October 21, 2006

With Eidul Fitr a few days away, it’s time to plan the feast. While preparing special Eid goodies, one should not forget that the pleasure lies in its presentation. In other words, food served in the usual plates and dishes, on the usual bland dining table is simply not good enough for the family's Eid lunch or dinner. Decorating the table and “dressing up” the food will get all into festive mood. Eid is the occasion that teaches us to forget hostility. It’s the time when enemies become friends. Therefore, no one should be left alone on this friendly occasion. And the best way to do this is to have an Eid meal together. Make sure all your family members and friends are eating together. In our fast-paced culture, it seems few of us have time to sit together and eat. But Eid provides us the opportunity to spend quality time with our loved ones.

Now let’s discuss the Eid menu. In our country, the most popular dishes that are served on Eid day are biryani or pulao with raita, qorma with taftan, crispy fried vegetables with chutney, tandoori chicken, mutton chops, shami kababs with vegetable salad, swayen, kheer and ice cream.

During the last five or six years, the fast food culture has immensely influenced our society. The growing trend of eating fast food has brought a drastic change in our lifestyles and the menu for special occasions. Now restaurants offer special deals to serve pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and French fries on Eid day. People who are fond of having a quick meal opt for these offers and lunch or dine at fast food restaurants. Some of them avail the home delivery facility and order their favourite meal at home.

You can also make your Eid feast more delicious, colourful and exciting by preparing the traditional cuisine of countries other than Pakistan. This menu includes dishes from the Arab world in general, as well as those specifically from Jordan, Syria and Iraq. Middle Eastern cuisine includes meat and sweet dishes

You can also serve the meal in a traditional Middle Eastern way. One of the basic components of this method is to serve meals on a cloth spread out over a carpet on the floor. Since this requires more space, the ideal place might be the living room, not the kitchen or dining room. You can also add cushions for comfort. In Yemen, for instance, apart from the cloth set on the floor, cushions are spread out around the carpet to seat the diners.

In some parts of the Arab world, like in Syria and Lebanon, a traditional meal is served on a low, large brass table.

Another mind-blowing idea to make your Eid table a bit different this year is to select cuisines from different parts of India. You can have a number of Indian recipes from different websites which will give you an idea of dishes prepared in various regions of India such as Maharashtra, Madras, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, etc.

A multicultural feast can also be served on Eid day by preparing food items related to several cultures and ethnic groups. Guests may also be asked to bring with them one dish belonging to any other country. The idea can be made more interesting if you and your guests also follow the dress code of their selected nation.

The ideas are endless. It’s up to you to bring a refreshing change to your Eid table.
 

 

Tips for an ideal Eid table Cleanliness Fancy decorations are great, but they lose their appeal if the surrounding area and the table are not clean. The kitchen and dining room are two areas that should be extra clean and virtually spotless for Eid, along with the rest of the house. Menu Get the whole family to decide on a menu. There needs to be a main dish, side dishes and dessert. Get a nice tablecloth Either buy a nice tablecloth for the table or if you want to do something creative then make special place mats for each family member. Take out the best utensils If you've got a fancy tablecloth on the table, it's got to be matched by fancy utensils! Leave enough space Don't crowd the table with all of the dishes that are to be served. Bring them in according to the meal's sequence. There needs to be enough space for everyone to be able to sit and eat comfortably. Seat family members according to need You may want to have mom on one end of the table and dad on the other. Seat everyone in the family according to the need and comfort.

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