In Srinagar’s Aali Kadal, an 80-year-old phirni legacy sweetens Ramadan evenings

Muheeb Malik

Srinagar, February 24: As dusk settles over the old city and the call to prayer approaches, a narrow lane in Aali Kadal fills with customers waiting patiently for a taste of a Ramadan tradition that has endured for over eight decades.

For the Sheikh family, phirni is not just a dessert — it is inheritance, livelihood and identity.

At the centre of the bustle is Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, who, along with his sons Showkat and Aabid, carries forward a family craft that has become a seasonal staple for many households breaking their fast.

“We have been making phirni for 61 years, and people come from all over Kashmir to buy it from us,” Nazir says, as large vessels of slow-cooked milk simmer behind him.

The fragrant pudding — made from ground rice and milk, and cooked for hours over a steady flame — is prepared using what Nazir calls a non-negotiable principle: purity. “We use only pure cow’s milk. Whether someone buys a small portion or a large one, the quality remains the same,” he says.

Nazir learnt the craft from his elder brother 45 years ago, inheriting not just a recipe but a reputation. Over the decades, the family has built a loyal customer base that swells during Ramadan, when hundreds line up each evening before iftar.

In a region where employment avenues are often limited and small family enterprises sustain generations, the phirni business has offered both continuity and dignity. Nazir has brought his two sons into the trade, ensuring the tradition remains intact.

“This has sustained our family for generations,” he says. “I want it to continue.”

In the old quarters of Srinagar, where Ramadan markets hum with activity, the Sheikh family’s phirni remains more than a dessert — it is memory served in an earthen bowl, sweetened by time.