on the omnomnomming.
Consequently, when everyone else is discussing the delicious barbecue they ate or the chops they inhaled, I'm talking about the yummy mixed vegetables I ate with roti or the Chinese rice with ketchup, the latter which I scarfed down while frying vegetables for the garnishing my mother wanted on her gorgeous leg roast which graces our table every year.
Speaking of leg roast, that's not what I ate for breakfast on the first day of Eid. Waking up in the afternoon on a holiday usually means I'll have halwa puri waiting for me, courtesy Gulshan Sweets Phase 2 which my father and I both enjoy. Unfortunately, there were no puris left for me (The perils of Eid breakfast and me sleeping in). Lucky for me, there was desi ghee at home so I had a crispy hot paratha to enjoy the soft chanas and spicy aalu with.
Moving on to the nomming schedule that lay ahead, first day Eid lunch is always at my eldest phopo's house, but because she has been celebrating Eid in Dubai this year with her children and grandchildren, I got to enjoy the halwa puri. After that, I was pretty much done till dinner, and only had a few dried figs while entertaining guests throughout the day. First day Eid dinners are always at my house, and my mom starts prepping for the feast a day before. By the time the eve of the first day comes along, msot of the work is done, and I'm in my new cotton clothes (No silks or fancy pants) armed with my wok and kitchen paper for draining the deliciousness being fried up by yours truly. This year our table was graced with Chinese Rice, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Dry Chili Beef, Chicken and Vegetables in Brown Sauce, Fried Masala Fish (All my handy dandiness), Brain Masala, Roasted Chicken, Leg Roast, Prawn Masala, Chicken Qorma, Nihari (Bong ki of course), Haleem and Shami Kababs. For dessert, my dad loves pulling out the canned peaches with vanilla ice cream, and my mom had an assortment of fresh fruit, trifle and ras malai ready to go. My dessert was the tinned pineapple left over from the trifle and dinner Chinese rice. After everyone left around 1 a.m., I was ready to hit the sack and that ended Day 1.
Day 2 was a bit more eventful in terms of food. Woke up just in time for a cup of coffee before hauling myself over to my Chacha's for lunch. Chachi went all out with Palak Gosht, Chapli Kabab, Beef Strips and Caramelized Onions with Rice, Cream Salad, Fried Chicken, Nihari and Salan Gosht. While the food is always good, I always keep it to a minimum because Chachi's desserts are what I go for. And she didn't disappoint this year either! Caramel Pudding, Caramel Crunch Ice Cream (Homemade of course! Taubah beta, why would I get dabbay ki ice cream? That's not even ice cream!), and a cake I didn't have any space to eat. I think it was chocolate, not too sure. After the gluttony was done and the hosts were thanked, off we went to meet the aunts and uncles, after which we had to rush home because we had guests waiting outside our house. After the spate of trolleys and chais, off we went to my younger phopo's for dinner.
And this dinner was a bit nostalgic for me because of a special little number made with my Dadi's recipe. Now, before I tell you about the recipe I have to mention this isn't a special dish for me because it's extravagant or innovative. This is representative of what my Dadi, one of the most influential personalities to shape my life was like as a person. This is simple layman fare, basic but packed with flavor, spicy, versatile, soft and squishy (Just like my Dadi). What we call aalu ka bhurta and is often used in aalu parathas, had been shaped into small oval tikkis and shallow fried to give it a slightly crispy outside, but the inside was spicy, oniony, coriandery and just how my Dadi used to make. I think the main part of my meal was these babies. Added to that the Mitchells Chili Garlic Sauce which my phopo refuses to switch for Knorr, was an instant throwback to my childhood. Along with this was another favorite my phopo makes for my sisters and I. Chinese noodles with chicken and mixed vegetables. While others might go like, whaaattt on Eid too? I have to tell you we are creatures of habit and while this didn't go with the Koftay ka Salan, Palak Gosht (I know, again), Karahi Gosht, Pasanday, and Yakhni ka Pulao, the fact she made something my sisters and I love says a lot for family bonds and the love of a phopo <3 br="">
