If you thought an English breakfast was the last word in a meaty start to the day, head to Valibhai Payawala for one of the three surviving bara handi (12-pot) breakfasts, that families queue up for an hour to savour. Its fan club includes Salman Khan, SRK and Dilip Kumar

A strange sight greets Bohri Mohalla before dawn. Bohri Muslim families, famous for their love for food, especially meaty breakfasts, quietly queue up outside Valibhai Payawala at 4 am, a good hour before the eatery opens. The men and women eagerly await Mohammad Ismail. He'll be serving or packing them a 'bara handi' breakfast. Ismail's great-grandfather picked up the recipe from an Iranian cook he shared a hotel kitchen with during the British Raj.

Sukha mutton cooks in a handi on a slow coal fire at Valibhai Payawala

In traditional Middle-East custom, the cooking station is at the entrance, so that patrons see the food before they enter and eat. The food is cooked all night, from 4 pm the day before, in 12 handis (pots) embedded deep in the ground. Their lids are sealed to ensure the steam has nowhere to escape, winding back into the handi. Everything including the lentils, is cooked on slow coal fire, with the meats cooking in their own juices.

"The dishes don't have extra oil or fat, nor will any of them ever leave you with acidity," says the soft-spoken Ismail in chaste Hindi.

Two of the handis have payas (trotters), one contains beef, and the other mutton, with the meat sticking to the bone.

Paya came to India from Central Asia, brought by Persian traders, entertainers and scholars along with their Chello Kebabs, Berry Pulavs and delicate Mutton Curries.

Another handi contains topa, the meat around the neck of the animal, also called salami. Next is pichota, the rump of the animal and the tail. "Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan come here for the pichota during Ramzan," says the third-generation owner. Pooja Bedi, Pankaj Kapur and a host of actors are regulars. The 125 year-old establishment was once a favourite with retro Bollywood actors like Rehman and Dilip Kumar too.

One of Ismail's favourite guests is Hollywood actor and do-gooder Richard Gere. "He read about us in a magazine, and dropped by when he made a stopover to Mumbai," he recalls.

At this 365-day open eatery, you could also ask for suka, dry meat with gravy, from another handi. Balance the meat overkill with harisha (three lentils mixed together with chickpea flour, besan and milk). Then there is a handi with a rich Irani Paya soup, guaranteed to rid you of that persistent common cold and chest congestion.

The dish is rich in calcium, proteins and collagen. It is recommended for convalescent and debilitated persons and is good for healing of fractures. "Some patients from JJ Hospital are here every day for their share of the healing Irani Paya Soup," says Ismail, who gets a helping hand from his brother Abdul Rahman during peak Ramzan season.

A couple of handis are not buried in clay but kept on top of a platform. One of them contains the marrow, which would melt if placed next to the fire. The thick ochre from all the handis is mixed with precise proportion that's a treat to watch. Before your Nalli (Rs 320), Nihari (Rs 120) or Paya (Rs 120) arrives at the table, will come the fresh, light and crisp 12-inch Mughlai Rotis.

One of best things about Valibhai Payawala, named such after the first proprietor's son and Ismail's grandfather, is that it's open all year round, from morning to night. So, if you are a late riser, head here for a dinner you'll never forget.

Valibhai Payawala is open from every day from 5 am to 10 pm.
At: 45, Gujjar Street, Bohri Mohalla, Bhendi Bazaar, CST. Call: 23459994

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