Biryani is a dish that inspires obsession — especially in Hyderabad. This delicious combination of basmati rice, meat, and spices has fans all over India and the world, but Hyderabadi biryani has an especially devoted following.
That’s why, this past weekend, Local Guides (@Narenchandra, @AslamMohammed, @ThumatyDanielK, @Arati and @LeninBabu ) gathered in Hyderabad to go on a biryani adventure. They searched for ingredients like vegetables and spices, then headed to a restaurant where a local chef demonstrated how to make the dish. We filmed it all for a video that’s coming soon — but in the meantime, we wanted to share some photos from this super-fun meet-up.
Our first stop was Mir Alam Mandi, a vegetable market that sells all kinds of fresh produce. We bought onions, cilantro, mint leaves, lemons, and fresh and dried turmeric. The vendors showed us how to choose the freshest vegetables.
We also stopped at a kirana (a small, family-owned shop selling groceries and sundries) where store owner Mohammed Irfan shared a list of the key ingredients in biryani. @ThumatyDanielK shared an insight about basmati rice: it’s better when it’s aged, because the grains don’t stick together when they’re cooked. We also stopped at a meat shop shop to buy mutton.
The next day, we headed to a restaurant called Nayaab Hotel. (In India, the word “hotel” often means “restaurant.”) We had a breakfast of roti, kheema, bheja fry, and paya.
Then we learned how to make biryani. You’ll have to wait for our upcoming video for the details, but take a look at the kitchen below. There were at least 10 stoves cooking various components of the dish at once, and it was really hot! Kudos to the chefs who spend hours each day cooking this delicious food.
It was still early when our lesson ended, so we decided to check out another place known for biryani: Shadab Hotel. We ordered a biryani feast.
While we ate, we got a livestreamed lesson from @ThumatyDanielK on the best way to eat biryani—with your hands! This allows you to feel the food in addition to tasting it, and we thought it really did make the food taste better. At the same time, it promotes mindful eating and prevents you from eating too fast.
We ended the day feeling full and satisfied. It was great to meet with so many enthusiastic Hyderabad Local Guides, and the biryani was so delicious.
Of course, you don’t have to go to Hyderabad to find a great version of this dish (though some people might disagree). What’s your favorite place in the world for biryani?
