By Nadine Vattappara
KOCHI:
It was just a year ago since Timur Kachi Biriyani restaurant came up with their trademark biriyani in the city. In no time, it became a hit with the Kochiites and they soon branched out to other prominent areas in the city.
Inspired by the success, now they are all set to come up with a theme – based restaurant near Info Park, Kakkanad. The brain behind this endeavour Paul and Bindu Paul are all excited about their new project.
“It will showcase themes prevailed in the 60’s and 70’s. Why we chose a theme based restaurant is because it will provide an insight for the younger generation on how things were in those years,” she says.
Besides, they are also planning to come up with 10 central kitchens across Kerala which will distribute food to their 100 branches all around the state. Bindu got introduced into the restaurant business on an experimental basis. Soon her interest in cooking and her husband’s sharp business skills in real estate is what helped the project to develop so quickly into a massive project.
The first shop was near the Manorama Junction. It drew lots of attention and garnered positive feedback, which resulted in the opening of two other branches and a couple of branches are currently in the making. What has changed is that since the inception and consummation of the idea, they got time to study the market and their consumer’s spending culture and these finding, then they incorporated into their new branches. “ That’s why we decided to provide a full fledged, balanced meal at Rs 50,” she pointed out.
They have provided an environment friendly ambience with plants all around just to give their customers much needed break especially for who sit in front of the computer all day. Timur Kachi Biryani is one of those rare food that carry a history with it. It is said that the Timur, a Turco-Mongol conqueror and also the first ruler in the Timurid Dynasty invented this biryani.
He was very fond of his army that too ate whatever his soldiers ate. They often had to go to war fronts; therefore his cook invented this special dish. It would be dry while packing it and turns flavoursome when it is opened as the moisture is retained in the rice.
A special technique is used in the preparation of the Biryani in which the meat and spices are marinated and set at the bottom part of the pot and the rice which is 20% cooked is set above it. The fire is equally distributed around the pot evenly cooking it. Finally the rice takes its flavour as both, the rice and meat are uniformly cooked because of the heat and pressure.
Bindu Paul learnt the method of cooking from China. “An interesting fact about biryani is that it is available across the globe but in different names. In china, a Mongolian family called it Brayan”, she recollects. As they are happy with the current turn of event, they still nurture another dream of opening a restaurant with 2050’s theme. “ Everything will be electronically and robotically maneuvered and controlled,” said Paul, who has already started negotiations with a Japanese Company on this venture.
