biryani Archives - Local Food Eater

Mandi Biryani at Home in House of Mandi!

August 20, 2022 Comments Off

The signature **Mandi Biryani** platter at House of Mandi in Little Arabia

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Summer Sundays in Anaheim can be as sticky and hot as the original home of Mandi Biryani in Mandi (the name for this feast) in Hadhramaut, Yemen. We arrived for a meal here in the name of research because Banana Leaf Chef-Owner, Sri Sambangi, LocalFoodEater.com publisher, added Mandi Biryani platters his menu after discovering its new popularity in India.

Mandi biryani is prepared with specially seasoned proteins or vegetables and rice are cooked separately instead of layered in one pot (dum biryani). Generous sharing platters encourage communal finger-food dining. House of Mandi stays full continually. Even without word of mouth, when we phoned minutes before arrival, no less than owner Sarem Mohamed welcomed us on the phone.

t **Mandi Biryan** platter at House of Mandi in Little Arabia

Mandi biryani originated in Yemen and traveled to India by way of the Arabian peninsula. Meats are traditionally slow-cooked underground on smoldering fires, or at the very least in special ovens to keep them moist, which is gives “mandi”its name.

Lamb Mandi, a traditional dish from Hadhramaut in Yemen, can be ordered individually or for large groups. A very young fresh lamb is gently roasted underneath the oven until the ultra-tender meat literally falls of the bone. It is served on a bed of specially seasoned Mandi rice with slivered almonds and yellow raisins, and arrived with a little container of Yemeni sauce and yogurt. ($24.99 “serve 2-3” and can serve six)

**Mandi Biryani** platters draw a crowd at House of Mandi in Little Arabia run by family and friends

Hrada of Fahsah is traditional dish from Sana in Yemen. A shredded lamb and deer whipped fenugreek is served bubbling hot, cooked in the traditional Yemeni plate carved of stone. One blanket of a Yemeni bread and yemeni sauce comes with the dish. ($21.99 “serves 2-3” and can serve four)

Famous Hrada of Fahsah at House of Mandi features shredded lamb

When we heard about House of Mandi, we headed right to Little Arabia although we later discovered other restaurants that serve the dish near DTLA.

House of Mandi, 518 S Brookhurst St Unit 1, Anaheim, CA 92804, Phone: (657) 220-5272, //www.houseofmandi-yemenirestaurant.com.

Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. No alcohol. Credit cards accepted. Lot parking.

Thank you @tableconveration, @foodfaye and 2photosbyyakir for introducing me to this restaurant when it was Olive Tree and creating such special memories. And this included going to the Middle Eastern Market to see the fresh ingredients for yourself!

No trip to Little Arabia feels complete without a trip to the Fresh Market!

For the story of how regal Biryani was brought to India by the powerful, ruling Mughals to the northwest to be transformed by a shah’s wife, when It was already a classic rich with fruits and meats in the Mughal royal kitchens of Persia and how Mandi Biryani arrived in the south by way of traders from the Arabian peninsula, where it was cooked in special ovens that kept the meat moist and gave “mandi” its name, please see www.localfoodeater.com

I first experienced finger food eating, on the floor inside of a house of the Asian Culture when I was doing a special on a network TV special on Immigrants. I was quite surprised. And then remembered the outdoor picnic in western cultures that does the same thing, and with insects!

Zafran Pot Stirs Up Top Indian Biryani

September 11, 2021 Comments Off

(Gerry Furth-Sides) Modest little Zafran Pot has long outgrown its title of the “baby on the block of stars” (Venice Boulevard at Motor). The are has been celebrated for authentic regional Indian food for decades with Mayura and Annapurna Cuisine nearby . Owner-Chef Sneh Lata Gumidelli ‘s exceptional Hyderabad-style, savory biranyi ranks right up there with the best.

The name itself, Zafran (saffron) refers the spice that colors the rice in the famous dish. Nestled on the table next to it are Salan gravy and Raita sauce. This biranyi looks as if it is calming staring at the diners about to enjoy it.

The basmati rice soaks overnight and then is cooked on a very low heat. Instead of the classic dough used to seal the pot, Chef Sneh uses aluminum foil. In addition to organic, locally sourced ingredients, technique is key here.

Pumpkin seeds replace the more usual peanuts in Chef Sneh’s version, for example. After passing the rigorous Halal requirements, meats are marinated overnight in house-made masala. Unusual, enticing appetizers and dessert complete each authentic meal. Biranyi is to Indians what hamburger is to Americans or Lasagna is to Italians. Everyone has his favorite – “the best”- version of this stuff of legend. Yet Hyderabad-style comes up most often as arguably the best in all of the India. The key to the test of its unbroken, perfectly flavored long- grain rice is a historic slow-cooking dum technique in a completely sealed tub, plus the expertise in the seasoning and marination of the ingredients added to it.

