A true Bengalurean will travel far and wide for a good biryani. Fortunately, with the The Great Indian Biryani Fest at Indian Kitchen, there is no need to. The restaurant on MG Road packs in some specials and some old favourites for the two-week festival.
Chef Abdul Wahid, the man behind these creations, hails from Odisha. “Whatever I know about cooking, it’s all from my mother. I would see her cook and learn from her,” he says as he joins us for dinner. The menu includes seven versions of biryani that have been paired with a salan or raita, which brings out the best in each. “We wanted to showcase the variety of the dish and the side dishes,” the Chef reveals.
First on the list was the Kachi gosht ki biryani from Hyderabad. The mutton is marinated in a special in-house spice mix overnight and cooked in the traditional dum style. It is served with a Mirch ka salan, a spicy chilli-based dish. Next was the Chettinad murgh biryani from Chennai, where the meat has flavours from green chilli, turmeric and fresh coconut. This one was served with a spicy salan as well.
For seafood lovers, the Goan fish biryani is a must-have. Flavours of kokum, tomatoes, coconut milk and tarty vinegar are the main notes in the dish, which was served with a refreshing cucumber raita. The Mangalorean seafood biryani has fresh prawns, squid and fish, all marinated in chef’s secret masala mix, which has, from what we could decode, rose petals and mace. The Egg Biryani, a traditional Bengali dish, was moreish and spicy.
For the vegetarians, the Kathal ki biryani is the highlight. Deseeded jackfruit is marinated overnight with hung curd, yellow chilli, and other spices and then cooked with the fragrant rice. The dish is from the chef’s homeland, Odisha. The Tarkari biryani from Lucknow is a mixed vegetable biryani served with a spicy Baigan ka salan (eggplant gravy).
Even though we hardly had room for dessert after the generous helpings of biryanis, we had to oblige after seeing the options. Parsi Lagan nu custard, Bengali Kala jamun, Hyderabadi Kubani ka meetha and more. What won our hearts was the Rabdi malpua. The malpua is stuffed with semi-solid rabdi — a total winner.
Rs 365 upwards. At Indian Kitchen, MG Road. Details: 25598995
— Anagha M