Eight shops stretching for several meters, providing more than 50 kinds of fried, grilled and steamed snacks
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The holy month of Ramadan instills a sense of belonging in residents, who often miss the comforts of home during this time. If you’re homesick this month, you don’t have to look far. This place in Sharjah has what you need.
The Pakistani streets of Al Mujarrah in Sharjah are usually quiet and deserted throughout the day. However, as the Asr Adhan was read, people of different nationalities from different parts of the city and the neighboring cities of Dubai and Ajman started buzzing. Residents visit this alley just to taste and take home good food.
Residents and those who work there say the alley has been dubbed “Pakistan Street” because of the number of restaurants in the area and the nationals who live there. Khaleej Times visited the area to find out how worshipers feel when they are away from home.
The street stretches for several meters, but there are eight shops offering more than 50 kinds of fried, grilled and steamed snacks. South Asians generally prefer this food when breaking their fast.
What to offer?
One can find anything to entertain their taste buds at Iftar. One of the most popular foods is the authentic samosa, which is widely eaten when breaking the fast in most countries.
Luqman Ali, Al Naseem Al Jaid Sweets said the most popular items were Aloo (potato) samosas, vegetable and ground meat samosas. “We sell tens of thousands of samosas. On average, a customer eats more than 10 samosas, depending on how many people he serves,” Ali said.
Prices for samosas start at AED 1.50 and go up to AED 3 depending on size and quantity. “The samosas here are prepared by experienced chefs who brought them from Pakistan during Ramadan,” Ali said.
Besides samosas, they also serve “authentic chicken wraps, chicken sticks, local pizza, brinjal fries, potato fritters, bell pepper stir fry, fruit chat, chana chaat, kheer, special dahi balla, chicken sandwich, spring rolls, jalebi and more “.
Another most popular item is Pheni (sweet roasted vermicelli), priced at Dh40 per kilo. “Pheni is the most common item during Ramadan at home. We have ready-made packages to avoid wasting time weighing during peak hours. Half a kilogram of pheni can feed six people, and we sell nearly 20 kilograms a day,” says Candy in Pakistan Sajid Khan, who works for the company, said.
Pheni is eaten by dipping it in milk, “and with the flavors we add, it’s delicious,” adds Khan, stressing that phulkiya is also a favorite delicacy to eat with milk or tea.
Vendors here also prepare drinks like Pakistani cream chat, different types of kebabs, falooda, rabdi doodh, lassi, etc. All these items start at Dh1 to Dh10. “For Dh15 a person can have a good iftar meal with a lot of variety,” Khan said.