It’s eat, pray, love at Batla House

NEW DELHI: A little before the city winds down, hundreds throng the narrow, labyrinthine lanes of Batla House to break their roza (fast) and many swarm this predominant Muslim locality to relish the evening meal or iftari during Ramzan. The aromatic whiff of haleem, melt-in-mouth kebabs, mouth-watering nihari and lip-smacking delicacies draw food lovers to this place for a filling gastronomical experience.And if the crowd doesn’t bother you, Batla House is your destination.
The excitement and the Ramzan festivity are palpable. A sea of people, who arrive in autorickshaws, cars and motorcycles, greets you with a smile at this “mini-Chandni Chowk”, also popular as a “food haven” for non-vegetarians. Even the people living in the neighbourhood, who mostly tend to eat in the comfort of their houses, flock to the stalls. Women and kids are clad in vibrant costumes and the entire vicinity, including the masjid and shops, is adorned in fluorescent lights.
And once there, you are certainly in for a treat at pocket-friendly prices; be it mutton haleem along the lines of Purani Dilli Restaurant or the famous nihari of Javed ki Famous Nihari at Zakir Nagar. Gorge yourself on Mughlai cuisine and you will end up asking for more.
Mehtab Baig (50), whose restaurant Javed ki Famous Nihari, has been in the business for the past 22 years, said, “This is our busiest time of the year. Our special dishes during regular days besides nihari include nalli (wings) and paaye (feet)”.
Talking about his “special” nihari, he added, “The dish takes around 12 hours to prepare and is mostly sold around 9pm during Ramzan. The Mughlai dishes are a part of our tradition and we have perfected them over the years.”
Not ready to reveal his secret recipes, Abdul Hannan of Purani Dilli Restaurant said, “The nihari is a dish made of tender slices of meat stew, including bone marrow, sprinkled with spices. It is prepared with onions, tomatoes and 65 different masalas. Our special dishes also include mutton haleem, which is cooked slowly. It is made of meat, lentils and spices.”
“These heavenly delicacies, topped with ghee, are best enjoyed with khaamiri and tandoori roti,” said an attendant at Moonis Kada, a small eatery known for its mutton keema and mutton karahi.
And if these aren’t enough to entice you, stalls with salted platter of fruits amid colourful merchandise, and people enjoying drinks like khajoor or chikoo juice at Blenders certainly will.
This Jamia Nagar locality and its neighbourhood, Zakir Nagar, are the places to go if one has a taste for traditional food. The delicacies here would make your Ramzan an everlasting experience.