It’s not a difficult recipe: a kabob and thinly sliced purple onion, wrapped in a paratha. Why, then, are excellent kathi rolls so tough to come by? Why isn’t every kathi roll joint in Kolkata – and they are nearly as ubiquitous as sweet shops – as good as Nizam’s?
We cannot lay any special claim to having “discovered” Nizam’s, in the way travelers take special pride in unearthing little-known, neighborhood eateries. Nizam’s was a Kolkata institution long before we first wandered in, and will no-doubt be around long after we have succumbed to our Nizam’s-induced heart attacks.
In the five-plus years we’ve been making hajj to Nizam’s, the food hasn’t changed one iota. The parathas are simultaneously flakey and chewy, tasty without being greasy. The non-veg kabobs are perfectly marinated and perfectly roasted, and made from the best quality meat. The kathi rolls are served with nothing more than a small bowl of fiery green chilis.
The only thing that has changed is the restaurant’s interior, which was ostentatiously painted two years ago, rendering it more colorful, yet somehow habitually dingy and cheerless, as if by tradition.
When in Kolkata, I would have absolutely no problem eating at least one meal per day at Nizam’s, even if I were not permitted to explore the menu beyond the ambrosial kathi rolls. It turns out I am not alone in this devotion.
My friends and I found ourselves in Kolkata last week, after concluding a week’s vacation in Orissa. On our next to last day in Kolkata, we had dined at Nizam’s before catching the magnificent Madhuri Dixit in her comeback film, Aaja Nachle. On our last morning, as we made plans for departure, Linda Joseph insisted that we make Nizam’s our final meal.
And so it was.
memestream 
Groan!! I am in Kolkata and refuse to eat at Nizam, actually whenever I eat out in Kolkata I fall sick, had Jaalmuri last night outside Vardan Market and I’m sick like a dog.
I’m sorry but I refuse to comply with what ‘Dee’ has to say as I have been eating at Nizam’s for decades and have not come across even the slightest feeling of illness or discomfort. I guess it all depends on the individual constitution of the person and should not be held against the reputation of Nizam’s…
This is a neat sumayrm. Thanks for sharing!
The ability to think like that shows you’re an expert
Who is Ms.Linda Joseph? As a part or full time resident of Kolkata, she is intriguing. Please do ask her to drop in on GourmetIndia.com where a lot goes on about Kolkata gastronomy and memories, as well as on Bengal. Same invite to yourself. There are many places hallowed by tradition that she and you may not know about but are worth discovering.
Keep an eye on this blog for photos and comments on a Kolkata trip taken recently:
http://pleasuremountain.wordpress.com/
I lived in Calcutta in the late 1960’s and Nizam’s kehbabs were famous back then! We always finished our movie night at the Lighthouse Cinema with a visit to Nizam’s. Never once got sick, neither did any of my friends. Tried many times to replicate their kathi rolls but never succeeded. I can still smell the mouth watering aroma from Nizams!
i have born and bought up in kolkata and loved Nizam’s kabab parantha. now for last 12 years i am roaming from one city to another country but miss that flavour of Nizam. once i visited to kolkata during this tenure and didn’t miss the opportunity to visit Nizam. i wish all the best to Nizam
Grew up in Calcutta and have been going to Nizams from 1960 to 1972 and my mouth still waters at the thought of those succulent rolls.
No roll in the world like Nizam’s.
I used to love Nizam’s. We took our infant son there and he ate well and none of us were sick. I remember their excellent firni for pudding.