In the last 50 years, Nilkhet has gone through many changes. Many old shops have closed down, new shops have popped up, but over this time, one constant has been the taste of tehari at Royal Tehari House.

Nestled among the busy bookshops of Nilkhet, Royal Tehari House is a shop that offers students a delectable treat without burning a hole in their pockets.

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Why are biriyani pots covered in red cloth?

The tehari is a harmonious blend of aromatic rice, slow-cooked meats, and a symphony of spices -- a dish that encapsulates the very essence of gastronomic nostalgia.

Photo: Ashik Abdullah Apu

The spicy aroma from the large pots of tehari presents a mouthwatering proposition for pedestrians, and students who come to Nilkhet for their books and stationery needs can hardly ignore the desire to have tehari from one of the roadside shops.

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Tehari for breakfast?

"We have been providing our customers with quality tehari for almost fifty years. I started the shop in 1974 when a half plate of Tehari used to cost Tk 7. Though the prices of the ingredients have skyrocketed in the last few years, we tried our best to keep the price of food items within the grasp of students," says Sheikh Mohor Ali, manager of the Royal Tehari House.

"While half a plate of tehari (which is enough for most customers) costs Tk 150, a three-quarter serving is Tk 200 and full plate of tehari would cost Tk 270," he says.

In addition to tehari, this nearly 50-year-old restaurant in Nilkhet also offers bhuna khichuri and morog polao on their menu.

Royal Tehari usually remains abuzz with hundreds of patrons from morning till late at night. People even queue up for seats since the crowded shop can only accommodate 15 to 20 customers at a time.

It is also a nostalgic place for former students of two of the oldest and most prestigious educational institutions of the country -- Dhaka University (DU) and Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (Buet).

"I used to have this tehari at the beginning of every month when I would get the salary from my tuition. Now I have come here after almost five years to take a stroll down memory lane," Sheikh Abdullah, an alumnus of DU, told this correspondent.