"Ek Sanju Baba, White Biryani ke saath" -- this unusual-sounding order resonates through a choc-a-bloc seating area dotted with fez caps, Pathan suits, and burqa sporting white-collared junta that arrives to break bread

"Ek Sanju Baba, White Biryani ke saath" --u00a0 this unusual-sounding order resonates through a choc-a-bloc seating area dotted with fez caps, Pathan suits, and burqa sporting white-collared junta that arrives to break bread. A heady mix of charcoal-infused meat flavours do somersaults with your senses. We are at Bhendi Bazaar's gastronomic paradise, Noor Mohammadi Hotel & Caterers.u00a0

Third-generation owner Abdul Khalid leads us through a dingy side entrance into his air-conditioned 200 sq ft office, while monitoring the action on a set of eight CCTV cameras, making us feel like extras in an '80s Bollywood whodunit. "My grandfather Abdul Karim started the business in 1923. Back then, we only sold the Nalli Nihari, our speciality. Before Partition, my father Abdul Hakim expanded it into an eating house," says Khalidbhai. When he took over the business in 1985, he completed the transformation, turning it from a bhatiyarkhana into a sit-down restaurant. Since then, they've been feeding celebrities and labourers with the same spoon, in a simple set-up and at drop-dead low prices.

Painter MF Husain has graced the restaurant several times. On one visit in 2003, he sketched a rooster calling out Noor Mohammadi's famous Nalli Nihari

Anytime breakfast
The Nalli Nahari, a gravy-based bone marrow delicacy, has fed millions since 1923. Made from the best part of the buffalo's thigh muscle, it is cooked on a slow coal fire for eight hours till it becomes tender enough for a toothless customer. The nalli (marrow) melts fast in the sharp gravy and should be eaten with nihari ka masala (thin strips of ginger and chopped green chillies). This dish is cooked in humongous tamba (copper) vessels, sealed with atta, alternately prepared at 6 am and 7 pm. Traditionally a breakfast special, it was Khalidbhai's father who began serving it after sunset to adjust to Mumbai's long working hours.

Butter republic
"The White Biryani (Rs Rs 40/half plate) is Rashid's creation. Meant for the health conscious, it's made from curd, and without any spices," he says. The Beef Shammi Kebabs (Rs 7/piece) are succulent, while the Hakimi (Rs 120/half plate), served after sunset, is cooked on a tandoor in unmentionable amounts of Amul butter and curd. By the end, our butter-ghee consumption could've fed a tiny African nation. Our workout was the kitchen tour, reminiscent of a trip to Lucknow's bawarchikhanas. Charcoal pervades the air as cooks briskly stir and bake over brass handis and tandoors.

Feeding the famous
Singer Adnan Sami's love affair with Noor Mohammadi is amusing. "A certain Junaid would regularly order from Lokhandwala. Suddenly, he disappeared for two years. Once I spotted Adnan walk towards the hotel. He shook hands and whispered, 'I am Junaid; I've returned after my two-year-diet-break!'" Other famous faithfuls include tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, actors Salman Khan, Mona Singh, and singers Altaf Raja and Daler Mehndi. Khalidbhai is particularly honoured when singers relish the spread.

At: 181-183, Abdul Hakim Noor Mohammadi Chowk, Bhendi Bazar.
Call: 23456008 / 23457618.
Open: Daily, 6 am to 1 am

To make a note of the sanju Baba chicken recipe, log on to www.noormohammadihotel.com

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels