A feast on the streets

Tempting Delicacies

There are plenty of people who wait for the season of Ramzan to begin, for along with it comes cartloads of goodies across the City. Ramzan is a time for piety and self-abnegation.

Muslim men and women — old and young — have plunged into month-long fasting with unalloyed fervour.

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and every Muslim follows it with all earnestness and in good faith. It is believed that fasting is not just an act of giving up or abstaining from eating, but also a guide to good living. It not only cleanses the mind, body and soul, but also makes one more responsible.

The religious aspect apart, Ramzan attracts people from different communities mainly for the food, which is readied and sold in front of every mosque and tiny shops across the City after 6 pm. The roads in front of mosques are transformed into food streets of sorts, serving irresistible, mouthwatering and exotic dishes in non-vegetarian and vegetarian — that are available only during the season of Ramzan.

 Metrolife spoke to a few people from different parts of the City, who come to partake of the feast, and got them talking on what they find most attractive at the food stalls.  
Most people leave office early to catch the best of the dishes before they are all sold. And those who prepare the menu for the day certainly don’t disappoint food lovers.

The restaurant owners experiment and explore the possibility of trying out new dishes, which they say has been extremely successful. Aamir Sait, owner of one of the
shops on Mosque Road, says that they begin work as early as 6 am.

“We have introduced new dishes such as warqi, which is stuffed with mince mutton and then fried and chicken shashlika — kebabs that are skewered, dipped in a mix and later fried,” explains Aamir.

Arif and Zohara drove all the way from their office in Koramangala to Mosque Road to try out some dishes. Arif, an IT professional, says, “The chicken rolls are really good. The variety we get here is something that one wouldn’t get in a restaurant and the festive atmosphere makes all the difference.”

Zohara, an employee with IBM, says that she wanted to come early. “We notice that most of the items get sold out pretty fast. Hence, we rushed to pick our choice,” she says.

The taste is unmatched and the prices are affordable — this is what drew Ajit, Justin and Kishor to try the popular dishes at these stalls. Ajit says, “We’ve heard so much about the food in these stalls. We had egg rolls and sheek kebab roll and packed some stuff to take home.”

Justin, who picked up some dates, adds, “The food is irresistible and we’re glad that we could make it this time. We hope to come back for more before Ramzan ends.”