Sunday special: In search for the best Nihari in town

The thick spicy stew garnished with fresh green chillies, ginger, lemon juice is best for weekend brunches

ISLAMABAD: Sunday mornings are made for turning off all alarms, sleeping in till late, and heading out for a hearty brunch. And what better way to start your day than with a delicious, hearty meal with your family and friends? Since today’s hectic life hardly gives one time for a proper breakfast, Sunday is the only day when one can go out for a morning feast and nihari is the perfect feast that can pull even the laziest ones out of the bed!

Essentially, Nihari is a spicy stew made from lamb or beef shank seasoned with fried green chillies, onion, coriander, raw ginger and lemon juice and a thin floating layer of cooking oil on the top. Did I hear ‘Cholesterol? If Pakistanis start worrying about cardiac problems, we will be left with nothing to eat and will have to migrate to the nearest Chinese city.

Nihari is cooked for long periods of time to reach perfection and that is precisely why finding an ideal bowl of nihari can be a challenge especially in Islamabad because the city starves for authentic desi culinary experiences, but if you head out to Pindi, you’re bound to find the most delectable Nihari at Kala Khan Nihari in Kartar Pura, Rawalpindi.

Although the ambiance is not quite ideal for families and ladies and it is congested to scare anyone away, there is no denying the fact that its nihari is unrivalled across Rawalpindi and Islamabad when it comes to the taste. Kala Khan Nihari has been offering nihari to people of Rawalpindi every morning since the past twenty-five years and its fame attracts nihari fans from other cities too. A bowl of nihari is served with the common nihari condiments of ginger, lemon and green peppers along with sesame seed naan. Visitors enjoy the decicious Kala Khan Lassi with this combination to make the most of their street food experience. In Ramadan, people start pouring in to have sehri there at 10pm and it fills up by 11.30 at night, which speaks volumes about its popularity.

Speaking of the best nihari in the twin cities, one can’t ignore Mohammadi Nihari. Located in commercial market in Rawalpindi and I-10 in Islamabad, Mohammadi Nihari has been serving people delicious nihari to people for breakfast since years. Cooked to perfection, Mohammadi Nihari is served with naan, kulchay or plain roti as per the preference of the customers.

What is interesting about Nihari is that even posh restaurants have started offering it due to its popular demand. Street 1 Café in Kohsar Market is famous for its weekend breakfast, which offers Nihari till 3 pm on Sundays. It’s their most popular item on the menu because it caters to the concerns of true isloo-ites towards cleanliness and excess oil. Street 1’s nihari is not just absolutely delicious but it is healthy as it is cooked in olive oil. Served in white bowls with a freshly baked basket of naan, Street 1 Cafe combines elegance and taste (not to mention less cholesterol!) to one of Pakistan’s most loved dishes.

While on the topic of healthy and hygienic nihari, Go Organic in F-10 also offers nihari that is not just hygienic and healthy but also very light served with delicious and piping hot pooris and is definitely an interesting take on the dish by the newly developed organic food restaurant.

With all these interesting options in the twin cities, who can afford to sleep in till late and let all the delicious nihari get sold out?

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2016.