Javed's Nihari

Karim’s…Mughlai Cuisine…Moti Mahal…no doubt are one of those finest places to dine in for dinner, but as I traveled today in the downtown of Jamia Milia, I came across this area packed with food and people. Yes, the lanes of Zakirnagar in Batla House are one of the most crowded places in South Delhi and this brings me closer to ‘Javed Bhai ki Nihari’. What young and old, people of all ages crave this. Javed ki Nihari as the name says was started by Javed Bhai.

He has this small place for ‘take away’. Dining in is one of the most difficult tasks on Saturdays and Sundays and finding a place is like an achievement in itself. I could see many young guys chit chatting here. The place is is a small area where Javed Bhai has his handi and a big tandoori roti opening. One side you have this big handi in which the nihari is filled in and the other side is the roti area. People, when coming to this place make sure have atleast an hour to spare even when thinking to have a take away. The crowd consists mostly of the local residents of Zakir Nagar and Batla House.

I realized the value of ‘Javed Bhai ki Nihari’ when I came across this young chap who had come along with his friends all the way from Kolkata to visit New Delhi as a tourist and traveled all the way from Old Delhi to Zakir Nagar just to taste this delicacy. These guys even got it packed when heading back. ‘Bahut suna tha iske baare mein, aaj taste bhi kar liya’ was the reply of this guy.

Nihari is made from the thigh meat of the mutton/beef smashed in a gravy and grounded for hours. It is not an easy task and not all can make it. People like Javed have expertise in this and serve the masses on such a large scale that according to him ‘ye to hamara roz ka hai, isme koi nayi baat nahin’ was the answer when asked on how difficult it is to make Nihari.

‘Hum to almost har Sunday shaam yahin nazar aate hain, khaane ka khaana aur doston se milna hojata hai’ – Ashraf, a Jamia student/Local resident.

Nihari, comes from the urdu word ‘nahar’ which means ‘morning’. This is that delicacy which is to be had in the early hours of the day.

This reminds me of ‘Kallu ki Nihari’ from Old Delhi. Kallu serves it in the early hours and by mid day has nothing left. He says that ‘Nihari toh nahar mu khaane ki cheez hai, shaam mein nihari bechne ka koi tuk nahin banta’.

And the number of people seen outside his restaurant in the early chilling hours is a remarkable thing in itself.

Winters are no doubt meant for enjoying the incredible delicacies. Be it the ‘garma garam roti’ served before meal which is bit by bit eaten before the main meal arrives.

There is surely one thing common among the local residents of Zakir Nagar in winters and it is this Nihari.

During the festive month, the number of people turn out to be so many that it is almost impossible to deal them and so the closing hours of the place is pro longed.

Surely, one thing cannot be decided about Delhi. Is it the people who love food or the food loves the people of Delhi.

I myself had a plate of Nihari and it costed me merely Rs.100. If in this amount you can achieve peace and contentment by having the best delicacy of the area at this rate, then I suppose people dining at 5 stars or maybe at better of restaurants need to rethink for once atleast.