The smell of burning firewood and the aroma of spices being fried fill the air at Yasmin Osman’s house in Kilpauk. Piles of onions have been chopped in preparation for the massive biryani orders for Eid. “I make about 1,500 kg during the festival time every year,” says the cheerful Yasmin, who has been supplying biryani for close to 20 years.
Eid-ul-Fitr — which literally means “feast marking the end of the fast” — is traditionally celebrated with biryani for lunch and/or dinner. Yasmin, with her Splendid Food Company, is one of the many in the city who has a passion for making biryani and is willing to share it with others.
The demand is quite high: even as we speak, she takes an order for two kg each of mutton and vegetable biryani. “We stop taking orders one day before Eid. That way, we can ensure that our supplier can get us the freshest meat. Quality is most important. Even if one of the ingredients is not fresh, it can spoil the taste,” says Yasmin, who is known to lend a decadent touch to the biryani by including malai (cream) and saffron.
It might take four hours to make one batch, but it doesn’t stop the 55-year-old from hovering over each huge pot as the right amount of ingredients is added at the correct time. She says, “Earlier I used to do it all myself, but with increase in the number of orders, I have employed a few people.”
Apart from the basic accompaniments of raitha and dalcha , Yasmin also makes chicken gravies and kebabs, mutton chops, keema and shammi kebabs and seafood. Shahi tukra is her speciality sweet: “I like to keep the menu fuss-free, classic, filling and satisfying. That is what will keep everyone happy,” she smiles.
Shaheen and her co-sister share a common love for biryani. Operating out of their home in Palavakkam, the two women keep the neighbourhood biryani aficionados sated with chicken, mutton and vegetable versions as required.
“I’m basically from Andhra Pradesh and so the style of biryani we make has the flavour of that region. Normally we need a few hours notice and can deliver two to three kg of biryani. For Eid we take orders up to two days before,” says Shaheen.
She likes chicken biryani, although her Muslim customers largely go for the mutton variety. She says, “On Eid, we not only cook for customers who order, but also for our families. It can get a little tiring, but at the end of the day, it is worth it.”
“Biryani was the first one-pot dish: it was popularised by the Mughals. It is filling and nourishing. It’s also really simple to make; one just needs to know the right proportion of ingredients and have the confidence to make it,” says Tasneem Ayub, a food consultant, who also conducts several workshops on how to make biryani. “It also helps that everyone loves biryani.”
Tasneem is primarily a fashion designer, but has a passion for food. While she does not sell the biryani she makes, on the day of the festival, invariably her house is full of friends and family clamouring for a taste of the Eid specials. “I love making the traditional desserts like rumani seviyan, bread halwa, zafrani badani, qubani ka meetha and noor jahani lauz . I also stray off the menu a little and make some trifle pudding,” she says.
When it comes to method of cooking, Tasneem points out that wood fire biryanis are the best. “They add that smoky flavour which is so important to its taste. And mutton biryani is the real biryani,” she says with a laugh, adding that she doesn’t like variations like chicken or vegetable.
After wood-fired pizza, the demand for biryani cooked on firewood stoves seems to be on the rise among foodies in the city. Caterers like Fill Belly have made it their USP and are quite popular as they also provide free home delivery. A representative of Fill Belly says, “The unique flavour of biryani in Muslim weddings comes from the wood fire.”