Many Muslim people around the world, including in Birmingham, follow Ramadan - which is a period of fasting and abstaining from things considered impure. During that time, they don’t eat or drink during daylight hours.
This year, the month of Ramadan starts on March 23 and will go on till April 21. Every day, those doing the fast break it in the evening at a specific time, based on the Islamic calendar. The meal to break the fast is called Iftar and as during other times, only Halal products are consumed.
Thanks to the large multicultural population in Birmingham, there are several Halal restaurants to go to for the Iftar meal.
Here are 10 restaurants in the city the break Ramadan fast:
1. The Coconut Tree, Gas Street
The Coconut Tree (TCT) is introducing an Iftar menu to allow diners to break their fasts in its Birmingham restaurant in Gas Street during Ramadan. The Iftar menu will come in at £25 for two, and children under 10 will also be able to eat free. It includes dates with milk, lamb cutlets or Wadey Wadey, 5C’s Sambol, chicken curry on the bone or cashew nut curry, Parippu Dhal, chicken Kotthu or vegan Kotthu, and vegan fried rice.
2. Qavali, Brindleyplace
It is an Indo-persian restaurant located in one of the most happening places in the city. Their food has traveled the same path as Qawaali music, meaning it has travelled over the mountains of Turkey and Iran, the plains of Afghanistan; and alas, the dewy fields of India and Pakistan. The food is fragrant, delicious and authentic. Location - 9 Brindley Place, Broad Street (Photo - Unsplash/ Mario Raj)
3. Mishti Desh, Small Heath and Lozells
Mishti Desh on Coventry Road offers finest traditional curries and sweets from all corners of Bangladesh and India. It offers both Bangladeshi and West Bengali cuisine - and no Bengali meal is truly over without dessert. They have Halal options for sweets as well and are the oldest Bangladeshi sweet centre in the West Midlands. Location - Coventry Road.
4. Itihaas restaurant on Fleet Street
Itihaas meaning history in Hindi, serves Halal options at the Jewellery Quarter restaurant. The cuisine originates from the Moghul Era when Indian dining was imperial and extravagant, and they offer great vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. They have some set meals as well. This writer would recommend the Chicken Biryani from Itihaas. Location - 18 Fleet Street, Birmingham.