Biriyani

Let me confess, I tried twice in my life to become a vegetarian, 2 months once n 45 days once ( when Nik n I watched some horrible videos on PETA website..)I really dont care for remaining a veg but how, how, how on mother earth can I ignore an aromatic, steaming plate of fresh Hydrabadi dum biriyani out of the oven? I cannot and I will not try the stunt (being veg) again but may be down the lane...ill replace non veg food with just biriyani once a while.

Making of biriyani....hmm its a poem. soak that saffron in a cup of milk let em mingle n get to know each other....n the basmati...soak em too let em stand out seperate n 'dum' it with the right spice n meat....the right texture of meat(goat/lamb) n a hint of fat that drips n mixes with beads of rice while in the oven...the subtle spices n ints flavors that keeps u guessing n teasing ur taste buds....hmmmm sigh( i swear i just had a biiig sigh visualizing a plate of biriyani now) its not bout the rice or the meat or the spices...its bout bringing all the 3 together in the cook's own artistic way to bring in a poem with its words complementing each other. Not all biriyanis can become 'the' biriyani...even by the same hands it doesnt come out consistent all the time..

I am shameless when it comes to annihilation of mounds of biriyani...the really good ones. I wish to recollect my close encounters with the best of best till date...

All time first was on Yu's bhai's nikka...I sat for the first round with ppl..they came , they ate, they left, I think I was there until the third round 'pandi' ws close to over n I stood like a rock conquering those humanly not possible quantity of biriyani...

Close to heels second was Z n R's engagement....hmm there were no 'rounds' it was in their house, the folks there thought I might be shy n were trying to 'force' me to eat, cant help it they didnt know me..n then there was a point they just placed a mini handi of the sacred biriyani n 'enna kathirikka' right next to me to save me(or them?) from the embarrasment.

Next best I can just close my evey n relive the moment was this 'specialist' biriyani stall in Meenambakkam that my beloved frenz took me on my last visit to Chennai. To my standards I was acting wierd cos I wasnt sure of 'eating out' after a long stay away from India. I started with a 'half' plate. Hmm then came the second n add to it mutton 'chukka'...This continued to an 'undisclosed' no of plates....I dont know how I do it....

Other fav spots for biriyani were...Sulaiman Set biriyani in Camp road across MCC, the kaiendibhavan with no name in Chrompet( no I dont think Ive tasted kaka biriyani these guys rock)....hmm engirundaalum vaazga.

At present there is this one place here in Bahrain that wld get a B+ grade. I order 2 reasonably huge plates there n Ive actually 'lied' to the cashier its for me n my friend n the friend being me...I know I am a glutton , my mom says I was notorious for cleaning up boxes of 'farex' in just few days while I was a kid...

'Vanjana illama sappiduppa' always holds true with me, but I take it too seriously when it comes to good biriyani. Oh plz veg biriyani shld be renamed, no offence , with due respect to ghaas bhoos, biriyani is no biriyani w/o meat.

N for Eid I am sending out request for invites....I told u I am shameless. Its ok.