The third day was a bit of a blur in my mind because this being the last day of sleeping, that's what I did when I got done with waking up only to eat leftover Chinese food because well, hungry. I refused to get out of my jammies, and my parents refused to take me anywhere in that state, so win-win! After an entire day of naps, crap cable and more leftovers, I wasn't averse to a family dinner out. A damper was put on the proceedings however, when I found out Dad wanted to Tao. Now don't get me wrong.. I have nothing against Tao. The sushi is decent for the price, the Dynamite Prawns are as good as it gets in Pakistan, and the other offerings are better than other desi Chaineez joints. But I knew in my bones the wait would be horrendous. And it was. It took us an hour to get seated after which there was a nice big nail sticking out of the booth we got due to which my sister and an aunt both got bruised. Of course, I complained about on my way out because I in general hate waiting for food, and then making me wait when I'm hangry (Hungry + Angry = Super Pissed Nazi) is just not done. The booth we got also boasted of an arctic air conditioner that froze my mom's, aunts (2), sister's and my bones. After several attempts at temperature control, of which the waiters provided zero help (Raise the temperature, boys. Aiming the vents down at my feet will just make my feet cold instead of hands), the gentlemen in my family tired of our complaints and switched places with us. After which all 3 got up and fiddled with the AC until they were comfortable. And we laughed at their expense, of course. Isn't that what families do?
Moving on to the food itself, the Crispy California Rolls and Dynamite Prawns were enjoyed by all. From the assortment of items for the main course, my favorite was the Crispy Beef and Schezwan Chicken. The worst had to be the Kung Pao which is one of my favorites but this was just soya saucey blandness with squishy tofu-like chicken. Who DOES that? There were a few other things I didn't really enjoy because they tasted similar to the Schezwan and other than that there was a Fish in Red Sauce, the sauce part which I liked, the fish not so much. I ended the evening by inhaling a square of Lindt's dark chocolate infused with mint.
Of course, because I had indulged in so much sleep the past 3 days, insomnia hit like a ton of bricks that night, after which Monday morning resulted in lots of caffeine and lots of whining. But that's a story for another day, another blog.
Consequently, when everyone else is discussing the delicious barbecue they ate or the chops they inhaled, I'm talking about the yummy mixed vegetables I ate with roti or the Chinese rice with ketchup, the latter which I scarfed down while frying vegetables for the garnishing my mother wanted on her gorgeous leg roast which graces our table every year.
Speaking of leg roast, that's not what I ate for breakfast on the first day of Eid. Waking up in the afternoon on a holiday usually means I'll have halwa puri waiting for me, courtesy Gulshan Sweets Phase 2 which my father and I both enjoy. Unfortunately, there were no puris left for me (The perils of Eid breakfast and me sleeping in). Lucky for me, there was desi ghee at home so I had a crispy hot paratha to enjoy the soft chanas and spicy aalu with.
Moving on to the nomming schedule that lay ahead, first day Eid lunch is always at my eldest phopo's house, but because she has been celebrating Eid in Dubai this year with her children and grandchildren, I got to enjoy the halwa puri. After that, I was pretty much done till dinner, and only had a few dried figs while entertaining guests throughout the day. First day Eid dinners are always at my house, and my mom starts prepping for the feast a day before. By the time the eve of the first day comes along, msot of the work is done, and I'm in my new cotton clothes (No silks or fancy pants) armed with my wok and kitchen paper for draining the deliciousness being fried up by yours truly. This year our table was graced with Chinese Rice, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Dry Chili Beef, Chicken and Vegetables in Brown Sauce, Fried Masala Fish (All my handy dandiness), Brain Masala, Roasted Chicken, Leg Roast, Prawn Masala, Chicken Qorma, Nihari (Bong ki of course), Haleem and Shami Kababs. For dessert, my dad loves pulling out the canned peaches with vanilla ice cream, and my mom had an assortment of fresh fruit, trifle and ras malai ready to go. My dessert was the tinned pineapple left over from the trifle and dinner Chinese rice. After everyone left around 1 a.m., I was ready to hit the sack and that ended Day 1.
