Good Biryani, One Kilo at a Time

Biryani was not ubiquitous in Delhi and Mumbai till Biryani by Kilo came along. Before you counter this statement&mdashgiven that the majority of biryani joints and dhabas in the cities have long existed&mdashremember, the home-delivery-oriented chain replicates how the dish was prepared, historically, by khansamas. The idea was to use authentic ingredients, standardise true variants, and not reinforce the home-style reiterations and pulao-isation that have plagued the dish since the recipes stopped being secrets centuries ago. And all of this delivered to your doorstep.   

Four years and 11 outlets since its inception, many a biryani craving and hunger pang have been remedied by the startup, which is the brainchild of food industry professionals Kaushik Roy and Vishal Jindal. Till now, however, the biryani could have only been enjoyed in your living room. That has changed with the recent launch of their first dine-in restaurant, a family-friendly outlet at a place most suitable for such a pursuit&mdashDelhi&rsquos Connaught Place. Of course, while this may be the next step forward for Biryani by Kilo, it is also reflection of the founders&rsquo confidence in their food. But is it worth it 

From a d&eacutecor point of view, yes. The restaurant has an evident Mughal-era vibe, be it the patterned tile flooring or the latticework. A beige-dominant aesthetic interspersed with colourful cushions and posters retracing the origins and variations in biryani, further enunciate this. And from a food point of view, also a yes.    

The menu is palpably divided among Hyderabadi or the spicy&nbspkachcha (raw-cooked) biryani, Lucknowi or the medium-spicy pakkabiryani and Kolkata, with its unique taste and fortunate emphasis on potato as an ingredient. But with the categories, the place doesn&rsquot refrain from innovating. For instance, the Peshawari chole biryani from the Hyderabadi part of the menu somehow works quite well&mdashwho knew chickpeas and salan went well together The malaamal gosht&nbspbiryani (incredibly rich in mutton), however, is where lies the real&nbspmaal.

While every variant isn&rsquot necessarily worthy of biryani heaven, a sizeable proportion of them are. The galouti&nbspkebab on the flip side of the menu comes with a melt-in-your-mouth goodness that puts many of Delhi&rsquos well-known galouti&nbsphaunts to shame. So does the home delivery experience find any merit in the restaurant world Well, while the former still dominates, the latter adds a perfectly nice touch. After your own, add another home to good biryani.

TIMING 11.30am to 10.30pm

CONTACT Order on 91-9555212212, biryanibykilo.com