The history of Biryani dates back to as early as the fifteenth century when Mughals invaded India. (It only takes knowing they were descendants of Genghis Khan to get an idea of their power). The word itself finds its origin in the Farsi word “Birian” which means “fried before cooking.” Improvised upon in various ways through the centuries, each region in India has its own distinct style of cooking, which often includes blending in local flavors.

Hyderabadi Biryani came to be so special due to a progressive ruler, Niaza-Ul-Mulk. He not only introduced the royal recipe to the public, but started spreading it to other parts of the country, which in turn prompted local variations.

It was during this period that the famous Kacchi (mutton) Biryani was fine-tuned, primarily by introducing the technique of separately marinating the meat in all the herbs and spices before cooking it with the moderately done rice.

Specialties are family recipes and popular dishes from different regions of India are on the menu. Owner-Chef Sneh also knows what pleases diners. When she cooked for a company that sold packaged dinners for families primarily in the discerning Indian community, her food became so popular she was invited to demonstrate her work in several online videos. She personally oversees every dish with one other cook in the kitchen.

Chef Sneh may be the star chef of this little place but the beaming smile of her proud husband partner, Santosh is as wide as the room. It is, in fact, Santosh who is from Hyderabad while Sneh is from Bangalore. The menu dutifully notes “it is cooked on dum for maximum flavor” for the Hyderabad Dum Specialty Plate menu. The list reads:Organic Chicken, Organic Lamb and Vegetable, all marinated in spices, yogurt, zafran (saffron). “We put out the Lamb Dum Biryani only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Santoosh told us. Word is spreading and already every table at Zafran Pot is fully booked on the week-ends.

The small menu mirrors the size of new Zafran Pot with new dishes debuted as they are perfected in the kitchen, such as Lamb Rogan Josh and Cauliflower because Chef Sneh understands the universal appeal of flavors and textures. Appetizers include crunchy Samosa and Pakoda. Onions and a variety of masalas fill the Vegetable and Egg Puffs. The decadent Vada Pav ($4.95) (shown below), deep-fried mashed potato fritters inside pillowy mini-burger buns, just about make a full meal. Add the snap of red onion, the tartness of lime and the bit of cilantro with it, and it also defines umami. Vada Pav hold deep-fried mashed potato fritters

Other Specialty Plates include non-vegetarian Curries served with White or Brown Rice or Naan ($10.95). Locally sourced Halal chicken marinated over night is featured in the more uncommon Chicken Chops with gravy made of spinach, cilantro, onion and spiced with cloves and cinnamon.

Khubani Ka Meetha with Ice Cream features Dried Apricots boiled in sugar syrup, served with ice cream ($4.95). This house specialty is rarely found in local Indian restaurants. The apricots are soaked overnight to remove traces of seeds.

Zafran Pot, 310-838-2130, 10408 Venice Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232.
//www.zafranpot.com/
//www.facebook.com/zafranpot

Authentic Indian restaurant Zafran Pot in Culver City

September 6, 2021 Comments Off

A ‘Biryani Hot-sPot’ with ratings above 4.5 and over 100,000 + biryanis sold to date! Zafran Pot is located on Venice Boulevard in Culver City, California, notable for its dining and busy nightlife scene. Keeping these in mind, the founder has curated everything from the location to the logo meticulously. Check their website to learn more about this.

Birth of Biryani at Zafran Pot

From the journey of a roller coaster ride to running a restaurant successfully, the owner shares her story of victory.

“I put my love, sweat, and energy to build this restaurant”, says Snehlata Gumidelli. Zafran Pot started in the year 2016 as a catering business and emerged as a restaurant. Following this, Sneh and her husband Santosh Gumidelli have been, as one can say, ‘Killing it!’. After two years of catering, Sneh got an opportunity to work at Mytable as a home chef. In addition, she was lauded for her performance by customers. Taking a big leap, Sneh and Santosh decided to open Zafran Pot for people to enjoy her exclusive home-style Indian cooking.

Santosh hails from Hyderabad in India, where a special type of biryani originated – The Hyderabadi Dum Biryani. Sneh says, “my husband introduced me to biryani”. She always loved food and cooking. But never imagined turning it into her career. A massive tragedy in her life inspired Sneh to start this business and proved to be a stepping stone. Today, she is fulfilling her sister’s dreams and succeeding with flying colors.

