The days of sharing a plate of biryani among three friends and fuelling dreams with Sabir’s Mutton Rezala make for delicious flashbacks in ‘blissful solitude’. As a junior executive with Anandabazar Patrika, Sabir’s Hotel near Chandni Chowk was a pit stop to and from my work site. However, this heart-warming little sequence involving friends is anything but unique. It has been played out by generations of friends. It is the oldest performing play, yet never fails to hit all the right chords.
For 80-odd years, the stage has always been a tiny table in a nondescript eatery. The plot unfolds with accurate predictability. An eager group of friends, who can’t hold their collective excitement, wait around the table. Suspense reaches its peak under the staff’s spartan glance. Unhurried acts by Chicken Malai Tikka and Kebab fool nobody — the show is headed towards its climax. Then the enigmatic entry in a cloak of fragrance. Though the stage has been set for hours, no one seems to be quite prepared for the arrival of Mutton Rezala. There is always the first disbelief, followed by slow realisation. Finally, the pleasurable sensations settle down into an unbarred love for life.
For 80-odd years, the stage has always been a tiny table in a nondescript eatery; but no one seems to be quite prepared for the arrival of the Mutton Rezala
Sabir’s Mutton Rezala has been the reigning prima donna for more than eight decades, playing to full houses and hearts — now that is some recipe for drama. Each time I have a different excuse to return to Sabir’s, but truth is, I am mystified by their mutton rezala, symptomatic of the most hopeless form of love.
The consistency of Sabir’s Mutton Rezala is extraordinary. And I don’t just mean the consistency of the gravy which is pitch perfect — neither too thin nor too thick but a mild, flowing silk. I experienced the dish as a young and passionate friend years ago and now, as an older passionate foodie — Sabir’s rezala has always held its own, including the hypnotic red chilli on top — the flavour of all seasons year after year.
Sabir’s Rezala has always held its own, including the hypnotic red chilli on top — the flavour of all seasons year after year
This is not merely a recipe, though that is a perfect union of Lucknowi and Bengali culinary arts. You can see the Mughlai aromatics all in place here. Yet, the Bengali charm seems to trump at the finish line by a subtle edge. The bay leaf and red chilli, and chiefly the poppy seed paste, the fine balance of sweetness and piquancy that Bengalis so love, all give the dish its signature Bengali ‘tell.’
Sabir’s Hotel, near Chandni Chowk, is still a popular pit stop for foodies
Such persistent perfection over eight decades has more than a recipe to thank. When anything outlasts their age and defies time effortlessly, we usually find a vision which connects it with the endless picture. If I have learnt anything from great chefs, it is that the foundation of good food is its goodness. When we creatively capture the freshness of the spice, juiciness of the meat, and gently cook the wholesome ingredients, food is bound to uplift the spirit. The recipe of Sabir’s Mutton Rezala is the vision of food meaning to do good. A royal indulgence no doubt, but it also feels light, and right. Marinated goat meat on ribs cooked slowly with spiced hung curd and poppy seed paste is a fairy tale marriage of two diverse tastes. This is why we all keep returning to Sabir’s Mutton Rezala. Who doesn’t want to be a part of the longest love story?
Anjan Chatterjee is the chief of Speciality Restaurants, which owns Mainland China, Asia Kitchen by Mainland China, Oh! Calcutta, Sigree Global Grill, Café Mezzuna, Hoppipola, Barissh and many more. And yes, he is a foodie! He is at acgenx@gmail.com
