For 100 Years, This Neighbourhood Has Served a Feast Every Ramadan

Mumbai’s Mohammed Ali Road steps into its festive best every Ramadan.

Here, iftar spreads (the meal eaten by the Muslim community at sunset after they break their day-long fast) colour the alleyways of the Bohri Mohalla.

To explore this further, Mumbai-based Khaki Tours routinely conducts walks through this neighbourhood.

On this trail, the first stop is Nawab Seekh Corner, where you’ll be feasting on seekh (minced meat that is cooked on skewers) hugged by a paratha (Indian flatbread).

This is followed by a surprise at J J Jalebi started by Haji Chhote Khan from Kanpur. Since 1947, they have been serving a hickory-coloured dessert, a spiral version of the gulab jamun.

At the next stop, Salman Pulao, the menu favourites are chicken pulao, beef pulao, and zarda (a traditional boiled dish of sweet rice).

Wash the meal down with the popular watermelon milk sharbat at Imam Sharbathwala.

Then, stop by for a snack at the 69-year-old Diamond Samosa, where you’ll be asked to choose from kheema samosa (minced meat rolled into a triangular savoury pasty), samosa pattis, spring rolls, patti wonton, and patti crispy chicken thread.

Follow this up with malai khaja (thin, crisp, flaky pastry) at Noor Sweets and a chicken kastoori sandwich at Jilani Fast Food Corner.

By now, hopefully, you aren’t full yet, because the next stop, Surti 12 Handi, requires you to have an appetite.

Here, twelve masalas are deployed to cook the different parts of the animal — paya (trotters), bhel (mix), pichota (tail), nihari (stomach), jubaan (tongue), adla (shoulder), gardan (neck), gurda (kidney), and bheja (brain).

After this feast, the next stop is the 1950s haunt Shabbir Tawakkal, where you are encouraged to gorge on malpua (sweetened Indian pancakes) and phirni (a milk-based dessert made with ground rice flour).

Then, head to Firoz Farsan for some patrel chicken biryani (meat cooked with steamed colocasia leaves and served without rice).

Wash this down with variyali (an icy kiwi-green drink made of saunf or fennel) at Idris Cold Drinks. Further along, at Haji Tikka, a dish made of goat udders awaits.

End your walk with a stop at the legendary Taj Ice Cream, which, since 1887, has been serving hand-churned ice creams.

Can’t wait to experience the walk?