‘A plate of nihari is a joy forever

RAWALPINDI/ ISLAMABAD: When the call for Fajr prayer sounds in the streets, most of the garrison city is still in bed and there is hardly a soul on the roads that are chock-full all day long. Nowhere, that is, except for the food districts of Kartarpura and Sabzi Mandi, where it is time for slow-cooked nihari to be served.

The unmistakable aroma of fresh kulchas overwhelms you, and even the most diet-conscious would be hard-pressed to resist a plateful of that breakfast of champions.

Most people come out to feast on this Mughlai treat over the weekends; crispy kulcha with sesame seeds and a beefy stew topped with generous helpings of thinly sliced ginger, fried onions, green chilies and lemon juice.

In the old days, nihari and siri paye were popular breakfast fare in the winters months. But with time, such cuisine became so popular that it is now available round the clock all year round.

For those who feel that it is far too ‘heavy’ too eat for breakfast, there should be some clues in the name of the dish itself. The word nihari literally means ‘early morning food’ – derived from the word ‘nihar’, which means ‘first thing in the morning’. This could also be a reference to the way the dish is made; chefs would start slow-cooking nihari the previous night, until Fajr prayer.