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| Biryani by Banu |
Rites of passage biryani
My love for biryani began in central Calcutta in the early 90s. I was in high school and used to go with my classmates to watch movies at New Market at times. Movies such as Big, Pretty Woman and Maine Pyar Kya and at theatres such as Globe, New Empire, Jamuna and Chaplin. We hopped into Mughlai places such as Nizams & Aminia, with money we’d saved, to have biryani while waiting for the movie to start.
The first time in our lives that we’d gone without grown ups to a restaurant. This felt special.
The home alone biryani
I moved to Mumbai to work in the late 90s. My PG was veg and I missed the Sunday lunches of chicken curry & rice I’d grown up on. ‘Aap Lucky hotel jao. Bolte hain non veg achha hain,’ said my PG aunty taking pity on me. ‘Go to Lucky. They say the non-veg is good there.’
I spent many Sunday afternoons there having mutton biryani and Coke while reading the Mid Day & looking at life pass by. The biryani had no resemblance to that of Kolkata but somewhere between the many plates of Lucky biryani, Mumbai began to feel like home.
The Travelling Belly biryani
Bombay taught me that there is no one ‘authentic biryani.’ That there are many varietals and I made it my life’s mission to try as many as I could. At the grimy Lucknowi joints of Wahid’s, Lallaji’s and Idris (pulao purists would say). The cavernous Hyderabadi ones such as Shadab, Shah Ghouse & Cafe Bahar. Prim and proper Dindigul & Thalakapatti places at Chennai. Donne biryani at Ranganna in Bengaluru, Pehelwan biryani on the streets of Delhi 6, Manzilat’s on a terrace in industrial Kolkata after climbing many flights. Each experience is etched in my heart. And my book.
My favourite sophi biryani
No not Sufi. ‘Sophi’ is Kolkata slang from my time for ‘sophisticated’.
Of all the biryanis that I’ve had in posh places (and not so posh ones), the Dum Pukht, Mumbai, Awadhi biryani is my favourite now. The poetic grains of rice, the rather erudite pieces of meat, the elegant white matka it comes in and the bouquet of intoxicating aromas that enshroud you when it’s opened, make it feel like the Rolls Royce of biryanis.
It’s even more special when the ever smiling master chef Mohammad Shareef prepares it for you.
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| Chicken pulao, galauti and sheekh kebabs, dal Bukhara, haleem, nalli nihari, chicken qorma, mirchi salan and sweet treats sent by ITC Grand Central for Iftar and Eid |
The Eidi biryani
Then there was Farida aunty who was our neighbour for many years when we lived at our first apartment in Bandra. ‘Eid Mubarak children,’ she’d say every Eid, bringing over a generous serving of lip smacking chicken biryani and sheer qurma. Accompanied with an even bigger smile for me and a hug for K.
She made a glorious biryani to bid us farewell the year we all moved to bigger apartments after a sale. Living the Bombay dream deserved a kingsize treat.
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| Chicken biryani and sheer qurma made by Banu today and styled by me |
Banu’s biryani
Our cook Banu came over with biryani and sheer qurma today, along with her grandson who was thrilled with his new clothes, shades and watch. She said she did nothing on Eid last year because of the lockdown and the sad news around the pandemic.
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| Banu preps the biryani and sheer qurma at home |
This year, filled with hope, she has bought new clothes for her children and grandchildren. ‘Who else will buy for them if not me.’ She supports her entire family. She said she cooked biryani and sheer qurma in bulk today to feed the ‘Marathis’ (her Hindu neighbours), in memory of her mother who had passed on. Her mother and these neighbours had grown up in a village together before coming to Mumbai and Banu wanted to keep the tradition of her mum feeding them biryani on Eid alive.
Maine kum tez kya aap ke liye. I made it less spicy for you.
Aap masala nehi khaate. I know you don’t like it otherwise.
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| Banu and her grandson |
Eid Mubarak
Banu’s biryani tasted lovely and little Nimki came to the table as I did a #chetepute (wipe your plate clean). There was a piece of chicken left. I offered it to him and Nimki polished it from my palm.
That’s when it fell into place. Banu has been his special friend ever since he moved in with us. He watches her cook everyday and she pets him and carries him the way she carried her grandkids when they were babies.
It was his way of saying Eid Mubarak to her.
PS: Banu says that Baby Loaf has finally warmed up to her too.
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| Little Nimki laps up the chicken from Banu’s biryani |
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| We miss you uncle Talha |
Very well articulated.