Day 2 was a bit more eventful in terms of food. Woke up just in time for a cup of coffee before hauling myself over to my Chacha's for lunch. Chachi went all out with Palak Gosht, Chapli Kabab, Beef Strips and Caramelized Onions with Rice, Cream Salad, Fried Chicken, Nihari and Salan Gosht. While the food is always good, I always keep it to a minimum because Chachi's desserts are what I go for. And she didn't disappoint this year either! Caramel Pudding, Caramel Crunch Ice Cream (Homemade of course! Taubah beta, why would I get dabbay ki ice cream? That's not even ice cream!), and a cake I didn't have any space to eat. I think it was chocolate, not too sure. After the gluttony was done and the hosts were thanked, off we went to meet the aunts and uncles, after which we had to rush home because we had guests waiting outside our house. After the spate of trolleys and chais, off we went to my younger phopo's for dinner.
And this dinner was a bit nostalgic for me because of a special little number made with my Dadi's recipe. Now, before I tell you about the recipe I have to mention this isn't a special dish for me because it's extravagant or innovative. This is representative of what my Dadi, one of the most influential personalities to shape my life was like as a person. This is simple layman fare, basic but packed with flavor, spicy, versatile, soft and squishy (Just like my Dadi). What we call aalu ka bhurta and is often used in aalu parathas, had been shaped into small oval tikkis and shallow fried to give it a slightly crispy outside, but the inside was spicy, oniony, coriandery and just how my Dadi used to make. I think the main part of my meal was these babies. Added to that the Mitchells Chili Garlic Sauce which my phopo refuses to switch for Knorr, was an instant throwback to my childhood. Along with this was another favorite my phopo makes for my sisters and I. Chinese noodles with chicken and mixed vegetables. While others might go like, whaaattt on Eid too? I have to tell you we are creatures of habit and while this didn't go with the Koftay ka Salan, Palak Gosht (I know, again), Karahi Gosht, Pasanday, and Yakhni ka Pulao, the fact she made something my sisters and I love says a lot for family bonds and the love of a phopo <3 br="">
The third day was a bit of a blur in my mind because this being the last day of sleeping, that's what I did when I got done with waking up only to eat leftover Chinese food because well, hungry. I refused to get out of my jammies, and my parents refused to take me anywhere in that state, so win-win! After an entire day of naps, crap cable and more leftovers, I wasn't averse to a family dinner out. A damper was put on the proceedings however, when I found out Dad wanted to Tao. Now don't get me wrong.. I have nothing against Tao. The sushi is decent for the price, the Dynamite Prawns are as good as it gets in Pakistan, and the other offerings are better than other desi Chaineez joints. But I knew in my bones the wait would be horrendous. And it was. It took us an hour to get seated after which there was a nice big nail sticking out of the booth we got due to which my sister and an aunt both got bruised. Of course, I complained about on my way out because I in general hate waiting for food, and then making me wait when I'm hangry (Hungry + Angry = Super Pissed Nazi) is just not done. The booth we got also boasted of an arctic air conditioner that froze my mom's, aunts (2), sister's and my bones. After several attempts at temperature control, of which the waiters provided zero help (Raise the temperature, boys. Aiming the vents down at my feet will just make my feet cold instead of hands), the gentlemen in my family tired of our complaints and switched places with us. After which all 3 got up and fiddled with the AC until they were comfortable. And we laughed at their expense, of course. Isn't that what families do?
Moving on to the food itself, the Crispy California Rolls and Dynamite Prawns were enjoyed by all. From the assortment of items for the main course, my favorite was the Crispy Beef and Schezwan Chicken. The worst had to be the Kung Pao which is one of my favorites but this was just soya saucey blandness with squishy tofu-like chicken. Who DOES that? There were a few other things I didn't really enjoy because they tasted similar to the Schezwan and other than that there was a Fish in Red Sauce, the sauce part which I liked, the fish not so much. I ended the evening by inhaling a square of Lindt's dark chocolate infused with mint.
Of course, because I had indulged in so much sleep the past 3 days, insomnia hit like a ton of bricks that night, after which Monday morning resulted in lots of caffeine and lots of whining. But that's a story for another day, another blog.
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