Hyderabad is, unarguably, the best place for biryani. The debate only rises when asked which restaurant serves the best biryani. The rice-based aromatic dish had a long journey from Persia, to Mughal bawarchi khana to various parts of the Indian subcontinent. But, Hyderabad is the land that embraced it as its own aeons ago.
Hyderabad, over the years, also showed versatility in the ‘types’ of biryani–from vegetable variant we unhesitantly term ‘pulao’, to several non-vegetarian versions– each of it is made in a different method, which gives it a characteristic taste. ‘Gullu Dada’s Biryani’, the biryani chain named after a popular Hyderabadi character played by Adnan Sajid Khan, brought an exciting touch of ‘Zafran’ (saffron) to the city’s favourite dish.
The Zafrani Biryani at Gullu Dada’s isn’t similar to your typical Hyderabadi one. While the original one hits you with a zest of chili, this one is relatively meek and tender. Zafran touch can be felt in every bite; that is very elegantly cooked in fine basmati rice. The spices used are strong nevertheless, and in the end, will give you a flavorsome experience.
The saffron used in Gullu Dada’s is imported from Iran. “The quantity and quality of our Zafrani Biryani cannot be found anywhere else,” says Khan. Their claim, doesn’t seem exaggerated.
The biryani, which is sold in all branches, is made at the kitchen located in Miyapur. Two batches are made– the first one at noon and the second, around 6 pm.
The cooked biryani is then packed and is delivered to other branches located Masab Tank, Abids, Shaikpet and Attapur. Khan’s idea to set up a restaurant exclusively for biryani came spontaneously. “It struck me when I was having Biryani at my brother-in-law’s house.”
The actor’s brother-in-law is the owner of the city-based restaurant chain ‘Angaara’. “We decided to open a completely different franchise for Biryani later,” he added.
