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New Delhi: It's the
time for fasting but also for feasting, and not just for devout
Muslims observing the 30-day roza. For foodies all over, Ramzan is
the time to soak in the Eid spirit and what better place than the
historic walled city of the national capital with the majestic
Jama Masjid looming in the backdrop.
Come dusk and the winding lanes of the Jama Masjid area come alive
with the sights and sounds - and smells - of celebrations. Of
chicken tikkas sizzling, mutton kebabs roasting over blazing
fires, giant woks with puris being fried and massive cauldrons of
curries, biryanis, steaming milk and what have you.
The crowds gather at iftar and continue right up till dawn, when
the sehri meal is eaten.
While iftar marks the end of the meal at nightfall, sehri is the
early morning meal before the dawn of another fasting day.
As important as it is to not let a morsel of food or a drop of
liquid pass through one's lips during Ramzan, it is equally
important to have a nutritious and healthy diet before and after
the fast.
The fast is traditionally broken with a small meal of dates,
fruits and pakodas. And sehri usually constitutes specialties like
khajla (round bread), pheni (spiral crusty cakes) and sheermaal
(sweet buns, usually served with butter and jam), providing the
required energy without wreaking havoc on the digestive system.
Khajla and pheni are made in pure ghee and soaked in milk
overnight. Sugar is added at the time of consumption. Some also
like to add dry fruits.
"People usually go to bed after eating the sehri; so the meal
should be light and digestable, but at the same time energetic,"
Javed Ali, a shopowner selling khajla in one of the many bylanes
near Jama Masjid, told IANS.
Between the two meals, is when the real feasting happens.
According to Ali, several non-Muslim customers from across the
city throng his shop every year.
And the milling crowds who head to the area from across the city
are evidence of that.
Markets around Jama Masjid, decked up and bustling with crowds,
are open all night. The excitement is palpable as you enter one of
the many lanes leading to the 17th century historic mosque,
decorated in yellow lights. Hundreds of shops and eating joints
line the narrow lanes, beckoning people from the neighbourhood and
afar.
Post-iftar, the markets and streets are abuzz with some out for
shopping and dinner and some others to meet friends over a
Banarasi paan.
Nearby, popular eateries like Karim's and Al-Jawahar restaurant do
brisk business as families throng them for dinner while
youngsters, especially those on shoestring budgets, head to the
kiosks outside these restaurants, grilling all types of meats.
Mutton seekh kebabs, shammi kebabs, chicken tikkas and fried
chicken, to name just a few, are usually served with rumali rotis
and a generous dollop of mint chutney, chopped onions and chaat
masala. A meal for two at any of the dozen-odd kiosks costs just
around Rs.150.
For those with a sweet tooth, there are abundant shops and kiosks
selling rabri faluda, kulfi, jalebi, phirni and badam milk.
Apart from gorging on the succulent kebabs and spicy curries,
shopping is another highlight during this period.
After all, this is also the time to stock up on new clothes.
Women throng the several clothes, footwear and cosmetics shops in
Chitli Kabar, Matia Mahal and Meena Bazaar, apart from looking for
Lucknowi Chikan suits, fancy sandals and imported cosmetics.
And the men hunt for kurta pyjama/salwar kameez, skull caps and
sandals, many of them preferring the Ballimaran market.
"Everyone wants to look their best on Eid. So, it's an arduous job
of finding that perfect attire or a sandal that stands out,"
21-year-old Delhi University student Saira Parveen told IANS.
Parveen hunted in several shops for an hour before she found the
perfect mascara to match her turquoise blue suit.
"This is how I reward myself after I have done my duty towards my
religion," she summed up.
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