Friday, July 24, 2015

Eid-ul-Fitr 2015 ~ Hashtag Heart! Chaand Raat!

Eid ul Fitr this year was great! I enjoyed a very eventful Eid after years and had some good family time. Ramadan 2015 went well and unlike last time, when I had fallen sick and not been able to fast, this year I fasted throughout. It felt good and peaceful! So Eid came in good health and it felt awesome to have fasting over. Abbie and I were as usual loaded with housework (and Abbie had her landlord stuff to manage on top of that!) as Eid approached us. If somebody peeked into our house a week before Eid they would have seen the two of us running around madly in panic trying to get everything ready in time for Eid.

Anyhoo ... it was finally that time when I checked the clock and realized it was time to break the last fast of Ramadan 2015! Woohoo! *claps claps* But let's rewind to earlier that afternoon when I decided to seize a golden opportunity (that's basically just me exaggerating the fact that I was home alone) and apply Mehndi (henna) on my hand!

Mehndi on Chaand Raat by Saraallie

The mehndi cones this year looked fishy to me. The first one I tried was a little too runny and the second one, which I ended up using, gave us the impression that it might not give off a good color when dried and washed away. But the color came out fabulous on Chaand Raat (Eid Eve) later so all was well (more than well actually, GREAT, because I love mehndi).

The last few hours of my fast that evening were a mix of emotions. I was confused what to feel and express as I walked into the kitchen where mama and Abbie were preparing a delicious chicken roast. It was Abbie's idea this year to start a new tradition: Chaand Raat Chicken - a delicious full chicken roast with traditional tikka masala (drooling, bucket please!). At first I burst out laughing seeing mama marinate the chicken. Seriously, does a whole chicken look funny only to me? Is it just me who can't stop laughing seeing this picture? *laughs* It was as if the chicken said, "Hey there, whachyoo looking at?!" *laughs* Anyway, as I tried controlling my laughter over the chicken that kept dancing and swaying as mama patted it with masala from all sides my mehndi dried away, gradually leaving its color. Soon the chicken was fully cooked after which it was transferred to the oven to give it the finishing touches.

Abbie giving the chicken its final touches

And that's when the emotional storm hit. I felt happy, sad, tired, excited, and hungry all at the same time. I was happy that Ramadan was finally coming to an end and I had managed to fast. I was sad because I was going to miss the sister-talks and Harry Potter movie marathons we did over Sehri, the whole blessed feel of the month, and the food comas and those water chugging sessions. I was tired because my stomach was a mess from eating in larger quantities than usual. The excitement was of Eid and oh Lord let's not forget the excitement of the chicken that had now filled the house with the most tempting delicious smell ever. Which of course also explains why I was so hungry. When you're fasting, a juicy tandoori delicious chicken roast does not help at all!


The Grand Chaand Raat Buffet

When it was finally time to break the last fast of 2015 I had a lot to be thankful for. Here I was, sitting in a fabulous house, with my family, lovely food, and great plans! The grand Chaand Raat buffet was such a treat! Let me remember the delicious menu ...

The highlight of the evening! The mouthwatering Chaand Raat Chicken. A joint effort by Abbie and mama!

Abbie's really yummy Yellow Masala Rice!

Oh my God! Drool alert! Going Bananas Crumb Cake by Sara's Baked Creations!

Fruit Chaat by me!

and Brownies by S.I.L! Mmmmm ...

Chaand Raat concluded with a failed long drive all the way to try and attend a Chaand Raat Mela (fair). It turned out the whole thing was badly organized so that half the desi population was waiting out on the streets to try and get in. No, thank you, we're much better sleeping comfortably at home! We turned the car around and came back home after which the search for a casual-fancy outfit began for Eid namaaz (prayers) the next day. I finally decided to go with a gorgeous red and black long dress. Before we called it a day we exchanged Eid gifts (Another new tradition in the making! Yay!). I'll write about the gifts in another post later! We then snuggled away happily in our beds to catch up on sleep before Eid began!

Eid hadn't even started and we already had two new traditions in the making - Chaand Raat Chicken and Eid Gifts! *insert emotional violin background music* I love it when it's time to follow traditions and make new ones!

This entry belongs to the 'Desi Diaries' label!

I'll be blogging about my fabulous Eid in the posts to follow! Read them all as I post ...
Eid Breakfast ~ Firdaus Kachoriyaan & Kheer
Eid Namaz, Brunch at Curry Leaf, & Fun With Gubby
Eid Gifts ~ Woohoo!
Of Eid Dinner & Looking Pretty
Dressed Up Again ~ Eid Day 2
Gubby's First Eidee
Post-Eid Panic

2 comments:

  1. Wow delicious... all yummy foods

    Each year on Eid Abbie and I make sure we follow our Eid tradition at breakfast time. Back in our childhood we used to wake up early on Eid mornings to find Dad and bro gone for Eid prayers and mama fixing mouthwatering Kheer (Rice Pudding) in the kitchen. It was a torture to get dressed and ready first waiting for dad and bro to return before we could dive into that Kheer!


    fridge-seal-gasket-welder-kit.blogspot.com


    Can you make your own refrigeration gaskets to replace any fridge door seal in South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah?

    Manufacture Refrigeration Gaskets Lengths into Completed Fridge Seals with the Portable Refrigeration Gasket (Fridge Seal) Portable Welder Kit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Glad you found them to be yummy. We had a great time enjoying them all!

      Delete