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Kolkata chefs go to bat for the Biryani Champions League

These chefs were quite a sport about biryani being the new sport!

Nitin Waghela Published 20.06.23, 05:20 PM
Stepping foot into the banquet hall of ITC Sonar on Monday (June 19), one would have undoubtedly succumbed to the aroma of biryani wafting through the air. The alluring source? Biryani prepared by six city chefs from Aminia, Al-Faiz Family Restaurant & Caterers, Sanjha Chulha, Hatari Restaurant, Kohinoor Biryani, and The Sonnet at the Daawat Biryani Champions League
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Stepping foot into the banquet hall of ITC Sonar on Monday (June 19), one would have undoubtedly succumbed to the aroma of biryani wafting through the air. The alluring source? Biryani prepared by six city chefs from Aminia, Al-Faiz Family Restaurant & Caterers, Sanjha Chulha, Hatari Restaurant, Kohinoor Biryani, and The Sonnet at the Daawat Biryani Champions League

Photos: Ashim Paul
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The judges of the Daawat Biryani Champions League. (L-R) Food critic and journalist Vir Sanghvi, chef Manjit Gill, Madhushree Basu Roy of Pikturenama Studios, and chef and consultant Shaun Kenworthy took the stage before the cook-out
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The judges of the Daawat Biryani Champions League. (L-R) Food critic and journalist Vir Sanghvi, chef Manjit Gill, Madhushree Basu Roy of Pikturenama Studios, and chef and consultant Shaun Kenworthy took the stage before the cook-out

Vir and Odiya chef Sneha Senapati delved deep into the rich historical voyage of the biryani, exploring its origins, the differentiations between biryani and pulao, and more. Vir, with his vast culinary knowledge, shed light on the Kolkata biryani, tracing its roots back to Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, while also unravelling the fascinating addition of the humble potato in this iconic dish
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Vir and Odiya chef Sneha Senapati delved deep into the rich historical voyage of the biryani, exploring its origins, the differentiations between biryani and pulao, and more. Vir, with his vast culinary knowledge, shed light on the Kolkata biryani, tracing its roots back to Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, while also unravelling the fascinating addition of the humble potato in this iconic dish

Manjit Gill, the brand ambassador of Indian cuisine, was one of the judges. “Events like these are the reason why chefs come out of their restaurants and can be seen in action along with other chefs. This gives all of them a chance to learn from each other,” said the veteran who boasts an almost 43-year stint with ITC Hotels, building brands like Bukhara, Dum Pukht, Dakshin and Royal Vega
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Manjit Gill, the brand ambassador of Indian cuisine, was one of the judges. “Events like these are the reason why chefs come out of their restaurants and can be seen in action along with other chefs. This gives all of them a chance to learn from each other,” said the veteran who boasts an almost 43-year stint with ITC Hotels, building brands like Bukhara, Dum Pukht, Dakshin and Royal Vega

Chef Sarfaraz Hossain (in chef’s coat) from Al-Faiz Family Restaurant & Caterers receives the trophy of Biryani Champion for the Daawat Biryani Champions League. Ritesh Arora (third from left), CEO, India Business & Far East, LT Foods, said, “At LT Foods, we have a vision of becoming the leading company in specialty rice, rice-based food and in the organic segment.”
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Chef Sarfaraz Hossain (in chef’s coat) from Al-Faiz Family Restaurant & Caterers receives the trophy of Biryani Champion for the Daawat Biryani Champions League. Ritesh Arora (third from left), CEO, India Business & Far East, LT Foods, said, “At LT Foods, we have a vision of becoming the leading company in specialty rice, rice-based food and in the organic segment.”

Sarafat Ali, the executive chef at Aminia and a participant in the event, expressed his enthusiasm by sharing his experience with Daawat Basmati rice. “This is my first time cooking with Daawat Basmati rice, and I can see the difference in quality. Normally, when rice is boiled for an extended duration, it tends to break into smaller fragments. However, I have observed that Daawat Basmati rice remains intact.”
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Sarafat Ali, the executive chef at Aminia and a participant in the event, expressed his enthusiasm by sharing his experience with Daawat Basmati rice. “This is my first time cooking with Daawat Basmati rice, and I can see the difference in quality. Normally, when rice is boiled for an extended duration, it tends to break into smaller fragments. However, I have observed that Daawat Basmati rice remains intact.”

Participating chef at the Daawat Biryani Champions League, Md Hainul Haque tried to create a spicy Hyderabadi-style of biryani to win over the tastebuds of the distinguished judges
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Participating chef at the Daawat Biryani Champions League, Md Hainul Haque tried to create a spicy Hyderabadi-style of biryani to win over the tastebuds of the distinguished judges

Chef Shaun Kenworthy, a Britisher who made Kolkata home two decades ago, loves cooking biryani on his visits home. “In the UK, I do a Westernised version of the Kolkata biryani, which is well-received. I take the lamb and place it in the oven for six hours straight in a foil-covered tray so that the juices are retained. Once it's cooked to perfection, I add the rice, fried onions, and potato to it. Instead of a hard-boiled egg, I like to place a runnier version of the egg on top,” he shared
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Chef Shaun Kenworthy, a Britisher who made Kolkata home two decades ago, loves cooking biryani on his visits home. “In the UK, I do a Westernised version of the Kolkata biryani, which is well-received. I take the lamb and place it in the oven for six hours straight in a foil-covered tray so that the juices are retained. Once it's cooked to perfection, I add the rice, fried onions, and potato to it. Instead of a hard-boiled egg, I like to place a runnier version of the egg on top,” he shared

MasterChef India Season 7 semi-finalist, Priyanka Kundu Biswas, was one of the attendees. “In terms of innovation, there’s so much one can do with a biryani, maybe someone can add a fruit to it. I’m looking to be surprised by the contestants,” said the Dum Dum girl
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MasterChef India Season 7 semi-finalist, Priyanka Kundu Biswas, was one of the attendees. “In terms of innovation, there’s so much one can do with a biryani, maybe someone can add a fruit to it. I’m looking to be surprised by the contestants,” said the Dum Dum girl

Commenting on which city loves Bengali food as much as Kolkata, judge and chef Madhushree Basu Roy, said, “According to what my Instagram statistics state and the response from people who explore Bengali food, it has to be Bengaluru.”
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Commenting on which city loves Bengali food as much as Kolkata, judge and chef Madhushree Basu Roy, said, “According to what my Instagram statistics state and the response from people who explore Bengali food, it has to be Bengaluru.”

Kolkata bloggers and influencers turned out in large numbers to capture the event
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Kolkata bloggers and influencers turned out in large numbers to capture the event

The bar kept the audience in high spirits while the chefs were cooking during the 90-minute allotted time. Cocktails like Mango Martini and a twist on the Old-Fashioned were some of the drinks stirred up
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The bar kept the audience in high spirits while the chefs were cooking during the 90-minute allotted time. Cocktails like Mango Martini and a twist on the Old-Fashioned were some of the drinks stirred up

ITC’s kitchen served up Metiabruz Mutton Biryani, which guests devoured, undeterred by the early evening hour
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ITC’s kitchen served up Metiabruz Mutton Biryani, which guests devoured, undeterred by the early evening hour

RELATED TOPICS

Cooking Competition Biryani Kolkata Biryani Biryani Restaurants Vir Sanghvi Priyanka Kundu Biswas
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