Iftar walk with ‘Bengaluru by Foot’ – Ramzan 2017 at Mosque Road, Frazer Town.
The month of Ramzan is upon us again and those who are fasting and even those of other religions who are not, make a bee line for the the food stalls at the time of Iftar. Iftar is the breaking of the fast and occurs soon after sunset and before the Maghrib prayer which is the fourth of the five daily prayers offered by devout muslims.
Tackling these special stalls that are concentrated in certain traditionally fixed locations of the city, can be daunting to food lovers who wish to do optimal justice to the various culinary delights, many of which make their appearance only during this Holy month.

One of these locations is Frazer Town in Bangalore, which has a large Muslim population. Year after year the stalls have made their appearance and while many of them are attached to the multitude of restaurants that already exist here, many more crop up only for the duration of this season. However, due to several reasons that include traffic problems, inability to maintain satisfactory hygiene and a lack of good infrastructure, permission has not been granted to have the same number of outlets this year and those that are operating are mainly extensions of existing restaurants. Having said that, it is still a sizable number and quite intimidating to the newcomer who might be attempting to do the trail for the first time. In fact, despite living here in the midst of it all for the past few years, I myself am fazed by the options available and look to being guided by someone who is more savvy in these matters

This is where my friend Mansoor Ali (hereinafter known as M) literally steps in and leads me onto the right choices. Mansoor conducts walks under the banner Bengaluru by Foot and besides these Iftar walks, he also undertakes Heritage walks and Food walks at other times of the year.
His route here is structured well and begins at the head of Mosque Road, goes sequentially through and ends on the perpendicular MM Road, covering around 9 stops across a distance of about 800 meters of concentrated food fest.
I go to Luna sweets at 6 PM, to join up with M and the group of 6-7 people who are accompanying him today. This shop is at the junction of Coles Road and the head of Mosque Road. We begin with the specialty here which is Halwa puri which is a sweet made from ground almonds, khoa, chana dal, saffron stuffed into a pastry casing and deep fried. We are advised to sample only tiny portions since the evening is going to be long and food filled and justice has to be done as much at the start as it will be at the end !!!

We move down the slope of Mosque Road and make our way to Pista House on the left. Famed for its Haleem, this year sees it at a new location right next to Fatima House, a bungalow that they used to rent in the past.

Last year we were able to view the making of the Haleem at the back of the bungalow, complete with its raging wood fires, enormous cauldrons and gigantic mallets that pounded the meat to its creamy consistency. This time though, it is only an outlet that serves the Haleem, while the preparation goes on at a location elsewhere. As we spoon the ghee laden melange of wheat, meat, lentils and spices into our eager mouths, M explains how this dish was cooked in the kitchens of the Nizam of Hyderabad when he learnt this from his Arab military men.
Stay alert like the military while eating this, for there are sharp bits of bone that could create trouble if wrongly dealt with.
The mush is addictive but we are cautioned again against overdosing on the seemingly innocuous fare that will very easily prevent us from being able to eat further.
We wend our way through traffic that does not stop for pedestrians , as we get across the road to Albert Bakery. A legendary place that sprang up in 1902, it has customers coming in from far and wide especially at this time, to buy among other goodies, the special Bheja puffs with mutton brain ensconced in flaky pastry and Khova naan, a round thick disc of crisp pastry that barely holds back its rich fluid filling of sweetened, thickened milk (khova). Like a conscientious mother, M permits us to taste the puffs and some mutton samosas too but packs the khova naans as dessert to be had at the very end of the walk.

The sun sets and it is time to break the fast. M pops a gentle date into his mouth to signify the moment.
Don’t spoil your appetite is his constant meaningful mantra as he speeds away. Most of the action lies in the last quarter of the road and that is where we have to head.
Mansoor, Mansoor Ali … he floats like a butterfly and wings like a bee … it takes the group a while to locate where he has vanished but I know the drill and I amble slowly along with them. Of course M has missed his flock and is back in a flash but I assure him that I will not let any of them stray

In the next 200 meters or so, we find ourselves at the New Taj Restaurant. The New Taj (yet another in the ubiquitous albeit unrelated Taj series in this city), is where we experience our first open air grill of the evening. Mutton Sheeks are deftly clamped with moistened palms onto skewers and placed on hot coals where they are done in moments. The sheeks are then chopped into bite sized bits and offered on plates with an accompaniment of onion and lime slices. We taste this and find it very good. We do not go for seconds because the Pathhar ka ghosht awaits in another plate and we have to sample these tender morsels of meat that have been roasting on a slab of granite that has been heated for hours and is being used in lieu of a tava (griddle).

Karama one of the bigger restaurants on this road, is next on our path. It lies barely a few meters from the New Taj and we cannot pretend we have lost calories getting there. The exhibition of food is vast here, for space is not a constraint. Glasses of lemonade in colorful avatars adorn the tables that are also laden with kababs, samosas, cutlets and many other snacks.

As we teeter towards the Teeter fry, M pulls us back towards the Bheja tava masala and Liver. He does not think much of the tiny mouthful of fried bony Partridge (or is that Quail ?) and we quail at his stern gaze as we meekly partake of the delicious brain and liver. Used to eating it in a drier form, this version of the brain with coated masala also appeals to me, despite being mild and low on chilli.

I gaze wistfully at the fried crabs and prawns on sticks but am told that these are available all year round and I should focus on what is special to the Iftar. Well that makes sense and so I do not sulk or get crabby.
Karama has thoughtfully placed a couple of tables on the outside for those who would like to rest their plates.
A Paan (betel leaf) kiosk attached to them sells flavors hitherto unknown to me. Apart from Rose and chocolate, there are Strawberry, Litchi, Kulfi, Laddoo paan, Orange and even Irish coffee and Hazelnut paan !!!

