Biriyani from good old Calcutta!!


Anybody who has lived in KolKata better known as Calcutta or even been a frequent visitor to that eccentric city would love to talk about it. Everyone has endless stories about places and people. , which invariably ends with a “that’s Calcutta” . The mob, floods, polluting taxis and everyone who would rather tend to your business even when he is not sure of his own is what makes that city memorable.

Mind you it is not the same reading about it. You need to spend a few days and the city grows upon you with all its quirkiness and whole hearted warmth. I am very happy living in Bangalore but Calcutta and its memories come by almost every other day.

Another aspect of Calcutta not to miss of course is its food. From the Puchkas off the street , to Indo-Chinese at Tangra, or the good old Biriyani from Aminia, it’s a festival on your palate. The Biriyani is not to be missed at all. Served in old time china plates most of which may be chipped at the edges, looks pretty bland and plain to the eye at first sight but put that first spoonful of rice into your mouth and it’s an explosion of flavor. This is ‘THE’ form of biriyani I relish and have tried to replicate it to my best

1.   Wash 2 teacups of long grained basmati rice and allow it to soak for a about half an hour (…….. drain out the water, just let the rice be damp…maybe leave a wet clean kitchen cloth on top to prevent from drying out)
2.   Heat 3 tablespoons of ghee and stir in it about 10 cloves of garlic and 3” piece of ginger (…cut the ginger into small pieces), 3 – 4 green chillies ,¼ cup of broken cashewnuts, some cloves, a ½ “stick of cinnamon and a large cardomom
3.   Just let it turn limp and fry enough to let it lose the raw flavorand texture. Remove from ghee, blend well.
4.   Add to it a tea cup of curd, a tablespoon of salt, 2 pinches of turmeric and blend again till you get a smooth paste.
5.   Marinate 8 large pieces of chicken(……I prefer to use thighs and drumsticks as they give more flavor) and 4 large potato halves in the above mix.
6.   Stir the rice in the left over hot ghee.
7.   In a large thick bottomed pan ( ….I often use the rice cooker since it really cooks evenly or even a slow cooker would work great) layer four pieces of chicken along with the marinade, over which the rice is layered.
8.   Continue till all rice and chicken is in the pan. The topmost layer must be rice.
9.   Pour the marinade along with 3 ½ teacups of water and 2 table spoons of ghee over the rice, and let it cook covered on a very slow flame for almost 45 minutes to an hour or in the rice cooker till the liquid is all absorbed.
10.       When done sprinkle kewra essence over the top and serve hot.



Don’t be fooled by its plain Jane looks, it is a bombshell of taste leaving you want some more.

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