Ramadan in Coimbatore: Haleem arrives for iftar

The air is festive. In a large bowl, mohabbat ka sharbath is stirred slowly with chilled rose milk, chopped watermelon, soaked sabja seeds, Rooh Afza, and dried rose petals. Nearby, the mutton haleem counter is buzzing. It’s iftar, time to break fast, at Street Arabiya in Ganapathy. Iftar is the second meal of the day during Ramadan month, as the daily fast begins immediately after the pre-dawn meal of suhur. It continues during the daylight hours, ending at sunset with the evening meal. “It’s 30-days of festive rush at all our outlets,” says Yasar as we prepare for iftar at the Arabic style floor seating with carpet and cushions. The iftar kit arrives with crisp chicken samosa, kebab, dates, watermelon, blue blast drink, mildly-spiced Al Faham that has Arabian-style grilled chicken marinated with yogurt, garlic, ginger, and lemon, and served with mandi rice. With rumali roti and a side of butter chicken gravy, it makes for a hearty meal.

Haleem with a variety of toppings
| Photo Credit:
PERIASAMY M

But the star of the evening is the velvety, aromatic, and savoury melt-in-the-mouth mutton haleem topped with a handful of fried nuts, fried onions, a lemon slice and a dash of mint leaves. “During one of our trips to Hyderabad, we were awed by the way haleem was made there. Slow-cooked with boneless mutton, pounded wheat, barley, and lentils, its thick, porridge-like consistency is achieved through hours of cooking for over eight hours, followed by mashing. We have replicated the same here but added chicken 65 pieces as topping to add variety,” explains Yasar. Another iftar staple on the table is the chilled pink drink that has travelled all the way from the streets of old Delhi.

Mohabbat ka sharbath, an iftar staple
| Photo Credit:
PERIASAMY M

Mohabbat ka sharbath is creamy, refreshing and instantly hydrating. “We are active on social media and are constantly looking for innovative recipes to surprise our guests. Our travels to food hubs is a big influence. In Old Delhi, streets glow, grills start smoking, and thousands gather to break their fast together, promoting a sense of community and togetherness and the central feature of this experience is mohabbat ka sharbath, a pink-hued drink that originated in one of the by lanes. We try to offer a slice of that experience.”

Chef Rohan Sarki with iftar kit
| Photo Credit:
PERIASAMY M

Started by three friends, Ahamed Shahabath N, Yasar Arafath M, and Jansa Mohammed K as an experiment with a food truck selling shawarmas in Podanur, Street Arabiya chain now also has branches in Tiruchi, and Palakkad and a food court at Chennai Central railway station, serving mandi and shawarmas. “Our USP has always been varieties of shawarmas, over 10 including schezwan, peri peri, Mexican and street specials besides charcoal shawarma, mandi rice and kozi rice, and kebabs. There is no biriyani on the menu though,” says Yasar.

Arabic style floor seating with carpet and cushions and iftar time at Street Arabiya in Ganapathy
| Photo Credit:
PERIASAMY M

Ahamed says Ramadan treats with iftar combos is an ongoing annual tradition that brings a steady stream of customers. Looking back at the journey, Yasar says the focus has always been on Arabic flavours, often featured in eateries in West Asia, including the fragrant mandi (chicken, mutton, or fish) served with aromatic rice, savoury kabsa, and smoked Al Faham chicken besides signature dishes like tender, flame-grilled chicken madhbi. “Kerala is known to offer some of the best Arabic cuisines. Shawarma, for example was perfected by three chefs based out of Thalassery. One of them is right here with us in our kitchen. We have hand-picked our chefs, including chef Rohan Sarki from West Bengal. That is our strength.”

All the iftar specials are available at Street Arabiya outlets at Podanur, Saibaba Colony (QSR) and Ganapathy. Follow @street_arabiya on Instagram