2 weeks ago
For Calcutta, Potato Clinches It: Four Biryani Styles on Display
A biryani is a yummy rice dish cooked with spices and meat or vegetables, and people in India love it a lot.
Some students in Calcutta made four different kinds of biryani for a special food festival.
One was from Calcutta and had a potato in it, which made the people of Calcutta very happy.
Another was from Hyderabad and was creamy and white, made with yoghurt and almonds.
A third kind came from Lucknow and used special meat balls instead of chicken pieces.
The last one was from the Malabar coast and even came with a vegetarian version made with jackfruit.
A teacher said that tasting biryani from everywhere, from street stalls to fancy hotels, makes you a better chef.
Restaurants in Calcutta learned that local people almost always want the potato with their biryani.
In fact, one restaurant said only about one person in a hundred asks for the Delhi-style biryani.
So even though there are many kinds of biryani, people usually love the one from their own hometown the most.
Students at IAM Institute of Hotel Management in Sector V, Calcutta, prepared four regional biryani versions at a festival: Calcutta Mutton, Hyderabadi Sufi Murgh, Awadhi, and Malabar biryani.
Group director Maitreyee Chaudhuri said there is 'no such thing as best biryani,' since taste depends on individual, often nostalgic, palates.
At Karim's in Salt Lake, only about one in 100 customers request the Delhi biryani, while the Calcutta potato-and-egg style has become the staple.
Diners at Karim's are more particular about the potato than the meat or rice, staying vocal if the potato is smaller than expected.
Galawat stays committed to Lucknowi cuisine but serves the potato upon request, cooking it separately so the rice does not dry out.
- Who
- Students and faculty of IAM Institute of Hotel Management, including group director Maitreyee Chaudhuri, teacher chef Ayan Kundu, and restaurateurs Souvik Mukherjee (Karim's) and Rabi Singh (Galawat).
- What
- A biryani festival where students prepared four regional biryani varieties, and restaurateurs discussed how Calcutta diners overwhelmingly prefer the local potato-and-egg style.
- Where
- Sector V, Calcutta, with eateries referenced in Salt Lake, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Dalhousie.
- When
- Date not stated in the article.
- Why
- To showcase the diversity and evolution of biryani across India, while highlighting how local palates and nostalgia decide which version succeeds in each city.
No Best Biryani
Local Flavor Wins
Defining the best biryani
No Best Biryani
Maitreyee Chaudhuri says there is no such thing as best biryani; taste is personal and often nostalgic, and fusion reflects evolution.
Local Flavor Wins
Restaurateurs observe that in Calcutta, the city's own potato-and-egg biryani clearly rules the roost, with only about one in 100 customers at Karim's asking for the Delhi version.
Authenticity vs. local adaptation
No Best Biryani
Staying true to a region's original style preserves its character, as Galawat remains committed to Lucknowi cuisine and Hyderabadi and Malabar biryanis keep their distinct flavors.
Local Flavor Wins
Calcutta diners expect the potato, prompting outlets like Karim's to make the Calcutta version the staple and Galawat to serve the potato on request, adapting dishes to local palates.
Key facts
- Event
- Biryani festival hosted by IAM Institute of Hotel Management
- Location
- Sector V, Calcutta
- Biryani varieties prepared
- 4 - Calcutta Mutton, Hyderabadi Sufi Murgh, Awadhi (chicken kofta), and Malabar (with jackfruit vegetarian version)
- Calcutta biryani signature
- Potato (and egg), with a subtle spice profile and a different blend of whole spices
- Karim's Salt Lake orders
- Only about 1 in 100 customers ask for the Delhi version
- Galawat's adaptation
- Potato served on request, cooked separately to avoid dry rice
- Chef's view
- Chef Ayan Kundu calls cooking biryani one of the ultimate tests of a chef
- Notable closures cited
- Paradise (Hyderabad) shut shop in Calcutta; Arsalan (Calcutta) shut shop in Mumbai
Quotes
Maitreyee Chaudhuri
Group director of IAM Institute of Hotel Management
““People think the potato is the only USP of this style, but there is more to it — the blend of whole spices is different too,” said Rafat, who confessed that this was indeed his favourite kind of biryani.”
telegraphindia.com
““There’s no such thing as best biryani,” said group director Maitreyee Chaudhuri. “It depends on individual palates and, often, it is personal — sometimes even nostalgic.”],”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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