It is one of the most recognizable delicacies in several Indian cuisines. It
has a guaranteed place on menus in Indian restaurants all over the world. And
yet, it is one of the most poorly understood Indian dishes .
And also the most abused. Few, if any, of the countless restaurants that serve
it daily, are aware of its history or can define it correctly or follow a
recipe that can be called 'authentic'.
So what is the history of the Biryani? Well, there are several versions but
the most widely accepted states that it was born out of a fusion between the
'Pilaf' of Persian origin and the rice preparations indigenous to the
subcontinent. The rice and meat combination was a big hit among the marching
armies of the Mughal kings and was often used the feed the hungry troops when
they camped at the end of the day during expeditions.
As is common with most dishes that are as celebrated as the Biryani, the
recipe evolved over time and several different versions emerged in different
parts of the country as the Mughal Empire expanded. However, over time, two
dominant versions emerged in two cities that are now home to the remnants of a
once thriving Muslim nobility and their refined culture - Lucknow and
Hyderabad.
While the Lucknow version should actually be called 'Awadhi Gosht Pulao',
the name 'Biryani' probably comes from the Hyderabadi version. While the
ingredients in the two versions are, by and large, the same, there are
differences in the method of preparation. The most important one is hidden in the
fact that the Hyderabadi version is called 'Kachche Gosht Ki Biryani'. The
mutton in the Hyderabadi Biryani is cooked on the charcoal flame along with the
rice, while in the Lucknowi Pulao, the mutton is pre-cooked in a creamy stock
called 'Yakhni', before the rice comes in.
Which version is better is a matter of great debate and I have absolutely no
interest in taking sides. However, I feel the need to highlight a few things
that set these two apart from any other combination of rice and meat that
pretends to be a Biryani or a Pulao. Mutton or Beef is the meat to use and not
Chicken. The Biryani/Pulao is cooked on a charcoal fire, preferably in a copper
vessel using the 'Dum' technique. And random ingredients like potatoes and
boiled eggs are never added.
While I will write about the Lucknowi Pulao in the future, this post will
focus on the 'Hyderabadi Kachche Gosht Ki Biryani'. If you toss a stone in
Hyderabad's old city, you will probably hit a restaurant claiming to serve the
best Biryani. I wonder how many of them follow a recipe refined and perfected
over generations by 'Khansamas' in the Nizam's kitchen.
I found that recipe by chance while watching a food-related show on
television many years ago. The show featured Mehboob Alam Khan, a well-known
expert on Hyderabadi cuisine, who spoke with great passion about the Biryani
and even demonstrated how it's made. The episode left no doubt in my mind that
the recipe, if followed religiously, would produce the closest approximation of
the famed 'Nizamowali Hyderabadi Biryani'.
The copper vessel and the charcoal brazier ('Sigree') would take some
finding though, and the plan to execute Mehboob Saheb's recipe remained a plan.
My enthusiasm was revived however, when I found the video of that episode on YouTube
recently and I set out to gather the equipment. That fact that you can find
everything online these days helped and websites like Indiamart and TradeIndia
helped me locate vendors for the Copper vessel and the Sigree.
Starting a charcoal flame in the Sigree took a few attempts, but once that
was done, I was all set. The process started on a Sunday morning, with a visit to Janata Mutton Shop
in Mahim. The butchers here know their cuts well and when I told the guy there
that I wanted the meat to make Biryani, he promptly went to work on a fresh Lamb
Leg. The meat on the leg is relatively tender and gives the best cuts for a
Biryani.
While the marinade and the other prep was done in the kitchen at home, the
charcoal fire had to be lit on the building roof. The whole thing from start to
finish took about five hours and while I was nervous about a possible
anti-climax (the meat not cooking enough or getting burnt at the bottom of the
vessel), the fragrance escaping the 'Dum', told me this was working. And when the
lid came off, the remaining doubt was laid to rest.
