You are invited

Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai’s Ramzan food Mecca, has come alive after two years. It’s an open party, and you should go

It is dusk and the beautiful Minara Masjid at Pydhonie is lit in stunning shades of green. As the evening progresses, and the sky turns ebony, the minaret looks surreal, standing tall as a symbol of peace, surrounded by a labyrinth of bustling streets, all lit up too. The cacophony blends well with shops, stalls and vendors selling food to those who have queued up already. Chairs and tables have been put out on the curb. What started decades ago with a mere handful of eateries, is now a burgeoning street food market. For many—irrespective of religion, caste, or creed—it’s a ritual to head to this food Mecca every Ramzan. Past 7 pm, when the fast is broken, and prayers are offered, the place comes to life. From thereon to the wee hours of the morning, food is the only religion.

Pics/Shadab Khan

For the last two years, the twin spots of Mohammed Ali Road and Bhendi Bazaar Bohri Mohalla have been silent during the holy month. Now, with the lockdown behind us and the masks off, the aroma wafts freely as the eateries serve hundreds of mouth-watering tandoor items, naans, mutton and chicken curries, slow-cooked niharis and desserts. Khansamas from Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Madhya Pradesh have arrived to spin their magic to feed the hungry crowds. Mohammed Ali Road during Ramzan is truly an emotion.

‘Shalimar’s Nutella malpua is good attempt at fusion’
Abhishek Sawant, photographer, resident of Borivli

Abhishek Sawant with his foodie wife Dhara Burman at Mashallah Cuisines

“I have been going to Mohammad Ali Road since 2004 as I went to a college nearby. We would head there by 6 pm. Even today, my old college mates meet there during Ramzan for our annual dinner get-together at Shalimar Restaurant. While I missed coming here during the pandemic, I am glad that the city has opened up. We are trying to make up for lost time.

Chana batata pyaali is a crowd favourite

A lot seems to have changed because of the redevelopment of old buildings in the area and the construction of the old joints. This year, the first dish we had was haleem (Rs 200) at Hyderabadi Halim, a small joint opposite McDonald’s. Try Delhi Zaika’s butter chicken tawa with rumali roti (Rs 240); the mawa jalebi and gulab jamun (both Rs 60) at JJ Jalebi; the sizzler at Chinese & Grill; tikka and seekh kebab in the stalls at Minara Masjid gully; nihari (Rs 200) with fall-off-the-bone meat at Bara Handi; dilwale mango cream (Rs 200) at Pappu juice centre, which is served in empty coconut shells. The malpuas topped with rabdi are the best at ZamZam or Suleman Usman Mithaiwala, and Shalimar’s Nutella malpua is a good attempt at fusion.

Surti Bara Handi in Bohri Mohalla serves nihari with mughlai rotis

‘Like tea? Have dum chai at Mutton Street Lane’
Harshvardhan Tanwar, founder, No Footprints, resident of Worli Sea Face

“I have been frequenting Mohammad Ali Road since I was a first year student at St Xavier’s College. We’d wait back after class till half-past six, playing basketball to compensate for the food we were to consume, and head there in the evening. My most special memory has to be a solo expedition I did one evening—breaking bread with strangers at iftar is a great feeling. The love and kinship that food brings, is amazing. While I missed it for two years, my enterprising friend Raashid from Noor Mohammadi had an iftar box (Rs 1,799 for  five people) on his Zomato/Swiggy menu. I used to order that in, but it never compensated for the vibe of the streets during Ramzan. Try Firoz Bhai’s mutton patrel biryani (Rs 80); it’s a Ramzan special available all year round but only in chicken. Most joints are tough to name since they are pop-ups but if it helps, do try the chana batata or pyaali (Rs 20) at a stall adjacent to Imam Sharbatwala; the sutar pheni (Rs 190) at Tawakkal Sweets is good, anas is the sagla bagla (Rs 270) at Fakhri Stores. The Barah handi (Rs 280) at Surti is iconic. Wash it down with some sherbet (Rs 20) at Imam Sharbatwala. If you like tea, go have the dum chai (Rs 20) at Mutton Street Lane, a dollop of hand-churned ice cream at Taj (Rs 80), and variyali (Rs 30) at Idris.”

