- We’re half way into the Holy Month, let’s take a look at how small business owners are shifting pakoras by the kilogram every day
- Learn how small eateries stay afloat as customers during the day plummet
- The one-dirham snack can singlehandedly keep businesses going during this month
We’re halfway through and Ramadan is in full swing which means it’s impossible then not to notice the many iftar pop-ups around the Emirates.
But with no customers during fasting hours – and prices of only a single dirham – how do these plucky pop-ups pull it off?
As the evenings roll in, so do the snack tents on vacant lots. These stalls remain profitable by serving pakoras and samosas by the kilograms, moving hundreds upon hundreds each day. Every savvy business owner prepares for iftar by hours of labour, creating food ready for the people, and to be given out at neighbourhood mosques.
Men like Mr Moosa told The National that “This doesn’t stop”, as he gestured towards buckets and buckets of freshly fried pakora. Mr Moosa and those like him will sell upwards of 1,200 samosas. 500 luqaimat dumplings and countless pakora.
These one-dirham delights make up an evolving iftar plate, the UAE iftar plate has grown into an amalgamation of different foods thanks to the diversity of these street pop-ups. Ramadan isn’t big business for entire meals, but snack plates like this can be huge.
Again in the article from The National, “In Dubai, we’re eating everything,” said Abdul Samar Ali Asker, 58, a bakery employee who incorporates both Keralan and Emirati food into his evening iftar plate. Iftars have grown to cater to many tastes, with Emirati, South Asian, Iranian, and North and South Indian snacks all being up for grabs. “It’s crispy and people like to eat it,” said Mr Ammar’s colleague, Anwar, 23. “Arabic people nowadays, they are so used to these types of snacks.”
These cafeterias create snacks by the thousands, so you’re guaranteed to find something delicious during this Holy Month.