There was a lot of Biryani that day and many people ate it, including
relatives who stay close by, and people at work the next day. The approval was
unanimous and everyone agreed that it was special and completely different from
restaurant Biryanis. A special thanks to Mr. Mehboob Alam Khan for sharing this
work of art on TV. And for those you who could not taste it, here is the
recipe. Follow it precisely and you'll know what I'm talking about.
Equipment
- Flat and wide copper vessel, tinned on the inside ("क़लई किया हुआ ताम्बे का बर्तन"). It is commonly called 'Lagan'. This is what it looks
like.
Brass or Aluminum vessels can be used as well but the results won't be the
same. Stainless steel is an absolute NO.
- Charcoal brazier, commonly called 'Sigree' in Hindi. This has two
compartments, the upper one holds the charcoal and the lower one collects the
ashes and also has a door to regulate the heat. A gas flame will not produce
the same results.
Ingredients
1 kg Mutton (preferably the leg, cut into medium sized pieces)
3 tbsp. raw papaya paste
4 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
Salt, to taste
3 tbsp. turmeric powder
4 tbsp. red chili powder
1/2 stick cinnamon
10 cloves
10 cardamom pods (whole)
10-15 black peppercorns
5 tbsp. clarified butter (desi ghee)
4 medium sized onions (chopped lengthwise)
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp. loose curd
4 green chilies, chopped
Chopped mint leaves
Chopped coriander leaves (divided into 2 portions)
3/4 kg long-grain Basmati rice
1 cup milk
15 strands of saffron
Wheat flour dough
Method
Heat the Ghee in a wok (Kadhai) and add the onions. Stir fry on medium heat
till crisp, golden brown and caramelized. This should take around 15-20
minutes. Divide the fried onions into two portions and also the ghee used for frying.
Wash the mutton pieces well and place them at the bottom of the copper vessel,
ensuring that the bottom is more or less covered.
Add the papaya paste, ginger-garlic paste, salt, turmeric, red chili powder,
crushed cinnamon, cloves, cardamom pods and peppercorns. Mix all of this
thoroughly.
Add one portion of the fried onions, lemon juice, curd, green chilies and
mint. Add half the chopped coriander leaves and half the ghee used for frying
the onions. Mix all of this well and let it marinate for at least an hour.
Bring water to a boil in a large vessel. Add the rice and cook till about
60% done (the grain consistency should be 'al dente'). Drain the water but
reserve a cup and add it to the ghee still left.
Add the saffron to a cup of milk and heat it on a low flame till it comes to
a boil. Now, add the rice to the copper vessel, on top of the marinated mutton,
covering the mutton fully and packing the layer lightly. Sprinkle this with the
water and ghee mixture. Spread the saffron milk on top. Top this with the remaining fried onions and coriander. Line the rim of the
copper vessel with the dough and place the lid on top.
Light the charcoal in the Sigree (there are a lot of articles online on how
to do this). Once lit, place the sealed copper vessel on it. Place a heavy
object (large stone or dumb-bell) on the lid. Leave the door at the bottom open
for about 10 minutes and fan it with a cardboard sheet occasionally. This helps
the flame build up. After 10 minutes, take the copper vessel down and use tongs
to remove about 10-15 burning charcoal pieces from the Sigree and place them on
the vessel lid. Add fresh charcoal pieces to the Sigree as replacement and put
the vessel back. This time, shut the door to ensure a low, stable flame. Leave
this set-up undisturbed for about 40-45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, take the vessel off the flame and remove the lid. Mix the
contents well and serve as is, or with a few sides like mango pickle and Raita.
You'll get a better idea if you actually see how it's done, so here's the
video as well.
Well I'm off to find a similarly awesome recipe for the Lucknowi version. So
till I do, watch this space!
