Communal harmony over street food

Ramzan, the holy month for Muslims, marked by prayers and fasting from sunrise to sunset culminated today with Eid-ul-Fitr.
Communal harmony over street food

Ramzan, the holy month for Muslims, marked by prayers and fasting from sunrise to sunset culminated today with Eid-ul-Fitr.

Bangalore also witnessed a lot of businessmen from other states who put up temporary stalls in various parts of the city during this month. Mosque Road in Frazer Town is one such place where communities bond over food and people have a great time.

Crowded with restaurants and eateries, this season sees a lot of shopkeepers setting up outdoor stalls and selling food that isn’t usually available during the rest of the year, thereby attracting more than 5,000 customers. The shopkeepers feel that most of their business comes from non-muslims, especially from the IT sector.

“We arrange these stalls for the benefit of our community members, who get to taste some good food mostly from Hyderabad during this season,” said Mohammed Ibrahim Member, Sir Ismail Sait Mosque, Frazer Town. He further added that the food has attracted many non-Muslims as well. A lot of people roam this street,  exploring the stalls post Iftar till mid-night.

“We respect our Muslim brothers and do not play any songs or disturb their prayer timings during the fast-breaking time. And, we along with many Muslim friends devour some good non-veg food too,”noted S Sridhar, resident of S K Garden.

Variety of food: Samosa is the staple food and a lot of variety ranging from onion, mutton, chicken and even mash potato is also available here. The rose-milk flavoured sherbet with dry fruit mixed served in clear plastic bags is also a big hit. Juicy sheek kababs grilled on open barbecues attract a lot of customers too.

People were also seen enjoying finger food such as chicken shashlik, fried mackerel, whole prawn on a stick, fried rolls and meat. And, the phatter ghosh and mutton prepared on a stone slab are to die for. The shopkeepers claim that cooking on stone gives the food an entirely different flavour.

To keep your body cool and to avoid acidity, drinks like harira and sulaimani chai are doled out. With the intoxicating aromas and ingredients that tease the palate, the street has loads to offer.

Be on time to avoid crowd: One has to be prepared to be jostled a bit because there’s always a huge crowd here. The entire street is brightly lit and one often loses the track of time.

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The New Indian Express
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