Tag Archives: education
Enchanted with Pakistani snacks
Enchanted with Pakistani snacks Lily B. Libo-on / 20 July 2013 A thousand Muslim residents and expatriates from Ras Al Khaimah to Dubai queue up before stalls of traditional Pakistani snacks two hours before Iftar at Pak Ghazi Restaurant & Sweets along Bank Square in Rolla. Daily, 2,500 pieces of samosa , 50 kilograms of pakoras and a thousand packs of chazaris, phenis, chapli kebab and many other Iftar snacks are sold in less than an hour. Even Omani and Saudi nationals on holiday in the UAE come to this place to take a bite and buy parcels for their families. From Emiratis to Muslim expatriates in Sharjah, Ajman, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, as well as travellers to Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi have their Iftar fill at this one-stop shop of Pakistani traditional snacks. Between 35 and 40 Pakistani workers serve these growing number of customers, fully satisfied with the special recipes mainly from Ghazi Mohammed Azmal, now 65, who has gone home to Pakistan and left the business to his six sons. The main restaurant started with the popular biryaini , fry chops and korma together with salted roasted meat as its main cuisine, which became popular among Emiratis, Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis and Arab residents, expatriates and visitors to Sharjah 40 years back. Mohammed Azam Ghazi, one of Azmal’s sons managing the main restaurant for seven years, says that their clients increased by 15 to 20 per cent every year, prompting his other brothers to open a branch in another part of Rolla and another branch near National Paints. “As we expanded ten years after the main restaurant started, we just maintained the quality of service and offered more like mutton chapli kabab , katchoris , meat samosa , vegetable samosa , chicken chapli kebab , shami kebab, pakoras, which are popular traditional Pakistan and Indian snacks, particularly during Iftar,” Ghazi says. This 40-year-old main restaurant and the two 30-year-old branches in Sharjah are faring well, particularly during Ramadan when queues become long two hours before Iftar. An Emirati customer, Abdullah, says that he really likes the specially cooked samosas . “I come here daily to buy for my family’s Iftar snacks. I won’t get tired coming daily for a satisfying food.” Farooq Azam, 53, an old customer and on gold business in the UAE for 33 years, says that he spends Dh100 daily to buy meat samosa , chop fry mutton, halim , and traditional sweet jilabi . “I drive all the way from my home in Ajman to Sharjah just to buy these Pakistani snacks for my family’s Iftar daily. I have been a loyal customer since this restaurant began,” he adds. Indian Sayed, who always comes to buy samosa and phenis , says that his family is taking phenis during Suhoor time before the morning prayer. “This pheni is a very popular food because when we eat it in the morning and fast, you cannot feel any hunger throughout the day.” To keep his customers for years, master chef Tariq has been faithfully keeping the main recipes of the old owner, Ghazi Mohammed Azmal, who envisioned and introduced them to Sharjah in 1970. He blends all things, from vegetables to potatoes and meat, and with the secret recipes make thousands of these traditional food to the delight of all. — lily@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Pipe burst floods mall area
Pipe burst floods mall area Nivriti Butalia / 20 July 2013 Weekend plans to visit Ibn Batuta Mall were severely disrupted for some by a water pipe that burst on Thursday and was still causing problems on Friday evening — leaving hundreds of motorists trapped in traffic. The burst pipe released a torrent of water that submerged cars, stranded visitors and rendered the main road unusable, when it was unleashed about 9.30pm on Thursday. At 3.30pm on Friday, there was a line of at least 100 cars on the way to Ibn Batuta. Exit 25 of Shaikh Zayed Road was a congested mess, with cars along the right-most lanes turning towards the Gardens and Jebel Ali village coming to an almost standstill, while traffic on the other three lanes on the left were zipping along as usual. Discovery Gardens resident Ruel Pableo, who was stuck in the congestion for almost half-an-hour, said the main road exiting Discovery Gardens, next to the mall, was still flooded. Police had cordoned off the main road with police tape, rerouting traffic through to the second exit — a much narrower and indirect thoroughfare. “Most people didn’t know what was going on, because it happened so late at night.” He said it was just like a “morning rush” on a Friday afternoon. He could still see some of the remaining water on the main road from the incident that happened a day before. A trip that would usually take 10 minutes took him more than three times the duration because the route was much more indirect. Although the mall had issued no formal statement, there were fewer cars in the parking lot on Friday. Two of the mall security guards told Khaleej Times that while there was definitely no rush at all, this may or may not have been due to the floods. One of the guards, who left work at 1am, said when he got on to the road on his way back home to Ghusais, he felt he was “on an island — there was that much water everywhere. It’s an unusual sight in these parts”. On his way to work on Friday morning, the company bus had to take a different route to reach the mall. Taxi drivers were heard refusing to ferry customers along the stretch of Shaikh Zayed Road that involved exits 25 and 27, advising people instead to use the trains and save time otherwise doomed to be spent on the road in traffic. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority VP — Marketing and Corporate Communications Khawla Al Mehairi said the flooding was due to a “breakage” in one of the lines. “However, we responded fast and the matter was under control. The main cause is still unknown and the matter is under investigation. However, the water services supply is not impacted because our system is very reliable and the area won’t suffer from any water shortage.” When contacted for further detail, an authority spokesman refused but said more information would be forthcoming once the investigation had been conducted. nivriti@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Dewa’s Ramadan drive targets consumption of power, water
Dewa’s Ramadan drive targets consumption of power, water Staff Reporter / 19 July 2013 “This Ramadan, let your good deeds outweigh your consumption.” This is the message that goes out to the consumers of power and water in the emirate as part of an awareness campaign launched the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) to promote rational electricity consumption during the holy month. The campaign will include several awareness lectures targeting the staff of government departments of Dubai, along with awareness programmes in mosques, and at Aswaaq and Union Coop supermarkets. Dewa is also sending out conservation tips to the consumers through newspapers. In cooperation with the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dewa has also participated in activities at a Ramadan tent for workers who reside in the Sonapur-Muhaisnah area. This is part of Dewa’s strategy to spread awareness among residents in Dubai on rational electricity and water consumption, conserving natural resources, and protecting the environment, the authority said in a Press statement. “The launch of the awareness campaign is in line with the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to achieve the sustainable development in the emirate,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of the authority. “The campaign is part of our strategy to rationalise the consumption of electricity and water and use them effectively, complementing our goal to become a world-class sustainable utility. We spare no effort in preserving our valuable natural resources and protecting our environment to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.” Khawla Al Mehairi, Vice-President of Corporate and Marketing Communications at Dewa, said: “The campaign reflects Dewa’s commitment to supporting the sustainable development efforts of Dubai and raising awareness on the rational use of energy resources. We are keen to work with government and private organisations in these fields, especially during Ramadan, as prudent consumption is reflected in the teachings of our religion, which forbids all forms of waste.” Al Mehairi pointed out that rational use of electricity and water should not be limited only to Ramadan, but should be extended as a lifestyle approach by individuals throughout the year. sajila@khaleejtimes.com Hadith to get the message across dubai — In an attempt to instil the sense of conservation among the believers, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has resorted to a hadith reported by Ibn Majah. In a handout to the public that was distributed to newspaper readers, the authority quoted the hadith which describes how the Prophet (PBUH) questioned Sa’d for wasting water while performing ablution. The hadith from Albani-Al-Saheena (No.3292), reads likes this: When the Prophet passed by Sa’d performing ablution, he said, “What is this wastefulness?” Sa’d replied, “Can there be wastefulness while performing ablution?” The Prophet replied, “Yes, even if you perform it on the bank of a flowing river.” The handout was distributed as part of Dewa’s conservation campaign in Ramadan under the slogan “This Ramadan, let your good deeds outweigh your consumption.” The handout also carried the following tips for avoiding wastage of power and water: > Always keep your airconditioning on 24 degrees in occupied areas and 28 degress or higher in the unoccupied ones; > Save up to 50 per cent water by using the dual flush system; > Use a broom to clean your driveway and garden pavements; > Instal aerators in kitchen and bathroom faucets; > Use low-wattage, energy-efficient bulbs; > Unplug all appliances that are not in use or switch them off from the source; > Take the stairs instead of the elevator; and > Water your garden early in the morning or evening. sajila@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
