On Mamdani’s plate, these Middle Eastern components were placed alongside South Asian staples. Mamdani showed plain muri, the kind that can accompany pakoras or be eaten by the handful. Mamdani’s choice to show plain muri signals cultural familiarity. Its presence also reads as a nod to the existence of New-Yorkers with muslim roots in Bangladesh, says Ishita Dey, faculty member at South Asian University’s Department of Sociology. His team is also planning Ramadan outreach to West African, South Asian, Middle Eastern and Black American Muslim communities.

Source: The Telegraph February 18, 2026 15:37 UTC