Culture & terms · Malabar food glossary
Nombuthura
Also known as: Iftar, Nonputhura
The Malayalam word for iftar — the breaking of the daily Ramadan fast, the busiest snack window of the Malabar year.
Nombuthura is the Malayalam term for iftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan. In Mappila households on the Malabar coast it begins with dates and water or a glass of Sulaimani, followed by a spread of small savoury and sweet snacks before the main meal.
It is the single most important food occasion of the Malabar year — the moment for which Kozhi Ada, Unnakaya, Sukhiyan, Chatti Pathiri and the rest of the tea-time repertoire are cooked in volume.