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Dubai: Would you pay Dh1,000 for the 'world's most expensive biryani'?

Dubai - It comes on a giant platter carted by two men in shimmering golden aprons and topped with 23 carat pure edible gold.

You won’t quite be off the mark if you thought a good biryani was about the whiff of the finely flavoured rice and the succulence of the mildly spiced meat with all the accoutrements. But that is until you have sampled the one they are serving at Dubai’s Bombay Borough as part of their anniversary celebrations. And it’s a whole new makeover for the cult rice and meat dish by chefs with the Midas touch, literally!

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For biryani at this British-era bungalow-inspired Indian fine diner at the heart of the luxury dining zone in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is more than a matter of taste and smell. And that’s because it comes on a giant platter, carted by two men in shimmering golden aprons and topped with 23 carat pure edible gold, all for a small price tag of Dh1,000.

If luxury dining in Dubai needed a regal seal and crowning glory, then this would be it — the Royal Gold Biryani that comes for the price of 100 lesser members of its ilk and with a gait of its own to boot. So, what makes this biryani special?

Carefully curated with a selection of India’s unique flavours, and ingredients, it promises to take you on a culinary adventure across India. So, there are four varieties of biryani rice, each harking back to the history of four specific regions of India including one that will take you to the streets of Mumbai. But that’s just the rice story.

Then comes the meat of the matter in unending proportions of kebabs — from Rajput chicken kababs or the Murgh Soola to lamb chops straight out of the ovens from the old quarters of Delhi’s Jama Masjid. Add to that, Mughlai koftas, and malai chicken roast, all served with three thick, creamy, and rich Indian curries and a bowl of raita, the quintessential subcontinental yoghurt condiment.

But what is sure to grab your attention and pique your palate is the Kashmiri Raan Seekh kebab, the biggest such melt-in-your-mouth grill you would have seen and one that truly fits the stature of the meal. And all of this will come to the table in just about three-quarters of an hour after you have placed your order for it!

Because that’s the time they will take to perfect what the restaurant claims is the ‘world’s most expensive biryani’. An official world record or not, it’s still a lunch fit for a king and an experience as royal as it gets.

Biryani: All about rice and a lot of history?

Of several theories out there, one states that the word Biryani originated from birinj, the Persian word for rice, which apparently came from vrihi, one of the many Sanskrit words for rice, the main ingredient of Biryani. However, according to another theory, the name comes from biryan or beriyan, the Persian word for ‘frying’ or ‘roasting’. The exact origin of the dish still remains uncertain although the number of varieties by conservative estimates run into several dozens. But many historians believe the modern biryani was first developed in the royal kitchens of the Mughals that ruled large swathes of India between 1526 and 1857.

A Hidden Gem because....

The Royal Gold Biryani looks just as it sounds. Carefully curated with a selection of India’s unique flavours, and ingredients, it packs four varieties of biryani rice, and unending proportions of kebabs including lamb chops straight out of the ovens from the old quarters of Delhi’s Jama Masjid. And all of this is topped with 23-carat edible gold, making it the most expensive biryani in UAE, if not the world.

Where: Gate Village 3 at Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC) just below Capital Club, next to Sotheby’s, opposite Gate 2

For bookings: email reservations@bombayborough.ae