Aladdin is one of Disney’s greatest films. A Renaissance piece that spawned two sequels, a television show and a Broadway play, Aladdin is fan favorite. Featuring one of the oldest fairy tales along with colorful characters and the voice talents of Robin Williams, Aladdin is a rich and exciting adventure. When it came to creating a matching meal, I had to be flexible for this one. The creators of Aladdin never tell us exactly where Agrabah is located. Various clues from the film point to India, Saudi Arabia, and even the Persian Empire. Since Disney was purposely ambiguous about this, I had some creative liberty when it came to choosing recipes.
For an appetizer I found a recipe for Persian Esfanaj borani, which is a yogurt and spinach dip that is yummy and very easy to make. I served it with scoopable tortillas because they resemble stars in my mind and reminded me of Jasmine and Aladdin’s magic carpet ride.
When it came to making an entree I ventured into a different possible geographic realm and found a recipe for the lentil and rice dish mujadarra which I topped with Egyptian tomato sauce. This was a fun dish to make and used some of the staples of my vegan kitchen. Healthy, hearty, and delicious.
For dessert I had an idea to combine two of my favorite scenes from the movie. In one scene Aladdin gives his hard-earned bread to two children who need it more than him and in the other Jasmine gives an apple to a little boy. These two scenes help to characterize our leads and show us how they’re both generous and big-hearted. So combining these two ingrediants I found this apple spice bread recipe which works superbly and was a hit with my whole family.
Aladdin is a great film and can be enjoyed by all ages. The meal I planned to go with it spans multiple geographic regions to represent Aladdin’s ambiguous location and includes some wonderful flavors and textures. I hope you enjoyed this latest installment of Disney Dinner and a Movie!
Coming Soon: Disney Dinner and a Movie: Sleeping Beauty
<a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/8232825">Take Our Poll</a>
