Foods you must try during Ramzan in Mumbai

If you haven't been on a Ramzan food trail already, you have till Friday to do it. And let this post tempt you to visit and devour some of Mumbai's favourite haunts when it comes to feasting on non-vegetarian cuisine. From nalli nihari and bheja (brain) fry, kaleji (liver) and gurda (kidney) fry to malpuas and phirni, there's something to satisfy every tastebud. 

dna gives you a list of must-have foods this Ramzan.

1. Nalli Nihari and chicken hakimi 

Noor Mohammadi near Bhendi Bazaar makes the best nihari. The delicacy that consists of a curry with mutton bones and marrow can be had with naan. Price: Rs 80 for mutton nihari and Rs 60 for beef. A visit to the historic hotel will tell you about its celebrity visitors: Sanjay Dutt and MF Hussain. 

While Sanjay Dutt has his own signature dish (Sanju Baba Chicken - Rs 55 - very greasy, eat it only if you can consume chicken cooked in lots of oil), MF Hussain's painting adorns the joint's walls (He drew it during his visit).

Two other popular dishes at Noor Mohammadi include white biryani (it's really white because of the masalas used) ...

...and chicken hakimi at Rs 75 (tandoori chicken with a curd and herbs dressing). *We recommend the Chicken Hakimi. It's yummy.*

2. Baara handi

This one is for meat lovers and those who want to try something new. At Bohri Mohallah, you will find a man serving patrons from 9 vessels hidden inside a traditional furnace. Surti Baara Handi is the name of the shop and Ghulam Mustafa Soorti, the owner tells us they have been serving up meals for 75 years now.

Each vessel (9 now, used to be 12) contains a gravy that has been cooked for over 12 hours. The dishes include pichhota (ox tail), topa (hump), bada and chota paya (trotters), sukha (beef gravy) and nalli. 

Adjacent to this is another kitchen where fresh naans are made.

3. Kebabs, quail and bheja fry

Sarvi - a joint at Nagpada, is popular for its beef seekh kebabs. Located opposite Nagpada police station, the restaurant is also famous for its zubaan (tongue) soup and kheema.

You can also try kebabs in the Minara Masjid Lane at a joint called Janta and other road stalls that have alfresco seating. They also serve quail (known as bater) at Rs 150 per plate and other favourites like bheja, gurda and kheema fry. 

The kidney and brain fry is best had with the Lucknowi naan (Rs 20).

Of course you have the choice of having the dish with roomali roti too...

4. Hyderabadi Harisha

To try this traditional dish from Hyderabad you must visit Nagpada, near the Mastan Talao stadium. Hyderabadi Harisha, is a dish made of boiled, cracked, or coarsely-ground wheat, milk, dal with chicken (Rs 40) or beef (Rs 35). 

You can contact Sultan Quereshi (9022398781) who serves Harisha between 4pm-1am only during Ramzan.

5. Desserts: Malpuas and phirni

Malpuas are deep-fried egg pancakes that are best had freshly-fried. You'll find the best malpuas being fried in large vessels at Tawakkal and Suleiman and Suleiman Usman Mithaiwala.

Another sweet to try at these shops is phirni - a rice pudding that comes in various flavours like Vanilla, Mango and Kesar. This dish is known to be a palette cleanser.

Other sweets you can have include:

Sutarfeni - Sweet vermicelli

Khaja

Nankhatai biscuits

Falooda!

*Note: This is a WIP story. I will be adding more text and photos to it. Do share your favourite Ramzan foods too.