Breaking fast on a sumptuous note

Tempting Spread

The holy month of Ramzan is nearing its end, but the day-long fasts are still culminating in splendid feasts every day. The streets of Shivajinagar, M M Road in Fraser Town, R T Nagar, Tilak Nagar Mosque Road, Johnson Market and a few other prominent places have eateries all along the street corners, serving delicious food.

There are not less than 50 to 60 stalls that line these stretches and cater to the devout, who want to end their day’s fast on a sumptuous note. And so popular are these Ramzan - associated dishes that their appeal transcends religions. Non-Muslims too flock to these stalls in large numbers. They come from as far as Koramangala, J P Nagar, Rajajinagar and Sarjapur Road to partake of the feast. And what’s more interesting is that foreigners, who are mostly tourists, don’t want to miss a bite of the Ramzan special either. 

Metrolife visits a couple of these places and speaks to a few people to understand what they like the most about the food and why.

It’s the variety and the fresh food that attract most people. You have rolls, sweets, kebabs of all kinds and the biryani too has its variations. Samosas, date halwa, keema rolls and haleem stalls are a big hit with the people. And if hygiene is no issue, then the foodies have plenty to explore out here. 

Lidveena and Yeshwanth, both techies, chose to come all the way from Koramangala to M M Road in Fraser Town just to have a chicken roll.

“We think it’s cheaper to hang out and snack here than to go to bigger restaurants. This happens only once a year and the variety you get here is unbelievable,” says Lidveena. Yeshwanth pitches in, “Most of the people who come here are non-Muslims. It’s a feast of sorts.” 

Augustine, who works for an NGO, dragged his friends Martin and Miriam — both from Germany — to get a feel of what street food is like during Ramzan. Martin confesses that he has never seen anything like this. “We tried the samosas and we’re keen to try the haleem. We’re also game for some biryani,” he says. While relishing her samosa, Miriam adds, “It’s an overwhelming sight. Ours is a Christian country and there’s nothing this energetic that happens back home.” Augustine says that he comes here every year. He states, “It’s not about religion, it’s about food and if you are the experimental sort, then this is the place to be.” 

Kirti came all the way from Whitefield, just to pick up some of her favourite dishes during Ramzan like kurban, falooda, mutton biryani, kajoor, beef and idiyappam or string hoppers . 

“My sons love the food. It’s made fresh, right before your eyes and it’s delicious. I don’t mind coming all the way because it’s worth the effort,” opines Kirti. 

Salim Ahmed, a shopkeeper, says he doesn’t have a minute’s rest during the month of Ramzan. “We do brisk business and we’re glad that our biryani, kebabs, rolls, haleem and sweets are popular with the people who always buy in bulk,” he concludes.