Maharashtra is one of India's largest states and can be divided into many
regions. But for those of us living on the coast, it has always been coastal
Maharashtra and the hinterland. More so for me, coz the family belongs to Goa,
and parts of Konkan, like the Sindhudurg district are almost like home - owing
to geographical proximity and cultural similarities. Cross over the Western
Ghats however, and it becomes a little different. The language loses its
familiar nasal tone, there are fewer palm trees and the landscape becomes more
arid. All in all, it feels less like home.
Having said that, a lot of places in Maharashtra's hinterland hold a
significant place in its history, and are of great interest from a cultural and
touristic viewpoint. Ranking very high on that list is Kolhapur. The ancient
Mahalaxmi temple and its status as an erstwhile princely state make it
historically significant, while its contributions to Indian classical music and
Marathi theatre point to a remarkable cultural heritage. It is also home to -
most importantly - a delectable regional cuisine.
So when a colleague came up with the idea of driving to Kolhapur (his
hometown) over a long weekend, it didn't take much convincing. The fact that he
had a house in a quaint village on the outskirts of the city was an added
incentive. Many office hours were spent online (obviously), trying to find
Kolhapur's best food offerings, before the weekend finally arrived. After an
eventful drive, with an unscheduled night halt at Pune, we finally arrived a
little before noon on Saturday.
Kolhapur cuisine is best known for its mutton preparations, and after a
quick visit to the famous Mahalaxmi temple, we set out looking for Kolhapur's
best Mutton Thali. Always ask the locals when in doubt, and it was the owner of
one of the many chappal shops outside the temple who suggested Padma Lodge. The
place is in a crowded lane in the market area near the temple and looked quite
promising till we got to the entrance only to be told that they were not
serving mutton that day (a Puja had been organized at the restaurant). Luckily
the owners were right there and told us they had another outlet next to their
house a short distance away.
'The other Padma Lodge' was in a nicer, less crowded part of town, right
next to the owners' palatial house. They serve a variety of mutton thalis and
while the other carnivore in the group ordered the Mutton Masala Thali, I went
for the interesting sounding Mutton Lonche Thali (Lonche - pickle in Marathi).
Most meat preparations in Kolhapur are served with two broth-like sides which
are synonymous with Kolhapur cuisine. These are the Pandhra Rassa - a white
broth, and the Tambda Rassa - a red broth. Both are served in generous
quantities in all the Thalis at Padma Lodge. The Pandhra Rassa is the broth
from cooking the meat, which is then flavoured with pepper, while the Tambda
Rassa is a chili-laden plain curry.
My 'Mutton Lonche Thali' as the name suggests had a dry mutton pickle
and some chapattis with rice, the two awesome broths and rice with some sides.
It lived up to all the hype and looked like this.
After what was a late lunch filled with meat and spice, it was time for some
dessert. Apparently, Kolhapuris love their ice-cream and there is one parlor tucked
away in a quiet corner of the city that regularly comes up with innovative flavors.
Raj Mandir Ice-cream took some finding, but while we were getting there, we
were told that their 'Red Guava' flavor was not to be missed. And it was
the best food-related advice we got during our time in Kolhapur. While
many Ice-cream houses in the big cities (Natural's in Bombay notably)
pride themselves on creating new flavors using natural ingredients, this one
item at Raj Mandir wins hands down. The very first bite and you feel something
is messing with your system. Is it the ice-cream or a piece of the real
fruit you're eating? They even season the ice-cream scoop with the salt
and chili powder mix commonly eaten with guava. Maybe that does the trick!
The trip was short and we had to head back the next afternoon, given the
long drive back. But not before trying another Kolhapur special - the
Misal! Well, this is something popular all over Maharashtra.
It's basically potato bhaji mixed with a pungent lentil curry topped
with Farsan, chopped onions and coriander, served with a lemon wedge and bread.
Every city and town (including Bombay) has a few joints that claim to serve the
best Misal. That said, Kolhapur has a very strong claim on the 'Best Misal'
title and it owes that to one legendary restaurant.
