Biriyani is a many splendored thing; growing up in a Malayali Muslim Household with strong Tamil connections, it was always a hard affair to pick a favourite Biriyani. From the home-style Biriyani that my mother would make to the Manjaly Biriyani that my hometown has become renowned for, and from Calicut’s Paragon to Hyderabad’s Shadab, I’ve had it all. But today, if you ask me to pick a favourite, I would tell you about the Tamil Nadu-style Mutton Biriyani I looked forward to whenever we would visit my relatives in the state. And boy, oh boy. If one of my cousins in Coimbatore or Mettupalayam were getting married, I’d have the chance to have it multiple times over a weekend, and I confess, that was the reason I’ve tagged along on otherwise boring trips.
From the Mutton Biriyani served with Dalcha to the Khasi Halwa to finish it all off, the first time I dined at Ponram in Bangalore, I was rehashing this memory that I’d never expected to ever have in my life again. I have often thought that the ghosts of Tamil Biriyanis past that I have held onto, time and again meant so much, because they were idealised in my memory. But when I dined at Ponram, I realised that my love for the cuisine was not misplaced. From the delicate combination of flavours to the tender meat cooked slowly, the Tamil-style Biriyani that I grew up loving was worthy of all the love.
Ponram’s first restaurant was opened in 1973 in Begumpur and over the years it has grown in many ways. But what has set them apart is their unwavering consistency, and standardising the procedures needed to do so. When I had the chance to dine at Ponram, thanks to a good friend and PR maven Saina Jayapal, she told me how it was one of those places where I could eat to my heart’s content and still could walk away without the proverbial food coma. The reason for this lies in how the thought that goes into making their signature dish - the Biriyani. Made from tender mutton, the Biriyani has a fat-to-meat ratio that offers a lot of flavour, but without the usual heaviness.
In striking up a conversation with Mani Ram, the fourth-generation scion of the Ponram legacy, we learned how each batch of Biriyani that they serve is prepared within the last 50 minutes. He also let us in on more details about how they work closely with farmers and business owners from their native Dindigul and beyond, to source all their ingredients. When sitting at the 150 seater restaurant in Koramangala, the brand even has placemats that mark their sourcing journey and how “the Kottapatti brinjals and green chillies come from Dindigul, The pepper comes from Thandikudi and coriander seeds and dry chilli from Virudhunagar district, the Cardamom comes from Bodi, Cloves from Thadiyankudisai, Nutmeg from Ayyampalayam, and Hill garlic from Poombarai.”
Our meal began with some of the unique starters that Ponram offers - from the Ilaneer Kozhi Rasam (Chicken & Tender Coconut Broth) to Chicken Wing Nei Chukka (Chicken Wings slow roasted with their house signature Red Chilli & Cashew Nut Masala) all made from their free-range chicken. Even the Nei/ghee used in each dish at Ponram comes from their own dairy farms, not to mention the curd that is used to make their exceptional onion raita.
Over the last 50 years, they have done the painstaking work of finding the right source for ingredients and the right processes for making the most of each item they procure. While only certain parts of the sheep can be used for making Biriyani, Mani Ram told us of how they even use the offals in innovative ways to create dishes that now stand on their own regard - like the Mutton Egg Varuval, Mutton Chukka, or the Nenju chops. As is typical of the Tamil style Biryani, the meal is served with an added side of Dalcha - a curry made of mutton bones, dal and eggplant. According to the brand, each generation has enriched the Ponram menu with new and exciting additions, all to preserve and enhance the brand's culinary heritage.
While the meat-heavy Biriyani and sides did fill me up, I couldn’t leave without having their Khasi Halwa. Made from Ash Gourd or Kumbalanga, this was yet another childhood favourite that I’d not dreamed of ever tasting outside of a wedding venue, or a visit to one of my cousins who still live in Tamil Nadu. The grated gourd was cooked down to perfection, wasn't too sweet and had a few seeds that added a bit of crunchiness - the perfect finish to a great meal. But more importantly, one that transported me back to being an 8 year old discovering the dish for the first time ever.
While I couldn’t try out Ponram’s truly South Indian, house-made ice creams featuring locally sourced ingredients, I am intrigued by their jackfruit or banana ice creams. Though Ponram’s first outpost in Bangalore has only been open for a few weeks, it is filled with people going in for multiple helpings of the Ponram Signature Biriyani, on the random Saturday weekend that I visited. And I, for one, can’t wait to be back in Bangalore again to treat myself to a trip down memory lane. Or perhaps take a trip to Dindigul just to experience Ponram’s original restaurant in all its glory.
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