Biriyani and Soap

 I hate Hyderabadi Biriyani. Born in Hyderabad and an entire childhood spent in a mass of relatives gushing over Hyderabadi Biriyani left me with a healthy dislike for Biriyanis of my home town. Paradise hotel and Hyderabad House were unexciting.

I grew up avoiding Hyderabadi Biriyani. Come 1976 I ended up selling soap in the streets of Chennai, then Madras . And I discovered Madurai Muniyandi Vilas. The Biryani with small grained rice and flavours that exploded in your mouth. After you were served the Biriyani a chap with a tray full of meats cooked to perfection went around and the aroma forced you to order beyond your original budget.

Selling soap took me to interior Tamilnadu. And to Chidambaram. There was Velus Biriyani. The king of Biriyanis. Travels selling soap took me to Karnataka and I discovered the green Donne Biryani. While hawking soap in Kolkata the Kolkata Biryani with the famous potato made its advent on my plate. And then there is the Lucknow Biryani.

And yes, I came back to Hyderabad to sell soap. And discovered that I still hate the Hyderabadi Biriyani