Phadtare Misal Centre looks pretty much like a large shack - and it is, with
a lot of cramped seating and a huge queue outside. But, like I've said before,
its places like these that most often serve the best food. Add to that the fact
that the place is a landmark in itself. Almost everyone in Kolhapur can tell
you where it is and it has been covered in multiple TV shows and travel/food
articles in newspapers and magazines.
The popularity and cult like status has its flipside though, and a visit
almost always involves a long waiting time. It wasn't any different when we
landed up there and it took us about 45 minutes to get seated. The wait didn't
end there though. The serving here happens in batches and our Misal took about
15 minutes to get to our plates. The wait, however, was well worth it!
Misal is one food item that tastes different at every place that serves it.
There is no standard recipe and every restaurant and stall has its own. At
Phadtare, the curry is thinner than usual and instead of Pav, it is served with
a peculiar slice bread (the loaf is sliced at the shop itself). The curry is
topped up regularly for free, while one has to pay for extra servings of potato,
crisps and bread. The verdict - right up there with the best!
Apart from what we ate in Kolhapur, we also got a few eatables for back
home, that are worth a mention.
Mithai - Kolhapur has a few notable local sweets and the best of the lot are
the Kolhapuri Peda and the Gulkand Barfi.
Bhadang - This is an interesting snack made with spiced puffed rice and
peanuts and is sold in packets in a lot of the shops. It is very popular among
the locals and is eaten with chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander and a squeeze
of lemon. Sounds a lot like Bhel, but it’s different.
And then there were some things we missed, given the short duration of the
trip
Appe - This is a snack very similar to the Tamil Kuzhi Paniyaram and one can
see stalls selling Appe all over Kolhapur.
Malwani Food - Malwani cuisine is originally from the Sindhudurg district of
Maharashtra, which neighbors the Kolhapur district. Owing to this proximity, a
lot of people from places like Sawantwadi and Kudal can be found living and
working in Kolhapur. Naturally, their cuisine also makes its presence felt and
you'll find a lot of good Malwani restaurants in the city.
Kolhapur may not have been on your radar as a place to visit, but I
sincerely hope this post changes that. Apart from the variety of food on offer,
it also has interesting medieval architecture, remnants of historic forts and
striking cleanliness that will put Indian metros to shame. Do visit!
One way (among many others) to categorize restaurants in Bombay - and the
rest of the country - is those that are 'multi-cuisine' and ones that
specialize in serving food from a particular country or region. The subject of
this post however, is a restaurant that cannot be slotted in either category.
And while the ongoing series exclusively features restaurants in South Bombay
that do a fabulous job of specializing in regional cuisines, this one is an
exception. And it finds a place on this series of posts despite this oddity,
only owing to the quality and consistency of the food it serves.
Hotel Grant House is conveniently located - right next to Haj House below
the southern end of the JJ flyover and a walking distance from CST station. It
was started by a certain Mr. Laxman Varma from Hyderabad, way back in 1951. It
was simply called 'Police Canteen' at the time, owing to the policemen at the
neighboring station, who were regulars there. The present name of the
establishment has a bit of the city's history associated with it. It is named
after Sir Robert Grant, who was the governor of Bombay in the 1830's and
actually lived in the building that stood at the spot before the present
structure came up!
In its early days, the menu at Police Canteen was simple and consisted of
staples like omelets, scrambled eggs (Bhurji) and of course a Bombay favorite,
the Kheema Pav. In fact, the super-popular version served at the restaurant
today owes its recipe to early patrons whose frequent suggestions were used in
experiments in the kitchen till the present (stellar) avatar evolved! Over the
years, seafood preparations and other meat dishes were added to the menu. The proprietors
are from Andhra Pradesh and their fiery native cuisine has also made an appearance
on the menu in recent years.
The view of the restaurant from the outside has no-frills written on it in
bold. And the interiors confirm that impression as well. There is no air-con,
seating is plain and the kitchen is visible from the dining area. Clean but
plain is how you would describe the look-and-feel.
