The holy month of Ramzan is going on and foodies in Pune are tripping over the sheer display of the food across Pune at the Iftaris! The ones who love mutton are on a hunt for the best Nihari they can get and the heartiest Paaya they can find. Foodies of Pune, if you are such a mutton lover, we have found out one crazy place serving ‘baap’ level Mutton Nihari & Mutton Paaya in Kausarbaug, Kondhwa.
Mumbai Bhendi Bazaar famous (since 1940) Surti Bara Handi has opened a branch in Pune. It is yet to really reach the mutton lovers of our city. So we decided to visit this unique place to find out more. The very first thing we noticed after visiting is their unique ‘Bhatti’. A well constructed coal pit that is entirely covered and has 12 spots for handis in which the meats and curries are cooked. Because of these 12 pots in one Bhatti and since the cuisine tradition belongs to the Bohras of Surat, it is named as Surti Bara Handi.
Coming to the food here, the complete non-vegetarian menu has delicacies made of Mutton and Beef (certified it is, mind it!) and all dishes are slow cooked. In mutton, they have Nihari that pairs best with Khameeri Roti and Paaya Soup just on its own. Mutton Nallis slow cooked with unique Surat style spices make for a chatpata flavour of this Nihari. Even the Khameeri Roti they is quite different. It is not bready unlike other places and doesn’t get chewy even after it gets cold.
Paaya Soup made with Surti secret spices makes for a very different than the Mughal style Paaya we get. It is quite Chatpata, but the flavours are quite bold. This Paaya Soup is made traditionally made with the goat’s trotters, and this one is no different.
The Beef section is where this place scores brownie points. Most importantly, they use certified imported beef in all the recipes. Although we did not try the beef dishes, they have recipes like ‘Pichota’, Beef Nihari, Beef Paaya and most interestingly, they have an exclusive dish made of Beef Bone Marrow! Beef lovers of Pune, this place is a heaven for you!
The timings of Surti Bara handi are quite interesting. They are open for service only between 6am to 11am and 6pm to 11pm. Currently during Ramadan, they only open after Iftari time which is approx 8pm.
Address: Surti Bara Handi, Near Hotel Madina, Kausarbaug, NIBM Road, Pune.
Contact: 9767632313
Timings: 6am to 11am & 6pm to 12 am
