The gourmet guide to Iftar

In a country where divides appear to be deepening every day, the universalization of the celebration of iftar is, to some, a symbol of affirmation and hope. Be it in the 19th century Chowk Bazaar of Bhopal, where traders and shopkeepers across communities ensure harmony, or in the newly emerging iftar hub of Bengaluru, where religion is mere detail, for a few hours every evening, the barriers come down, the boundaries for toleration and acceptance expand and food fills the awkward spaces.

However, street food in this season is also big business, an extension of the more general boom, leading to a lowering of standards all around. That’s why we’ve zeroed in on the best iftari on offer in Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bhopal and Mumbai. May the best survive.

Sumana Mukhjeree

Jama Masjid, Delhi

Picnicking year after year outside Old Delhi’s Jama Masjid during Ramzan nights is like re-reading a favourite Ghalib couplet. Everything is familiar, and yet each thing is a thrill, as if you are experiencing it for the first time. To be sure, the mosque-facing Matia Mahal Bazaar hums with nocturnal bustle from January to December. But in this Muslim month of fasting, the bazaar’s eateries, including the famous Karim’s, remain open until 4am. All the 30 nights are as maddeningly hectic as the Friday nights in Hauz Khas Village. The streets are decorated with silver buntings and orange lamps. The pavements are taken over by makeshift stalls selling sevai, roasted vermicelli. There are shops selling dates from Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and special coconut parathas that are made only during Ramzan. The lanes and by-lanes swarm with people, and the air is filled with the smell of grilled meats. For a truly memorable experience, come only after midnight.

u Haji Hotel

It was singer Begum Akhtar’s favourite hotel. Spend some time in the first floor lobby, which offers a panoramic view of the Jama Masjid. The hotel’s head caretaker is a published Urdu poet. If you are lucky, he may recite a shairi or two.

u Kallan Sweets

Situated a stone’s throw from the Jama Masjid, Kallan Sweets is mindful of its heritage. It was started in 1939 by Kallan Mian (originally of Peshawar), and its walls are plastered with newspaper stories celebrating its fabled paneer ki jalebi and khoya samosa. But we ask you to just feast on their pheeki jalebi. It is thick and laden with desi ghee. Like many other Ramzan desserts, the proper way to consume it is to submerge it in a bowl of milk. The jalebi disintegrates into little pieces, and the concoction looks like your typical morning bowl of cornflakes and milk. To judge the jalebi by its true measure, however, ask for it to be served in cold milk. A layer of ghee will form at the top; the thicker the layer, the better the quality.

u Kebab Street

There was a time years ago when people would sit on the stairs of the Jama Masjid and exchange gossip over various kinds of kebabs. The vendors stationed their stalls at the base of the stairs. But now the gates of the mosque stay shut at night, and the kebab sellers line up outside, at Urdu Bazaar. Positioned one after another in a single long row, almost all these kebab makers live in the nearby street called Gali Kababian, the lane of kebab makers. Go to Nadeem Chicken Corner for fish fry, Lalu Kababee for buff tikka, Tajuddin’s stall for seekh kebab and mint chutney and Ahmad Chicken Corner for roast murga.

u Nawabuddin Khajoor Waale

This pavement booth on the main lane of Matia Mahal Bazaar has been selling dates for 30 years, but there is a much larger variety on display during Ramzan. Do try harmuni. Imported from Iraq, it is so soft and sweet that it is nicknamed gulab jamun. You may also be tempted by ajwa, dates from Medina in Saudi Arabia, which cost Rs.2,400 for a kg.

u Kamaal Sweet House

This undersized establishment is difficult to spot even on less crowded days. The search gets tougher in Ramzan when the counter of Kamaal Sweet House is stacked from top to bottom with flaky khajla, those giant round ghee-rich breads that are eaten soaked in milk. Kamaal’s khajlas are preferred by the fussy locals because it has its own karkhana (bakery) in a nearby alley. Most of the other shops get their supply from one of the “factories” in east Delhi’s Seelampur, where they are mass produced.

