A colourful Iftar from Sri Lanka, the spice island

Dubai - Sri Lankan family ends fast with variety of specialities

Islam spread to Sri Lanka in the 7 AD with Arab traders. And now, the beautiful spice island boasts of a vibrant Muslim population.
On my next Iftar safari, I was invited to one such Sri Lankan family, which though lives in Dubai, is firmly rooted in the unique Muslim Sri Lankan identity.
The Mansoor family comprises Tuan Mansoor Haneez; his wife Fatima Fathina Mansoor, son Afzal Mansoor and his wife Maryam Shifa their two kids Haya and Isa; and Fatima's three younger sons Mohammed Aaqib Mansoor, Mohammed Assad Mansoor and Mohammed Aqeel Mansoor.
I reached the Mansoors an hour before Iftar, and to be honest I was a bit jittery as I had no idea about Sri Lankan culture, people and its cuisine. What would I ask, how should I behave, what kind of food would it be? Negative questions started popping up as I reached their apartment near Deira City Centre and stretched my arm to ring the bell.
As the door opened, my mind was at peace. Fatima, the lady of the house welcomed me in with her beautiful smile and open arms. It seemed as if she had known me for ages. I got more comfortable when I saw five other smiling women seated in the well-lit plush living room waiting for me to join them. These were Fatima's' daughter-in-law Maryam's mother Sitty Muzammila, sister (Hafsa) and friends, Batool and Arafa Anver, who had joined us for Iftar.
Busiest of all were Fatima and Maryam. I watched them rush to and from the kitchen to the dining table. The others were assigned with the task of giving me company and a little insight into Sri Lankan cuisine.
On asking about the staple Sri Lankan Iftar dish, the answer was a unanimous, kanji! Hafsa and Batool took turns to explain how tasty and healthy the dish is.
The beef kanji made by Fatima was a kind of porridge or stew made from garlic-flavoured rice (red and white rice mixed), beef, coconut milk and spices such as mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Kanji is then eaten with a chutney-like thick red paste called lunumiris made using spring onion, red chili, dry fish, salt and lemon. This paste is added like a garnish to the kanji and adds some spice to it. The description made me impatient to open the fast. The irresistible aroma wafting from the kitchen only made me more impatient.

The other Iftar items, the girls went on to describe, were fruit salads, cutlets, samosas, patties and rolls with different fillings.
Coming to the drinks part, Falooda sherbet is the popular Iftar dessert of Sri Lankans. It is a sweet drink made from rose sherbet syrup, milk, basil seeds, vermicelli noodles and jelly.
Hafsa told me that mostly Sri Lankans in the UAE go to only Sri Lankan stores for groceries. "There are certain Sri Lankan fruits and vegetables that we can get only from our Sri Lankan stores," she added.
While all this conversation was coming to a close with Iftar time just 3 or 4 minutes away, Fatima invited us to the dining area and made me sit on the plushest of seats, while taking a small stool for herself to sit next to me. I was touched by Fatima's hospitality, she constantly placed all the main dishes around me.
As we waited in silence waiting to hear the Maghreb Azaan (call for prayer), I realised that the constant chant in the background (which I thought was coming from the TV kept in another room) was actually Quran recitation (I presumed it was playing on the computer) and that at once filled my mind and soul with a sense of tranquility.
As the muezzin gave the call for prayer, we opened our fast and Fatima served me a hot bowl of kanji, garnishing it well with the Lunumiris. The dish certainly made my day.
When I was offered a glass of Falooda, I was a bit apprehensive because of its pink colour and musky smell, but it was delicious and refreshing. I guzzled it down quickly and I must say it quenched my thirst and refreshed me in a real 'sweet' way.
After the iftar, Fatima offered me special milk tea or even Sulaimani tea (green tea) - both made using special tea leaves that they recently got from her hometown Kandy. "No gathering is complete without a hot cup of the famous Sri Lankan tea," she said.
I happily accepted the offer and it was a brilliant conclusion to an extremely lavish Iftar coupled with lot of warmth and love.
saman@khaleejtimes.com

• Ramadan 2021