Stepping foot into the banquet hall of ITC Sonar on Monday (June 19), one would have undoubtedly succumbed to the aroma of biryani wafting through the air. The alluring source? Biryani prepared by six city chefs from Aminia, Al-Faiz Family Restaurant & Caterers, Sanjha Chulha, Hatari Restaurant, Kohinoor Biryani, and The Sonnet at the Daawat Biryani Champions League
Photos: Ashim Paul
Vir and Odiya chef Sneha Senapati delved deep into the rich historical voyage of the biryani, exploring its origins, the differentiations between biryani and pulao, and more. Vir, with his vast culinary knowledge, shed light on the Kolkata biryani, tracing its roots back to Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, while also unravelling the fascinating addition of the humble potato in this iconic dish
Manjit Gill, the brand ambassador of Indian cuisine, was one of the judges. “Events like these are the reason why chefs come out of their restaurants and can be seen in action along with other chefs. This gives all of them a chance to learn from each other,” said the veteran who boasts an almost 43-year stint with ITC Hotels, building brands like Bukhara, Dum Pukht, Dakshin and Royal Vega
Chef Sarfaraz Hossain (in chef’s coat) from Al-Faiz Family Restaurant & Caterers receives the trophy of Biryani Champion for the Daawat Biryani Champions League. Ritesh Arora (third from left), CEO, India Business & Far East, LT Foods, said, “At LT Foods, we have a vision of becoming the leading company in specialty rice, rice-based food and in the organic segment.”
Sarafat Ali, the executive chef at Aminia and a participant in the event, expressed his enthusiasm by sharing his experience with Daawat Basmati rice. “This is my first time cooking with Daawat Basmati rice, and I can see the difference in quality. Normally, when rice is boiled for an extended duration, it tends to break into smaller fragments. However, I have observed that Daawat Basmati rice remains intact.”
Chef Shaun Kenworthy, a Britisher who made Kolkata home two decades ago, loves cooking biryani on his visits home. “In the UK, I do a Westernised version of the Kolkata biryani, which is well-received. I take the lamb and place it in the oven for six hours straight in a foil-covered tray so that the juices are retained. Once it's cooked to perfection, I add the rice, fried onions, and potato to it. Instead of a hard-boiled egg, I like to place a runnier version of the egg on top,” he shared