The decor of the restaurant however, is in complete contrast to the bloke
who currently manages it. Shekhar Varma is Mr. Laxman's son and presently runs
the restaurant's operations along with his brother. He is smartly dressed,
speaks perfect English and is also quite media-savvy. In fact, he has appeared
on Kunal Vijaykar's popular show 'The Foodie' where the restaurant's Kheema was
featured.
From what I've said so far about the food at Grant House, it's clear that
the place is hard to categorize on the basis of cuisine. The menu is a
combination of Bombay classics, seafood specialties from the Maharashtra coast
and some items from the owners' native Andhra. I've tried a few things in each
of these categories and it’s all been really good. Let's look at this as a
six-ball over by a deadly pace bowler - the likes of Dale Steyn and Mitchel Johnson -
and see if we can get you out.
Ball 1 (Out swinger) - Kheema Pav
Kheema Pav is served all over the city for breakfast, lunch and dinner and
is one of its favorite foods. Naturally, the title for the city's best Kheema
is likely to be hotly contested. Most people would include Kyani & Co. at
Kalbadevi, Stadium Restaurant at Churchgate and Olympia Coffee House at Colaba
in their list of the city's best Kheema pavs. The Grant House version, with its
use of coconut and long whole green chilies is different from the ones
mentioned above, but it would be right up there if a taste test was held. They
do other mincemeat recipes like Kheema Ghotala (with egg) and Kheema Bheja mix
and they are pretty good too.
Ball 2 (Bouncer) - Surmai Chutney Fry
This one is definitely a bouncer! Green Chutney is usually stuffed in fish
like Pomfret or Mackerel. Surmai (Indo-Pacific King Mackerel) with its meaty
fillets can't really be stuffed. It's usually just coated with rava and fried or
used in a curry. And this is where the folks at Grant House have displayed some
remarkable creativity. The Surmai fillet is slathered with green chutney along
with the usual salt-turmeric-chili powder mix and the whole thing is then
coated generously with rava to hold it all together. The shallow fried Surmai
Chutney Fry is sure to surprise and delight its first-time eater.
Ball 3 (The Slower One) - Bombil Fry
It's not called Bombay Duck for nothing. It's found in the shallow waters
around the city in large numbers and is a favorite with the city's fish-eaters.
It's a pain to cook though. It's slippery and full of moisture, which means it
has to be drained well before frying. It's hard to get that right - and Grant
House does. Its Bombil Fry is perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the
inside and is served with a green chutney (wonder if it's the one used for the
Surmai)
Ball 4 (In swinger) - Andhra Fish Curry
It's a shame the folks at Grant House have not included more items from
their native Andhra cuisine on the menu. If this fiery fish curry is anything
to go by, they definitely should. It stings your palette, and gives you a hard
time the next morning, but will definitely make you come back asking for more.
It's perfect with steamed rice.
Ball 5 (Off-cutter) - Desi Chicken
Its broilers everywhere and very few places serve country fowl these days. Grant
House is one of them and they do a really good job. This one is pretty fiery as
well and is best accompanied by Chapattis.
Ball 6 (Yorker) - Mixed Seafood Pulao
Another example of some creativity at work. Most places would just serve a
Prawn Pulao and be done with it. These guys have added crabmeat and other
assorted fish and turned it into a favorite on the menu. Fine touches like the
use of spring onions make it one of the best combinations of seafood and rice
one is likely to find in the city.
Gujaratis (or Gujjus as they are popularly known) have always been one of
the most prominent communities of Bombay. In terms of influence on the city's
culture, they are second only to Maharashtrians. Even the city's Hindi dialect
(Bambaiyya) has a large number of Gujarati loan words. Known primarily as a
business community, they wield significant economic clout in the city. Most
areas in Bombay have significant Gujju populations, but Kandivali, Ghatkopar
and parts of South Bombay are undisputed Gujarati bastions.
