Biryani, shawarma, kebabs: Noida’s irresistible iftaari

If you’re a frequent visitor to Noida’s food markets, you might have noticed that they’re significantly more crowded in the evenings these days, with more young people standing around the biryani, shawarma and haleem thelas. That’s the Ramzan effect in the city, when feasting follows fasting not only for Muslim residents, but their non-Muslim friends and colleagues as well.Some of them wait the entire day for their evening iftaar ‘party’, and even eat a lighter meal for lunch to be able to properly gorge later!
Iftaar has turned into a daily evening party
Many singles in the city prefer breaking the day-long fast with their friends instead of staying home alone during the festive season. It is these people and their friends who throng stalls selling Mughlai and other non-veg delicacies for their iftaari. Amit Srivastava, an event manager, says, “We don’t have any fixed lunch hours, so we go have lunch together when all of us are free. But these days, four of the people in my group are keeping roze, so we also skip lunch and make do with cold drinks. But then in the evenings, we all go for our iftaar ‘party’. As most of us live alone, we eat out together. The aroma of kebabs, koftas, tikkas and, of course, biryani is simply irresistible, and we often end up overeating!”
Arsh Ahmed, a software developer, says, “I really look forward to the evenings these days. Kebabs, biryani, chicken tikkas, sewai – the iftaar options are just delicious. We are not those boring types who will go to one particular restaurant after office every day. We try dishes at different places – Ramzan in Noida is incomplete without shawarma from Brahmaputra market or biryani from Karim’s. I am a regular at these places.” A bahana for house parties
The iftaar indulgence is not reserved for restaurants and markets – many youngsters who’re fasting end up having to prepare special feasts for their friends in the evenings. Sabya Ahmed, who works as a marketing head, says, “It’s not only during Ramzan – one month in advance, my colleagues start asking me, ‘Ramzan kab hai?’ And once it begins, so do the demands, ‘Biryani kab khila rahi ho?’, ‘When are you calling us home?’, ‘What happened to the egg halwa you promised?’ and so on. Colleagues, friends from my previous office, college buddies, neighbours and so many other people – I have to throw an iftaar party for almost every group… but I really love doing so.” Belal Khan, a photographer, says, “I am part of many WhatsApp groups and these days, everyone is pestering me about organizing an iftaar party. I guess they don’t want to eat what’s in the markets – they want me to cook chicken for them. I suppose this is house party month!”
Ramzan food walks
There are those who have iftaari because they’re fasting, but there are also those who organize food trips just to enjoy the spread. Sucheta Singh, an investment banker here, says, “Noida can never beat Delhi when it comes to food, but we still have many quick options available. However, if you don’t visit Old Delhi during Ramzan, you are missing something spectacular.” Sucheta adds, “I am planning to go to Jama Masjid with friends this weekend, especially for the shahi tukda,” says Sucheta Singh. Shoaib Anwar, an education consultant, says, “When you are at home, all you need to do is to sit back and wait for mom to serve food, but for the past four years, I have not been at home during Ramzan. It’s only the day before Eid when I get there. But the excitement of my friends and colleagues never lets me feel alone, and we, in fact, plan iftaar parties based on where one different dishes. One day, it’s just biryani, lachha the next day, sewaiyan the third, and it goes on like that.”
Diets go for a toss
Nida Siddiqui, who works in a showroom, says, “Whenever I talk about the extra kilos that I am gaining because of never-ending iftaar parties, my colleagues complain, ‘Ramzan is feasting after fasting, so you should throw parties for us.’ I am doing lot of khilana pilana these days and have put aside the thought of watching my diet because I know it’s impossible.” But there are others who’ve found a way to do so. says, “I stay alone, so my friends keep inviting me to dinner and I have to break my day-long fast with fried snacks such as samosas, puffs, pakoras and fried sweets. I am so tired of eating all that fried stuff that now I have decided that I don’t have to please everyone – I will politely refuse all such requests. I will make sure that only diet food makes its way to my iftaar table.” Nawaaz Khan, a banker, says, “During iftaar, I always overeat. That is why, these days, I’m trying not to make my diet very different from what I normally eat, and try to keep it as simple as possible. Soups, fruits and juices are my best bet.”