Punekars get a taste of Ramzan with delicious iftar trails

The call for evening prayers after Iftar marks the beginning of feasting with big and small vendors displaying their goodies (chicken tikka, kadi gosh, chicken cutlet, mutton seekh etc.) in Camp and other areas of the city

As the holy month of Ramzan enters its last leg with barely two weeks left for Eid, Muslim pockets such as Mominpura, Camp and Kausarbaug are coming alive with scores of Punekars queuing up outside various stalls for lip-smacking treats.

In the Camp area, one can see an array of snacks being sold outside Camp Court, Shivaji Market, Sachapir Street, Babajan Dargah and Azam Campus while Kausarbaug is emerging as the next Ramadan food destination to reckon with. (Mahendra Kolhe)

In the Camp area, one can see an array of snacks being sold outside Camp Court, Shivaji Market, Sachapir Street, Babajan Dargah and Azam Campus while Kausarbaug is emerging as the next Ramadan food destination to reckon with.

Ramzan began on March 11 while Eid-Ul-Fitr will be celebrated on April 11. During this month, Muslims fast every day from dawn till dusk and break their fast after sunset with dates and fruits (Iftar) followed by Maghrib prayers and dinner. The call for evening prayers after Iftar marks the beginning of feasting with big and small vendors displaying their goodies (chicken tikka, kadi gosh, chicken cutlet, mutton seekh etc.) in Camp and other areas of the city.

Sunita Pokharna, a resident of Viman Nagar visiting Camp, said, “I am a foodie who likes chicken and mutton dishes. The starters prepared during this month are special and not available throughout the year. I like dollar kebab and dum chicken biryani.

“There is a large variety of starters and snacks to munch on and Ramzan is the ideal month for foodies who wait for the entire year to enjoy dishes of their choice.”

‘Sakhi Falooda’ is one more destination in Camp worth a visit where one can get yummy rabdi falooda, icecream falooda, falooda pyala, kulfi and so on.

Iftar Street at Kausarbaug starts from Welcome Hall and ends near Mayfair Garden and is dotted with dozens of Iftar stalls serving Ramzan delicacies. The street is currently occupied by the likes of Nawabi Ramzan, Shalimar Banquet, Gudakuwala Chicken Fry, Feroze Caterers and Sharif Caterers. Nawabi Ramzan, started by food entrepreneur Sahil Shaikh is a paradise for non-vegetarians and offers a plethora of dishes such as shahi patthar gosh, Hyderabadi shahi haleem, shahi khubani ka meetha, Hyderabadi shahi murg and Hyderabadi dum chicken.

Ask Sahil Shaikh and he says, “Ramadan brings together people from all communities on one platform and it is a month of festivity and spirituality. We have got some of the best cooks from the country serving innovative dishes to our customers. The response is phenomenal and there is hardly any place to sit. We will continue to offer our best dishes to the citizens. All our culinary delicacies especially biryani, haleem and patthar gosh are selling like hot cakes.”

Shailendra Singh, a media professional who visited Nawabi Ramzan, said, “The food is amazing. I enjoyed shahi khubani ka meetha, haleem, patthar gosh and biryani. Punekars must definitely visit this place and enjoy the special Ramzan food.”

The area also has stalls selling everything from kurtas and mehndi cones to sutar pheni to Arabian/Turkish/Afghan dishes like kunafa.