Biryani is truly the king of non-vegetarian preparations, especially if you like rice. This dish comes with an assortment of spices, flavours, and a choice of meat and vegetables. The Indian subcontinent is home to multiple versions of the biryani. The version from Northern Kerala, served with a mix of spices and rice cooked in ghee is widely popular in Bengaluru.

Ajwa Biriyani, a Trivandrum-based outlet has set up base on Sarjapur Road.

Talking about the company, one of the co-founders Mohammad explains, “We were a group of family friends and cousins who love food. We organised lunches for family weddings and other functions. A few years ago, we were having biryani in Trivandrum and did not enjoy it much. That is when the idea of starting an outlet, serving authentic Malabar dum biryani came about. I roped in my cousin Mujeeb, friends Mammootty Keyi CN with chef Abdul Razak AC and began a small takeaway outlet. We have now expanded to two stand-alone restaurants in Trivandrum and one in Kannur.”

He adds, “Ajwa is derived from the name of a rare date that is found in Saudi Arabia. We source our rice from Bengal, to get a particular taste and consistency.” Moving on to the food, the chicken biryani is served first. The rice is cooked in ghee and then added to the rest of the preparation. This ensures that the flavour of the rice is retained and mixes well with the chicken. The portions are liberal and both the mutton and chicken varieties go well with the pickles and salads offered alongside the main dish. Despite being cooked separately, the preparation is packed with flavours, with a hint of spice.

The chicken fry is a great accompaniment to the biryani. The spice factor is slightly on the higher side, but flatters the biryani preparations. The portion sizes are impressive too. We finish the meal with sweet lemon tea.