Whether a feast or Sunday lunch, biryani is one delicacy that makes every gathering a hit. The moment you open the seal of the pot, the aroma instantly fills the room and people come running towards the table. It sets the vibe of the dining area, where family members and friends laugh while they dig into finger-licking biryani. With the same thought in mind, Slurrp hosted the Grand Biryani Celebration as a part of HT City Unwind 2024.
Foodies and home chefs across the country joined the celebration from March 16 to 17, 2024, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. presented by Daawat and co-powered by Zappfresh and Goldiee Masale, with Glen as a gifting partner, one of the segments had home chefs competing for exciting prizes.
From 1000+ biryani entries across the country, Neha Mishra from Delhi, Hema Shet from Mumbai, Farheen Rizvi from Bengaluru, and Aparna Deb from Delhi were picked to compete for two innovative cook-offs on days 1 and 2 of the Grand Biryani Celebration. Neha Mishra impressed judges with the shakarkand tikka tart biryani, while Aparna Deb made palak paneer seekh malai biryani. Farheen Rizvi cooked mutton dum biryani and Meha Shet impressed everyone with prawn biryani.
Day 1: Fusion Kebab Contest At Slurrp’s Grand Biryani Celebration
On day one, Neha Mishra and Hema Shet participated in the fusion kebab contest. Along with their love for cooking, the two contestants poured their hearts as well into their dishes. Neha made kebabs using urad dal, cheese, salt to taste, chaat masala, and other spices and vegetables. She made the dishes inspired by famous galouti kebabs from Lucknow.
Hema Shet made kebabs using protein-rich ingredients and vegetables. She used cheese as good fat, making it a delight to be served at a children’s party. Both the dishes were tasted by Kunal Kapur and Hema Shet emerged as the winner of the first contest and took home many gifts from Glen and sponsors. Neha Mishra also took home exciting goodies.
“I am very delighted. In fact, I am very happy to meet all the master chefs here, rather than winning,” Hema Shet said.
Day 2: Fusion Kheer Contest At Slurrp’s Grand Biryani Celebration
When you think about a sweet dish to relish after biryani, kheer or phirni comes to your mind. For the second contest, Aparna Deb and Farheen Rizvi made fusion kheer. Aparna developed an interest in cooking after she got married. She loves to bake and cook at home and for intimate gatherings. For the contest, she made kheer with grated, roasted, and caramelised pumpkin, beetroot, and carrots.
Growing up in Lucknow, Farheen has always loved cooking Awadhi and Lucknowi biryani. Her passion for cooking only grew during lockdown. For the contest, she made kesar kheer using saffron milk, condensed milk, and grated beetroot for a flush of pink colour. She won the cook-off and received gifts from Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi and many other prizes from Glen.