5 Traditional Celebration Foods

After a month’s absence, 5things Tuesday returns today with a fun topic. Today i ask you to list five of your favourite celebration foods. For me, this is quite topical as I have just celebrated Eid which is a big Muslim festival. It has a lot of yummy dishes associated with it so here goes:

1.(Sweet Vermicelli)

After a month’s fasting for the holy month of ramadan, we have these for breakfast. These are long dry noodles a bit like spaghetti but different in taste. On Eid day morning, ass a child, I remember waking up to the aroma of savviyyan boiling in the kitchen. Now I am the mom so I get up early to boil them. They are eaten topped with nuts, raisins and warm milk.

2.Phulki(Gram flour dumplings in a yoghurt sauce)

There is a lot of visiting on Eid day and Dahi Phulki is bound to be one of the items o the tea trolley. There are many variations on this. Some also use dumplings made of lentil paste but the gram flour ones are the easiest and therefore the most popular. They are available in supermarkets in a dry form like pasta. All you have to do is soak them in water, drain them and put them in yoghurt seasoned to your taste.

3.Fruit Salad

This is a healthy option that I love and make it a part of picnics, celebrations and casual entertaining. What I love about it is that it is as versatile as it is yummy. You can vary the fruit combo to your taste or whatever fruita are in season. It is colourful and works well as dessert for those who are watching their weight. In my part of the world you can turn it into a savoury by adding salt, chilli and powdered spices.

Cake

What would any celebration be without cake? Birthdays , anniversaries, promotions, you name it. Cake can make any occasion special. I am not a fan of the currently popular Lotus milk cake however. Celebration cakes are getting more and more complicated and expensive. I prefer the old fashioned and simpler kinds. Once the celebration is over, I love to enjoy a slice or two with a cup of tea and a good book.

Finger Food

I have cheated a little here and lumped several of my favouurites together. Platters of bite sized sandwiches, canapes, prawns or grilled chicken or fruit on skewers: these can be circulated to add fun to any celebration. Ditto with bowls of mixed nuts and gourmet popcorn.

In Pakistan, particularly in my city Lahore, food is an integral part of celebrations.

What are your favourite celebratin goodies? I would love to know.

You can leave a reply in my comments section.

Better still, why not share your favourites in a post of your own. Just remember to tag it #5thimgs