Mumbai’s star pudding

A two-minute walk from the shop,at Suleman Usman Mithaiwala’s kitchen,many more such stacks are under preparation. A long and narrow room,it is lined with three gas stoves as 10 staffers work without a pause. Some stir the milk in massive 40 litre-kadhais while others sort the ingredients. Some line up mud handis for the ready phirni to be poured in and a few sit in a corner,chopping pistachios,almonds and cashews. “During Ramzan,the kitchen is operational for close to 18 hours a day. There is a huge demand for sweets,especially the phirni,and we work from 8 am to 2 am,” says 60-year-old Ali Jabbar,the head of the kitchen.

Known better as Babu Ustad in the neighbourhood,he has been working with Suleman Usman Mithaiwala for 48 years.

Although Suleman Usman Mithaiwala sells many sweets,it is the thick and creamy phirni that has come to be synonymous with Ramzan feasting in Mumbai. The owner,Asif Mithaiwala,says that it was Jabbar’s father who brought with him the recipe when he migrated from Lucknow to Mumbai. “Having worked in the kitchens of nawabs,his family had a treasure trove of recipes for sweets. Babu Ustad’s father joined our kitchen the day we started the shop and soon,his malai phirni became the talk of the town and a specialty at iftaar parties,” he says.

Over the years,other shops started selling copycat preparations of the phirni. But that didn’t affect the popularity of Suleman Usman Mithaiwala — others have been unable to emulate the richness of flavours and the creamy,almost jelly-like consistency of their phirni,priced at a mere Rs 20 to Rs 35 per plate. At present,their kitchen sells more than 500 litres of phirni a day during the holy month and the number witnesses a rise of up to 200 litres during the last five days of Ramzan.

The popularity of the sweet,say the owners,has stayed over years because the orginal recipe has not been altered,although new flavours,such as chocolate,black current,kesar,strawberry and mango are now available. “The only change is the replacement of coal with gas stoves .That has altered the dense flavours,but it is better than coal for the health of the workers,” says Jabbar.

While the kitchen is dominated by Muslim workers,only few of them fast during the holy month. “It is difficult,given the long hours they keep and the heat from the stoves,” Jabbar says.