I've been thinking about my first lunch in Dhaka the entire flight..

I arrived at Dhaka airport and it might be the most chaotic airport I’ve ever been to in my life, even after travelling to 60-odd countries.

There were no queues, no real systems in place; it was kind of every man for themselves. Literally, the airport was 80% men. After two hours of faffing, I finally got out. Unfortunately, my ride broke down two minutes in, so I jumped into another uncle's car that took me to the hotel. Nothing’s stopping me. তুমি বাঙালী?

The Humble Kacchi Mutton Biryani

I was starving, and it was lunchtime. I already knew Kacchi Mutton Biryani is a Dhaka must but I had to go to one of the most iconic places, Fakruddin. Kacchi is a delicious rice dish where tender meat pieces are marinated with lots of fried onions and whole spices.

Fakruddin Biryani started from a tiny 200sq feet school kitchen, with a little help from Principal Hamida Ali of Viqarunnisa Noon School to earn some extra cash. The man behind Fakruddin Biryani, late Fakruddin Munshi, turned it into a full-blown business success that became an incredible example for others.

Now, Fakruddin Biryani is an institution in Dhaka city and has even expanded to places like Singapore, Australia, Dubai, and beyond. But, let's rewind to the early days in the kitchens of the Nawabs of Murshidabad. Fakruddin Munshi, a young cook, got his break as an apprentice under Muslim Miah, the Nawabs' chef. Young Fakruddin showed off his cooking skills in the Nawab's kitchen, mastering the age-old methods of Dumm cooking, which is bloody hard!

Armed with his master's techniques, Fakruddin ventured out taking charge of the canteen at Viqarunnisa Noon School & College in Dhaka. His claim to fame? The "Kacchi Biryani" where he plays with potatoes and meat in a specific ratio, slow-cooking them to perfection with the controlled play of embers. According to their website, which breaks down their history, it sounds like a very difficult method. I’m scared lol. 

Since the '60s, with their unique spice mix and good old word of mouth, the small company started growing. No wedding in Bangladesh was complete without Fakhruddin Catering's biryani. It’s funny because when I started asking around, people were saying I have to go to a wedding for the best Kacchi Biryani because of the way it’s made; you need the volume, and it needs to be fresh. Someone invite me to a bengali wedding please? 

Massive pots of the stuff

I went to the spot in Gulshan, and it didn't look glamorous at all. It looked like a little lunchtime spot but boy were the flavours there. The rice was perfect; I can’t explain how hard it is to make the perfect biryani. It was such a simple dish, but it was delicious; they served it with chicken gravy and a jali Kabab. 

The bhais (brothers) working at the restaurant were so sweet, checking in to see if I liked it. I’m excited to see what else the city has to offer. So far, I’m pretty overwhelmed by how busy but slow everything is. It’s also weird to be communicating in Bangla because honestly, I rarely speak it these days but my intuition was right. I knew that as soon as I got here, somehow the words would start forming sentences, and it wouldn’t feel so alien.

If you can’t find an authentic place, you can try and make it at home or just wait until my wedding ey. 

The track I’ll leave you with you with today is Aaj Noy Gungun by Lata Mangeshkar.

Love,

Rez x