u Cool Point

Mohammed Danish dresses in a spotless white kurta pyjama and never lets his sizzling-hot shahi tukda grow cold. The deep-fried chunks of white bread, drowned in sugar syrup and topped with malai (cream), are kept in a giant platter. The dish constantly simmers on a fire under Danish’s careful watch. Sweet, sticky and delicious, this pudding-like dish goes best with the young vendor’s home-made mango ice cream. The combination is addictive.

u Haji Tea Point

This tea house is famous for its sooji halwa, aloo chhole subzi, poori and milky chai. But all that is forgotten during Ramzan for the sake of sevai and pheni. These two are the season’s staple and occupy pride of place on the counter. While sevai is roasted vermicelli, pheni is its deep-fried version. The shop serves them with piping hot milk.

u Asghar Bakery

This is the only season when the bakery’s everyday rusks and biscuits take a back seat. The front desk is instead piled with coconut parathas. Sweet and milky, they look like huge buns. They are best had by dunking them in tea.

u Muhammed Imran’s Chai Stall

End the adventure in this unusually quiet corner. Imran’s tea stall stands outside the eastern gate of the Jama Masjid. The open-air shack looks down onto Meena Bazaar and clings to the Sufi shrine of Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed. Served in small glasses, Imran’s tea is milky and overly sweet, typical of this part of Delhi. But the point is not the beverage. Sitting on a wooden bench, surrounded by young men from the area, it is a very different scene here. No decorative lights, no great crowds, except for the homeless people sleeping on the ground. Meena Bazaar lies in darkness. The ramparts of the Red Fort look like pale silhouettes. This surreal hang-out serves as a contrast to the night’s noisy adventures.

Mayank Austen Soofi

Mirzapur and Kalupur, Ahmedabad

As the setting sun signals the end to another day of fasting, the faithful make a beeline for the fruit market near Jama Masjid, Pankore Naka. Those not of the faith head straight for the iftari packets put together by a few restaurants in the walled city areas, and available only from 5-7pm. Hotel Paramount in Teen Darwaja, for instance, offers chicken chilli fried, chicken Hyderabadi 65, green chilli chicken, egg pattice, chicken biryani, naan, green chutney and dates, besides a most thoughtful 750ml bottle of aerated drink, all for Rs.750. Too much? A “queen-sized” box with fewer items costs only Rs.400.

Head next to Bhatiyar Gali. The Muslim Bawarchi Hotel, famous for its Barah Handi—the signature dish that melds 12 separate preparations—raises the bar during Ramzan. “We make achari chicken, tawa chicken and chicken tandoori, which we don’t make at other times of the year,” says Ibrahimbhai Sheikh, the owner.

If hotels are not your thing, there are any number of vendors crowding the street. Right at the entrance to Bhatiyar Gali, Zubairbhai Yusufbhai, 69, is a fixture through the month; he trades up his omelette business for a brisk run with naans. All around him are street-side stalls selling roasted chicken, tandoori meats and kebabs.

For a sweet ending of malpuas, jalebi and firni, head to Fazal Mohammad, just ahead of Bhatiyar Gali.

Must-have: The mango firni, a seasonal specialty.

Swati Bhan

Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru

The iftar stalls around Masjid E Eidgah Bilal, the new mosque at the mouth of Bannerghatta Road, are the places to go this year. Besides the usual suspects such as kebabs and deep-fried meats, there are several “specials” to be had. The Russian Cutlet at the G Sami stall, for example. A mix of potato and chicken, the cutlet is dipped in egg, some sev and deep-fried.

The Madeena Beef Kebab Centre also has the Beef Rool (aka seekh kebab), a hand-pounded melange of aromatic masalas with melt-in-your- mouth meat.

Royal Treat has something for the adventurous: chocolate-covered chicken. An acquired taste for sure, this has regular chocolate smeared on the chicken and grilled. It does confuse the taste buds, but there are definitely takers for this.

