The first time a friend told me about a place that sold pork biryani in Bengaluru, I asked him to repeat what he said just to make sure I heard him right. In my seven years in this city and numerous years of gobbling up any kind of biryani, it never occurred to me the two could be combined. Nor did I ever find a place that sold the same. I remember doing a casual internet search after I got this information that day a few months ago. The results showed me two restaurants, one of which was the one my friend recommended. Yes, it was just one internet search away, all this while. There might be many more out there who don't have an internet presence. Who knows.
After planning for a few days, some friends and I decided to take a short bike ride to Chandrappa Hotel in Mathikere one chilly Sunday evening. In Bengaluru, when I was introduced to the donne biryani by a colleague, I remember being a bit confused. The bowl-shaped leaf where it was served and the greenish rice were elements in a biryani that were totally new to me. I'll admit this is still not my favourite biryani but I gradually came around to liking the rather spicy taste. A lot of us meat-eaters are more than eager to point out that there is no such thing as vegetable biryani. The concept of a pork biryani similarly did not fit my idea of a biryani. I told a foodie friend about this and she was surprised too.
There's the ubiquitous chicken and mutton versions. In Kerala, big restaurants have beef biryani proudly displayed outside and some even with neon lights. While not so openly sold, they are popular in other states. The fish and even prawn biryani are also widely available. Pork biryani? Not so well known, if you ask me.
Pork biryani at Chandrappa Hotel
After negotiating some unruly night traffic for 40 minutes, we finally reached the place. Chandrappa Hotel is extremely unassuming and you would probably just pass it by if you don't keep an eye out for it. Later I realised, the eatery was but a mere reflection of the very modest personalities of the people who run it. Inside, the interiors are basic. The restaurant has a loyal base of customers who swear by the pork biryani and its other dishes since it started in 1976. It is named after its founder, Channarayappa K, who was more popularly known as Chandrappa. While he is no more, his legacy is being carried forward by his family.
When we reached the restaurant, Kishore Kumar, one of the founder's grandsons, was at the reception speaking to a never-ending stream of customers. He snatched a few seconds at short intervals from his busy schedule to interact with me. Kumar's uncle and one of the founder's three sons, Rajshekhar C, runs the bulk of the business along with his son, Lohit R. Rajshekhar, who was described as a great cook by his son, handles all the nitty-gritty of the kitchen and the cooking. Lohit told me at least 25 kgs of biryani gets prepared daily and during weekdays the demands go up to even 60 kgs. While the place specialises in other pork dishes besides the regular chicken and mutton items, the pork biryani is one of its signature dishes.
We gave our orders for four pork biryanis. A second batch was being prepared when we gave our orders and we had to wait for around 20 minutes. Meanwhile, we decided to try the pork kebabs that came in mini plates and was finished in less than 5 minutes. I asked Kumar how the idea of selling something like the pork biryani was hit upon. He said there was no special reason. It was just a wise businessman trying out different things that could turn out to be a crowd puller. And pork biryani was one of them. Suhas Gowda, a 32-year-old Benglurean, has been coming to this joint specifically for the pork biryani since his teens. "I was introduced to this place by my father who has been coming here since the 80s. He knew the owner and would always speak to him when he came here. Besides the pork biryani, garlic pork is my favourite. There are not many places that have pork biryani even now and these guys started a while back. A visit to this place is a must, a few times a week."
Chandrappa Hotel in Bengaluru.
Lohit told me the mutton biryani and other mutton dishes are also a big draw. The shop has been in this same place, near Ramiah Institute of Technology, since it started and will probably be here for many years to come. Kumar told me there was just one Chandrappa Hotel. He also said he was content with just this hotel and had no plans on expanding anytime soon. Lohit C, who is quite the businessman, however, differed and said opening other branches is on the cards in a few years.
The much-anticipated pork biryani was finally set on our table. It looked like the donne biryani and the rice tasted somewhat like it too. But there was no mistaking the pork in it. Small chunks of soft, tender and well-cooked meat that almost melted in our mouths. The spices had meshed well with the meat and the rice. Not only did we finish the biryani we packed two more for a few friends.
My first introduction to the biryani was the famous Kolkata variety with the potato and aromatic rice. This was during my stint in that city. The Kolkata biryani remains my favourite to this day. In Delhi, when I got tired of eating the spice-laden biryani near my university or their somewhat overhyped cousins near Jama Masjid and around Old Delhi, I found out places that served my favourite biryani. While in Delhi, I introduced a friend to the Kolkata biryani who thought the idea of putting a potato in the dish was nothing short of ludicrous. I think now and realise the biryani has no boundaries. It will evolve as long as people are adventurous enough to do different things with it. Even eat it at a protest as a sign of dissent!