Iftar food mela, delicacies, food street

With Eid-ul-Fitr around the corner, the month of Ramzan is coming to an end. But before we bid adieu to the holy month, we present to you an array of delicacies on offer at various food streets across the city.

Metrolife visited few of the popular Ramzan food hubs and dished out some mouth-watering dishes that just have to be savoured. These food streets in fact, offer more than just the melt-in-mouth kebabs, non-vegetarian delicacies and spicy seafood.

Food Mela near Bilal Mosque

Our first stop was the Food Mela near the Bilal Mosque on Bannerghatta Road. While, nearly 700 people gathered at the Bilal Mosque for Iftari (the meal to break the day-long fast) hosted by the Bilal Trust, several more gathered at the mela to feast at various stalls. By 7 pm, the fiery stoves were lit and the aroma that filled the air, pulled in more people by the hour.

The Mutton Haleem, prawns-on-stick and a variety of Pathar-Gosht (pieces of meat slow cooked on slabs of stones) are a must try here. For desserts, the caramelised bread covered in rich cream promises to be a treat for those with a sweet tooth. Two people can try it all for Rs 500 approximately.

“For people living in this part of the city, it is a boon. I wanted to visit the one at Fraser Town as a lot of my friends keep talking about how great it is. I don’t know how different it is there. In the midst of my crazy schedule, I hope to go there before Ramzan ends,” says Prashant, a techie.

Johnson Market

Our last stop was the little food mela at Johnson Market. The food items here tend to get over early in the night. If you want to lay your hands on the wide range of kebabs, we suggest, you head here before 6.30 pm. The Haleem and the rolls here are available for longer though.

Fret not if you find yourself short on time to visit all of these hubs on a single day, though. “The food is not very different from one another at these places. But each of them has a unique feel to it. And people, especially youngsters, want to try something different.” Amjad, joint secretary, Bilal Trust said.

We agree. You can head to the different locations for their unique aura, but as for food, no matter what mela, it will definitely strike a chord.

At M M Road

We hopped over to Mosque Road at Fraser Town, the food street that has been the most hyped. The aura at this place stumped us. Though, the temporary stalls were banned two years ago, food melas by various eateries made up for it. Most of the stalls had a similar menu, but the mutton haleem and Sheekh kebab at hotel Karama’s stall were delicious. There is also the ‘imported’ stall of Hyderabad’s popular food joint-‘Pista House’ serving some delectable haleem.

The star attraction however, was the Kunafa, a Palestinian special dessert, which was creamy, crunchy and sweet, all at once. This one is a no-miss dish. You can either try it at the Savoury Restaurant or the Café Arabica across the street. Ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 150, this dessert is a piece of heaven on a plate.
The price here was slightly steeper than the Bannerghatta Food Street. But the variety and a first-hand feel of Ramzan made up for it. You can wash down the guilt of spending a little too much with the piping hot Sulaimani or the paani kum chai that is served here all through the night.