Semiya, A Must-Have Delicacy During Ramadan In Delhi

By M. Santhiran NEW DELHI, June 25 (Bernama) -- With Muslims throughout the world observing the holy month of Ramadan, here in the Indian capital, traders are also selling all kinds of local delicacies including "semiya" (vermicelli dish), for breaking-of-fast. For the last one week, Muslims have been sharing all kinds of recipes and tips via social media in preparing meals to break their fast, with their Delhi counterparts preferring to eat at home with their family rather than at restaurants. At the local market near the 18th century-old mosque of the iconic Old Delhi, hundreds of makeshift stalls have sprung up with several of the stalls only selling "semiya". According to a local Muslim who wished to be known as "Rohit", semiya is generally prepared during Ramadan (called Ramzan here), and eaten during sahur (pre-dawn meal) too. "It's very simple to prepare, just soak the vermicelli in fresh milk with some sugar. It's really delicious. "On other days, it is fried with sugar and served as dessert," he said. According to traders, the locally-made "semiya" costs less than the product brought from Hyderabad and Ahmedabad because of their specialty. The local semiya costs 50 to 80 rupees (US$0.78 to US$1.25) per kg, while the quality "semiya" costs about 150 rupees per kg (about US$2.35). Roasted "semiya" is also popular among locals, and traders said the delicacy was much sought after and cost up to 150 rupees. A trader said over the last few days, he had been selling 50 kg to 100 kg of "semiya" per day and the amount expected to double in the next few days. "Semiya is a popular delicacy since it can be prepared in so many ways and much sought after by the middle and lower-income groups," he said. According to the last census, India has 180 million Muslims, forming 14.88 per cent of the total population, with the majority of them being Hindus. "This holy month of Ramzan is very important for Muslims as it's not only a month for celebration with family and friends, but also a reminder on the sufferings and hardships of the poor and less fortunate, especially in countries still facing war and conflicts," said a local imam at the Jama Mosque. -- BERNAMA