Nimish

Here, in a narrow lane where a bull can cause a traffic jam, lots of people impatiently wait in front of a shoplet which is so legendary they didn’t bother with signboards. This is Markandeya, where they serve nimis, a name and concept that is disappearing from Banaras. For nimis, milk is boiled with saffron, pista and possibly a hint of sugar, till it thickens. It’s then left out at night—oh so poetically—in the dew. In the morning, a man churns up vast amounts of froth in the pot, scoops the weightless treat off to put in kulhars, sold for Rs 10 each. A kilo of this delicate, ephemeral piece of joy sets you back by Rs 150. A similar concoction is popularly sold as ‘malaiyyo’ but it’s heavier, may be sweetened and they put a lot of khoya on it—we purists scoff at it!

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