Iftari: Akhni is being sold per kg in Sylhet

Fasting is going on. And the variety of food that is seen in Iftar and Sahri during fasting, is not very visible at other times of the year. At this time, the spirit of preparing Iftar at home is falling, and there is a competition to sell delicious food in restaurants. Be it iftar or sahri food, local foods play a big role in this.

Like other regions of Bangladesh, Sylhet also has a distinct food tradition. Foods like mudri, onion or chickpeas are popular in Iftar, along with a large selection of local dishes. Akhni is essential in Iftar in Sylhet region. Apart from this, it is a special dish of Sylhet for any occasion including birthday, Akika, Shirni. With the evolution of time, new items have been added to the list of food, but the value of Akhni in Sylhet has not decreased so much. So in this fast, there will be akhni wherever it is at home or restaurant, iftar.

Sylhet city's iftari market has been filled with spicy flavors since the first day of fasting. Around 4 pm to 4:30 pm Iftari market becomes crowded in different areas of the city. However, as the famous restaurants are in the city's Jindabazar, that area is quite busy before Iftar. Traditional Akhni is prepared and sold in all restaurants including famous Pansi, Palki, Panch Bhai in Sylhet. In restaurants, 40 to 60 items of bahari iftar items are arranged in rows. However, among these foods, the demand for Akhni is high. Akhni is sold as kg in restaurants in Sylhet city. Beef and mutton akhni are sold at Tk 340 per kg and chicken akhni at Tk 300 per kg. However, the prices vary slightly depending on the restaurant.

Jahangir Ahmed, manager of Pansi restaurant in the city, said, 'Akhni is important as an item of iftar to send one's own food or to relatives' house in Ramadan. This is the traditional food of this region. Beef, mutton, chicken akhni are available in various restaurants in Sylhet. We are now selling beef and chicken akhni. Apart from Akhni, thin khichuri, special jilapi, potato chop, panioni are the most sold items for iftar.

Akhni is usually made with fragrant rice, chicken, beef or mutton. However, the people of Sylhet think that cooking akhni with beef is more delicious. Much like biryani, akhni is a spicy dish. It is also a bit rough to eat. Small pieces of meat are used with fragrant rice to make akhni. Akhni can be made with Kalijira and sugar powder rice. Along with onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, beans, nutmeg, ghee, oil and other spices.

Tabassum Mim of Jalalabad area of the city said, "Akhni is made in our house whenever there is any event." Not everyone can make it right. If any ingredient including spices, meat, rice, water is too little during cooking, both its taste and beauty are lost. So skill in making akhni is very much required. My mom can make very funny stories. It is first in the list of food at Iftari.

Not only Akhni but Thin Khichuri is also quite popular iftar item in Sylhet region. It is also regularly prepared at home. Apart from this thin khichuri is available to buy in the restaurant as a kg.

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