Family gatherings and celebrations from Thanksgiving to Diwali

This past weekend most Canadians spent some time with loved ones celebrating Thanksgiving and relaxing in the comfort of family traditions. Since moving to North America back in 1999 I have come to celebrate this holiday with gusto and have really got into the cooking of the turkey with the traditional dishes and fanfare. So much so that even my parents who lived in the Middle East and Asia have now come to celebrate this holiday. As time passes I notice that every family has a different set of dishes and customs they like to observe and that there’s nuances that make it a very personal family affair. Growing up in South Asia and the Middle East around this time of year similar family celebrations were observed with Eid (for Muslims) and Diwali (for Indians) and while my family didn’t host these events, my friends often did and I would be invited to these gatherings. Similar to Thanksgiving the celebrations centred around family, LOTS of good food and being grateful for the people in your life and the life in your people! When Pataks asked us about Diwali celebrations I couldn’t help but reminisce about all the goodness that I grew up with.

Disclosure: I am part of the Patak’s Canada Ambassador program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog as always are totally mine! 

I remember my Hindu friends anticipating Diwali celebrations like I did Christmas! Diwali, known as the Festival of Lights, is usually celebrated over the course of five days but given how busy everyone is it usually ends up as a weekend long celebration.  Family homes are adorned with clay lamps to signify the triumph of good over evil and firecrackers sound off in the evenings to ward off evil spirits. Families would dress up in new clothes and bring over lots of traditional sweets like Ladoo, KulKuls and lots of barfi (sweets made with sugar and condensed milk – how can you go wrong!!). It was a big, loud gathering with kids running around and moms exchanging recipes whilst the dads would gather by the bar. Copious dishes would be flowing from the kitchen and you could smell the spices before even entering the house. There’s something to be said about freshly ground spices and the aromas they spread! For me Diwali has centred around food and especially the sweets, anything with nuts, cream and sugar has me!

All this reminiscing of Diwali had me craving Barfi and I was inspired by the Pataks Creamy Coconut and Peanut Sauce (I like to call it curry paste!). For dinner it was just the hubs, Little Monkey and I and we enjoyed a QUICK healthy meal of Peanut and Coconut Beef curry with grilled garlic veggies and rice. Yes the Little Monkey is a huge fan of rice and curry and the house smelled amazing  as I cooked!

I like using stewing beef though cut up steaks would make this meal even quicker. Toss beef in a pan with onions, garlic and three spoons of the Patak’s Creamy Coconut and Peanut curry paste. Let the spices soak in and then add chili powder to your taste preference along with two large sliced tomatoes. Add some water if you’re using stewing beef and let the dish cook for about 20 minutes on high. When the meat is soft add in the rest of the Patak’s curry paste and mix well. Voila! Serve with white rice and grilled veggies. We had mushrooms and asparagus at home so we sauteed them in garlic and sesame seeds for 3 minutes.

Truth be told you could put the sauce on the meat and not include all those extra ingredients and still have a delicious meal  but you know me… I enjoy sneaking in incorporating  veggies wherever I can. I will also fully admit that I ate the paste on its own… by the spoonful. Yes that Coconut and Peanut creamy goodness is that good. Would be great as a dipping sauce for satays even!

Diwali falls on Sunday November 3rd this year… why not host a Diwali inspired party? Light up some candles and ask friends to bring an Indian dish! Decorate with coloured sand art and have some sparklers around for that added touch. Check out my Mix in a Little India Pinterest board for more Indian inspired entertaining!