Biryani, Biriyani Or Briyani? I Just Want A Plate

Lifestyle
16 Nov 2023
6 months ago
SilverStreak Editorial Team

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Biryani, Briyani or Biriyani? It really does not matter seeing as the word has no ties to the English language.

It has its origin in the Indian languages, primarily Urdu, so ‘biryani’ should be the most accurate spelling.

Yet, if you had travelled to India, you would realise that everyone has a different story on the origins of biryani and who brought it into India first.

In Singapore, we have a variety of biryanis, some of which are cooked in the traditional ‘dum’ style where the meat is cooked with the rice, allowing the grains to absorb the juices and fat from the cooked meat.

We serve up information and biryani dining options. So, salivate as you work your way through our list!

Chettante Kada

At Chettante Kada or Big Brother’s Shop in Malayalam, treat your taste buds to a unique experience when you savour their Thalassery Biryani.

Also known as Malabar biryani, it was introduced into Kerala by the Malayalee Muslims also known as Malabaris.

The Thalassery biryani is unique among its peers as it uses short-grain Kaima rice and is prepared in the ‘dum’ style. The meat is marinated and sauteed with either ghee or oil before it is layered into the rice.

The biryani is light with fluffy grains and has a good amount of heat from its spice mix. Now this biryani won’t be in trouble from the ban on basmati exports. The dum biryani comes out on Sundays and that is the only thing they serve on that day.

Chettante Kada
Location: 111 Woodlands Street 13, Singapore 730111
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat, 6:30am – 9pm, Sun, 6:30am – 3pm
Tel: +65 9154 3214
Website: https://www.instagram.com/chettante_kada

Price: $7 for the chicken, $8 for the mutton and $7.50 for the beef

Islamic

The Kampong Gelam Heritage stretch is known for its Muslim cuisine in Singapore. One of the area’s stalwarts, Islamic has been serving biryani for over a century.

The shop’s interior is lined with traditional fabric, carpet and mini chandeliers with ink-tainted glass making you feel like you’ve stepped into another world.

The shop dishes out heritage cuisine with recipes from Middle Eastern and North Indian influences.

Their biryani is light with ghee rice made from basmati and a single-serving portion of tender fall-off-the-bone meat of your choice (mind you, there’s more bone than meat).

Islamic Restaurant Pte Ltd
Location: 745 North Bridge Road, #01-01 Singapore 198713
Opening Hours: Daily, 10am – 10pm
Tel: + 65 6298 7563
Website: http://islamic.sg/

Price: $14 for chicken, $15 for mutton and $16 for fish

Dhaka Restaurant

Dhaka Restaurant along the infamous Desker Road, is close to Mustafa Centre and is hard to miss with a huge crowd lining up for traditional Bangladesh food in the evening.

Served here is the Kacchi Biryani, an iconic dish in Bangladesh made for celebrations and special occasions.

The Kacchi Biryani is also made in the dum style, but unlike the rest, the marinated meat is placed raw with the basmati rice, which achieves a nice heavy meat flavour as it is cooked.

Kacchi Biryani is usually made with goat or mutton and is best suited for meat lovers who savour the rich fatty taste of this biryani.

Dhaka Restaurant
Location: 29 Desker Road Singapore 209562
Opening Hours: Daily, 6am – 11pm
Tel: +65 9181 0375
Website: NA

Price: $7 per packet of Kacchi Biryani

Usman’s Restaurant

Usman’s Restaurant has been around in Singapore for two decades serving authentic North-Indian and Pakistani dishes right in the middle of Little India.

The place is always filled with a vibrant crowd of both locals and migrant workers enjoying the range of flavours offered by these two distinct cultures.

Four types of biryanis are served, with heavy Pakistani influences in the dishes. The Pakistani biryani looks lighter than their southern counterparts but is very aromatic and well-spiced.

It is best enjoyed with the assortment of pickles, salad and raita, a yoghurt mix with onions and tomatoes which often accompanies biryani.

Usman’s Restaurant
Location: 238 Serangoon Road, Singapore 218085
Opening Hours: Daily, 11:30am – 12:30am
Tel: +65 6296 8949
Website: http://www.usmans.sg/about-us/

Delivery: Usman’s Restaurant is also available for island-wide delivery on Foodpanda

Price: $6.50 for their Chicken Biryani and $7.50 for their Mutton Biryani
$8 for the Chicken Tikka Biryani and the Tandoori Chicken Biryani
$10 for the Special Biryani which comes in 4 styles, chicken, fish, mutton and prawns

Zham Zham Muslim Food

Formerly known as Zham Zham, this shop is often confused with the (in)famous one on North Bridge Road.

The traditional Indian-Muslim biryani is served here, made with basmati ghee rice, with tender pieces of mutton.

Here is a tip: Ask for mutton ribs biryani. This may cost you a dollar more, but the ribs are worth it.

Zham Zham Muslim Food
Location: 665 Buffalo Rd, #01-217 Tekka Centre, Singapore 210665
Opening Hours: Daily, 6am – 4pm
Tel: +65 8776 5006

Price: $8 for their mutton ribs biryani

Global Mat Soul Kitchen Briyani

Here is a metal take on the Hyderabad-style biryani. This black metal guitarist and chef de partie at Coriander Leaf makes his own Nasi Biryani touted by some as the ‘best secret Nasi Biryani’.

Some of the biryanis to keep a look out for would be the Honey Chicken Biryani, Mutton Biryani Ov Doom and the Stingray biryani.

The biryanis come out as and when he feels like it. In order to grab an order on this limited drop – that’s right it’s limited and no control over the choice of biryani – follow him on his Instagram page — @globalmatsoulkitchen — and keep a look out for the post.

Only one type of biryani is dropped at a time, and usually sells out as fast in 15 minutes – don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Global Mat Soul Kitchen Briyani
Location: Undisclosed
Opening Hours: NA
Tel: NA
Website: https://instagram.com/globalmatsoulkitchen

Price: Varies according to the biryani that is sold check out the instagram page to find out more

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