[Phirni – A Creamy Rice Pudding, seen here in flavours of Safron and Almond]
The Minara Masjid twinkles a glorious light green under a cloud of tiny fairy lights as chaos entralls the streets below. In what now has become an annual Ramzan treat for me I decided to haunt the Khao Galli at Mohammed Ali and yes ofcourse savour every lastbit of food I could find.
[It’s a sweet Ramzan]
Here’s a snippet from my last years visit
The red hot charcoal solder as the smoke rises through the tenderised chicken and kebabs into the air, wafting into my nostrils, air such divine. It’s a frenzied scene as full pitched bazaar flows by with smiles and sighs under the green glow of the well adourned mosque and the orange glow from the alleviating traffic behind me. I glance at my wrist watch and it blinks backs 00:00 am at me. I frown in disbelief think out aloud, “It can’t be tomorrow already, the city is alive and awake” My words at any other time would have been audible but today they seem to have been drowned by the life around me.
“Aao Aao Sahb, Mensahb .. Humare Badiya Khana Khao”, “{Come one and all try out our delecious fare} shouted the man next to me in his crisp white kurta and colourful skull cap. Seeing that I was paying him some eye contact he diverted his sales touts to my directions.
People think Indian Bazaars are haphazard, I disagree each market has a finely planned out anatomy. Just like when you’re in a department store and you find the Womens section on the first floor, childrens on the second, and mens wear on the third or sometimes on the fourth depending on where they want to put the lifestyles stuff. In the same way the midnight bazaar has womens shoes, everything from skilettos to juttis on the outer rim. There is also other stuff hair-bands, clothes, costume jewellery etc etc but since I’m not the target consumer I ignore. I by pass the shoes with out second look and move on directly to the good stuff, the food. Back to the anatomy we have the dazzling variety of methais [sweets] and food of all shapes and sizes on the left. Food Court Style yet outdoor very cool.
I was there for the sweets and Suleman Usman Bakery was the place to enjoy them. Phirnis, Maalpuas yum. I lapped down a rich and creamy kesar Phirni till my plastic spoon scrapped the bottom of the terrecota cup it was served in. The Maalpaus pure heaven served hot with their crispy brown honey dipped sweet exterior and their custard creamy interior melting in you mouth as your palate just wanted more. Sensory overload.
[Bangles]
My this showing at Mohammed Ali Road was pretty much like last it was just the quantity of food intake was doubled. The list included Maalpaus and Phirni at Suleman Usman (obviously), Pathar Ghosh (hyderabadi dish where pieces of meat at cooked on a preheated slab of granite absolutely delicious), Tongue Soup at Bademian, a generous intake of sugary faloodas, some sheikh kebabs and finished off with some excellent dudhi ka halwa.
[Susanna and Paul trying out their tongue soup at Bademian
It was good I can tell you that.]
Excuse me I have a lot of digesting to do and before I forget Eid Mubarak
