festive Recipes
63 delicious festive recipes from around the world
Ash-e Anar (Pomegranate Soup)
A festive and flavorful Persian pomegranate soup, featuring tender meatballs and a vibrant ruby-red hue. This hearty soup is perfect for special occasions, especially during the Yalda festival.
Besan Laddoo
Delicious and aromatic chickpea flour (besan) balls, sweetened and bound with ghee, often adorned with nuts. A quintessential Indian sweet for celebrations and festivals.
Dahi Vada
Soft, fluffy lentil fritters (vadas) soaked in cool, sweetened yogurt and topped with tangy tamarind and spicy green chutneys. A refreshing and popular Indian snack or appetizer.
Fesenjฤn (Persian Pomegranate Walnut Stew)
A rich and festive Persian stew featuring tender chicken simmered in a luxurious sauce made from ground walnuts and pomegranate molasses. This dish is a classic for special occasions, balancing sweet, sour, and savory flavors.
Filipino Embutido
A classic Filipino festive meat roll, typically enjoyed during Christmas. This steamed pork loaf is studded with hard-boiled eggs, sweet pickles, and cheese, creating a colorful and flavorful cross-section when sliced. It is traditionally served cold.
Gajar Ka Halwa (Indian Carrot Fudge)
A rich and decadent Indian dessert made from grated carrots slow-cooked in milk and ghee with sugar, cardamom, and nuts. Traditionally enjoyed during winter celebrations, this 'carrot fudge' is a comforting and flavorful treat.
Gulab Jamun
Soft, melt-in-your-mouth khoya (milk solids) dumplings, deep-fried to a golden brown and then soaked in a fragrant rose and cardamom-infused sugar syrup. A beloved Indian dessert perfect for celebrations.
Gulai Kambing (Indonesian Goat Curry)
A rich and aromatic Indonesian goat curry, featuring tender goat meat simmered in a fragrant coconut milk broth infused with a complex blend of spices. This festive dish is a staple during celebrations.
Havij Polo (Persian Carrot Rice)
A festive and visually stunning Persian rice dish, Havij Polo features fluffy basmati rice layered with sweet, julienned carrots, fragrant orange zest, and a hint of saffron. It's often served at celebrations and weddings, offering a delightful balance of sweet and savory flavors.
Jalebi
Crispy, sweet spirals of fried batter soaked in fragrant saffron and cardamom syrup. A festive and popular Indian sweet, often enjoyed during celebrations.
Kaju Katli (Cashew Fudge)
A classic Indian sweet, Kaju Katli is a rich, melt-in-your-mouth fudge made from ground cashews and sugar syrup, often shaped into diamonds and adorned with edible silver leaf. It's a quintessential treat for celebrations, especially Diwali.
Kaldereta (Filipino Goat Stew)
A rich and festive Filipino stew featuring tender goat meat simmered in a savory tomato and liver spread sauce, enriched with vegetables. Traditionally served during celebrations.
Koofteh Tabrizi (Tabriz Giant Meatball)
Koofteh Tabrizi is a magnificent Azerbaijani specialty from the city of Tabriz, Iran. It features a large, tender meatball made from a mixture of ground lamb, rice, and split peas, encasing a flavorful filling of hard-boiled eggs, walnuts, and dried plums. This dish is often served during special occasions and celebrations, showcasing its rich flavors and impressive presentation.
Kue Lapis Legit (Indonesian Thousand Layer Cake)
Kue Lapis Legit is a rich, dense, and fragrant Indonesian layer cake, a beloved Dutch-Indonesian specialty. It's characterized by its many thin, distinct layers, each infused with warm spices, creating a beautiful marbled effect and a complex flavor profile. Traditionally served during festive occasions like Christmas and Lebaran.
Lamb Biryani
A regal and aromatic Mughal rice dish featuring tender lamb marinated in yogurt and spices, layered with fragrant basmati rice, saffron-infused milk, crispy fried onions, fresh mint, and ghee. The biryani is sealed and slow-cooked using the traditional 'dum' method for a truly immersive flavor experience.
Maamoul
Traditional Lebanese filled semolina cookies, often made for Easter and Eid celebrations. These delightful cookies feature a crumbly semolina dough encasing a sweet date or spiced nut filling, finished with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Morcon
Filipino Morcon is a festive, rolled beef dish often prepared for special occasions. Thinly pounded beef flank is generously filled with a savory mixture of sausages, hard-boiled eggs, pickles, and carrots, then braised in a rich tomato sauce until tender and flavorful. Slicing the cooked morcon reveals a beautiful cross-section of the colorful filling, making it a stunning centerpiece for any celebration.
Nasi Kebuli
A fragrant and festive Indonesian rice dish with Arab influences, featuring tender meat cooked in aromatic spices. This celebratory dish is perfect for special occasions.
Nasi Kuning (Indonesian Yellow Rice)
A fragrant and festive Indonesian yellow rice, traditionally made with turmeric and coconut milk, often served for celebrations and special occasions. The vibrant yellow color symbolizes prosperity and good fortune.
Puri
Puri is a deep-fried Indian bread made from whole wheat flour. When cooked, it puffs up into a golden, airy orb, offering a delightful texture and a slightly crisp exterior. It's a festive and indulgent accompaniment to many Indian meals.
Rasgulla
Spongy, melt-in-your-mouth cheese balls (chenna) cooked in a light, fragrant sugar syrup. A classic Bengali sweet delicacy.
Rasmalai
Luxurious Bengali sweet comprising flattened chenna (fresh cheese) discs gently poached and then soaked in a rich, saffron-infused, cardamom-scented milk cream (rabri).
Tahchin (Persian Saffron Rice Cake)
An elegant and festive Persian rice cake, Tahchin features layers of fragrant saffron-infused rice and tender chicken, baked to a delightful golden crispiness at the bottom. It's a showstopper main course.
Tahchin ba Morgh
Persian saffron rice cake with chicken - crispy bottom rice with chicken inside.