The wafting aroma hits you first. The pleasant, sweet smell of the oven-baked pie triggers every taste bud with the tingling anticipation. This isn’t any ordinary pie though — it is the khova naan, best eaten hot with every mouthful being gifting with a burst of molten khova.
A signature Bengaluru delicacy, the khova naan, originated somewhere in the late 90s as an alternative to the original grated coconut filled naan. Bakers in the Shivaji Nagar area started the trend and it soon caught on as a popular evening snack. One of the places synonymous with the khova naan is Albert Bakery on Mosque Road in Frazer Town. Mohammad Sabir Faizan, the son of proprietor Nawab Jan, credits his father with introducing the khova naan on the menu.
“The khova-filled crisp naan has takers from across the city. We often have customers, who travel from other ends of the city or daily visitors who flock the bakery just for the khova naan.”
James Prabhakar, a foodie and a regular customer at Albert Bakery, says at 3 p.m. sharp, the crowds pile into the joint for a slice of the yummy naan.
“I often pack home two or three full sets which they wrap neatly in newspapers since they’re hot from the oven! The sweet, oozing khova melts in the mouth and two or three slices fills the tummy.”
Select bakeries across Shivaji Nagar, D.J. Halli and Thilak Nagar also sell khova naan, albeit in different proportions of khova.
Akbar Bhai, who runs Bismillah tea house in Shivaji Nagar says their shop’s main USP is the khova naan. “Come tea time and the footpath outside the bakery fills up. Within half an hour, we finish our first batch. We make them in batches so that they remains fresh and hot. They sell quick and we are famous thanks to how popular the naan is.”
From Rs. 10-15 to Rs. 25-75 for the entire set, the khova naan is easy on the wallet. So head to the nearest bakery and dig into a slice of sweet heaven.
