The Best Rezala | Sabir Kolkata

This summer when I was in Kolkata to visit my mother and sister, I always wanted to go and have the best rezala in town (ofcourse Mutton). I had always heard from my family how my grandfather and my father would talk about rezala from Sabir being the best and the most authentic in town.

Sabir is a restaurant situated in the heart of the city Chandni Chowk. So, one day I decided to have a family expedition and taste this delicious dish which is primarily based on yoghurt. Accompanied by my mother and sister I ended up reaching Chandni Chowk which is literally the busiest hub of the town mid-afternoon. It’s close to how Zaveri bazaar or Crawford market will be on a working day in Mumbai.

Thanks to mother forgetting the way to the restaurant as she had been there in her teens last, I managed to venture out most of the market area and finally after walking for over 4 miles I reached my destination. Sabir, which doesn’t even look like a proper restaurant and made me ponder if I had made the correct decision of travelling to just have the Rezala.

Luckily the restaurant had two floors and the upper floor was air conditioned. Once I entered the AC area it hardly felt any different as they were not working (not maintained). Shabby interiors and 70’s furniture only made my doubt stronger if I would get that perfect Rezala I was looking for.

The waiters also didn’t seem to interested in taking our order. Since it was a market and office area they generally have that kind of crowd coming in on weekdays. The menu clearly mentioned that they don’t serve Chicken Rezala except Thursdays. Didn’t make a difference as I only wanted the Mutton form of it. I ordered for the Mutton Sabir Special Rezala and somehow the waiter wrote something in his pad and I was only hoping that I get some decent form of the rezala after travelling and walking so much in the bright and scorching heat.

It didn’t take much longer as I got the fragrance of keora (kewda, is an extract distilled from the flower of the pandanus plant.) coming in from the stairs I knew there was something magical on my way. The white mutton rezala was served and my world went upside down exactly how Doctor Strange uses his magic to turn the buildings upside down in the trailer(I am a superhero freak).

The gravy was thin and the taste, texture and aroma came from the slow cooking of the meat along with its fat and juices, whole spices used, ghee (clarified butter), yoghurt which forms the base of the gravy, ginger playing a significant role to lift and balance the flavors (more than garlic) and finally few drops of the keora essence.

The best accompany of a rezala is tandoori roti or laccha paratha.

If you are in Kolkata the struggle to reach Sabir will be the only difficulty phase but if google maps are well used this version of rezala is the best you can get ever. Apparently, the taste has not changed since its inception, which is a huge credit of the cooks. Also, a mutton rezala costed me Rs. 160/- which I think is nominal. The mutton piece is of decent medium sized and was covered with fat (yummy). So don’t wait anymore go and have this rezala and let me know if you agree with me.

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