Description
Murshidabad's food culture is a beautiful blend of Nawabi heritage and everyday local flavours. In this episode, we begin by uncovering the making of the iconic Murshidabadi Biryani before setting out on an evening food trail across Berhampore and Lalbagh, tasting everything from roadside favourites to heritage recipes that have stood the test of time.
Our journey begins at Moti Mahal Restaurant at Mahfi-e-Motijheel, where we meet Mohammed Ali and our host, Souvik Banerjee. Inside the backyard open kitchen, Mohammed ji takes us through every step of preparing the legendary Murshidabadi Biryani and explains what makes it so distinctive. The meat and rice are partially cooked before being carefully layered with potatoes, a rich salan, ghee, aromatic garam masala, kewra water, rose water, and meetha attar. Every ingredient has its purpose, creating a biryani that is fragrant, delicately spiced, and unlike any other.
Once the biryani is ready, we sit down to savour it. What appears subtle at first soon reveals layers of flavour with every bite. The fried pieces of meat add a wonderful texture, while the smaller chunks ensure that every morsel of rice carries the richness of the meat. It is a style of biryani that beautifully reflects Murshidabad's unique culinary identity that is influenced by Lucknow.
From there, we head to the historic Motijheel, where Mohammed ji shares fascinating stories about the lake, the nearby mosque and the ruins associated with Warren Hastings, offering a glimpse into Murshidabad's intriguing historical past.
As evening sets in, it's time to explore the city's beloved street food. We begin with the ever-popular Aalu Kabli outside Lalbagh High School before stopping for a comforting cup of Bharer Cha at Baba Tea Stall, where the rich, milky tea served in earthen cups reminds us why chai is much more than just a beverage.
Our tea trail continues at Cha Ghar, where we discover the many varieties of tea enjoyed by locals before making our way to Nilu Da's Ghugni Stall. Famous for his Mangsher Ghugni, the stall also serves delicious mutton curry, mete curry, egg curry, and plain ghugni, making it a favourite among regulars.
The next stop is the iconic Adi Dhaka Hindu Hotel, an establishment dating back to the 1960s. Here we relish a comforting meal of roti paired with their signature black gram torka, egg, and mutton curry. Affordable, wholesome, and deeply satisfying, the restaurant continues to serve authentic Bengali-style meals that have remained popular for generations.
No food trail is complete without a little snacking, so we head to Baba Loknath Bhujia & Sweets to sample a range of their popular namkeen and signature bhujia, loved by locals for decades.
For dinner we went to Heritage Hotel, a favourite of Souvik ji for many years. Here, we enjoy another serving of Murshidabadi Chicken Biryani along with a rich and flavourful Mutton Rezala, both of which showcase the Nawabi influence that continues to define the region's cuisine.
Our next stop introduces us to the inspiring story behind Nitai's Momo Shop. Once an accomplished swimmer and badminton player with several local accolades, Nitai's life took a turn when a promised job never materialised. Undeterred, he explored different ventures before establishing this humble momo shop, which has now become a popular local favourite.
The evening concludes with a visit to Kader Bhai's Paan Shop. Full of humour, Kader Bhai shares stories from his decades-long journey, including how his paan has reached Amir Khan when he was in the city for some work.
Before wrapping up the day, we have the privilege of meeting Chhote Nawab Reza Ali Mirza, who speaks to us about Murshidabad's Nawabi culinary traditions, offering valuable insights into their food legacy.
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