‘Mawa, arrowroot and milk makes JJ Jalebi’s mawa jalebi distinct’
Aparna Bhat, Cultural Facilitator at The Travelling Thali, resident of Khar

Aparna Bhat enjoying khaja with her friend at Suleman Usman Mithaiwala

“When I was first introduced to Mohammed Ali Road by my brother in 2013, I was vegetarian. He very kindly ordered paneer kebab, while he enjoyed the chicken variety. I took a bite of the paneer, and then a bite of the chicken, and the conversion was instant!

Malpuas at Tawakkal Sweets, Bohri Mohalla

The kebabs there are a weakness with me! We tend to go to the same stalls for kebab, kheema and bheja, and aren’t even sure what they are called. We just know where they are. In the pandemic, I was back to being vegetarian. But this year, when I visited the area with my friend Siddhartha Sengupta, I savoured the special golden chicken tikka (Rs 380) and lasuni dahi chicken tikka (Rs 380) at Mashallah Cuisines on EMM Road beside Minara Masjid. We tried the reshmi barra (free, because we tried it off the plate of our neighbours) and roomali roti. That’s the spirit of the festival here.

Next was mawa khaja (R70) and phirni (R60) at Suleman Usman Mithaiwala made with ground rice, milk, cream, sugar and saffron and served in clay katoris. At JJ Jalebi, we had mawa jalebi made using mawa, arrowroot and milk, which gives these a distinct flavour. Eat some there and pack some for the family.”

‘Try the masala milk at Noorani Milk Centre’
Sami Sayyed, Media professional, resident of Andheri West

“I have fond memories of going to Noorani Milk Centre to have malpua with my father. Crisp on the edges and soft in the centre, a malpua requires skill to get right. I missed it so much that during the first Covid wave, during Ramzan, I got a malpua couriered to my home. Try Hindustan Hotel for pebble-size kebabs (R20 per dozen); bheja fry and naan sandwiches from a tava stall just beside Hindustan Hotel in the lane opposite Noorani Milk Centre. The masala milk (R30) and Fruitella (R50) from there, made using a special masala and kesar-turmeric is delicious. Try the saandhal (R20) from the stall near Chinese & Grill, and baklava (R70) from a stall opposite Modern Sweets.”

Mohammed Ali Road has competition

In the last two years, Kurla West and Jogeshwari have emerged as the new hotspots for iftari eats, with popular favourites like Delhi Zaika and JJ Jalebi opening outlets there.

Where to eat at Kurla Khau Galli

Sahara Hotel (Kheema pav for Sehri; Call: 25033221)
Delhi Zaika (Chicken barra and butter chicken; Call: 7021579634)
Janata Tawa & Grill (Grilled kebabs; Call: 25037277)
Nawab Seekh Paratha (Mutton and buff seekh with paratha; Call: 9769170308)
Kurla 70 (Baida roti, chicken roll and al faham chicken; Call: 7506011657) 
Baba Falooda (Royal and kesar falooda; Call: 9967475571)
JJ Jalebi (Mawa jalebi and gulab jamun; Call: 8080629202)

Where to eat at SV Road, Jogeshwari

Shalimar (Khabsa rice, nalli nihari; Call: 26787722)
Farid Seekh Kabab Center (Seekh and paratha; Call: 9819883313)
Lucknowee Tunday Kebab (Sunday kebabs; Call: 26782049)
Jaffer Bhai’s Delhi Darbar (Biryanis; Call: 26770011)
JJ Jalebi (Mawa jalebi and gulab jamun; Call: 9819966948)

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