Indulge Kolkata turns 7: This heritage Mughlai brand is not only famous for its biryanis but also for its gravies and kebabs

Steaming tea or coffee may take the edge off winter, but few things conquer chilly mornings like a bowl of slow-cooked nihari from Aminia’s kitchens. Dark, pepper-led, and thick without being heavy, the gravy clings to the spoon, while the mutton yields easily after hours on the fire. It is the sort of dish that demands khamiri roti and is best eaten slowly.

Derived from the Arabic word ‘nahar’, meaning morning, nihari originated and was perfected during the 18th century in the Mughal kitchens as a breakfast for royalty and the army.

What has been working for Aminia? Kabir Azhar shares

Dating back to 1929, Aminia is one of Kolkata’s oldest Mughlai eateries, now run by the fourth generation. While it is often bracketed as a biryani institution, the kitchen’s real strengths lie in its gravies and kebabs, where restraint and technique matter more than excess.

The Aminia special curry is a good place to begin. Served piping hot, the gravy is measured and not rich, so the spices register without overwhelming the meat. The mutton is soft but intact, the potato absorbs flavour without turning mushy, and the whole tomato adds a mild acidity that cuts through the fat. The paya soup is peppery and clean, with no unnecessary oil floating on the surface. The collagen gives it body, but the spice stays in control.

Kebabs are where Aminia’s kitchen shows confidence. The Mutton pasinda kebab, their signature, is finely minced and gently spiced, with a texture closer to a galouti than a seekh. It breaks easily, carries flavour through the centre, and works best with a crisp, flaky paratha. The Murgh jehangiri comes in four chunky pieces, the long marination evident in the way the meat stays moist even after grilling. The yoghurt and gram flour coating lends depth without masking the chicken.

Maintaining consistency across multiple outlets is definitely not easy. But Kabir Azhar, director and fourth-generation custodian, does that and credits standardised recipe manuals, in-house quality checks, and modern kitchen systems for ensuring uniformity. Still, he says that the food cooked over the older mud stoves carries a flavour that is hard to replicate. The brand is also working on a coffee-table book documenting its history, recipes, and family memories.

At the Golpark outlet, which is housed in an old residential building, the space reflects Aminia’s old-world leanings. Red cement floors, Kalighat paintings, and images of Kolkata landmarks sit alongside Mughal-inspired artefacts sourced from Moradabad.

Aminia’s first international outlet opened in Dubai, chosen for its diverse population and a big Bengali community. While the menu largely mirrors Kolkata’s, some recipes had to be adapted due to restrictions on certain spices. Interestingly, it is the kebabs, not the biryani, that have found the widest following there.

As an ending note, Kabir shared a quick trick…how he likes his pasinda kebab. “I like to have it as a roll. So, instead of mutton boti, I add the pasinda kebab, a few slices of onion for the crunch, a dash of lime juice, and end it by sprinkling chaat masala,” he added.

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