Life is like a pot of Biryani

I sent a picture of my Biryani with an elaichi (cardamom pod) sticking out out to my friend. He replied "You're going to hell!". This got me thinking, why is there such intense hatred towards this amazing spice? We love it in our chai and mitthai (desserts). Why the double standards?

If, like Forest Gump once said, "life is like a pot of biryani; you never know when you'll get a bite of elaichi", then elaichi are just the moments in life full of intense emotions (good and bad) that remind us of our own humanity. You'll also notice that the rice surrounding the pod is also the most flavourful.

I responded to my friend with one of Jigar Moradabadi's shers (couplets): "Aatish-e-ishq woh jahannum hai, jismein firdaus ke nazzaare hain" (The fire of love, that is Hell, in which the sights of heaven dwell).

Its time to salute this belittled spice. Let's end the discrimination... kal, aaj, hamesha (then, now, always).

Hyderabadi Biryani - fit for a Nizam

Continuation from the previous blog:

Everyone knows how good Hyderabadi biryani is... Or at least they think they know. People in NZ sadly think that biryani sold at "Paradise" in Sandringham (Auckland) is a good representation of (quality) Hyderabadi biryani. My two days in Hyderabad showed me that people cannot truly understand how good the cuisine is unless they have visited the city of Nizams or if they have Hyderabadi friends who can make it at home. I also found myself telling people when they asked me if I ate enough, "Mein daba ke khaiya" (I pushed food in).

I had the chance to enjoy three different biryanis in under 48 hours - kacchi biryani (mutton), Hyderabadi dum biryani (chicken) and delicious home cooked biryani (chicken) at my aunt's house. The kacchi biryani was from the original franchise of restaurants called "Paradise Hotel". After enjoying tasty kheema (mince) stuffed naan with kheema on the side (must try) we were served the biryani. This biryani was extremely tasty with a lot of masala which it made it very filling.

The Hyderabadi dum biryani was from a restaurant called Spice 9. "Dum" is simply a way the dish is cooked which includes sealing the pot with dough to trap all the fragrance and steam inside. This biryani had a completely different taste to the kacchi biyani and a strong fragrance that is synonymous with biryani.

Another differentiating feature of Hyderabadi biryani is that it is usually served with "Mirchi ki salan" (a gravy made from chillies). This adds another dimension of spice and flavour to the already very tasty meal.

Biryani has a very important place in mughalai cuisine and even more so in Hyderabadi cuisine. For those people who are passionate enough about biryani to have "biryani parties", I strongly recommend you visit the city of Nizams or start socialising with Hyderabadis.  Your stomach and taste buds will love you for it.

Above: Kacchi biryani

Chandni Chowk - A taste of Purani Dilli (Old Delhi)

3 days into my stay and I was struggling to find a reason to venture all the way to one of my favourite places in Delhi but I finally had one when my Maami (aunt) said she needed some things for the wedding which would easily be found in Old Delhi.

So after a long ride in the metro, we were in Chandni Chowk (one of the oldest areas of Delhi). My cousins and I decided to go to Jama Masjid (India's largest mosque built by Shah Jahan - same person who built the Taj) because we figured that would be the best place to eat some nice mughalai food and do the wedding shopping.

We spent almost 2 hours shopping and admiring the historic masjid before our stomachs demanded we have lunch. The shop keeper guided us through the gulleys (paths) of Chandni Chowk to this small biryani joint called Taufeeq Biryani. For 30 Rs (approx 60c) my cousins and I had a full plate to share. I wouldn't recommend these unknown (Lo key) biryani places because while they taste much better than the biryani you get at all Indian restaurants outside of India, the quality of meat is sometimes questionable. But for 60c who is complaining?!

We then went to Jawahar Hotel, one the oldest restaurants in Purani Dilli (next to Karim's). We ordered mutton qourma, chicken biryani and tandoori chicken with Romali roti (roti so thin that it is nearly transparent). The biryani wasn't bad but there was nothing too special about it. The qourma was rich in flavour, spice and had well cooked meat. The tandoori chicken was slightly dry but tasted delicious with the Romali. If you are near Jama Masjid then I would recommend Jawahar hotel over Karims (which I am not a fan after having average food there in the last few years).

