Bom Bahai Diaries 2: Of Faith, Food and Filosophy

One evening, Vicky enthusiastically called to declare, Sir this time we will go to Mohammad Ali Road to have Nalli Nihari and what better time than the evenings of Ramadan when the main street and every corner in this part of the city looks like a beautifully adorned new bride.

Hmm.. I quite like the idea. Let us do it. The third of the original Three Musketeers however said, No, I will give this place a miss. It is so crowded and suffocating there that you can hardly eat in peace with the maddening crowds pushing and jostling and at times people even wiping their oily hands on your clothes.  

The Vasai local reached Churchgate sharp at 4.50pm and within ten minutes, the Goregaon local arrived. We were pretty ecstatic to have reconnected after almost a month, which seemed straight out of a Manmohan Desai movie in which, out of nowhere, two strangers suddenly realise that they both have identical moles on their left bums… Bhai…mera bhai!And off we hopped onto a Kali-Peeli (Mumbai taxi) to Minara Masjid at Mohammad Ali Road to explore and enjoy heritage Mumbai.

As we got off the cab, we saw the beautiful masjid full of people, offering their evening prayers in unison. It looked so serene and divine that I could not help saying, Vicky, I always admire the people who undertake a rigorous month long fast, from dawn to sunset. That, according to me, is faith and that by doing so the faithful believe that they come closer to God and his blessings. Faith is something that is beyond the realm of science and reasoning. Vicky looked at me and smiled. He said, Sir, we are also one of the faithful. Otherwise how else can someone explain our landing up at Mohammad Ali Road every year at Ramadan without fail. Hmm … Vicky, you’re talking pretty deep…hmm…

The 250 years old Minara Masjid is one of Islam’s oldest places of worship in India. The masjid contains 21 tombs and is said to be the resting place of several Sufi saints. The masjid is an architectural marvel and during the period of Ramzaan comes alive even more with the road being illuminated with lamps of all types that brighten up the mosque and the streets. As the Iftar starts, the place is buzzing with hordes of devotees and an equal number of food lovers that walk the lanes to eat some of the best street food anywhere in the country. You name any food and it is readily available here… freshly cooked. The aromas of the dishes fill the air and the weak hearted may suddenly feel lost and suffocated in the din of the place. For the foodies, this is the ultimate paradise….keema parantha, tandoori kebabs, rolls, baida roti…the list is endless. This is the melting pot of humanity where the rich and the poor, the faithful and the foodie all come together in showcasing unity in diversity that is the true tehzeeb of this land.

Vicky, do you know after whom this famous street is named? Vicky once again looked at me and the music connoisseur that he is, said, Sir, Bob Marley once said, Life is one big road with lots of signs. So, when you are riding through ruts, don’t complicate your mind. I agree with Bob that things like who, what, why, which, where and when only complicate life. We are here to enjoy the food and not to worry about street names and their origins. 

Hmm..Vicky, deep and right thoughts indeed but since I have done some homework, allow me to share with you something about this road as we have some time on hand before they start serving us food at restaurants. Having lived in the city, I, too, have wondered who Mr Mohammad Ali was…was he one famous cook who brought the month-long festival to this part of the town because the other person with the same name I knew was The Greatest Man in boxing gloves who could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. Funnily, there is an ongoing dispute whether the road is named after Nakhoda Mohammad Ali Rogay or Mohammad Ali Jauhar. Mohammad Ali Rogay was a philanthropist and trader from Bombay who participated in trade with the early 19^th century with China and a prominent leader of Konkani Musalman community. Muhammad Ali Jauhar (1878-1931), on the other hand, was a prominent freedom fighter, member of the Khilafat Movement, President of Indian National Congress in 1923, founding member of All India Muslim League and one of the founders of Jamia Milia Islamia apart from his work to expand the Aligarh Muslim University. So, I once again agree with you Vicky that names do not matter, it is the matter that matters and here what matters is food and Noor Mohammdi beckons us to quickly grab the seats lest we miss the first serving of Iftar.

While we waited to be served, I gave Vicky one more piece of simple advice. The Japanese way of good living is called Ikigai which recommends that you should not eat to your full stomach’s capacity. In short, always eat light and stay healthy. Vicky once again looked at me with amusement and said, Sir, if we wanted healthy food, we should not have come here in the first place. Forget anything about going light here, Sir. Not eating brimful of Nalli Nihari and Haleem at Noor Mohammadi is like missing out the goodness and the real light in our lives.

Hmm….Vicky, mere shagird, that’s deep…very deep. You are sounding far too philosophical today and now let’s order the food we’ve come for. 

Noor Mohammadi is an iconic restaurant in Bhendi Bazar on Mohammad Ali Road. Started in 1923 by Rashid Abdul Karim of Moradabad, the restaurant completed a grand century recently serving authentic Mughlai and Nawabi cuisine. The interiors are quite modest but here you never look at the walls, the ceiling and the heat of the missing air-conditioner. You come here not for luxury but for good food and that is something you are never disappointed about. The present-day owners claim that it was their grandfather who brought the famous Nalli Nihari dish to Bombay. This is also the food joint where film stars and culinary artists come to enjoy the delicacies with fingers dipping in the slurpy gravy that no soap can cleanse in one go. Sometime in 1986, Sanjay Dutt came to the restaurant and declared that he was also a great cook. Based on his direction, a new chicken dish was made and later christened as Chicken Sanju Baba and added to the age-old menu. You can also find an original painting by one of Noor Mohammadi’s patron, MF Hussain apart from multiple awards decorated in this place where the prices are reasonable and the food simply outstanding.

After enjoying our gastronomic delights of Nalli and Haleem with tandoori roti, our stomachs now felt being stretched to almost its fullest. We decided to wrap up our early dinner here at NMH. With the evening setting in and every street being illuminated, it was now the time to take a leisurely walk around the khau galli to see the variety of food being served there. I warned Vicky in Robert Frost’s lines twisted to suit the mood, the lanes are narrow dark and deep to which he promptly replied, yes Sir, the streets are crowded and illuminated with endless places to eat. Hmm…todayVicky really seemed in the groove with some serious philosophical repartees...hmm. Without arguing much we walked around and saw the place bustling with life and energy. Vicky remembered his college days when they had little money in the pocket and all they could afford was goti kebab (you may check the dictionary for the translation) and, on a good day, a roll each. 

We, finally, went over to the sweetest place in this area, Usman Suleman Mithaliwala’s shop. This is a must go place when at Mohammad Ali Road. You will find a gold medal in a frame but could not make out for what they had won the same. The spread of sweets there was just phenomenal but what caught my attention, as it does every time I come here, is the making of the giant size malpua. I could see Vicky’s tongue drooling and said, Buddy, all good things in life are short and sweet. Vicky said, not always true, Sir. The malpua here is very sweet and very big at the same time. So let us take a plunge into this boiling kadai to enjoy the sweet malpua with rabdri. 

Hmm.. Vicky, do I see a halo behind thy head?

Suleman Bhai, a young bakery assistant from Poona came to Bombay in early 1930s in search of work. He started his small outlet outside the Minara Mosque. Slowly business picked up and a full-fledged outlet was established in 1936.The ‘Usman’ in the shop’s name was added as a mark of respect for his father. For close to 90 years, this family run sweet meat shop has been delighting its customers without fail. All their items are unique but for once even Vicky said that he could not eat anymore. The shahi tukda and their firni or kheer in mud vessels are some of the sweets to die for. Vicky suggested that we have their other special sweet called Aflatoon. This is an original sweet made by Suleman Bhai out of mawa, eggs, sugar, rawa, ghee and dry fruits that is kept in a desi oven. He named it after the Greek Philosopher Plato but also means maverick. Seeing Vicky in an Aflatoon avatar in his thinking like Plato today, I somehow avoided eating the sweet lest he move into an even a higher plane of philosophy.

Iftar is meant to be shared and not had individually. I remember when my office was in Lower Parel, not far from here, one planned evening of Ramadan would bring all the fasting folks here for a super meal. This tradition was something we all looked forward to and continued for many years till my office moved elsewhere. Today, both Vicky and I were apparently having fun while eating the ambrosia and yet at the same time were missing our families in all this celebration. Instead of enjoying the festivities any further, we quickly packed the best of food and sweets we had had and some more as well and went towards the station to catch the first train home. Both reached home in good time and enjoyed the sumptuous food with our loved ones. Ramadan Mubarak!

SS and Vicky