Ramadan = Biryani?!

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar. It is not just about fasting which Muslim practice from dawn to sunset, but a time for showing compassion, leaning to be patient and forgiving.

Charity and good deeds are always important in Islam but they have more significance in the holy month. For instance many mosques and charitable organisations along with individuals offer free meals (often in the form of a fast-breaking dinner called iftar) to the needy and poor throughout the course of Ramadan.

In non-Muslim countries like the UK or the States or Singapore, Muslims in general gather at the mosque and take part in the communal breaking of fast as this is an excellent opportunity to meet and interact with fellow Muslims. Here in the UAE, most people break fast at home with family and the majority of those who take iftar in the mosque are male labour and workers from South Asian countries.

There are some traditional and special dishes, both savoury and sweet, that are prepared particularly during Ramadan and they vary from one country to another.

In the Arabian Gulf because of the substantial presence of Pakistanis, Indians and other South Asians, 'biryani' is one such dish that can never be missed. Initially and traditionally biryani was a deluxe, rich dish that was enjoyed only on special occasions, but today it's a popular and staple meal readily served in any Persian or South Asian restaurant / eatery.

Biryani served at a mosque...

However, no matter how good the quality or how tasty it may be or how starving you are, eating biryani every single day as a first meal of the day not only raise some serious health concerns but it's a sheer challenge.

The other day I paid a visit to a Pakistani friend of mine whose brother is a resident imam in charge of a mosque in Al Barsha. Last Ramadan I had also visited this family to join iftar. When the iftar was delivered, I was taken aback and then dismayed at the biryani - everything about it, the way it was served, the quality of the rice or meat or every single characteristic, was intact as the previous year's!

It seems public cooking at mosques is not allowed in the UAE, so biryani (or iftar meals) is catered. Evidently by the same caterers at my friend's mosque... If I was not mistaken, the imam looked totally put off by the daily intake of biryani. And who could blame him??

When I lived in London or Pakistan, I loved biryani so very much. When I shifted to Singapore later and did work as a volunteer helping with iftar during Ramadan, I ended up eating biryani 30 days in a row.

In Singapore, a group of caterers actually prepared biryani on the mosque premises and they used good-quality ingredients including vast quantities of expensive nuts, sultanas or raisins. However, enough is enough! Since then I've been meticulously avoiding biryani whenever I come across it!

Ramadan in Qatar

I went to Qatar from 20th August. As I got to Doha, I felt the weather even hotter than in Dubai. The car I hired came with no smoke or tinted windows that could've helped cut down the sun's harsh glare or the building up of the heat.

My flight was early in the morning and I'd been quite busy lately, so I decided to stay and chill out in the hotel until evening. After all, it was amidst the holy month of Ramadan.

During Ramadan Muslims across the world fast from dawn to sunset. This year, the holy month fell during the harsh summer, so there's hardly any activity going on during the day. The city is as quiet or dead as a ghost town, at least until later in the evening.

All the GCC countries in the Arabian Gulf are similar to the point they are almost identical, ie, there's nothing much new or different from one country to another. Each mall may have a unique name, but once you've walked inside, all the outlets are identical, all the same, way-too-familiar chains of shops be it a boutique or a restaurant or a café. You wouldn't need a menu – you know too well what they have to offer.

Having said that, of course I didn't come to Qatar to lock myself up in the hotel room! I was feeling tired and lethargic, but managed to get ready and stepped out to a mall. It was just about the time to break fast, so seemingly people were having dinner at home and the mall was nearly empty.

Skyscrapers along Doha Corniche

Here by some strange quirk I came across a group of Qatari women. This mall was located in the middle of a residential area, a bit away from downtown Doha, a neighbourhood that was lined with 'villas' for local Qataris. And not many tourist visit Qatar at this time of year.

They may've got curious about me as obviously I was a 'stranger', a woman seemingly travelling alone in the month of Ramadan (in Arab culture, Ramadan, just like Christmas, is a time for families to get together, and women don't really go out on their own). Those women were sisters in their 30s/40s and they insisted that I should come with them to their home which was just around the corner from the mall.

A typical house of a local Arab family in this part of the world is a huge mansion compared with western standard. According to the sisters, they usually gather here at their parents' and break fast together during Ramadan. I was told the surrounding 2-3 mansions were their brothers'. It was already well past sunset and everyone had finished dinner and was chilling out chatting over tea and coffee and many other interesting Arabic drinks and sweets. In addition to the several sisters, there were some 25 female family members including sisters-in-law and children. Their mother was an elderly woman but such an incredibly adorable and sweet grandma – I absolutely loved her!

Whenever there is someone unrelated to the family, customarily even at home men and women separate following the teachings of Islam. The huge sitting room was evidently for women and children only, and here I was introduced to every female member of the family and little boys that were present. All the male family were presumably gathering in a separate lounge entertaining male guests or neighbours. Some households have lounges (more like halls) that are large enough to accommodate up to 70-100 (or more) people at a time.

When at home or in a room where there're no men, Muslim women are not required to cover up the hair or the face or the entire body. Underneath the black 'abaya' (a type of very thin long coat Arab women wear in public) they were wearing very colourful dresses.

It was well past 22.00 and as I wanted to go to a local souq (bazaar) in central Doha, regrettably I had to get going. This lovely family invited me for the fast-breaking dinner the following day, and happily I accepted. I was truly grateful for their hospitality and will always cherish this very special moment.

Time to eat!

Unfortunately this is the only photo I could take as you are not supposed to take photos of Muslim women, especially if and when they are not properly covered.

The photo shows only a preparation stage and lots more dishes and sweets followed one after another.