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| Nizam's Main Entrance |
Nizam’s was started in early 1900
by Sk. Hasan Reza by the blessings of a Sufi Saint Hazrat Hasan Waris Shah of
Lucknow. Reza who came to Kolkata from Benaras, started as a peon at the
Corporation, then decided he would be better off feeding hungry office workers
and shoppers and so he started making Kathi Kababs and Parathas from a very
small stall. Just because the Englishmen did’nt like the oil to touch their
hands, so he stuck upon a novel idea of wrapping up the Kathi Kabab and
Parathas into a fine piece of Paper and that’s how rolls came into existence.
Reza shifted his stall to a bigger place in 1932 in front of Calcutta Municipal
Corporation where the present day Nizam’s lies. It was named after Reza’s son
Sk. Nizamuddin; now the restaurant is run by Mr. Irshad Alam & Sons with
the blessing of Hazarat Shorab Ali Shah.
A Kathi Kabab roll is so called
because the meat (or paneer in the veggie version) is first grilled on a skewer
(kathi) until it is soft, then wrapped, along with spices, onions, green
chillies, salt and a splash of lime juice, in a fried, crisp and light paratha.
The meat could be chicken, mutton or beef; traditionally it was the beef roll
that made Nizam’s a name. The whole is wrapped neatly in a square of greyish
paper and there you have it, Kolkata’s answer to the sandwich. Made in a jiffy
while you wait and watch, easily eaten on the run, this is Mughlai-a-go-go.
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| Preparing kathi kabab rolls at Nizams |
Nizam’s are the inventors of
Kathi Kabab Rolls. Ultimately in a roll you should get the taste of kababs and
after eating one, you should get the feeling of having another. Nizam’s was the
first to introduce bamboo sticks (Kathis) because it was hygienic and good for
health instead of iron skewers which get rusted. The kababs are maintained in
secret herbs and spices and goes through three levels of processing before
coming on to your plate. Living testimony bears that Nizam’s is the only
exponent of the art of the roll and fast food.
From fashionable ladies shopping
at New Market, cinemagoers and tourists to office-workers and students, Nizam’s
welcomes them all. Even today, with prices starting at Rs 20 for a basic egg or
aloo roll, there is a large-hearted hospitality to diners of every budget. And
the factor that really makes the difference at Nizam’s is the attitude of the
staff. Neatly dressed in green shalwar kurtas, they will guide you through the
menu and talk at length about Nizam’s with the magisterial air of chhota
Nizams. They will introduce you to the delights of ‘tumtum biryani’ (biryani
with tomatoes in it), reputedly created in the 1970s to please the manager of
Elite.
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| Chicken Roll served on table |
The restaurant was closed for 29
months and re-opened in 2006; with its new plaster-moulded ceiling,
tiger-stripe sofas and prolapsed LED lights isn’t exactly stylish, although
everything is spotlessly clean and the marble underfoot is spectacular. The list
of rolls that they sell includes Chicken Roll (Rs. 30), Mutton Roll (Rs. 32),
Egg Roll (Rs. 20), Aloo Roll (Rs. 20), Paneer Roll (Rs. 25), Paneer Aloo Roll
(Rs. 30), Egg Chicken Roll (Rs. 35), Egg Mutton Roll (Rs. 37), Egg Aloo Roll
(Rs. 25), Double Chicken Roll (Rs. 53), Double Mutton Roll (Rs. 56), Double Egg
Roll (Rs. 30), Double Egg Single Chicken Roll (Rs. 40), Double Egg Single
Mutton Roll (Rs. 42), Double Egg Double Chicken Roll (Rs. 63), Double Egg
Double Mutton Roll (Rs. 66), Single Egg Double Chicken Roll (Rs. 58), Single
Egg Double Mutton Roll (Rs. 60), Egg Chicken Aloo Roll (Rs. 40), Egg Mutton
Aloo Roll (Rs. 42). The main restaurant now is ‘no beef’, while the Nizam’s
Mughal Gardens next door is the ‘beef’ section. The Tandoori / Kabab menu
serves Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Reshmi Kabab, Chicken Tangri Kabab, Chicken
Boti Kabab, Mutton Bara Kabab, Mutton Seekh Kabab, Paneer Tikka Kabab, Murg
Harli Kabab, Kathi Kabab. Don’t forget to try firni from the dessert section.
The cost for a complete meal for two persons is Rs. 250.
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| Must eat dessert - FIRNI |
Perhaps due to competition from
KFC & McD, one section of the restaurant is now made air-conditioned. Even
though malls have taken away most dedicated of shoppers of New Market and
falling profits have softened people’s attitudes to change; Nevertheless, a
little band of aficionados, in which I must include myself, know that New
Market has a secret the malls will never have: its magic name protects it from
ever being old. You might park your car in the brand new automated parking
plaza, as I did, have a coffee in its attached underground mall, but you’ll
still want to go to Nizam’s for your kathi roll.
Location: No.23
& 24, Hogg Street, BBD Bag (Dalhousie Sc), Beside New Market, Kolkata-
700013
Contact No.: (+91) 9831073534,
(+91) 9836194669, (+91)(33) 32928340
View Larger Map
Nizam's Restaurant - Salt Lake
Read more about Nizam's Outlet at Salt Lake which has Take Away Counter / Home Delivery Facility and also serves similar Kathi Kebab Rolls, Biriyani, Chaps, Kebabs, Rezala, Korma, Firni & more..
