Ramadan Kareem!!
If food is your religion, then you know that these festive times equals feasting! Ramadan is well underway and there’s no better time to let yourself go among the aroma of succulent kebabs, sound of clattering plates and sizzle of hot tawas. In Mumbai, Mohammad Ali Road and Bhendi Bazaar are among the best spots to partake in the Iftaar or the breaking of the day-long Muslim fast.
The Ramadan Food Walk at Bhendi Bazaar was organized by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust, a non-profit organization located in the market itself. The Trust aims to uplift the lives of 20,000 people in Bhendi Bazaar by providing them with an improved lifestyle and renovated neighbourhood.
If you take a stroll down the narrow lanes in the area, you’ll notice how outdated it is. Like most of Mumbai, there’s very little scope (and space) to undertake a project like rebuilding a housing society or even a neighbourhood. Check out the picture below by SBUT Mumbai and you’ll know what a complex project this one is!
Nevertheless, the area, one of Mumbai’s densest localities with a long history of trade and commerce, is now set to go vertical with a new makeover. But that’s not what this post is about. I’m here to tell you about the fabulous spread of Iftaar delights that the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust organized in an attempt to showcase the vibrant buzz and delicious street food that fills the dreary lanes once the Muslims in the area break their Ramadan fast.
I got there just as all the mosques in the area began the call to prayer. Suddenly, the busy street I struggled to walk through (thanks to the incessant honking of vehicles, vendors on the footpath and jostling people) emptied out until it was almost deserted. As the prayer ended, groups of people sat outside their tiny little shops selling utensils, shoes, rain wear etc sharing plates and plates of fruit.
Slowly but surely, the air began to heat up as tandoors everywhere started to sizzle and before we knew it – the crowd was back, like a wave, stronger than before. Our first stop for the evening was Hajji Tikka, an old, tiny restaurant with 5-6 tables and a cramped little kitchen serving mouth-watering tandoori food. We sampled their tandoori chicken and range of chicken and mutton kebabs
Right across from Hajji Tikka was an interesting little store – Rotiwala! Who would have thought that someone had a thriving business selling only rotis!! This restaurant is pretty well known – and I gathered that from people on my Twitter and Instagram feed recommending I go across the road from Hajji Tikka while I was still at Hajji Tikka!
We walked down the street to our next stop and the aromas emanating from every stall were simply irresistible!
Our next stop was another little stall out in the open – Immam Sherbatwala, known to be the best in the city. He served up orange sherbet topped with watermelon at record-breaking speed!
India Hotel was the next stop on our agenda! Here, we had the kind of food that would make a non-vegetarian dream about for days after the meal! We sampled some bheja fry, bhuna chicken, chicken rolls, chicken sandwiches and baida roll! Absolutely delicious!
How good does that look! The Ramadan spread is partial toward the carnivore, but don’t lose heart if you’re a vegetarian. There are enough sweets and savouries to make make your Ramadan walk a fabulous food experience.
Speaking of dessert, Tawakkal Sweets was on our radar next!
Here’s an image of mind-blowing rabdi – a sweet, condensed milk based dessert served with malpua, a pancake maid with flour and semolina that’s crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and dipped in sugar syrup. Calorie overload, right here!
Next up, mango firni – the ultimate comfort dessert in a bowl. It’s a fantastic rich, creamy, silky smooth pudding topped with nuts.
I may have been guilty of ordering this last dish – Malai Khaja. And if I wasn’t so close to bursting point, I may have been able to finish it. This layered, flaky and crisp mawa pastry with a sticky sweet filling was the ultimate end to the Ramadan Food Walk. We were 8 people present who tried finishing ONE Malai Khaja and failed miserably.
Just when we thought that was the end of the Ramadan Food Walk, we realized that Taj Ice Cream, an ice cream parlour from way back in 1887 was next door! No one can say ‘no’ to some divine Sancha Ice Cream! I found the Sancha Ice Cream from Udvada to be miles better than this one.
I’m glad I finally made it to one of these walks. I’d been planning an Iftar visit to Mohammad Ali Road for a few years now, but never managed to make it on account of it raining every time I planned to visit. Apparently, the hygiene level of these stalls drops drastically in the rain. If you haven’t visited one yet, head over to Bhendi Bazaar – it’s not much of a ‘walk’ since the stalls are so close to each other!
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Bye for now!
