An illuminated mosque in Coimbatore | Photo Credit: Periyasamy M
A Fathima takes measured steps towards her home in Saramedu in Karumbukkadai. It’s about 6 in the evening, and the main road is crowded with people rushing towards the mosque, packing iftar snacks along the way to break the Ramzan fast. The 85-year-old takes a narrow side road away from all the action, reminiscing about the festivities when she was a little girl. “We had a big family,” she recalls. “My sister used to make vada and bonda every day at 4 pm during this month. Now these snacks are easily available on the streets. People love to buy them these days.
Chicken Balls for sale on Sarmedu Main Road | Photo Credit: Periyasamy M
After a stroll down Sarmedu Main Street, we understand why. There are cycles, scooters, carts and iftar snacks sold on roadside benches. They’re piping hot and fresh, not to mention easy on the pocket. Not much variety: There are potato and onion samosas, masala and ulundha vada, egg and vegetable bonda. But the sheer quantity is staggering.
“It will sell out in 30 minutes,” says K Inayat, who has chicken rolls and cutlets neatly placed inside a glass box on the seat of his scooter. A portable loudspeaker placed on top of a recording box plays the phrase ‘Hot Tasty Chicken Cutlets and Chicken Balls, three for ₹20’ on a loop. “You can find around 50 stalls selling Iftar snacks along this stretch. More than half of them are here just for the month of Ramzan,” the 32-year-old explains.
On Podanur Main Street, Street Arabia has set up a live kebab and cold drink counter serving Malai and Seekh Kebab. Photo Credit: Periyasamy M
Nombu Kanji is offered free of charge throughout the month in mosques in the area. “There are 15 of them in Karumbukkadai, and they give away all the kanji to anyone who asks for it, irrespective of religion,” explains Enayath. Masjidul Hudha, located a few blocks away, has just wrapped up distribution for the evening, and people leave with steel containers filled with the piping hot kanji to be had at iftar.
Cold drinks such as nungu milk, tender coconut milk, rosemilk, almond milk and watermelon juice. Photo Credit: Periyasamy M
“Most people like to eat their kanji with vadai or samosas,” says 60-year-old M Mehboob, who sells snacks at a thela. Across the road from Inayat, there is N Ansar and team frying onion samosas in hot oil. The samosas are crispy, with a mild spice mix of boiled potatoes and chopped onions. One can demolish a piece in less than 30 seconds, and as the popular tagline goes, no one can eat just one: You buy them in multiples of five, and eat them in multiples of five. .
Soft drinks are an important part of Iftar and Sarmedu offers many colorful options to choose from. They are displayed in takeaway plastic covers; Charming in pink, red, orange and white. Watermelon juice, nannari sherbet, rosemilk and the most popular is nungu milk. This drink made from date palm fruit and sweetened milk is a specialty of the festival.
Soft drinks are an important part of Iftar and Sarmedu offers many colorful options to choose from | Photo credit: Periyasamy M
Jay Navas of Raasi Cold Drinks explains that for every ten liters of milk, he adds 500 peeled palm fruits. “We mix the two together so that there are tiny particles of nungu in the drink,” explains the 23-year-old in between handing out drinks to a steady stream of customers. We try a glass of sweet brew that has a slight flavor of palm fruit; On that hot day, it’s pure bliss.
A stall selling Iftar dishes like Masala Vada, Bonda and Aloo Samosa. Photo Credit: Periyasamy M
Meat-lovers can head to Podanur for kebabs from a live counter opposite Street Arabia, a shawarma place. Creamy, greenery, and seekh kebabs are fresh skewers. There’s also Taza Mohabbat Sharbat: Rosemilk flavored with watermelon chunks.
Samosas being prepared for Iftar. Photo Credit: Periyasamy M
after 6.30 pm, when it’s time west Prayers, the mood is calm in Karumbukkadai. The people selling snacks give away the rest of the day for free. Mohammad Noor hands us a chicken samosa as he sits down to drink rosemilk at his stall. Mehboob gives us hot potato bonda. It’s ironic that they sold out at a cutthroat pace just minutes ago. “It’s the same thing with Ramadan,” says Mehboob. “We want to make the most of this month business wise. But none of it means anything if we don’t revel in the spirit of giving, which defines this festival.”