An Iftar Walk through Old Delhi with Chef Sadaf Hussain
Sadaf Hussain takes us on a walk through Lajpat Nagar & Old Delhi’s Matia Mahal in time for Iftar.
Over the last 13 years, I can see clearly how Ramzan has evolved from a Muslim-only festival to one that the crowds throng to, to celebrate with us. People want to visit because they want to be part of the festivities, that celebratory iftar vibe.
In Old Delhi, no one sleeps. During the month of Ramzan, the restaurants are open till 6 am, from iftar, all the way until sehri. And then, they open again by 2 pm. It’s a sea of people; there’s no getting around it. You’re bound to bump into people, but there is something incredible about being part of that kind of atmosphere in the middle of a city.
I’ve noticed that it isn’t just the food that people come for; there is so much curiosity. One question I am asked every time I do a walk is: “You’re not even allowed water during Ramzan?” People want to know how we pass the days, the month; they are curious about the daily rituals of Ramzan, why we eat what we eat. They are always surprised that the home Iftar is not meat-heavy, and is in fact, largely vegetarian — sometimes even switching to vegan.
In Old Delhi, iftari food isn’t spicy, and that always surprises people. But chillies only came here at the end of the Mughal era, with the Marathas. Another myth that we bust on my walks through Old Delhi is that is it a Muslim-only area; I always end my walk at a Radhakrishna Mandir, and that is always a surprise.
Sadaf Hussain is the author of Daastan-E-Dastarkhan and a TEDx speaker.
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