A Story Of The Legendary Nalli Nihari in Mumbai.
Noor Mohammadi, the 95-year-old iconic restaurant known for its exquisite Mughlai food in Bhendi Bazaar at Mohammad Ali Road started in 1923.
Abdul Kareem, the founder came to Mumbai from Moradabad where he would sell Halwa Paratha at Dargah Urus.
After a successful culinary stint in his hometown, he decided to try his luck selling Nalli Niharis in Mumbai. “It started off as a stall at this very place". The Niharis were an instant hit and the stall slowly expanded into a dhaba.
It was then that Abdul Kareem thought that he had earned enough to take back to the village. But soon his son Abdul Hakeem rebelled, saying he wanted to further expand the business. He was then made to learn how to cook and try his hand at the recipes himself, only then was he allowed to take forth Noor Mohammadi.
The dhaba was made into a restaurant in 1966. Even Rashid Abdul Hakeem and Abdul Khalid the third-generation owners of this restaurant had to first enter the kitchen, learn how to cook first and only then handle the business.
Abdul Kareem, Noor Mohammadi's founder who had taken this venture to a Dhaba Level, was succeeded by his son Abdul Hakeem who had made this into a restaurant. Later Abdul Hakeem's elder son Abdul Khalid changed the seating below and his other son Abdul Rasheed made the upper floor into an air-conditioned family restaurant. Now all eyes were set on elder brother Abdul Khalid, the 22 year old son Wajahat for the further progress of this iconic restaurant Noor Mohammadi.
Sanjay Dutt was invited to Inaugurate the family section of Noor Mohammadi in 1986 and since then he was a regular Patron of this Restaurant. Once when Sanjay Dutt was served the newly launched white Biryani, he was very impressed and it was then that Sanjay Dutt shared his version of Chicken Curry with the owner and the Chef. Hakimi immediately put the spicy, gravy-based dish on the menu of his restaurant, and it has been selling better than hot biryani ever since and is today known as Chicken Sanju Baba. This special Sanju Baba dish was served free to all Patrons on the day when Sanjay Dutt was released from Pune's Yerwada Jail on February 25, 2016.
Iconic artist, late MF Husain, a regular Patron at Noor Mohammadi, was so besotted by this dish that once during a visit in 2003, he created a sketch of a rooster calling out to Noor Mohammadi’s Nalli Nihari.
The most sold items here are Nalli Nihari, Chicken Sanju Baba, Shami Kabab, Chicken Hakimi, Chicken Achari and Dal Ghee.
Almost all the items served here taste super yummy and delicious but our favourites are the Nalli Nihari, Shami Kabab, Chicken Hakimi, Dal Ghee and Tandoori Roti - the dishes on which this restaurant is built on.
Though it's been more than 50 years after it being refurbished into a restaurant, Noor Mohammadi still retains an old world charm and taste. The secret behind the authentic taste is that all food items served here are slow cooked in copper utensils over coal just like the Mughals did, and the special Hakim Masalas add to the taste.
Behind the cash counter, occupied by Rashid’s elder brother, is an unchartered painting by M.F Hussain, who was a patron of Noor Mohammadi. Besides the painting, hangs the pictures of Abdul Kareem and Abdul Hakeem (Rashid’s grandfather and father respectively) The former found the recipes which have satisfied so many strangers, and the latter expanded Noor Mohammadi into a successful restaurant. The next time you’re in Mumbai, you can’t miss a visit at this iconic restaurant.
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