When not chasing the next lucrative business idea, Gujjus are known for
traveling the world (does the phrase 'Patel snap' ring a bell?) and dining out. On any given weekend in the city, one is
likely to find Gujarati families queuing up at the popular food stalls or
occupying majority of the tables at most restaurants. So much so, that most
restaurants in the city have now expanded the vegetarian sections in their menu
(most Gujaratis are vegetarians) and some even have separate Jain menus.
But while South Indian, Indianized Mexican and Italian are the most popular
weekend cuisines among the Gujaratis of Bombay, how about their own food? While
an authentic Gujarati meal is best experienced at a dining table in a Gujarati
household, there is one good option if you want to try the cuisine while eating
out. That is the Gujarati Thali. As the name suggests, it’s a one-person meal
(obviously vegetarian in this case), which in most cases is an eat-all-you-can
combination of Rotis, Dals, rice and countless sides and desserts.
There are a large number of restaurants offering the Gujarati Thali in
Bombay. And while there is a restaurant serving the Gujju Thali in most
localities in the city, the largest number can be found in South Bombay.
Not surprising, given the fact that many of its areas like Walkeshwar, Girgaon
and Kalbadevi are Gujju-dominated. While which one of these is the best can be
a matter of great debate among Gujjus and non-Gujjus alike, my vote goes to a
certain 'Shree Thaker Bhojanalay'.
Thaker has been at the top of the ratings on restaurant review sites and
TripAdvisor for several years now. And while that is not the last word on the
quality of food at a restaurant, a stellar score across websites after
thousands of ratings and hundreds of reviews makes the case in its favor really
strong. In fact, for the longest time, Thaker was Mumbai's restaurant #1 on
TripAdvisor.
Finding this place is nothing short of a treasure hunt though. Tucked away
in a tiny alley of Kalbadevi called Dadiseth Agiary Lane, this one is hard to
find even with the help of Google Maps.
I have been here several times and it’s only after three or four visits that
I could get here without stopping to ask for directions. But don't let this
deter you - the reward at the end of this search is good enough! What's more,
once you're in the right lane, a significant landmark in the city's history
greets you on your way to the restaurant - Dadiseth Agiary, which lends its
name to the lane, is the oldest Zoroastrian fire temple in the city!
The restaurant itself is on the first floor of one of the typical chawl
buildings in the area and you have to spot the board announcing its presence at
the building entrance if you don’t want to miss it. As you climb the creaking
stairs, framed proofs of accolades gathered over the years greet you.
The air-conditioned and brightly lit interiors are in complete contrast to
the dark corridors one passes through before entering. The staff, despite being
super-busy at mealtimes seems to be trained in Gujarati hospitality, which
makes dining here an especially pleasant experience.
Ordering can't get any simpler than at Thaker's. They have no menu as the
standard Thali of the day is the only thing they serve. You get seated and a
stainless steel plate with as many as ten bowls is dropped on your table. At
this point it’s all empty and you have no idea of the assault that is about to
begin.
Over the next five minutes, the large plate and the bowls begin to fill up. It’s
hard to keep track of all that is served but here's most of it.
The Sides
- Kachori - Dhokla - Pakoda - Chutneys (I could count at least four)
- Aachar (Pickle)
- Salad
- Farsan - Papad - Dahi Vada
The vegetable curries
- Potato
- Cabbage
- Mixed lentils
- Greens
The Dals
- The typical Gujju sweet variant
- The standard savory dal
The Rotis (Three to four types including Puris)
The desserts
- Puran Poli - Aamras
That is what it looks like after one round by the servers. And while it
looks like a lot already, what the picture does not capture is the virtual (and
persuasive) conveyer belt that the waiters form as they keep refilling each and
every item on the plate. It's all really good and it’s only after you fear
having no place for dessert, that you finally ask them to stop. And there's
still that heap of rice to finish.
By the time you've finished the desserts, getting up to go to the wash basin
looks like a daunting task. But as you drag yourself back through the dark
corridor and dingy staircase, you know for sure that you will return to subject
yourself to this again