We do not try them out because we now have to turn the corner to the right to MM road and get to Aneesa’s Kitchen (this is not the main MM road that is our final destination but like the Taj, the MM nomenclature is also freely used in Frazer town and though they are named after different Mudaliar men of yore, one just refers to them as MM roads).
With the painted sign that is partially covered by the foliage of a drooping Gulmohar, it is easy for a first timer to miss this place. However, the enterprising Aneesa who runs this place, assures us that her business has grown over the years by word of mouth and walk in customers do not make the bulk of the sales.
We are served the most delicious Chicken cutlets here, with the pulled meat patted into discs and deep fried into melt in the mouth goodness hidden inside crisp exteriors. The lamb koftas are liked by most of our group but I am smitten by the cutlets and can think no further.
Warqi (layered) samosas materialize and their open mouthed layers leave us open mouthed with admiration. It is like gazing at the sheets of a well thumbed book and we cannot wait to get to Wark on them !!! I get the one with Khova and I give M a triumphant look. But they have also served the lamb version and I obediently taste that too, like a meek lamb.

We go down the road towards Stevens Road and turn left to finally get to the main MM Road. Just to our right is Chichabas (a branch of the Shivajinagar Taj). We can actually go inside and take our seats at tables that are surprisingly unoccupied. M orders the Baida roti which is a mince stuffed paratha dipped in egg and shallow fried and also the mutton Sheekh kabab. I do not eat egg, so I skip the roti and I find the sheekh not as flavorful as the one I had earlier.

Call it the problems of plenty but now I just want something to wash down my indulgences. I am given a nice chill fresh lime soda with salt and I take comfort in imagining the acidic liquid searing through the fats that I have consumed. I hold onto my disposable container of precious juice and we weave our way towards Sait’s, our second last halt.
Sait’s with its Arabian nights like ambience, with veiled gazebos and latticed wooden panels, also lies bereft of diners. However, its stall that is open to the road, has the share of takeaways, for people prefer moving on and not confining themselves to any one place.
Sait’iated takes on its own meaning here, as we serve ourselves portions from a large kadai of Khichda. M explains how the Khichda came about when during the battle of Karbala, the people went low on rations and created this one pot dish with whatever they had at hand, like meat, vegetables, lentils, rice etc. Unlike the Haleem, this dish has large pieces of mutton on the bone.

We have taken nearly 2 hours at our leisurely pace and everyone is thoroughly enjoying the extravagances of the diet. For the crowds, the night is just beginning but our group moves to its final destination, the Ali Baba Cafe and Restaurant. One of my favorite places, this place is run by the mild mannered Shaad Hassan Damudi from Bhatkal and he opened this 8 years ago in order to preserve and showcase the niche cuisine of the Navayaths, descendants of the Arabs that made their home in this port town that lies in the Uttara Kannada region.
The dark, dingy, narrow entrance belies the treasures that lie inside, much like Ali Baba’s cave.
We are given some Moroccan tea which is brewed with mint and thyme and the amber colored liquid spills out of its pot into tiny glasses. We sip on it and it performs its magic as it prepares our insides to receive more goodies.
We are ladled bowls of Aash, that has been distributed by the mosque next door. This is a rice gruel with meat, lentils, mince and coconut paste. Shaad has also prepared the Moroccan Shorba Hareera, a hearty broth that he serves during this period. With chickpeas, meat, chicken, whole masoor lentil, celery and parsley, this is whisked with egg whites before serving. Very flavorful and authentic, one wishes this had appeared earlier and not at the end of the food filled evening.

Bellies are full, bodies are lethargic. The Khoa naan lies forgotten in M’s bag. No one remembers it, no one wants to remember it. We are Khoa’ite stuffed … Satiation has outdone its definition !!!
The group disbands and the people take our leave.

M and I stay awhile and keep Shaad company. The food has lulled us into a philosophical mood. We watch the surging crowds below, united by the single purpose of enjoying the moment, like one family undivided by man-made lines of caste, community and creed and we rue the divisive forces that compel man to create and act on differences that should not be factors that affect our peace and harmony.

It is nearly 11 PM. I begin to worry about trivial matters like the poor pictures I have clicked in the evening light. I plan to get up early tomorrow and shoot the name boards of these places, even though the restaurants will be at rest behind closed shutters, rejuvenating themselves before another Iftar. Speaking of rest, I realize I need mine too and I wend my way across the few feet back home. Mosque Road will continue to be awake for many hours more … I certainly will not.

Notes –
1) Wear comfortable walking shoes/sneakers
2) I have not heard of untoward incidents but as a rule keep your belongings close to you for the crowds throng and things could go wrong.
3) Carry an umbrella in your vehicle or on your person in case it looks like rain.
4) Parking is a challenge despite many traffic rules unofficially being broken during this period.
5) Be prepared for longer waits to get cabs back to your homes.
6) Try to bring your own boxes/packing material in case you want to carry food back.
7) Please try to use available garbage bins. Our mornings here are not pretty

8) Vegetarian options while available, are few are far between. But naturally !!!
9) If you live very far away and have a sensitive tummy, do carry some antacid/digestive meds with you. We do have several medical shops but it is wise to be armed with your own, in case of emergency.

Jun 10, 2017

For more pictures see My Facebook – Bengaluru by Foot-Iftar Walk, June 2017