It is the month of Ramzan, as we move into this week. While this is one of India’s most famous religious festivals, for many of us it is an exemplary instance of food and its role in celebrations.
“At the beginning of the month of Ramzan, everyone wishes ‘Ramzan Mubarak’ and someone recently asked me what is ‘mubarak’ about it when it is not a festival. But I truly feel that it is a festival and a month-long celebration of one’s faith and grit”, recounts Rana Safvi, a celebrated historian. I ask her what makes Ramzan special in Delhi - her city of residence and she quips, “Shahjahanabad, of course!”
At any given point of the year in Shahjahanabad or Old Delhi, the crowded lanes of Matia Mahal near Jama Masjid is bustling with eager food lovers who throng the eateries in anticipation of hot and succulent kebabs, variety of breads, nihari and qormas, and of course the irresistible phirni. But, during the month of Ramzan, the food experiences here don a new and vibrant character - it is as if the place has been fused in with a fresh energy.
“While Purani Dilli has become more commercialised, it still attracts a lot of visitors because of Jama Masjid, and the overall experience being more wholesome. This year Ramzan has fallen in the month of March where the weather is so pleasant, that breaking the fast during iftar becomes even more special with thousands of people together at the Jama Masjid during that hour and indulging in delicacies”, shares Anubhav Sapra, founder of Delhi Food Walks.
The naan bais and the bhatiyaras of Old Delhi were once upon a time known for making a variety of traditional breads. The naan bais ran shops that took bulk orders for ceremonies and festivals, while the bhatiyaras (originating from bhattis/kilns) supplied to houses of small family run businesses. It is said that the bhatiyaras don’t exist anymore and the shops are now run solely by the naan bais.
Breads like sheermal, bakarkhani, khameeri roti and naan that trace their origin back to the Mughal period, have a fanfare of their own and people line up outside popular bakeries near Matia Mahal. While these are available all year round, it is breads like butter sheermal with amul butter smeared on one side and fruit jam on the other, coconut paratha and dilkhush bread that are unique and found only during the month of Ramzan in Old Delhi.
But the experience of celebrating iftar during Ramzan in the crowded bylanes of Purani Dilli isn’t for everyone. As Delhi-based chef Taiyaba Ali shares, “Initially I did not venture into the Old Delhi Ramzan market because I found the crowds too overwhelming, but in the last few years I did go there and it was heartening to see the women who had maybe cooked the food in the comfort of their kitchens and brought it to Jama Masjid to break the fast with their families and the whole community.”
Talking of celebrating at homes, she goes on to elucidate on the iftar customs followed at her home back in Lucknow. Ali shares about the imli-khajur-chironji chutney that would be the mainstay at her home during the month of Ramzan. “Women in my house would make a large batch of this chutney in advance. It is an important condiment which goes with the assorted pakodis that would be served during iftar.”
“In most North Indian dastarkhwans you will find pakodas and samosas as the mainstay. They are the most popular and preferred snacks during iftar here,” says Safvi. She also talks about how the food is regional and has nothing to do with religion. One breaks the fast with what is most common and comforting based on their geographical location. During the month of Ramzan, while visiting Ladakh, she learnt that many people there break their roza with the consumption of momos - typical to the region and its cuisine.
Whether at home or in the crowded bylanes of Purani Dilli, Zakir Nagar or Nizamuddin Basti, faith and food’s vibrant confluence is something that one cannot escape when the dastarkhwan is laid out during sehri or iftar. As Safvi rightly says, food has nothing to do with religion - it is a celebration and a cultural marker of the festivities that everyone gets to partake in.
Vernika Awal is a food writer who is known for her research-based articles through her blog ‘Delectable Reveries’