A brimful of biryani

Which Indian dish are people looking up to order in and eat Well according to a survey by Bostonbased research aggregator SEMrush its chicken biryani that had an average of 456 lakh searches each month throughout 2019 Closer home theres a bedlam of options that Mumbais biryaniserving eateries are whipping up mdash Mughlai Awadhi Hyderabadi and Malwani Here are The Guides top eight picksHandi of historyFamous for their chicken mutton and tikka biryani this restaurant was born when a small catering business evolved into a dinein on Grant Road in 1973 Its simplicity gives it an edge over the rest even though its a tad oily But its totally worth it and still feels wholesome as you make your way from one perfect bite to anotherAt Jaffer Bhais Delhi Darbar 195197 Patthe Bapu Rao Marg Grant RoadTime 10 am to 2 amCall 23875698Cost Rs 234Biryani partyKnown for its Hyderabadi chicken biryani ordering from this delivery joint is perfect for large groups thanks to their generous portions Its spicy packs a punch and the rice soaks in the juices beautifully This layered biryani is kept on the charcoal for 4560 minutes in an earthen pot The lid is sealed with dough that aids in cooking and also helps retain the flavour The raw meat is placed at the bottom layered with basmati rice and coupled with spices and ghee The trick is to not put rice at the bottom and to leave the dum untouched for the biryani to soak up the flavours shares Ritesh Sinha COOAt Biryani by Kilo delivery onlyTime 1030 am to 12 amCall 9555212212Cost Rs 745Parsi treatThough better known for their berry pulao the Parsis love their version of the dish and usually team it up with mutton The one at this eatery in Fort has been served since the 90s The meat melts off the bone and you get a whammy of saffronheavy flavours in every biteAt Jimmy Boy Vikas Building 11 Bank Street FortTime 830 am to 11 pmCall 22662503Cost Rs 405For the love of raanOne of the oldest biryani joints Persian Darbar has been dishing out what they claim is an authentic Persian version since 1976 Their iconic raan biryani is their big draw This family serving can be split among five adults and includes a whole slowcooked roasted mutton leg They serve it with gravyAt Persian Darbar Linking Road Bandra West Also at Marol Kurla and BycullaTime 12 pm to 1 amCall 8080808694Cost Rs 1845Bengali spices beckonKolkatastyle biryani is difficult to come by in the city Most eateries get their texture and egg potato and meat proportions wrong or it just isnt light enough mdash a signature of this type The dish which was introduced to Bengal when Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh was dethroned and deported to Calcutta in 1856 developed a different flavour as it was replicated using local spices and ingredients This eaterys variant comes closeAt Peetuk Evershine Halley Society Kandivali EastTime 1130 am to 430 pm 630 pm to 1130pmCall 7738444905cost Rs 209Veggie delightYou might say vegetarian biryani isnt biryani but this outlet is proving everyone wrong It is prepared using longgrained Basmati from the foothills of the Himalayas and a secret spice blend passed down since 1895 says Chandrakant Gharat chefAt K Bhagat Tarachand KalbadeviTime 10 am to 1130 pmCall 66353070Cost Rs 210DIY dos and donts1 Use a heavy bottom pot which looks as close to a lagan as possible A Dutch oven is a great option too2 Slow cook the meat for more flavour and marinate it overnight3 Stick to the golden ratio of 32 for meat rice People tend to add more rice4 Dont compromise on the quality of the ingredients especially saffron meat and rice Add enough salt5 Dont overcook the rice A great biryani is one which has full fluffy grains and isnt mushy6 Avoid putting too much masalaBy Chef Amninder SandhuAlso tryMalvani on your mindThis iconic Malvani eatery in the city dishes out generous portions of seafood preparations from the South Konkan region of Maharashtra and Goa The coarsely ground Malvani masala a combination of 15 to 16 dry spices gives the biryani here an edge over the others especially the prawn variant The succulent prawns come in an aromatic bed of spicy riceAt Jai Hind Lunch Home Bandra East Also at Lower Parel Bandra West and Dadar WestTime 130 to 31145pmCost Rs 370Pair it with tariDishing out the authentic Lucknowi chicken biryani recipe this Mahim eatery is popular for its mutton staple served with gravyAt Kakori House MahimTime 1130 am to 1130 pmCost Rs 595Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates