Sweet Ramadan

Fruit malais
During Ramadan, Tawakkal Sweets in Bohri Mohalla dishes up phirni and malpua outside the shop, but step inside. A row of shallow dishes in various colours will catch your eye. You'll find fruit malai (cream), ranging from pista and strawberry to mango and blueberry. Our favourite is the blackcurrant. The luscious and heavy fruit malai is so creamy that even though the staff try to cut it in squares when serving, it just won't take a perfect shape. But unlike many sweets that originate elsewhere, this is very much a Mumbai creation. Tawakkal's owner, Shabbir Mithaiwala, came up with it a few years ago after being inspired by flavoured ice creams. Though it's expensive (`920 per kg), it's yummy! But go for a small portion, there's more to try.

Mawa jalebi
Gulab jamun jalebis is the best way to describe these delicious coils of sweetness. Deep fried in ghee and filled with mawa, they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Once you take a bite, you won't be able to stop. We love them. In 2004, Burhanpur Jalebi Centre (BJC) set shop in the Minara Masjid lane and has only grown in popularity over the last decade. During Ramadan, they do away with their other sweet fares and concentrate only on two items: gulab jamun and the lovely brown mawa jalebi, a popular street-side sweet found all over Madhya Pradesh.

Saandal
In the maze of deep-fried, rich desserts offered at Mohammed Ali Road, this steamed sweet stands out. Made from rice flour, milk, mawa, malai and coconut milk, with an idli-like look and texture, saandal (also called saandan) is served with a layer of cream, and is topped with a sprinkling of pistachio and cherry. The Minara Masjid lane has about two or three stalls selling this every year. Light and fluffy, it's nice to dig into after a hearty meal of spicy gravies, baida rolls and kebabs. Once the de facto morning dessert in traditional Muslim Konkani homes, a high level of skill is required to get saandal right. These days, the younger generation of the community relies on trips to Mohammed Ali Road during Ramadan to get a bite of the dish.

Khajur milkshake
The person manning the tiny street-side stall, Pappu Juice, at Taherbhai Kapasi Chowk near Bohri Mohalla, is very confident that you won't find khajur milkshake anywhere else. But you will, just a little ahead. Yet he makes it well and as per your liking: thin and smooth or thick and coarse. At Rs60 a glass, it may seem a bit steep in comparison to other khau galli drinks, but it's worth it and his customers seem to think so too. How do we know? In less than 15 days, he ran out of dates that he had stocked up for this period, before the month of fasting began. You can go there anytime from 12pm to 4am and sip on this sweet, comforting shake.

Immam sharbat
This is what locals call the drink, possibly because the stall's name is Immam Sharbatwalla. But middle-aged Imran's grandfather, who came from Karnataka and started selling the drink at Bohri Mohalla in 1925, didn't feel the need to name it. And what's in a name anyway? Especially if Imran's claim that he sells 1,000 glasses a day during Ramadan is true. A merchant from nearby Null Bazaar says that he's been coming here since the last 55 years and "the taste hasn't changed." Even late at night, you'll find Imran breaking slabs of ice in a huge vessel, pouring on it orange-coloured jalebi chashni and milk that he mixes with fervour before filling up glass after glass and parcel after parcel in typical Mumbai style - quickly. He generously tops it with watermelon (and its seeds) before serving the constant flow of customers.

Bir and Sosyo
What makes these two soft drink brands special is that they are among the very few indigenous ones that have survived the onslaught of takeovers by MNCs like Pepsi and Coke. Bir, which is even more unheard of than Sosyo, only comes in 1.5 litre bottles in flavours of fresh lime, Tango Mango, watermelon, ice cream soda and masala soda. All flavours are amazing, yet Bir is difficult to find. But you'll get it at cold drink shops of Bohri Mohalla, as many from the community consume it on special occassions. Sosyo, known for its rum-like alcoholic taste despite being non-alcoholic, had its roots in pre-independence Surat. It was immediately popular then and many swear by it even now. Have it chilled, or it will taste like medicine!

Sikonjee
If all the feasting makes your stomach upset, Idris Cold Drink at Bohri Mohalla offers a tasty ale as solution–Sikonjee. Some may debate its delectability, but this bubbly concoction of Pudin Hara, black vinegar, lime, sugar and soda has a strong mint flavour. Introduced by Idris Kadiyani's father about 15 years ago, it is generally popular around Bakri Eid and among people with digestive disorders. Sikonjee, along with their other 28 flavours (of which butterscotch milkshake, Rimzim and falsa are the bestselling) are all made by Idris' mother. Until recently, they served all cold drinks with homemade soda that was poured from the tap, but now they use bottled soda due to the present shortage of water supply in the area. Go have your feast without fear!