Iftaari in Noida

The holy month of Ramzaan is here, where Muslims keep rozas (fast from dawn-to-dusk). After a long day of fasting, iftar is a spread of decadent delicacies – from sumptuous dates to delectable meat dishes to mouth watering sweets. And roza or no roza, the delicacies of an iftar should not be skipped. With the city mosques brimming with festivities, we take a look at what Noida brings on the plate for iftar.
Jama masjid: Situated at Sector 8, Jama Masjid is the oldest masjid in Noida, dating back to 1984.This place is full of gastronomic delights, and in the evening, you can look forward to savouring the meatiest and juiciest kebabs, delectable mutton biryanis, tikkas and delicious sewaiyan. During Ramzaan, the food vendors go all out to impress the visitors’ taste buds and one of the most popular biryani joints is Nunva Biryani, whose owner Salim Khan has been selling this delicious mutton biryani for more than 15 years. He cooks up to 40kg of biryani every day during Ramzaan in a huge traditional martabaan. Salim says, “Aam dino mein hum sirf 10-12kg biryani banate hain and woh hamesha puri padti hai. Aaraam se hum Rs5,000 din ka kama lete hain. Par Ramzaan ke waqt kaam mein behad barkat hoti hai, hum Rs9,000 se zyaada kama lete hain din ka. Haan, lekin iss baar munafe mein thodi kami reh rahi hai kyunki mutton aur basmati ke bhav zyada ho gaya hain. Iss baar Ramzaan par chamak thodi kam hai, dekhiye aagey kya hota hai.”
Mohd Naushad miyaan is a popular name in the locality, known for his melt-in-the-mouth kebabs and tikkas. He says, “Dus saal se zyaada hogaye hai yahan. Ramzaan ke waqt toh waise bhi hamesha munaafa hi hota hai. Hum apne daam mein koi ferbadal nahi karte. Roz ke dino mein Rs2,000 tak kama lete hain, Ramzaan mein Rs3,500-4,000 ka din ka karobaar ho jata hai.” Afaaq Ahmed is a recruitment manager in a city based firm, and a regular visitor to Jama Masjid. He shares, “It’s the grandest masjid of the city. This Jama Masjid has a low-key, yet very warm and earthy appeal. The time of sehri and iftar are always a delight to witness. Bazaar ki raunak dekhte hi banti hai.”
A vegetarian iftar: Madina masjid Probably, a unique masjid in itself, Madina Masjid, located in Mandir Masjid Wali Gali, Nithari, Sector 31, is the only masjid where no meat is consumed and no animal is slaughtered for iftar. Reason – the masjid is situated between two temples and as a mark of respect, the mosque does not serve meat. The maulana of Madina Masjid, Mohd Shahid says, “Roza bhi ek vrat ki tarah hi hai, jo Hindu dharm ke log rakhte hain. Roza rakhne ka maksad ek achha insaan banna hai, aur apne aas paas ke logo ko taqleef na dena hai. Isiliye Hindu mazhab ke logon ki bhaawnaon ka khayal rakhte hue hum jaanwar ko maarte nahin. Yahan har roza falahaar karke toda jaata hai.”
Restaurant scenario: While the roadside eateries have a booming business, it’s not the same for restaurants in the city. Sector 18’s Nizam’s Kathi Kebab’s manager Sushil says, “Market thodi dull chal rahi hai, and Ramzaan ki festivity ne bhi kuch khaas add nahi kiya, there is neither profit nor loss in our business. The mess made by the construction taking place here is also acting as a deterrent to customers.” Neeraj, head – operational manager, The Great Kebab Factory, tells us, “Our sales have dropped by 25% during Ramzaan. Roza kholne aur namaaz padhne mein hi 8.30pm baj jaate hain. Noida mein waise hi log kam bahar nikalte hain, yeh fast ki timing business ke liye suitable nahi baithti. Also, our regular customers say that they prefer cooking meat at home during Ramzaan as they fear that meat cooked outside may not be clean.”