I've cooked a lot recently. You too right? Yeah. I hear you. Sometimes it's exciting, sometimes it is exhausting. No matter which end of that spectrum I am on if you hand me some delicious smoked turkey and arm me with some bread I am a happy camper. We love smoked turkey and how versatile it is. It adds extra pizzazz to everything from the simplest (kid made!) Roll Ups to the mildly spicy Buffalo Turkey Croissant sandwiches to the classic South Asian Chutney Sandwich. That one is particularly close to my heart especially as we approach Eid and are going to be wondering what to do with all that chutney now that Pakora season is over!

Eid & Sandwiches

Eid has always meant sandwiches. Cucumber, egg, chutney - something. You've got to have sandwiches because either someone is going to drop in "for chai" or you're going to skip lunch after having your first breakfast in a month and then get very peckish late afternoon. My entire life I remember my mother making loaves of bread worth of sandwiches and storing them in this ginormous plastic container in the fridge. A time would come when the sandwiches would get put out in pretty platters, the sevaiyan (an Eid must have) would get poured into a crystal bowl, a homemade cake placed on a pretty dish and some biscuits in a small plate. It was as if we were always ready to welcome people into our house.

Eids Past and Present

In Eid's past I have hosted open houses, Mehndi parties, and lunches alike. I prepare days in advance falling into a rhythm I learnt as a child when Eid meant having people over. This Eid will be different. But it can still have that air of celebration, that sense of abundance and blessing, because if there is anything we have learnt in this time it is the value of treasuring who and what we have.

I love that I can recreate that with these simple sandwiches. They take minutes to put together and are quick to eat as well. The Turkey Cream Cheese Rolls are my daughter's favourite and those are her little hands you see doing everything, but the chopping. The Buffalo Mayo and Cilantro Chutney ones are tributes to two of our spicy loves: a good hot sauce and a zesty green chutney.

My two girls agree on very little, but a high quality smoked turkey is one of them. Right up there are full roasted turkeys too, but those I do on Thanksgiving 🙂 Turkey is a great protein choice for our South Asian foods - it's lean, nutritious and adapts well to our style of cooking. And our love for making sandwiches, 'just in case'.

Sample Eid Menu Ideas:

If you are wondering what to serve with these simple Turkey Sandwiches then I have some sample menu ideas for you! Pick and choose as you please. The Deviled Eggs (another Mama Jafri retro fave) and Vanilla Cake recipe are coming soon to the blog. Everything else is linked for your perusing pleasure! Hope I have helped provide you with some delicious inspiration for a beautiful at home Eid!