Home-made biryanis you won't forget in a hurry!

How many places in town would you find a mom and pop shop serving up dishes that remind you of home? Not many perhaps. However, if you happen to be in the vicinity of Jumeirah Lake Towers (precisely Cluster T), you will spot a dainty eatery, Unforgettable Biryani, where you will find a 'mom' busy cooking in the kitchen and 'a dad' indulging in the service, providing the warmth of home.
Run by Tariq and Tabassum Adenwala (dad and mom), the couple are more than happy to share a table with you over a meal as well as happy to keep you entertained with their stories of life while also offering you a shoulder to lean on if you go there with a heavy heart. "One day, we had a young woman drop in to our restaurant and she was in tears. She was just staring at her food and was not eating," said Tabassum.  "I was concerned, so I went over to her only to find out that she had just been through a major domestic issue. I then pacified and coaxed to eat, and literally fed her with my own hands. I spoke to her for while and at the end of it, she went home with a smile," she added.  
Boasting a wide range of home-cooked style Pakistani dishes, the Adenwalas of Karachi opened the shop five years back. It all started for them after Tariq, who had done his time in government service, was leading a life of a pensioner. But not wanting to lead a quiet, sedentary life, they packed their bags and set off for Dubai to join their elder son (their younger son was in Europe at the time) and start a small business here.
Now, being a large-hearted couple, they would often have guests over and they would treat them to a variety of homemade delicacies. The guests would praise Tabassum's cooking and suggest that they do something about it. So, with no experience in running a business, leave alone a restaurant, they took over a small little sandwich shop  at JLT, as a means to keep themselves occupied.  The place used to serve sandwiches until one day, Tabassum decided to go to the  kitchen and whip up some of her homemade biryani and serve it some diners. It turned out to be a hit, with people saying it was unforgettable. That's when they decided relaunch the shop as a full-fledged restaurant and named it Unforgettable Biryani.
While Tabassum took over the kitchen duties, Tariq took care of the hospitality. and now even the younger son (Adil) has quit his job in Europe to lend a helping hand to his parents.
Over the years, Unforgettable Biryani has been serving up a wide range of dishes. And diners are loving their home style cooking. Their dishes are devoid of any five-star garnishes - simple and bereft of heavy flavourings, spices or fat. "We want our dishes to be just like how mom would make it at home," said Tabassum. And all this at pocket-friendly prices.
We chat with Tabssum to know more.

What was it like starting a restaurant in the UAE so late in life? What were the challenges and hurdles you faced while starting out?
It was a life-changing decision for us. It was very challenging in the beginning. We did not know the market, the language or the people. But we dove head-on into it. A restaurant business is much more than just the recipes and the ingredients. You have to understand regulations, manage human resources, find and negotiate deals with suppliers, handle sales and marketing. You have to wear many hats at the same time. But when you start at 50, it becomes a journey of self-discovery. You learn as much about yourself as you do about the business.

Why did Unforgettable Biryani switch from sandwiches  to wholesome meals ?
We started out with sandwiches because it was easier for us to manage that in the begining. Once we gained experience and confidence, we started offering wholesome meals. It was more of a natural extension because it followed our passion. At home, we eat healthier meals because we love our families and want the best for them. We bring the same concept to our restaurant. We started with two biryanis and now we have six varieties.

What's so special about the dishes in your restaurant?
Our specialty is home-style Pakistani cuisine, using the freshest ingredients and making every dish from scratch. We make our dishes just like how our family has been making food at home for generations. This is what makes our dishes special and gives it that 'mom's cooking' quality.  Biryani was always a family favourite, and a hit at all our events at home. While we found many biryani variants in Dubai, we always felt something was missing. Most places in town make their biryanis either too spicy, bland or loaded with fat. We couldn't find a place that would cater to different types of taste buds while keeping true to the original biryani flavour. That's how we came up with our unique offering - a biryani wherein you could customise the spice level from zero to extra hot, yet enjoy the same great taste.

Where are your recipes derived from?
Our recipes have been handed down to us in our family for generations. All our dishes are derived from tried and tested recipes that have been served for decades in our family 'dastarkhwans' (dining rooms). Through an innovative cooking process, we are able to adapt these dishes to make them commercially available, while keeping it as close as possible to the traditional tastes.

Which part of the sub-continent do your biryani recipes come from?
The origins of our biryani can be traced to Gujarat, but over the years, it has incorporated flavours from other regions.

What would you recommend to someone who's visiting Unforgettable Biryani for the first time?
Try our Zafrani Biryani. We have six biryani choices - mutton, beef, chicken with bone, chicken boneless, egg and vegetables. Combined with a yoghurt, onion and cucumber raita and a fresh lassi (buttermilk), it will definitely satisfy a wide variety of taste buds. We also recommend our curries with homemade chapatti (flatbread).

How did you become a biryani expert? What else do you do besides cooking?
Biryanis have been a staple in our family for generations, and learning how to make a good biryani is a rite of passage. A lot of love and care goes into preparing the dishes.  My aim is to feed people great tasting, nutritious food, just like the way we do it at home. Besides cooking, I am a yoga instructor, a certified hypnotherapist, reiki expert, swimming instructor, a wife, a mother, and now a grandmother.

Is it easy to make biryani at home?
It is , but the taste comes only with a lot of practice.  Historically, biryani was cooked by putting all the ingredients together but over the years, the traditional cooking method has changed.
Biryani for the diet conscious
Tabassum says, "We introduced the Desi Nutrition concept for people who want great tasting desi food while keeping a watch on their health and weight. Who says you cannot have a delicious biryani when on a diet? We offer caloric information, together with its breakdown for every dish to suit specific fitness requirements. Going forward, we are looking into developing a whole line of nutritious food and daily meal services for people maintaining a specifc calorie count per day.
"Desi Nutrition comes with details of how much the dish weighs and the break-up of protein, fat and carbohydrate contents.
"For instance a Boneless Chicken Biryani (Dh39), one portion of boneless chicken layered in premium Zafran infused rice weighing 630 grams, contains 1135.92 calories, 63.34g protein, 21.2g fat, and 176.33g carbohydrates.
"The 1100 cal low fat olive oil biryani features egg or boneless chicken while curries usually range from 300 to 400 cals per dish. The restaurant also uses separate utensils and crockery/cutlery for veg and non-veg dishes."
Review: Mildly spices and easy on the stomach!
Among the six varieties of biryanis that we tried at Unforgettable Biryani, we found the Zafrani Boneless Chicken biryani the most flavourful one. The other varieties on offer - Mutton, Beef, Vegetable and egg - were not bad at all but our pick had reasons to top our choice. The chicken pieces in Zafrani Biryani were juicy, succulent and well marinaded in spices. The gravy/sauce had the right blend of spices and the flavours were simple, just like you would have at home. The aroma of saffron, however, is more powerful and distinct than any other ingredient in the dish. And the best part, you won't have a greasy hand after gorging on the dish (that's if you are eating the biryani in traditional style - with your fingers). Served with cucumber and onion raita and a buttermilk drink, the Zafrani Biryani was the winner for us.
michael@khaleejtimes.com

• Food and Dining