Ramzan/ Eid foods

As i was going through the Culture forum,(which i do every half hour), I thought perhaps folks could share the recipes of their favorite ramzan meals/snacks/sweets. Also categorize them into what u prefer eating during sehri, for iftar, and for dinner. And for those who have lived both, in and out of Pakistan, how have ur Ramzan/eid eating habits changed.

In Pakistan, for sehri, I always remember having parathas with ‘anything’. Anything could be the salan from the night before, or andey, or halwa, or dahi, usually accompanied with meethi lassi.

For iftar, the list was always long. Doodh with rooh afza was the most popular, combined with khajoor, samosas and pakoras. Then there used to be dahi barey on occasion, and of course, either fruit or channa chaat.

Dinner would be routine, much like dinner on any other day of the year.

Eid started with sewiyan of course. That would be followed by loads of sweets, mithai, shahi tukrey, an extravagant lunch and dinner, which would consist of nothing but meat.

Even though most of these items are available here in the US in some way shape or form, I have never felt ramzan/eid to be the same as it was back home. I believe its only because of the lack of social setup and cultural touch here, which we have in abundance in Pakistan, where u can actually smell Ramzan and Eid in the air. U turn on the tv, and u have eid programs..u go out, and u see eid sales..u go to restaurants, and u have festive food..u go to masjids, and u can feel the difference in the mood of people. Its never the same without family and friends.

Akif, You are the best Mod on the planet (can you make your visits here every 15 minutes please).

I remember eating parathas with last night’s leftover Salan for Sehri, plus Dahi, and or Lassi (was told that it helps reduce dehydration). But the leftover Salan (shora and a boutee or two with some aaloo) really tastes great. In my household my mother usually made Alloo Gosht on kinda daily basis, never ghost Aaloo, always Aaloo Ghost.

For Aftari, trhe usual, Dates, and whatever else is there. It was usually PakoRay, Samosay, and stuff.

I know I remember that time in pakistan where Rooza was hard. Dry lips and dry mouth and checking the clock every second to see how much time left, they were long rozays. But now when I look back, they look like a good enjoyable rozays.
I always like my paratha with LASURE-AIN da Achar (anybody know the english of LASUREY) with butter. And at Iftarey time
"THIDh (Tummy) Bhur Janda Sey tay Akhain nahin sun Bhur dian"
And after Iftar, you go up on the roof and take out that lonely half smoked twisted and may be few days old cigerrate and smoke it like you will never have another one after that.

Now these days, no parathas, no Lasuras, no lassi and no cigerrates.... How can you enjoy Roza without them....

I dun know why
but whenever we spent rozas in karachi,
papa would go out just a day before ramzan and come back with two bags full of ‘Khajla Pheeni’

yuck
For sehri it was for him Khajla pheeni, with parathas
I would eat my paratha with the kheer which was cooked everyday

We had huge Iftaris …being bihari and all we are considered very paitoo
So everyday for iftari
Pakoras, all kinds of aloo kay, pyaaz kay, baingan kay, bhari howi hari mirch kay, kaleji kay and my papa’s fav paalak kay

Dahi baray

Choolay…3 types
First the usual chickpeas with the pyaaz, timatar, mirch, imli ki chatni, dahi and papri
then Kaalaay choolay with laal pyaaz, kail mirch and hari mirch
and a must Kachay chanay with kachi pyaaz and hari mirch

Fruit

Kachooris ..those small roti jasi filled with daal waghera

and meethay samosay filled with khoopra, kishsmish and malai filling

and rooh afza

Now its only me and a glass of water and a pack of gummy bears

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/frown.gif

Mummyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/crying.gif

[This message has been edited by Anchal (edited December 01, 2000).]