What goes into preparing the authentic biryani?

‘Biryani‘, derived from the Persian word ‘birian’ means to fry before cooking. So typically the ingredients used are fried, mixed with rice, meat/egg, and placed in a handi (metal pot used in Indian cookware). But let’s find out how Zafran Pot prepares its authentic biryani!

The chefs here follow a unique recipe. They marinate the meat for 12 hours, with onions, yogurt, mint, cilantro, and various spices. The basmati rice (long-grained aromatic rice) is soaked overnight and cooked on a low flame the next morning. Summing up, these ingredients are then placed in a gigantic utensil and cooked in the dum method. Originally, the dum method uses a dough to seal the container to cook biryani. Although Sneh uses her version to seal the container with aluminum foils.

Zafran Pot is the only restaurant in Culver City that prepares its dishes using organic chicken (halal only). They do not use additives such as MSG (monosodium glutamate), and colors.

Zafran Pot is not all about biryani

From appetizers to desserts, Zafran Pot has numerous dishes to try out. You can order your favorite meal at Zafran Pot now!

To celebrate their fifth anniversary, Sneh and the chefs are adding new dishes to the menu. If you’re planning to order food this weekend, you wouldn’t want to miss out on this authentic Indian restaurant!

Hyderabadi Biryani Best at Biryani Bowl, Fremont

August 10, 2016 Comments Off

We were lucky enough to join a festive full house at Biryani Bowl in Fremont, California for week-end specials of the best world-famous “dum biryani.” the Hyderabad style means unbroken long grain basmati rice with seasoned, marinated chicken or Halal goat or egg … slow-cooked in a specially sealed vessel. At least 6000 orders of this authentic version made from a family recipe march out the door every month. And it’s not unusual for happy customers like the one below to come for lunch – from Los Angeles. This is one story of Biranyi.

While chicken Tikka Masala (which originated in England) now ranks one of the top five favorite dishes in the world, but or Indians and those in the know, the choice is biranyi. Let’s just say that biranyi is Italy’s Lasagna. Every family has their own recipe. Each region boasts a unique individual version. But all roads lead to the favorite of all, Hyderabad. And recently, in America the road leads to Biryani Bowl in Fremont, California.
The perfect biryani calls for meticulously measured ingredients and a practiced technique. Rice is key. Long grained rice is treasured and the method used to cook it allows a starch to form around each grain so that it arrives at the table in long, perfect, unbroken pieces.

Ingredients – goat, chicken on the bone, chicken off the bone, egg – are marinated and loaded in a pot. The pots used to be slow- cooked over charcoal, sometimes from the top also, to allow the dum or steam to works its magic. Today they are put on a slow flame for 90 minutes.

Then the foil is carefully peeled back.

Traditionally , the dum pukht method (which translates as a “slow breathing oven in Persian”) is used to make biryani. The pot, traditionally sealed around the edges with dough (now silver foil), allows the steaming meat to tenderize in its own juices while flavoring the rice.

Biryani Bowl owner and connoisseur, VPraveen K Suggala, describes the process preparing the long grain basmati rice as, “already having some flavor. So we take a large aluminum container with boiling water with some butter in it, and into it we dip a cloth bag filled all natural spices and tied. After some time we take clean rice and drop it into this boiling water. All the spiced rice grains will begin expand but it is not cooked completely. And into this container we put the choice of chicken, vegetarian, goat that each have their own marination and spread it along the bottom. After some time we take the expanded rice and slowly, very gently we shift it into this container and on top we put some butter, lemon, coriander and wrap it with a silver foil and cook it for 90 minutes. And that becomes the dum biryani.”

Other than the technique, spices are key, and they must be fresh, “not off the shelf” as we are told here. This is true whether it is a very limited use of spices while others use more than 15 different spices. Meat or chicken is often the main ingredient, though in some coastal varieties, fish, prawns, and crabs are used. The meat and poultry are cooked with the rice. The shrimp is cooked separately and to perfection with its own sauce on the stove.

Dum Biryani is offered in Vegetable, Egg and Mutton that here is goat, Shrimp and chicken on the bone. It is served with raita and a salon sauce in separate little bowls.

The prized boneless chicken Biryani offered on the week-end, is also available for late night pick-up or delivery.

Look around on a Sunday at Biryani Bowl as the place slowly fills up with customers, a platter of biryani rice is on almost every table.. A line down the middle for pick-up threads through the tables put together for large parties,