Most years, through the thirty days of fasting through the holy month of Ramzan, a stream of worshippers head to the mosques across the city. At daybreak, as the muezzin calls, the sehri is done, the last meal as daylight dawns. A little after sundown, the fast is broken with a few dates and sherbet. That's the old-timer for you. Today's youngsters keep to the tradition of fasting, but they've turned the whole experience around, transforming the areas around the mosques and places of worship into almost a fairground. This iftar, the reverence remains, but the variety of food that the stalls now serve goes well beyond what was once closed to anyone but people of the faith.
Irfan Pasha, one of the key people involved in setting up of the stalls at Ramzan Food Mela is a forty something entrepreneur, who is a businessman by profession, but during Ramzan brings out the heavy duty organising skills required to keep his clientele coming back for more. Watch out Mosque Road, Frazer Town, you have a rival here at the playground near Masjid-E-Eidgah Bilal Mosque on Bannerghatta Road.
Irfan's fame has spread. His culinary and organising skills draw some 3,000 people on the weekend. “There are 80 stalls this time and there are some 5000 odd people across all faiths who come here to enjoy the delicious spread. Hyderabadi Haleem and sweets are the most special of all,” says Irfan.
For many who want to celebrate Iftar with their families in their homes there is always another option. They make an early visit to these food stalls at 5:30 pm to 6: 30 pm and pack their favourites.
“Many people visit these stalls to just pack food and take it home to dine with family and friends back home,” says 28-year-old Afzal Pasha, the owner of Chatkharay who has also got businesses running in the Gulf cities of Muscat, Doha and Abu Dhabi. “But, I want to serve my friends with some really tempting food during Ramzan and hence I always set my stall during Ramzan at the Food Mela,” says Afzal whose work along with the other stall owners is long. Work begins at 2 pm itself. “We start preparing food way before 5 pm,” he adds.
When the sun sets and after the Azaan (call to prayer), Muslims break their fast with dates and water after which they have kababs, haleem and last of all, the biryani. “Biryani is always the last,” says young Afzal. The transformation is startling. From just before the call to prayer at sundown, and the celebration of food and fare at sunset where people from all faiths gather to celebrate something that is so unique to just one religion.
“Every year we travel to these Ramzan food stalls as we just love having the kababs and fries,” says, twenty-year-old Bengali, Sushmita a college student who relishes the seekh kabab.
The air is filled with strong meaty aromas as the place comes alive. In Bengaluru though, its not just Bannerghatta Road, the older ones continue to draw the crowds - Johnson Market in Richmond Town that is open through the night and Shivaji Nagar Broadway and Tilak Nagar where the food is available until dawn. Rain seemed to not dampen the spirits of the foodies. “We come for this every year despite the venue change and the rain. We just love the tikkas and kababs,” says Sushmita who has also come with her family to taste the food haven. Also many were seen enjoying, kabsa mutton, Banno Kabab; stuffed chicken grilled on charcoal.
“Banno kabab, sauteed prawns, dum biryani are something that people are enjoying a lot,” says Imtiyaz, manager of the Four Seasons Hotel stall. After feasting on the delectable spread, one needs to visit the sweet stall of Rauf Bagmar of Lazeez Catering who makes some really special Ramzan sweets.
“There is dry fruit phirni, shahi tukda which is famous in Hyderabad, Kashmiri pineapple dessert, fruit truffle pudding and the most famous, 'khubani ka meetha',” says fifty-year-old Rauf, owner of Lazeez Catering which is quite famous in the city.
For the discerning foodie, there’s a daily gastronomic adventure as every iftar this Ramzan has chefs bringing out newer and more exciting variations of the theme. “This time we have come out with something very unique called Rasmalai Chicken and the chicken has been marinated with saffron, dry fruits and some secret ingredients,” says 28-year-old Afzal Pasha of Chatkharey stall whose stall already has a serious fan following.
“I came here last Sunday, and couldn't resist the Afghan Tikka and had to bring my whole family here again today,” says Stanely who is already gorging on the delicious tikka. The usual rolls and biryani is as always popular, but there were many dishes that were different - like the ‘Arabian Dry Fruit Soup’. “This soup is called marakh and it is an Arabian soup and it is had with fresh bread,” says 27-year-old Saif, owner of one of the stalls who also owns a restaurant in the city.
The mutton soup is boiled along with many dry fruits and a few spices for three hours and the juices blend into an outstanding soup. “For Ramzan, I leave everything and just work at this stall and it is a delight to watch people enjoy good food,” he adds. For those who need to cool down their system after the fast there is a wide variety to choose from at the Kashmiri Juice shop where the emphasis is on health.
“We have strawberry juice, Pista juice, Kashmiri Faluda, Blueberry juice and peach and apricot juices with Chia seeds which are all healthy for the system,” says Irfan, who adds that they are selling such juices at just twenty rupees. Irfan, who runs a chain of fruit juice centres across the city says: “for Ramzan I generally open a stall to serve people.”
