‘If you eat from one side you eat less because it is so difficult’
His mother would tell him to eat from one side of his mouth. He found it terribly difficult but followed her instructions. She was trying to discipline him for the roza (fast) that he would start observing one day. “I soon realised the purpose of this exercise. If you eat from one side you inevitably ate less because it is so difficult. It got me to use to restrain myself,” says Qureshi.
Bhaji (pakodas), papads, namak pare, and nukti (sweet boondi) are some of the things he fondly remembers savouring every evening in his hometown Bhopal. “I love nukti even today, and if you get a chance, old Delhi sells the yummiest nukti. In our tradition, we rejoiced in celebrating the occasion as a community, which today is missing. We use to invite people and would get invited every day for a month, where a rich spread of kormas, biryani, haleem, and khichda awaited us.”
Back in the day, he recalls, a shot from a cannonball (top ka gola) was fired to indicate the time for breaking of the fast in Bhopal. “Today, apps alert us about the time,” he chuckles.
He also misses savouring offal meat, rich in minerals, at the time of sehri, as the food tradition has died out. Having said that, he still has some mouth-watering recommendation for the food connoisseur of Delhi. The Haleem at Paradise restaurant in Noida is to die for, he says. “The Nalli Nihari and Paya at Karim’s, and Tofique ki Biryani are things you shouldn’t miss,” he says.
‘We ate meals together from one large plate’
He remembers popping black channas in his mouth by the handfuls back in the day. It gave him the energy to endure the long fast ahead. The Lucknow boy has spent years observing roza, never once dwindling from his resolve. “In the end, we use to indulge in the best home-made fruit chaat and nihari, besides gorging on parantha halva made with suji and white flour. Whenever possible, we ate meals together from one large plate as part of Dastarkawan,” he says.
A unique feature forms their culinary tradition is the incorporation of vegetables in their meat preparations. When in large groups they would make Dumba (a type of sheep) biryani especially for Ramzan. This was finished with Shahi Tukda and Double Ka Meetha,” he says, adding, “At my restaurant, I do a rich Balti Meat, popularly ordered for dinner during Ramzan, in addition to our Highway Chicken Tikka.”
‘Pheni during sehri was a must’
At seven, he threw many tantrums to keep a fast till his parents relented. By 12pm, he’d wail once again to break it. Slowly he learnt that fasting was not to be taken lightly and mastered self-control. Though, his mother’s Mixed Pakoda Basket, Keema Kachori, Dahi Chutney, Rooh Afza, and sherbat would always tempt “Pheni during sehri was a must. Back then, everybody got one thing from their home and shared it with everybody.” Now when he misses the good ol’ times, he heads to, what he calls, Delhi’s best-kept secret, a nameless shop next to Inderlok mosque that sells the best Seekh Kebabs, Chicken Chengzi, and Fried Chicken.
‘I’ve become more connected to God and seek forgiveness’
He was 12 when he observed his first roza. Forget about praying, the teenager could only think of food. He waited for the end of the day to devour (at the cost of heartburn the next day), all the delicious preparations that would end his austerity. “But once I grew up, the meaning of Ramzan changed. Its now about self-discipline. I’ve become more connected to God and seek forgiveness...somewhat like a spiritual detox,” reveals Wahid.
From food orgies to measured eating, the excitement around iftar hasn’t changed. For him, it’s still about dates, spiced fruit chaat (with chilli), pakodas, keema samosas, and kachoris. The big shift Wahid has seen is from fried food to complex carbs, and from sweet to protein. But if you must indulge, start at Old Delhi. “Don’t miss the raan at Al Jawahar Restaurant for its explosion of spices, the Fried Chicken at Karim’s and the crunchy, sweet paan (betel leaf) at the corner of Al Jawahar Restaurant.”