Don’t let anyone treat you like UPMA.
You are a Biryani.
There are many things that makes a foodie soul happy. But, Biryani, surely is on the top of all. Biryani is an Urdu word, and much like the language, the dish is a mesmerizing display of elegance and brilliance, since creating an amazing biryani does require a feat of brilliance. This delectable creation of mankind made by tempering the rice with spices, adding meat and vegetables and cooking it to perfection, was the driving force behind the GREAT INDIAN FOOD TRIP – BIRYANI TRAIL.
We began The Great Indian Food Trip with a Biryani Trail in the South India with Scout My Trip and Milton ( the anchor partner for Great Indian Food Trip) . On this trail, we traveled to various cities in South India, tried different types of Biryanis all day long and decided a winner from each city. The winning place was crowned with Certificate of Excellence and we took their Biryani in Milton Microwow Casseroles to our next stop.
THE ROUTE
THE TEAM
TOGETHER, WE ARE THE BIRYANI TEAM!
THE JOURNEY
We started the GREAT INDIAN FOOD TRIP BIRYANI TRAIL, WITH THE CITY OF NIZAMS – HYDERABAD
The team gathered in Hyderabad and had a meetup as well, where various food and travel bloggers from the city, joined us. We all went off to enjoy all the biryanis, the city had to offer, from big places to the small hidden shops that the bloggers from the city, took us to. We tried the Hyderabadi Biryani¸ surprise surprise! We also tried the Kalyani Biryani, not much heard of, but an amazing competition for the Hyderabadi one. Both were absolutely delicious and set the perfect start for the rest of the trail.
FROM THE CITY OF NIZAMS TO THE IT CAPITAL – BANGALORE
Bangalore had a lot to offer, in terms of food, as well. Before, we get to the Biryani, we were also amazed by the Khunafa and Moroccan Mint Tea, which we found in between our search for Biryanis at Ali Baba Cafe and Restaurant. We had the Bhatkali Biryani here. It is one for the health conscious, as it is cooked without oil. The chicken is cooked with curry leaves, chilies and onions while the rice is cooked separately, and then both are layered together. It looks deceivingly bland but is packed full of flavors with the gravy, once you dig in.
NEXT UP! – CHENNAI
Fun Fact: Chennai’s food was rated as the second best in the world by National Geographic, in 2015.
Chennai is a land, known for its incredible food and beaches. We witnessed the sunrise at Marina beach, which was a beautiful experience on its own. We moved on to the task at hand, then. The famous Chettinad Biryani and the not so famous, but delicious, Ambur Biryani. Chettinad Biryani is a bit spicy and fragrant biryani, while Ambur one is on the lighter side with a bit of tanginess, due to the curd base and tomatoes.
TIME FOR A BREAK!
After moving on from Chennai, we took a little detour to visit Mahabalipuram. One of the major tourist attractions in Mahabalipurm is Krishna’s Butter Ball. A gigantic granite boulder resting on a short incline in the historical town of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India. The boulder is approximately 6 meters high and 5 meters wide and weighs around 250 tons. We tried to take it home but this thing won’t move! Uff!
Here’s a small video for you from Mahabalipuram; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxyGN4NHngc
BACK ON THE ROAD TO OUR NEXT STOP – COIMBATORE
Coimbatore is the second largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu. And, as large as the city was, it offered a large variety of biryanis. From different flavors to different varieties of rice, that were used, it was a flavorful city. Also, how can one visit Coimbatore and not eat the Mysore Pak!
THE FINAL DESTINATION – CALICUT
Calicut, not only, offered us with amazing types of Biryanis, but also picturesque beaches and Kerala Parathas, or the flaky parathas. We got to experience many varieties of Biryani here, ranging from Fish, Beef, Mutton, Chicken to Vegetables. The most famous or heritage Biryani here was the Thalasseri Biryani. It is cooked using Khyma rice and has very less chilli powder but lots of spices. An experience worth having.
Our Biryani trail, thus, ended on an amazing note in Calicut. It will always be an experience to remember, not only, for the varieties of Biryani we had, but also, for the amazing road trip journey with the wonderful SCOUT MY TRIP team and exploring each city through their cultures in the search of Biryani. This trail of 10 days that started on 8th December, 2017 and ended on 18th December, 2017, made for an unforgettable memory for the lifetime.
Though it made our job of deciding the winners pretty tough, but more on that in the next post. Which Biryani, do you think, deserves the top spot? What are your favorites in Biryanis from down south? Comment down below!!!
EAT WELL! SMILE MORE! TRAVEL OFTEN!
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