For the love of kachchi
It is often reserved for celebrations. It is indeed the ultimate food when it comes to special occasions like wedding receptions. Kachchi biriyani is a dish fit for kings. Everything about it, be it the intricate, complicated and highly disciplined cooking process where perfection is vital, or just the sheer richness of the dish, kachchi biriyani is on a league of its own.
And nowhere in the world, not even in other parts of the Indian subcontinent, is this royal biriyani tastier than in Dhaka. Kachchi biriyani is the signature dish of our city. Narrowing it down further, here's our list of the top four places in Dhaka to eat kachchi biriyani in, counting down to number one.
Star Kebab & Restaurant
Star Kebab is a brand name that we have all heard of. Tried and tested by all, the kachchi biriyani at this veteran eatery is cooked to perfection. The soft and juicy mutton and the rich spices and the kebab make the experience worth it. Kachchi biriyani is a standalone dish. You really don't need anything else, neither a curry nor a side dish. The kachchi at Star Kebab can tell you why. With the right amount of potato and mutton and the right mix of spices, you will know that life is perfect.
Fakruddin
The only thing we love to have along with kachchi is a glass of borhani. The rich, spicy drink complements kachchi biriyani perfectly, or to put it another way, such an intricate and rich dish can only go hand in hand with borhani, which is a drink that matches the richness of the former.
And Fakruddin is a restaurant that makes one of the best borhanis and the best kachchis. The late chef Fakruddin was a highly celebrated internationally acclaimed cook, and the eatery still carries that legacy.
Kolkata Kachchi Ghor
Among the other names on the list, this eatery is the youngest one. And yet, Kolkata Kachchi Ghor in Abul Hasnat Road in Old Dhaka has become an extremely popular one in just a short span of years. What distinguishes the eatery from all others? What makes its kachchi different? The rice itself. Unlike other places, this 'biriyani house' (as such places are called, since the only – or one among a few – items on the menu are biriyanis and pilaffs) boasts cooking kachchi with basmati rice. This is one of their key differences that sets them apart. Cooking kachchi is by itself a difficult job, and cooking it with basmati is even more challenging, where one slight mistake can ruin the dish.
Catering kachchi
Like we said before, kachchi biriyani is the ultimate celebration food. Be it weddings or corporate events, an 'ostadh baburchi' is called upon to cook this delicious dish. People say that cooking authentic kachchi biriyani for a small group of people would not yield the best. Instead, it is a dish most suited to be made in large quantities – on a huge 'degh'. Cooked outdoors over wood-fire, the master chef supervises over the preparation and his many assistants and helpers. And the end-result is perfection itself.
So the best place for kachchi biriyani is, interestingly enough, not restaurants, but wedding and reception halls!
By M H Haider
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