Thursday, Nov 07, 2013
Kolkata: The famous Kolkata biryani is to be served without its trademark potato. According to purveyors of this Mughlai dish, the scarcity of potato has forced them to make a temporary halt to the age-old culinary tradition.
“We need around 200 kilograms of potato everyday to go with the biryani. But our suppliers are unable to supply more than 50 kilograms, which has forced us to take this decision,” said Nadim Amin the owner of famous joint Aminia.
Also the sudden price fluctuations have ensured that the quality of the tuber is not up to the mark. “We use a particular variety of the tuber called ‘Jyoti’. But the quality supplied was not good enough and even we tried buying from government joints, but the quality was even worse,” said another owner of a restaurant unwilling to be named.
Pricing has also become a sticky issue since prices of all commodities have increased and potato joining the list has made it more difficult. “We have increased the price per dish twice this year due to rise in fuel prices. Beyond this it becomes quite un-affordable for the ordinary customer. Also our profits take a hit,” he added.
The potato in the kolkata biryani has a royal history. Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, had brought with him cooks from the royal kitchen when he was sent to exile in Calcutta in 1856. The gentry picked up the biryani recipe from the nawab’s cooks but swapped the meat with potato since they couldn’t afford meat.
Customers though are willing to pay higher for their favourite potato. “They should not stop it. If required let them increase price for a few days. It has been a part of the culinary traditions of the city for eternity and such things should not be abandoned due to price rise,” said Subroto Roy, a food connoisseur.
By Archisman Dinda Correspondent
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
