Eid is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate it than scarfing on some tasty delicious biryani. It's no news that we Kolkatans are obsessed with all things biryani, but there are very few places which serve variations of the usual fare. Here's a list of all such places that serve up the best kind of biryanis in Kolkata, and you musn't give any of them a miss.
Home Cooks To Restaurants: Celebrate This Eid Gorging On Kolkata's Best Biryanis
Manzilat's
Place an order with Manzilat’s once and chances are you will be hooked on for life. Run by Manzilat Fatima, the great-great granddaughter of Wajid Ali Shah – the tenth and last nawab of Awadh, her biryani will you licking your fingers long after your plates have been wiped clean. It is long-grained, light, non-greasy, fragrant and the meat is cooked to perfection. Committed to preserving the cultural legacy of Awadh, her recipes though rooted in tradition also serve as a fine example of how tradition and recipes evolve as they travel through cultures and time. Manzilat’s caters to an order quantity that can serve 10 – 25 people on a pre-order basis. You can order Kalkatta Shahi Biryani (chicken or mutton) with complimentary burhani for INR 2,500 for 10 to 12 people and INR 6,000 for a group of 20 to 25.
Zam Zam
This small joint on Park Circus opposite Missionaries of Charity is one those iconic places that serves the most delectable biryanis in the city. The beef biryani (INR 85) here is sublime, with a meaty flavour permeating the rice, succulent beef pieces and the mandatory chunk of potato. Team it up with their must-have Beef Malai (tender beef pieces in a rich and sweetish cashew gravy which has a topping of malai) and you have a meal for a king to scarf.
Sima's Kitchen
If you love biryani, you have to have home chef Sim'a serving from Sima’s Kitchen Secrets. Made from nawabi recipes that have been passed down through generations of Sima Ahmed’s family (the family hails from Lucknow), her long-grained and fragrant biryani is made in the Awadhi style and is packed with tender juicy meat pieces. Sima’s Kitchen only makes large servings for 5 – 24 people on pre-order. You can order chicken or mutton biryani, the former costs INR 1,100 for a serving of 5 people and INR 1,350 for the same. And best of all you get two aloos per plate!
Dada Boudi
Our quest for good biryani has taken us from fancy eateries to road side stalls. Dada Boudi's in Barrackpore is one such eatery that has made us queue up for hours in front of its road side eatery. A quintessential Kolkata biryani, Dada Boudi's super soft aloo, tender meat, enormous portion and fragrant rice has kept us hooked to it for years--from it's road side eatery to its fairly recent AC restaurant.
Hindusthan Dhaba
This one is an unexpected haunt, but those who frequent it know of the fabulous biryani that is served here. Cooked to perfection with the right amount of spices, Hindusthan Dhaba’s Awadhi Biryani is served with not one, but two pieces of chicken. Enough for two people to enjoy the meal, the aromatic rice and two succulent meat pieces is served with raita to balance the palate.