While following a ritual fast like Ramadan, keeping in mind how to break the fast properly is very important. If you haven’t eaten anything since Suhoor before dawn and your first meal of the day is only going to happen after the moon is visible, then the first thing you have for Iftar matters a lot. This is the reason why most Muslim households, especially in India, prepare something called Pyar Mohabbat Sharbat. Also known as Mohabbat Ka Sharbat, this drink is packed with watermelons, rose syrup and milk—making it refreshing, flavour-packed and nutritious all at the same time.
The story behind the popularity of Pyar Mohabbat Sharbat is so vivid that tracing its origins is very difficult. The most famous version is perhaps found in Old Delhi, where a man named Nawab Qureshi from Uttar Pradesh has a cart that reportedly sells the authentic version of the drink. Many experts, however, argue that Pyar Mohabbat Sharbat actually originates in Uttar Pradesh and Qureshi only popularized it in the Jama Masjid area of Old Delhi. Others still argue that this drink, also known as Sharbat-e-Mohabbat in some places, can still be found on the streets of Hyderabad.
Whatever the true origins of the drink may be, it is beyond argument that the drink is immensely popular in the oldest Islamic centres of India, whether it’s Old Delhi, Aligarh or Hyderabad. The reason behind the drink’s popularity is not an exciting origin story but the fact that it is a nutritious drink that packs flavours and is ritually consumed during Ramadan as one of the most popular Iftari drinks from around the world. While Muslims in the UAE drink Jallab made of mollasses and those in Egypt drink Kharoub, Indian Muslims drink Pyar Mohabbat Sharbat.
The drink is primarily made of milk, which ensures that you get a punch of protein to break your fast with. Watermelons, which are always in season during Ramadan, are a natural fruity addition to the drink. However, instead of watermelon juice, the drink calls for chunks of watermelon. But perhaps the ingredient that makes Pyar Mohabbat Sharbat so unique—and in fact gives it its name—is a rose syrup called Rooh Afza. Red rose symbolizes love and red is the colour of love, and that’s how the drink got its beautiful, poetic name. It is this bright red syrup that gives the drink its signature pink colour and very rosy taste. Without this ingredient, the drink would just be a regular watermelon milk shake!
Pyar Mohabbat Sharbat is one of the most iconic drinks and a must-have during Ramadan. If you want to whip it up for Iftar today, try this easy recipe.
Ingredients:
500 ml milk, chilled
1/3 cup Rooh Afza
1 cup watermelon cubes, chilled
1 tbsp sugar (optional)
½ cup ice cubes
1 tsp rose petals
Method:
1. Place the chilled milk and sugar in a large jar.
2. Mix well until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Now add the Rooh Afza and mix well.
4. Once the milk has turned pink, add the watermelon cubes and ice cubes.
5. Mix again, sprinkle rose petals on top and serve the Pyar Mohabbat Sharbat chilled.