Understanding and Enjoyment

Someone said long ago that Ignorance was Bliss. I would tend to put it a bit differently. You don't need to understand something in order to enjoy it. I don't understand classical music, as I don't know one Raga from another (pun intended). But that does not stop me from enjoying all of them (THAT one included).

This moment of understanding came from a recent outing - one to a friend's place where some authentic Punjabi food (no puns here) was offered and partaken. Rajma, Chawal, Phulka, sabzee and raita, can make a delicious meal, was the takeaway (no, the meal was not a takeaway kind).

Then, there is this place called Bong Adda in Belapur, which we visited for a meal. I don't understand Bong food, but I enjoy it, was the takeaway from here. Mostly, it was mutton. But there was the mandatory rasogulla (made with jaggery instead of sugar) and mishti doi (sweet yogurt/curd) to round it off.

Reminds me of a sign that I saw recently at a shop selling fish- Bengali Fish and Sea Fish, it said. Now, I did not know that fish spoke human languages. One lives and learns, I suppose.

Nizam's Kathi Kabab - Eating Pleasure

This is a place that interested me coz I was raised in the Nizamian territories (though in a different socio-economic class compared to the Nizams). I was introduced to this place in Connaught Place by an erstwhile colleague, Sourav, who was a foodie. Mutton preparations are hard to find anywhere, particularly if you want quality, which for me includes their being well-cooked, in addition to taste.

I made a foray into CP yesterday, and decided to taste some mutton koftas- keema balls in a gravy- at Nizam's. While in this place, I noticed many good things about it. Its decor is nice, and different. It uses space (not much of it there) efficiently. Its signs are well-designed, and references from eaters or raters adorn many walls. All well-deserved. Apart from the excess oil, it turns out perfect dishes, in my view.

Mahatma's famous quote about a customer being the VIP is also displayed. (Self) Service is decent, with a wait time of about 15-20 mins., as promised. Will surely go back often.

Eating Out in Nizami Style

Very few eateries get their mutton right. Usually it is under-cooked, or stale, hard or the meat is overshadowed by the bone. But I must say that Nizam's Kathi Kabab in CP, Delhi,is a place that gets it right on every count. Delicious stuff, the mutton curry, just the right amount of flavour, taste, melt-in-the mouth consistency, and so on. The only minus would be the quantum of oil, but then, all the pluses count for more. This place is behind Plaza cinema on one side. It was not crowded today, unlike earlier times. So we actually got a table (probability of that is pretty close to zero normally).

The keema balls were delicately flavored, well-done and again, melting in your mouth variety. When done right, few things can be compared to this, my favorite concoction. Pathhar ka gosht from Hyderabad maybe, or a Gilawati kabab from Lucknow. Not much else! Subhanallah. Connaught Place seems to have a bombed out look on account of endless digging up though, making the approach to this place a bit tough.