Daily Times

LAHORE: You are not a Lahori if you are not a fan of nihari. This is a fact that even a child would know about the city. It’s a delicious dish prepared in your choice of meat; opt for either chicken, mutton or beef. The meat is cut into small, edible boneless chunks added into a dish brimming with masala, gravy, oil and maghaz (brain). However, only a few restaurants or dhabas in Lahore would offer the best nihari and being quite a nihari lover myself, I list down the top places to buy the perfect nihari meal from. See if you agree.

CAPRI

This renowned nashta eatery, located in Gulberg, is famous for its delectable halwa puri breakfast. Little do people know that Capri serves one of the most delicious beef niharis. With a crispy naan and a big glass of lassi, the Capri nihari is undoubtedly a class apart. The tarrke wali gravy and the maghaz addition makes the foodie in you lick your fingers and smack your lips.

CHIT CHAAT

I experimented with this one and ended up going home thoroughly satisfied. Before this, I always thought Chit Chaat by Andaaz was more famous for its chaats and bun kebabs only. I ordered a plate of beef and maghaz nihari with naan and one thing is for sure. It was the cleanest and seemingly the most hygienic nihari I have had. I like how the taste of nihari is different in every restaurant and dhaba, and so Chit Chaat’s beef nihari also had its distinct flavour and aroma. Probably not prepared by veteran nihari cooks, but still agreeable and is delicious on the taste buds.

DOGAR

This is the best dhaba style family restaurant in Lahore and like Capri, is also famous for its desi nashta. I usually have halwa puri or naan channay every time I go there, and they’re always served with pickle and a big glass of lassi, making up for one hearty breakfast meal, however just the other day, I tried their beef nihari for dinner. Rich in aroma, taste and flavour, I instantly fell in love with Dogar’s nihari. The meat did not come with any layer of sticky fat and was well done. So for those of you who have not tried Dogar’s nihari, well do go ahead.

MONAL

The culinary team behind Monal deserve an extra round of applause. Usually, when there is so much variety on the menu, many items lose their taste and charm as the chefs have to prepare a lot of things pretty quickly. But with Monal, that is definitely not the case. Along with other items on the menu, their beef nihari is the strongest. It’s thick, flavourful, spicy, tangy and what not. I remember heading over to the famous restaurant during Ramadan, especially for their nihari and now that winter is here, it’s going to be an extreme sellout.

MUHAMMADI

The renowned nihari restaurant has about four branches in Lahore, earning billions of rupees every day and getting client after client where there’s never truly a dull moment. Indeed, nihari is for all seasons. The unique and exotic taste of nihari that the experts at Muhammadi put in is what keeps its loyal clientele hooked and coming back for more. You can avail a nulli, maghaz, tarrka and any addition to your nihari meal at Muhammadi.

ROAD RUNNER

The 24/7 delivery system in Lahore called Road Runner, only but recently came up with their very own nihari meal. They are now presenting their homemade nihari! If you’re a true nihari lover, then Road Runner has got some great news for you! Their khaosuey chef prepares homemade, delicious and fresh nihari, which is only available to order after 7pm! Delicious as it is, if you haven’t tried their nihari, you are definitely missing out. It’s just something about homemade food that is rich and generous. It’s clean and fresh and is priced at Rs 500 per plate with khamiri roti and salad.

WARIS

Definitely a place that is known to serve the best nihari in town. Its nihari’s taste and its clean environment keeps people coming back for more. I like how Waris make their nihari thin and not sticky and thick like the others. Also, they have a signature taste attached to theirs.