For some delicious falooda in vanilla, mango, pista and strawberry flavours, stop by the A1 Kashimiri Juice Centre. Each glass is topped with fresh, slivered fruits such as apples and pomegranate, giving it a lovely bite. A fling of a paper cup ahead is a lone man selling sweet lassi that he hand-churns. A filling thirst quencher.

Indian Seafoods Junction is where all fish-lovers congregate. Pomfret, sardines, prawns, seer and more are served up deep-fried, kebab-ed or stir-fried. The stall also has quail on offer. The Camel Kebab Centre sells Pattar ka Camel. The cook takes great pride in handing you a small piece of the meat and seeking your opinion. Rubbery though the meat is, it is great when eaten hot.

The HMV Haleem stall stands a bit on its own thanks to a very special brick wood-fire oven. An assembly line ensures that you get a small or a large serving of goat meat haleem topped off with some meat gravy, caramelized onions and a wedge of lime. The best haleem in the area by far.

The best bet for dessert is a small nameless place right next to G Sami. The “pudding” is like bread pudding, only heavier (it’s also available in a refundable gifting box). There are also individually packaged fruit salads with custard, jelly and dried fruits on offer, as well as malai sweet (flavoured with china grass) and shahi tukde.

Best time to go: 6pm.

Ruth Dsouza Prabhu

Nakhoda Masjid, Kolkata

The area around the Nakhoda Masjid is a dreary labyrinth of narrow lanes, erratic vehicles and quick-stepping pedestrians. During Ramzan, these lanes transform into the city’s food hot spot. Evoking the bazaars of Egypt and Turkey, the lanes are lined with piles of seasonal fruits, mounds of luscious dates, pyramids of vermicelli, degchis simmering with curried chickpea, spiced meat sizzling on crackling charcoal and piping-hot fritters. The magnificent red sandstone Nakhoda Masjid, of Indo-Saracenic architecture, in the Chitpur area of Burrabazar in central Kolkata, forms a fine backdrop to the nightly feasts.

Right opposite the mosque, the decades-old Aminia restaurant is a magnet, with its legendary Ramzan-special haleem: wheat, meat and lentils, slow-cooked with a host of spices. Aminia offers haleem in chicken, mutton and beef, but if you want their best, ask for the Beef Arbi (from Arabic) Haleem. While at it, also sample the phirni, arguably one of the best in the city.

About 200 yards down the road is Taskeen. Its signature Murgh Changezi, named after the Mongolian ruler Genghis Khan and a creation of its owner Mohammad Shahabuddin, is spicy, twice-fried chicken. Never call it Chicken Changezi, though. “It’s murgh, never chicken,” Shahabuddin insists, adding that he marinates the chicken, cut into quarters, in yogurt and 51 different spices, and then fries it to tenderize the meat. The quarters are then chopped into smaller pieces and fried again till they acquire a deep golden crust. Also, dig into Taskeen’s falooda, vermicelli in saffron-tinted, sweet, thickened milk, flavoured with rose water and served in small glasses. The shahi tukda is especially recommended by Shahabuddin.

A short walk from Taskeen is Haji Abdul Hamid’s Khiri Kebab shop, a hole-in-the-wall joint, purportedly 100 years old. The melt-in-the-mouth khiri kebabs—spice-laced cow’s udders on skewers, grilled on charcoal—sell for Rs.7 and are a Ramzan staple for locals.

Another interesting seasonal speciality is Maulabaksh’s fish fry. The family-run shack, almost 80 years old, sells enormous, spice-slathered, deep-fried slabs of rohu or katla for Rs.300 per kg. A great takeaway option. So are the breads from Mohammad Ehsaan’s booth: naan (Rs.20); shahi bakarkhani (Rs.80), a rich bread made with flour, milk and mawa; and the Chandrakala (Rs.50), bursting with nuts and raisins. Ehsaan also recommends his Papa biscuits, best savoured dunked in milk
or tea.

Alternatively: Hit Mullick Bazaar for sevai, roasted meats, deep-fried snacks and haleem from Rahmania or Shiraz Golden.

Priyadarshini Chatterjee

Chowk Bazar, Bhopal

Sadiq Ansari, 27, has just offered the taravi (evening prayers) at the historical Jama Masjid in Chowk Bazar. His friends—some of whom recited the prayers at home or at other mosques and some of whom did not—have gathered under a tent behind the Talaiya police post, as mouthwatering aromas rise from the roadside eateries a little distance away. Similar groups dot the entire 2 sq. km area. The police station is 800m east of the mosque, which was built in 1837 by Qudsiya Begum, the erstwhile ruler of Bhopal.

Handcarts sell a variety of fruits, but dates dominate. Beyond the fruit carts, golden strands of sevai are being soaked in sweet milk or sugar syrup; dozens of hands are working fast on mounds of dough to prepare roomali rotis; and round granules of golden and green colour boondi are dancing in oil-filled cauldrons. The bright, bustling, cacophonic Chowk, north of the Lower Lake, is the heart of old Bhopal, more reminiscent of a medieval souk than a 21st-century market.

The wait for iftar ends as a series of loud booms reverberate through the area. The sense of urgency peaks. Rozdars (those fasting) rush to buy eatables. The hubbub of frantic purchase takes a while to settle. Now Ansari and his friends return to their plastic chairs with their dishes. Interestingly, most of the fare is vegetarian: samosas stuffed with chane ki dal, a Bhopali speciality, fruit salad, boondi and vegetable fritters, all accompanied by roomali roti. Talk centres on Bhai’s (Salman Khan’s) forthcoming film Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which will release around Eid.

While there: Pick up Bhopal’s renowned beaded batuas (clutch bags).

Rakesh Dixit

Chowk Bazar and Aminabad, Lucknow

As the sun sets on the city, numerous little lanterns light up the lanes of Lucknow. Traditionally, iftar begins with khajoor (dates), but the streets of Chowk Bazar and Aminabad are lined with vendors selling khasta, sevai and lachha. The most popular stalls at Akbari Gate, though, are the ones selling a glass of the aromatic Kashmiri kehwa, green tea imbued with cinnamon and green cardamom, for Rs.12.

These lanes are also home to Tunday Kababi, a century-old shop renowned for its galawati kebabs; at Rs.90 for two pieces, it is to be eaten with roomali roti. Family-run eateries such as Raheem’s and Mubeen’s, which claim to go back to the Mughal era, are popular for their nehari kulcha, biryani, rogan josh and korma.

Complete the Chowk gourmandizing with kulfi and falooda from Prakash Ki Mashoor Kulfi, and shahi tukda at Alamgir, both in Aminabad.

Don’t miss: Idris Ki Biryani, Rs. 180, at Patanala Chowk.

Shambhavi Chauhan

Charminar, Hyderabad

A few minutes before 7pm, the sharp sound of sirens from several mosques across the city marks the end of another day of fasting. The fast is traditionally broken by eating dates; choices range from the humble sticky Indian khajoor and barhi dates, to the exotic ajwa and deglet nour from West Asia and Africa.

Immediately after the prayers and the breaking of the fast follows the dish most popular during Ramzan in Hyderabad, haleem. Apart from stalwarts such as Pista House, Shah Ghouse, Sarvi Bakers and Paradise, haleem stalls flank almost every street and all the important mosques of the city. New Udipi Anand Bhavan restaurant, near Gulzar Houz, even serves a meat-free haleem.

While old favourites—dahi-vadas, mirchi bajjis, bhajiyas—still hold sway (the decades-old Khaja Khadeem Samosa Shop in Hussaini Alam sells crisp kheema, chicken, anda and vegetable samosas from 4pm, which run out by 7pm), this is also the time for new concoctions. Among the new dishes this year is marag, a hearty meat stew; there’s also been an increase in the number of stalls selling last year’s favourites—chicken pav and the sugary, milky Arab drink gahwa.