Despite being full from lunch, I made my cousins join me in enjoying some fresh Paranthe (layered and shallow fried roti) from the famous "Paranthe wali galli" (street of paranthas). The main restaurant of PwG had a large range of paranthas to choose from but because we were already full we decided to share a muli (radish) and rabri (sweet and thickened milk) paranthas. The paranthas were served on a thali with 5-6 different chutneys and sabzis (vege curries). The chutneys included a tangy banana one which went surprisingly well with both the savoury muli parantha and the sweet rabri one. The paranthas themselves were awesome! Highly recommend this place (even if it's not in the way).

Before getting on the metro back to CP, we stopped to have mitthai at a small sweet shop located at the entrance of Paranthe wali galli. The gulab jamuns, Ras mallai and rasgulla were as sweet and delicious as they sound.

Those who have issues with hygiene and personal space may not enjoy what Chandni Chowk has to offer but those who are looking to experience rich history, flavour and excitement must visit the cultural capital of the capital city.

See you next time after my cousin's wedding!

above: exploring chandni chowk by cycle rickshaw

bottom: Built by Shah Jahan (same as Taj), Jama Masjid is India's largest mosque

above: chicken biryani, mutton quorma and tandoori chicken with romali roti from Jawahar Hotel

below: muli parantha, rabri parantha on a thali of sabzis and chutneys

above: amazing mitthai near paranthe wali galli - Ras mallai, rasgulla, gulab jamun

Kababi Kababs

Lucknow is famous for 4 main things: hand embroidered chikan material, its importance in modern Indian history, Lucknowi Tehzeeb (etiquette) and most importantly - the non-vegetarian Mughalai cuisine from the time of the Nawabs.  

When you're in Lucknow, you'll never be more than 100m away from fresh kababs, biryani and curries being made on large fry pans outside the numerous restaurants. This city really is a meat-eaters paradise.

I focused my taste buds on 2 main restaurants which happen to be neighbours - Tunday Kababi and Wahid Biryani.  

Tunday Kababi
Category: Non-Veg Meal (Galawati Kababs, Tandoori Chicken and Biryani)
Nostril Flaring (hygiene issues): 2/5
Personal Rating: 2nd favourite Kabab  

In the heart of Aminabad, arguably Lucknow's most famous restaurant, Tunday Kababi offers a special and unique kabab which is sometimes called the "King of Kababs" - the mutton galawati kabab. This kabab is so soft you don't have to chew it - it literally melts away in your mouth. It is also incredibly delicious. Supposedly, the secret is the 100+ spices that the meat is marinated in overnight and it is cooked with the commonly used tenderiser - papaya (paw paw). Picture 1 shows the 45 Rs plate of kababs served with a beautifully layered paratha and onion salad.  

The biryani (picture 2) and tandoori chicken were also very tasty. Lucknowi biryani, unlike its Hyderabadi sibling, does not have as much masala flowing through it. This allows the aroma of the rice to come through and makes it lighter on the stomach.  

Tunday kabab is a historic restaurant which is extremely popular with the locals and even Bollywood celebrities (picture 3 shows one the many pictures which are displayed throughout the restaurant). If you only have time for one meal in Lucknow, make sure it is at Tunday.  

Wahid Biryani
Category: Non-Veg meal (Shammi Kabab, Mughalai Paratha, Chicken Biryani)
Nostril Flaring: 3/5
Personal Rating: #1 Kabab, better biryani than Tunday.  

Right next to Tunday Kababi, is a small mughalai restaurant called Wahid Biryani. Picture 4 shows  their special shammi kababs, tandoori chicken and mughalai paratha being made on the hot plates in front. The shammi kababs were served with coriander and green chilli chutney. Tunday kababs were my favourite until I had this shammi kabab. It wasn't as soft, but it just tasted better to me. Shammi kababs don't use tenderiser like galawati and instead are cooked with besan (chickpea flour). The mughalai paratha had its own rich taste and was the perfect bread to have the kabab with.  

The biryani, appropriately called "Wahid Biryani" on the menu, has a bit more flavour in it than Tunday's and a slightly larger portion size.  

I personally enjoyed Wahid Biryani more because it was less crowded and, in my opinion, tasted better than Tunday. However, as the crowd favourite I recommend Tunday kabab for the common tourist who is seeking a tasty Nawabi meal.

I'll sign off here in true Lucknowi fashion by slightly lowering my head, raising my right hand towards my head and humbly saying "Dua mein yaad rakna" ("remember me in your prayers").