Spotlight

Eid for kids

Eid in my childhood days- as I recollect- was warm and friendly; not to say that it lacks warmth now. But I still feel the joy that Eid brought in all of us back then; I reminisce those days with fond memories of sighting the moon, the homely iftar and of course the CLOTHES.

Eid Fashion in those days was rather mundane judging by today's standards, but the preparation that went behind it was far more elaborate. The grown-ups of the family always got to pick the clothes offered by the few boutiques that had started operating in the early eighties. Children went bespoke!

My tailor was a man named Abbas, a gifted tailor-cum-designer who had the uncanny ability to replicate designs from age-old photographs or pages from fashion magazines. His was a small workshop at Dhanmondi where he employed some three 'shagreds'. It was ritualistic for the whole family, including the extended one to pay Abbas mama a visit for he was the master of shirts and skirts!

The first time I went to a proper boutique to buy Eid clothes was probably when I was six. 'The Humpty Dumpty dress' as the Bichitra Eid Fashion Magazine termed it. The boutique was called “Shokh” and it was located where now stands Gazi Bhaban at Naya Paltan.

Care was taken so that my cousins are unaware of this secret purchase of mine, as the ritual was to unveil all sizzles only on Eid day and not an hour before!

Shopping on Chand raat (the last night of Ramadan) was also a memorable experience. I used to buy shoes on chand raat- Bailey Keds and kolapuri choppol. And then there used to be the long walk through the 'alleys' of Gawsia for my mother's last minute Eid shopping. The little things that she forgot to pick up- an itinerary that was unfortunately way too long for my patience to last.

Children, nowadays have a greater say towards how they would like to look on Eid day! They have, to their access, about a dozen fashion magazines to dictate the current trend of the season and also the 'unfortunate' influence of Hindi soaps and sky television.

What dictates children's fashion this Eid season? Well who is to say? You can go crazy with tunics in brilliant, bright colours and patterns and match it up with a skirt, or chinos. Khakis also work well for boys, jeans having taken a back seat.

Tee shirts are all the rage- girls and boys alike. They too don't shy away from making bold statements on their chest, branding their thoughts. The traditional panjabi has seen a revolution in design and so has the humble pyjama. Boys and young girls can flaunt this 'hitherto' neglected fashion-wear in styles as classic as aligori, churidar, patiala or as stylish as draped, dhoti-like. But the evergreen remains. Girls still go crazy over frocks and boys for jeans and tees.

So, how many dresses did you take this Eid? You say yours and I'll say mine…

By Pothbhola
Wardrobe: Nadi-Nandan & Offspring; Rashik-personal
Model: Nadi, Rashik
Photo: Zahedul I Khan

Meal Planner

Continuing in our endeavour to keep things healthy and delicious at the same time, this week, we have a collection of new recipes that will give you wider and tastier options if you're looking for something beside the regular Ramadan fare.

Fruit punch
Ingredients:
1 tea bag
2 tbsp lemon squash
2 tbsp orange squash
1 tbsp Ginger ale
2 tbsp sugar
4-5 ice cubes, crushed
¼ bottle soda
1 slice pineapple, chopped
½ apple, diced
2 thin slices lemon
Method:
Boil ½ cup water. Dip tea bag in it and keep for 4-5 minutes to get tea extract. Stir in sugar and chill.
Mix the squashes, ginger ale and ½ cup water. Put crushed ice in the tall glass. Fill glass with the punch till 2/3 full. Add pineapple and apple. Top with soda before serving. Garnish with lemon slices.

Prawn and tomato salad

Serves 4
Ingredients:
½ cucumber
4 tomatoes skinned, seeded and sliced thinly
12 oz peeled prawns
½ cup of mayonnaise
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
Salt and pepper to taste
Few lettuce leaves
Method:
Cut the cucumber into julienne strips (1 inch long). Place in a bowl with the tomatoes and prawns. Pour over the mayonnaise, ketchup, salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Arrange the lettuce on a serving dish, spoon salad into the centre.

Fish fry with sesame seeds
Serves 2
Ingredients:
½ kg bhetki fillet
1 cup onion paste
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp garlic
Salt to taste
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp green chilli paste
2 eggs
250g white sesame seeds
Oil to deep fry
Method:
Mix all ingredients except eggs, sesame seeds and oil. Add one tsp of oil to the marinade and keep aside for 1 hour. Whisk eggs with little salt. Coat the fillets in the beaten eggs and roll in a bed of sesame seeds. Heat oil and deep-fry the fillets. Drain on kitchen napkins to absorb excess oil. Serve hot.

Food prepared by Samina Quasem
Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed