Ramzan food special: Making a mean Kerala biryani

The Kerala biryani to put it simply is pure symphonyIt was in Calicut home to the famous Kozhikode biryani that we realised this very simple fact of life Our train back to Mumbai was delayed indefinitely and a biryani was suggested by the group to calm rising tempers and frayed nerves To an unabashed biryani lover and in our group there were many the dish is always just that mdash the perfect antidote to lifersquos many problemsKerala biryani at Nawab Saheb restaurant Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel PowaiIt was love at first sniff The fragrant mutton and rice dish was placed before us in a chembu or vessel The knife sunk deliciously into the meat confirming the soft and tender consistency of the mutton Someone cried sacrilege and we put the cutlery aside to dig into the dish with our fingers The rice the meat and the spices worked in perfect harmony and in minutes our fingertips were smudged with masala and ghee which we licked with gleeOne of the most popular kinds of Kerala biryani comes from Thalassery a town in Kannur District At Hotel Deluxe in Fort the Thalassery biryani is served with pickle and papadam no not pappad ldquoWe add raw onions ginger garlic and tomatoes and other ingredients to marinated meatrdquo says hotel manager Jay Prakash The rice is cooked separately and later added to the meat masala on the stove ldquoThe biryani is then cooked on dum where the vessel is sealed with maida In Kerala the biryani is cooked on the wooden stove which lends the food its own flavour We place pieces of charcoal on top of the dish to heat it from aboverdquo he explainsMumbaibased Sneha Nair founder of Poppaddum explains that one of the most distinguishing features of the Kerala biryani is its rice ldquoWhile Mughlai biryani uses basmati rice the Kerala biryani uses Jeerakasala rice which is smaller but very fragrant It also uses a lot of raisins and cashew nutsrdquo she points out Also adds Nair instead of using spices in its powdered form the Kerala biryani uses whole spices and almost no garam masala A few hotels also prefer to use the local chicken instead of the broiler ldquoThis is so that the rice is not stuck to the meatrdquo says Mashoor owner of the popular Thalasserybased hotel ParisThe meen or fish biryani is exclusive to the regions cuisine ldquoNo other cuisine includes fish in biryanirdquo explains Ananda Solomon executive chef Vivanta by TajPresident ldquoThe authentic fish biryani uses Jeerakasala rice blended with peppercorn cloves cardamon fresh bay leaf and ghee mixed perfectly in light fish stockrdquo he adds Calicutbased Moplah cuisine expert Abida Rasheed attributes the uniqueness of the dish to the restrained use of spices ldquoThe spices are subtle in the dish and enhance the tasterdquo she says adding that fish biryani made with seer fish and served with date chutney is very popular ldquoIn Kozhikode biryani a namesake of the district the rice is very soft It is usually made at weddings as the weight of the rice works on the meat which becomes tenderrdquo she says ldquoAt a wedding here a biryani is a mustrdquo she smilesKerala biryani served hereWhere Hotel Deluxe FortCall 22836698 Where Hotel Cochin Ark KhargharCall 22948621Where Meghalaya House Vashi Call 27815532Where The Konkan Cafeacute Vivanta by Taj ndash President Cuffe ParadeCall 66650978