Chef Mujeeb Ur Rehman's new delivery kitchen offers a range of biryanis and kebabs packing in flavours of Lucknowi royal cooking
When we step inside the tiny room on the mezzanine floor of Biryani Hazir Ho, a new delivery kitchen in Andheri, chef and founder, Mujeeb Rehman Ur is in the midst of an animated conversation with a colleague. "We were just talking about how biryani is served in the city," he says, letting us into the discussion. It's a contentious topic with polarising opinions. In Rehman's view, Mumbaikars usually like it spicy and soggy. The version may not necessarily fit his ideal of how the fragrant rice dish was designed to be eaten. "While it's true that food get reinvented when it moves into a new territory, it's good to be in the know of the original taste," he tell us. Mujeeb, who hails from the royal Qureshi family of Lucknow, but prefers not to wear it on his sleeve, is here to do that with his latest
hospitality endeavour.
At the kitchen, Rehman and his team of chefs are rustling up delicious Awadhi fare, with their signature offering being the Lucknowi biryani. But it's not biryani as we know it. It's dry, and toes a fine balance between spice and fragrance. To compensate for those who like it moist, Burhani raita is served on the side. "That way, you can make it as soggy as you want," he says. For Rehman, the most interesting feature about the dish is that it's difficult to trace what goes into it.
Prawn biryani
"That's because the method of cooking is so refined. So, you might get a hint of cardamom, cinnamon and cumin seeds, but you can never be utterly sure," he says. The idea to launch a dedicated biryani space was simmering in his mind for a long time, but it wasn't until he met chef Aditi Goel, a Khar-based food consultant, that the plan materialised. Together, they created a repertoire of items that they felt would add value to the food scene in the city. Their offerings include bhurji ande ki biryani, adraki bhuna ghost, murgh kandhari tikki, bohri biryani, lagan ki nihari, along with vegetarian dishes like kukkad dhudiya, paneer Chettinad biryani and sabs santare ki subzi.
Although a descendant of the royal cooks of Khansamas—his great grandfather, Abdul Raheem, was a member of the royal Rampur kitchen of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah—Rehman is curiously biased towards vegetarian fare. In fact, he's known for whipping up Jain versions of Lucknowi cuisine. "It's called adapting to change," he laughs. "While I agree that the flavour which comes from meat is hard to rival, that doesn't mean we can't find alternatives." The rajma galouti kebab is a case in point. When we bite into it, it's got the melt-in-the-mouth quality of the glorious galauti. The rajma is so well pounded that it takes a serious level of concentration to identify the ingredient. But when we finally do, the truth, too, takes a moment to sink in.
Mujeeb Rehman Ur prepares prawn biryani. Pics/Sneha Kharabe
According to Rehman, the biryani, as a dish, has gone through several permutations and combinations depending on the region it was taken to. "When it travelled from Persia to India, the khansamas in Shah Jahan's court decided to give it their own spin. They made it spicier. In Hyderabad, they use the Kachhi method, where they cook the raw marinated mutton and the rice with application of yoghurt, papaya and lemon juices. The addition of fried onion, mint and coriander leaves gives it
more flavour."
Along with biryani and kebabs, Rehman plans to introduce a range of pulaos in the second phase. While the pulao follows a fairly simple cooking style wherein the meat is cooked first, the rice is added later and then both are cooked together in a predetermined quantity of water, biryani requires layering. "It's more complex. But both have an identity of their own and cannot be used interchangeably. But to drive the point, I'll go one step at a time," signs off Rehman.
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