Madras Day | The place to search out the very best biryanis in Chennai

Okay.G.N. Aarifa Biryani Centre

At Okay.G.N. Aarifa Biryani Centre, biryani masters start their work throughout the wee hours, in order that by 8 am big cauldrons of piping sizzling biryani are prepared on the market. The biriyani outlets right here began on a small scale, principally to cater to the numerous each day wage earners who end their evening shift, and cease by for biryani within the morning.

Individuals at KGN Aarifa, Pulianthope, Chennai.
| Photograph Credit score:
R. Ravindran

Shamsuddin, proprietor of KGN Aarifa, Pulianthope, in Chennai.
| Photograph Credit score:
R. Ravindran

“There’s a huge attu thotti (butchery) in Pulianthope, the place staff start by midnight and end by 7am or 8am, and they’d be famished. As we get entry to contemporary and good high quality meat from the attu thotti, now we have garnered a fame for high quality biryani,” says Shamsuddin, proprietor of Aarifa.  “Seventeen years in the past, I offered biryani, made by my spouse, in a thallu vandi. Then, we arrange a small store, and extra just lately, we expanded it with house for eating,” says Syed Moinudeen S. who assists his father within the enterprise.

Much less spice and oil, completely cooked rice grains, and good meat is the hallmark of this biryani. “Together with biryani, we offer uncooked sliced onions and mint chutney, which permits higher digestion. It’s our signature model,” says Moinudeen. Uncooked mint leaves, uncooked onions, garlic, curry leaves, inexperienced chillies and salt are stone floor to make the chutney, elevating the dish’s style and flavour.

Okay.G.N. Aarifa Biryani, Pulianthope and Pattinapakkam, For orderes, name 9840079923

Hatimy’s

Hatimys Mannady, in Chennai.
| Photograph Credit score:
R. Ravindran

For the previous 9 years, Mannady has emerged because the go-to place throughout the Ramzan fasting season, due to the efforts of Mohammed Patel Mustansir. “There wasn’t a lot number of kebabs then. As soon as I started to supply a variety of reasonably priced kebabs, it turned a pattern,” says Mohammed, who launched Hatimy’s 10 years in the past.

Bohri model mutton biryani at Hatimy’s
| Photograph Credit score:
R. Ravindran

“My grandfather had a flourishing {hardware} enterprise within the metropolis, and our household ran a profitable wedding ceremony catering enterprise for over 30 years. This restaurant is an extension of that,” says Muhammed. Right here, they put together mutton biryani within the conventional Bohri model solely on pre-order. (The Bohra group had its origins in Yemen, and later migrated to Gujarat. Massive numbers of the group have settled in Chennai over the past 100 years)

This can be a gentle biryani, made with basmati rice and flavoured with saffron, and cardamom. Additionally they add big chunks of potatoes and apricot, making this a singular dish, that’s not too widespread within the metropolis. “Historically in our group, we eat this dish in a giant thali, and about six to eight eat from this plate. We serve this with cucumber and onion raitha,” he says.

Hatimy’s, Mannady Avenue, Broadway Highway. For orders, name 7358458840

Pandia’s

A heritage model of Chennai, Pandia’s has garnered a reputation for itself in Royapuram and established itself properly within the North Madras area. Right here, the biryani is totally different from the biryanis you usually get in Chennai.

Hen biryani at Pandiya’s, Royapuram
| Photograph Credit score:
R. Ravindran

“We’ve adopted the Karnataka model, the place we grind collectively coriander, mint, inexperienced chillies, ginger and garlic and use this paste in preparation. Consequently, you’ll discover a greenish tint and the flavour will even be quite uncommon and excessive on spice. Chances are you’ll not discover this model of preparation elsewhere. Most significantly, we use solely boneless meat in our biryani preparation,” says A Muthuraja, who, alongside along with his brother A Jagaveer runs the restaurant, based by his father SS Arumugasamy in 1968.

Their mutton kurma and paya are extraordinarily in style, and also you inevitably have to affix a serpentine queue at their shops to purchase these dishes in the event you go to over the weekend.

Pandia’s Avenue, Royapuram. For orders, name 9884804920

Buhari

Mount Highway Buhari is an establishment, and the kitchen the place the favored dish rooster 65 started. Standing since 1951, it as an essential landmark on Anna Salai. Over time, its biryani has grow to be a sought-after dish, particularly the distinctive idiyappam (string hoppers) biryani, accessible on their dinner menu. Individuals had been served rooster 65, in fact, which by itself has a wealthy historical past. Finish your meal with their Irani-style tea, and in case you are too full to eat, pack their famously fluffy bun-butter-jam to take house.   

Idiyappam biryani at Buhari.
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular Association

Buhari, Anna Salai. For orders, name 28551951

Washermanpet’s wedding-style biryani

Abdur Rahman who hails from Royapuram is well-known within the space for his record-breaking biryani order. Photograph: Particular Association

The members ended the path by experiencing a briyani-making stay demonstration. The group assembled at a celebration corridor in Outdated Washermenpet, and biryani grasp Abdur Rahman, ready from scratch the Tamil Muslim- model nikah biryani. He is likely one of the main biryani masters within the metropolis and a protégé of Rahamathulla who was one of many pioneers to develop this distinctive recipe.

Abdur Rehman getting ready biryani at Resort Thavakkal, Outdated Washermanpet, in Chennai.
| Photograph Credit score:
R. Ravindran

Abdur who hails from Royapuram is well-known within the space for his record-breaking biryani order; he has cooked for five,000 individuals in 118 handis. Abdur demonstrated the recipe and in addition defined the method of dum. The path ended with an elaborate meal, the place members had been served his preparation in bandhi model, like how it’s finished in a marriage, with the accompaniment of brinjal chops, onion raita and bread halwa.

The occasion ended with members of the path receiving takeaway goodies from Q49 flavours, a Chennai-based model of prepared -to-make paste and gravies. The Biryani Path was organised by Made in Madras, The Hindu and curated by Shabnam Kamil.