Whether, it’s Jama Masjid, Jamia Nagar or Nizamuddin, the scene just before iftari in these places is always pulsating. From students, office goers to kids, everybody is busy buying iftar — keema pakora, pyazis, meetha samosa, jalebis. Some prefer to eat something heavy after Maghrib prayers, so apart from the snacks some also take home nihari, chicken achari, korma, kabas and biryani. Recently, Delhi Explorer, for whom Jamia Nagar has been home for the last 14 years went scouting for something new that these by lanes have to offer this Ramzan. Here’s a mix bag of old and new.
Anda parantha: It’s one of the most common street food of Delhi, then what’s different about it? Parantha is a parantha, what makes it different is how it is prepared. The parantha maker first spreads the dough balls, just like the way it is done for roomali rotis, then it’s put on a huge pan, an egg is broken on it, salt and red chilli is sprinkled on it and finally some chopped onions. Everything is spread over the parantha, then the parantha is folded from three sides. The fact that it is made like a roomali roti, gives so much room for it to be folded that way. Available at the parantha shop opposite to Delhi Nihari Hotel in Zakir Nagar. A single parantha costs Rs 15.
Chicken achari: Around 12-13 years ago, there were only two places in Jamia Nagar that sold Chicken achari — Bilal Hotel in Okhla Head and Meer’s Restaurant in Zakir Nagar. Now it is widely available. Grey in colour, made with curd, perhaps it could be called the cousin sister of chicken stew. The dominant spices of this dish are sauf and meethi dana, which gives it the achari flavour.

Aek glass garam doodh: Although, it is mostly seen during the winters, but makes an exception in this heat due to Ramzan. It’s buffalo milk served in an earthen cup with sugar and pieces of pista and khajoor, with a chunk of malai. It costs Rs 25/30 a plate. Another old accompaniment with hot milk is khajila/ khajla, which is had in sehri. It’s made of maida without sugar. There is a particular way of kneading the dough, due to which, when fried it inflates like Chole Bhature. It is meant to be soaked in milk and sugar, before you go to sleep, so that when you wake up in Sheri, it gets softened and tastes sweet.
Shawarmah: The Delhi version of shawarmah was made popular by Al Bake, it’s far different from the Central Asian shawarmah. The rise of Al Bake inspired many in Jamia Nagar to start a shawarmah centre, but none could survive. This Ramzan Delhi Explore saw a new one called Nayab Kitchens, close to the famous Unique Bakery of Zakir Nagar. In fact it tasted better than Al Bake’s shawarmah. It is priced at Rs 35 a plate.
Haleem/Daleem biryani: Jamia Nagar is the home for different types of biryani — masala, Muradabadi, yakhni and Haleem biryani of Meerut. Although, most haleem biryani is sold in carts in Jamia Nagar, there is one restaurant called Madina Hotel that serves haleem for Rs 30 and chicken biryani for Rs 100/kg.
Good old favourites of Jamia Nagar include Javed’s nihari, which is now Rs 50 a plate, Lucknowi galawati at Al Rasheeda, costs Rs 40 a plate, Nanhe’s seekh kabab at Abul Fazal 1, costs Rs 10 a piece, FKC’s chicken tikka roll at Tikona Park, costs Rs 40 a piece and Rabri Faluda at the corner of Zakir Nagar’s Jama Masjid, costs Rs 40 a glass.