On the stretch between Hussaini Alam and Government City College—it has emerged as a popular kebab haunt over the past few Ramzans—a stall unambiguously named Patthar Ka Gosht draws huge crowds, probably because of the aroma of meat roasting on a stone slab. Tender pieces of this popular Hyderabadi kebab, served with a spicy mint chutney and a warqi paratha, sell for Rs.70. Around Charminar, Akbar Fast Food in Shah Ali Banda is a popular haunt, while Dosa Junction at Yakutpura dishes out dosas stuffed with kheema and chicken.

Phirni, kaddu ki kheer, khubani and double ka meetha, sold in stalls in the Charminar area and near the Nampally exhibition gate, are the most popular desserts.

Also visit: Nampally, Masab Tank, Mehdipatnam, Tolichowki.

Jonty Rajagopalan

Bhendi Bazaar, Mumbai

Used to playing second fiddle to Mohammed Ali Road during this time of the year, Bhendi Bazaar’s Bohra mohalla—the name comes from the Dawoodi Bohras, a Shia Muslim sub-sect—is our go-to destination this year. We recommend getting there in time to watch the residents make their way to the Raudat Tahera mausoleum and mosque and breaking your fast with premium kalmi dates sold at shops and on handcarts across the neighbourhood.

This is a community that loves its sweets (mithaas) just a wee bit more than the savoury (kharaas) dishes; their multi-course meals usually begin with ice cream and end with paan, dried fruit and nuts, with alternating meat and sweetmeat courses. Perhaps that’s why all the best mithaiwalas (sweetmeat makers) are right across the road from the best farsan shops, with makeshift stalls selling everything from paya and khichda to patra and cake toast during the festival season. We list the eateries and places that you must stop at when you visit this area:

u Taj Ice Cream parlour

There’s no better way to start than with a scoop of their excellent au naturel mango, strawberry or guava hand-churned ice cream (Rs.600 per kg).

u Saifee Jubilee Street

Then, hop across the road and order a plate of chana masala (Rs.50) with an optional portion of gurda (goat liver) mixed into the locality’s most popular chaat (Rs.120) at Barkat Hotel.

u Mohammedi Caterers

Right next door, you can buy a bag of freshly fried ruby chard leaf chips with a crisp coating of gram flour for just Rs.20.

u HM Jalil Juice And Cold Drink House

A quick stop for Bohra-special cold drinks (Rs.20-60) such as sosyo (a spiced cola), bir (fresh fruit sodas with real pulp and extract) and moi (with chia seeds).

u Abrar ‘bhai’

Right outside HM Jalil is this well-regarded stall for paya and khichda (Rs.20-80). If you would like to sit down and enjoy these slurpy dishes, we recommend Valibhai Payawala on Gujjar Street for more bara handi fare with roti and naan (Rs.250-450). A must-try here is the slow-cooked nalli nihari.

u Imdadiya Bakery

An excellent fruit cake (Rs.20 for a 50g piece) and cake toast (the best dunking biscuits in the city).

u Tawakkal Sweets

For fluffy malpuas (eggless for Rs.50, and Rs.120 for the ones made with desi eggs) and warm semolina phirnis in flavours such as mango, kesar or plain.

u Indian Hotel

If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, try a naan sandwich with the works (minced mutton, chicken, chilli and vegetables, for Rs.100) next door to Tawakkal, or chicken chilli cheese baida roti (Rs.120) and gurda in black pepper and butter (Rs.350) at Jilani Fast Food Corner.

On the way out, pick up a bag of chiwda or patra ( Rs.200-500 per kg) from Firoz Farsan, opposite Tawakkal Sweets. Once you exit, pack freshly made mawa jalebi ( Rs. 40 per piece) from JJ Jalebi or aflatoon (mawa halwa loaded with dried fruits and roasted nuts in desi ghee, Rs.800 per kg) from Zam Zam Sweets & Bakery. Because, let’s face it, you are going to miss all that you ate just hours after you leave the neighbourhood despite stuffing yourself.

Prerna Makhija