IN the era of big food festivals like Pallate, Gourmet High Street and others in Delhi-NCR, it is the Aligarh’s Numaish which still remains close to my heart. A two hour drive from my place in Noida, a visit to there is more of an annual ritual for me.
Started in 1880 as a horse fair for nawabs to display their wealth on the suggestion of Raja Harinarayan Singh, Numaish till date is the biggest food exhibition in Uttar Pradesh.
Having 100-plus food stalls, it is no less than any food festival in the country. Meerut’s two iconic restaurants, Jhanda Hotel and Nazeer Hotel, have both been participating in it since pre-Independence times. Mahatma Gandhi to Dilip Kumar, Numaish has always been famous for the so-called celebrity quotient and was a must visit for people from in and around the city.
Haji Mohd Rafique, owner of Nazeer Hotel (the fifth generation) takes care of the family business. Lavishly made to accommodate 500 people in one sitting, it is a treat to watch people relishing food at these makeshift restaurants.
Hot sizzling kebabs, grilled live on sigri paired with crisp parathas and roomali rotis were too tough to resist. UP-style biryani and dahi bhallas were everyone’s favorite.
I remember the day when university dinner used to happen and every student of the university dressed up in black sherwanis to eat at the community dinner at Jhanda Hotel or Nazeer Hotel. All students lined up in a queue sitting next to each other having the much-awaited annual dinner.
Halwa Paratha, the most iconic dish of the grand food festival, was the one I used to wait throughout the year for as it was only available during the Numaish. Till date, it is the signature dish and people travel from all parts of the region to gorge on Halwa Paratha. My room partner used to get it couriered to Dubai for his family as it had a good shelf life and was worth every bite.
Nankhatai or cookie made in desi ghee was one thing which non-Muslim kaarigars of Meerut specialized in. Coming out straight from the portable oven, melt-in-the-mouth nankhatais were a must with tea after dinner. This year, I visited Numaish in Bulandshar before it ends and moves to Meerut. Worth a visit!