When I was younger, the only biryanis I knew about were the Kolkata style biryani because of my Bengali bloodline and the Nellore and Hyderabadi style biryanis which were available in Bangalore. As the years went by, I became more aware of the different types of biryani which were actually available in the city.
I’ve noticed many who opt for biryanis because of its cost effectiveness or because it is something most people like to eat. In fact, I’ve seen many cloud kitchens on Swiggy selling Biryani with less oil or ghee and claiming that they’re healthy variants of the Biryani. I’m not quite sure why one would venture to eat a biryani if they were looking for healthy food options and not eat a salad or steamed food instead, but again, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and dietary choices. I’ve seen the Ambur style of biryani, Donne style and many in-between styles too cropping up in the city as I grew up. While I don’t necessarily care much for the in-betweeners, I do love me some good biryani and it’s also one of the many reasons I love Namma Bengaluru so much.
Nellore Style Biryani
One of my all-time favourite styles of biryani, I can eat this anytime but not anywhere. I do have certain specifications when it comes to my food and in my opinion the best Nellore style biryani available in the city is only at four specific places. Navayuga, Nagarjuna, Nandhini and Bheemas. If you’re from the city, you know what I’m talking about. However, what I find most interesting is the fact that all these restaurants, even though they sell the same type of biryani, have quite a few differences, from the rice to even the level of spice they maintain. Navayuga and Nagarjuna maintain a diplomatic amount of spice which everyone can eat, Nandhini being a bit spicier while Bheemas tops the chart when it comes to spice. All of these are simply brilliant, and it is safe to say that these are heritage restaurants when it comes to Nellore style biryani in Bengaluru.
Hyderabadi Biryani
If you’re from Bangalore, you know that no other place can compare with the infamous Hyderabadi Biryani House when it comes to Hyderabadi biryani. Having named the eatery after their specialty dish, they’ve lived up to the name for decades now. However, from the relatively newer restaurants Meghana Biryani and Biryani Zone are two eateries that I quite like. While Hyderabadi biryani is also on the spicy side, it’s a different kind of spice than the Nellore style. It gives you a stronger hit of garam masala and is not for the faint hearted when it comes to spice.
Kolkata Style Biryani
As a young girl with parents from Kolkata, the only place back then in the city which sold the Lucknow-influenced Kolkata style biryani was Lazeez. We did have a temporary phase where Arsalan and Zeeshan from Kolkata had opened outlets in Bengaluru but unfortunately, they stopped operations here a while back. Many of my friends from the southern states have called it ‘The Biryani with the Aloo’. Accurately so, it is one of the ingredients which make this type of biryani quite unique. Unlike the Nellore and Hyderabadi varieties, the Kolkata style biryani makes use of spices but isn’t spicy. It relies more upon the magic of the rose water and flavours of the spices used.
Ambur Biryani
One may have come across many Ambur biryani eateries in the city. One thing they’re famous for apart from being simply lip-smacking is the cost. You have biryanis ranging from Rs. 80 to Rs. 150 as well. However, if you want to eat some quality Ambur biryani, you’ll find it only at Star Briyani. Yes, I’ve spelt it correct. From the small town of Ambur this diner has been around since 1890. When we visited Ambur a few years ago, we were lucky to find a place in the packed diner. We weren’t disappointed and it was here that I found that people eat biryani for brunch. Ambur passed the vibe check as kids these days say. Run by two brothers today, they’ve managed to keep up their reputation with the locals and have successfully expanded to Bengaluru as well. I absolutely love Star Briyani and would recommend anyone looking for some lip-smacking Ambur biryani in the city or even in Ambur, to make a visit there.
Donne Biryani
Donne biryani too is one of my favourite types of biryani. Unlike most other biryanis it has a stronger flavour of mint (pudina). It’s lip smacking and in most places isn’t over the top spicy. Donne Biryani Mane, Donne Biryani House and RNR Biryani are the top three in my list when it comes to eating Donne biryani. While I’m not too sure about the history of this biryani, all I know is that it traditionally comes served in a leaf pouch (which adds a beautiful flavour to the biryani).
Muslim-style Dum Biryani
There are a few signature eateries in the city which sell this kind of biryani. One among them that I always root for is Chichaba’s Taj. Founded in 1935 by Janab Abdur Rahman who was also known as Chichaba lovingly, it is a modern offshoot of the original Taj restaurant in Shivajinagar which is about sixty or seventy years old now. They use the short-grained jeera samba rice and in my opinion this renders a lovely texture to the biryani. It is not spicy and has a beautiful flavour which comes from the tomato in the biryani.
Of course, there are many other types of biryanis available in the city which have not been explored above. Maybe in another post about biryanis I shall venture into talking about those as well.
I’m not quite sure what exactly I can attribute the diversity of biryanis in Bengaluru to. Is it because it’s a new cosmopolitan city and has a demand for a variety of cuisines and specifically biryanis? Is it because somehow the demographic here craves biryanis? Or is it simply just a coincidence? Whatever the reason may be, growing up here and seeing the varieties of biryanis available to Bangaloreans regularly is truly one of the many unique things about the city. Honestly, the phrase ‘Biryani is an emotion’ has a very special place in my heart and I don’t think I need to explain why. All I can say is this diversity of the number of biryanis available in the city is simply beautiful to see and it’s also beautiful to see Bangaloreans unite on this love for this beautiful dish, the biryani.
If you have more thoughts to share on this please feel free to write back to me. After all, biryani lovers like me would love nothing more than discussing further on this topic.
Nikita Chung 