The latest branch of the popular chain “Ambur Star Briyani” is situated in a not-so-wide street parallel to the busy Bypass Road in Madurai. Nestled amid a labyrinth of shops and small business establishments, this is the 25th branch of the group and much to the delight of all, it remains true to its brand image. The Ambur biryani that it is famous for tastes quite different from the variety the locals are used to. If you think biryani is all about spices, then the Ambur Star Biryani is sure to surprise you. “There are different styles of cooking biryani. We rely less on spices and more on ingredients like ginger, garlic and onion. Our focus is on the quality of the meat used in our biryanis,” says M. Anees Ahmed, one of the brothers in charge of the Madurai unit. Ambur biryani is cooked with both Basmati and Seeraga Samba rice varieties. Star Biryani uses the second variety which is much more popular here. Seeraga Samba is preferred for its subdued flavour. “The rice complements the meat flavour. It blends well. Selection of meat also plays a key role. We use meat from goat that weighs less than 10 kg. If it is chicken it has to weigh below 1 kg. We don’t use ghee instead we use only groundnut oil,” he says. A plate of Ambur Biryani comes with an overbearing flavour of onion and ginger garlic. It tastes bland when compared to other varieties of biryani. The biryani here is tempered with curd and spices are used in limited quantities. Unlike the Hyderabadi biryani, the meat here is cooked separately and the rice is parboiled. “The ginger-garlic paste is well sauted and red chilli paste is added to it. Onions and tomatoes are shallow fried and curd is added to the mixture. Mutton pieces are then added to it and allowed to cook. The parboiled rice is added last before putting the mixture on dum,” says cook Khaleem. In varieties like Dindigul biryani, dalcha (dhal based curry) is an integral part and it douses the sting of the spice in biryani. Likewise, in Ambur biryani the brinjal curry plays a key role. It complements the dish well. With its tangy taste, the curry, also referred ‘ennai kathirikai’, goes well with the bland biryani. Apart from the signature dish, the Star Biryani also dishes out mutton, chicken and prawn curries. “We are planning to introduce Chinese and Tandoori varieties to spice up the restaurant,” says D. Karthik, Assistant Branch Manager. BIRYANI BINGE @Bypass Road, Arappalayam HIT: Less of oil, more of taste MISS: Too bland in taste RATE: 190 per plate of mutton biryani Phone: 0452-4367373

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