Mumbai's 'khau galli' comes alive with myriad dishes

The ever-bustling Muslim-dominated area around Mohammed Ali Road in South Mumbai has to be seen during Ramadan when a new kind of vigour and verve is reinforced in one of the most crowded areas of the city.

Even as the city's Muslims observe this month with a deep sense of spirituality, the entire neighbourhood wakes up to scores of eateries and shops that come alive in the evenings to place before shoppers a mind boggling variety of delectable food and sweets.

The action starts a couple of hours before Iftar when shopping for food is not just for Muslims who observe fast but hundreds of Mumbaites, including office-goers, who are aware of the delightful opportunities to pamper their palates at the 'khau galli' as it is called.

One would imagine that all of Mumbai's Muslims are concentrated in Mohammed Ali Road where there are at least 50 mosques, beautifully illuminated during Ramadan, that are ever filled with the devout during prayer time.

"Everyday, each of these mosques feed at least 250-1,000 people, both poor and well-to-do," says Maulana Kashmiri, a resident of the area.

"Fruits and fruits juices are the normal fare at Iftar in most families and the main meal is consumed later. Of course, there are those who buy food from outside," he says.

The construction of a flyover above Mohammed Ali Road has posed difficulties for the residents, he says but believes its completion will ease traffic. However, many shop owners are worried about their business being adversely affected as vehicles would not stop here.

Considering that the north-south traffic moves down this curving road brimming to the seams with people and shops, multi-storeyed old and dilapidated offices and homes even as heaving hand carts pulled by tired men add to the commotion, the transport authorities are now building the longest flyover above this snaking road.

One can imagine the traffic jams, the high pollution of exhaust fumes, cement dust and the noise of machines that can deter anyone from venturing here.

But that isn't the fact.

Those who have time to spare vend their way through the narrow lanes in the evenings, where the whiff of kababs being fried mingles with the fragrance of fruit-flavoured 'phirni' (cooled rice pudding).

On days when Arif Rub, a young bank executive who lives in downtown Colaba, wants a change from the home-cooked spread, he drives down to Bohra Mohalla where he often finds his favourites - cream mutton tikka, mince cutlets, beja‚ (brain) and mutton frankies, malpuas (dumplings in sugar syrup), rabid (sweetened cream of milk) and strawberry and mango halwa."

He also suggests that some of the good eateries can be also found at the Minara Masjid lane.
It's literally an all-night party going on till dawn as long tables and chairs are laid out in the brightly lit narrow lanes.

Visitors have to brace themselves to the sounds of a varied dishes being yelled out as the eateries and their men try to woo customers to biriyani, tandoori chicken, kathi rolls, paya, tava specials and phirni in earthen cups, jalebis and mithais for the sweet tooth.

The most specialised sweets outlet is the Suleiman Usman Mithaiwala that has been catering to the locality for decades and simultaneously attracting passersby in cars to stop and pick up a box of some mouth-watering mithai even as the traffic policeman turns his head away.

Luckily for Mohammed Ali Road, its night to dawn festive atmosphere has not been dampened by the government or civic authorities which expects shops to close by 8.30 pm. Apparently, they seem to understand the sensibilities of Muslims during Ramadan.