The Biryani That Changed My Life
There are moments in life that quietly change everything.
At the time, they don't feel extraordinary. They're just conversations between friends, small decisions, and opportunities that seem ordinary.
Years later, you look back and realise...
"That was the day my life changed."
For me, that day began in 2019 at Jagran Lakecity University, Bhopal.
A Conversation Between Friends
Like every college student, most of our conversations happened outside the classroom rather than inside it.
One afternoon, my friends—Rishabh Prajapati, Adarsh Dave Sharma, Adarsh Pandey, Mansi Negi, and I—were discussing upcoming culinary events. Suddenly, Rishabh mentioned that a national culinary competition called the Food Ex Culinary Challenge was going to be held in Bengaluru.
At first, none of us thought about medals. We were excited about something much simpler.
A sponsored trip. A chance to visit Bengaluru. Meeting chefs from across India. Learning something new.
Winning wasn't even part of the discussion.
Meeting Our Mentor
Curious to know more, Rishabh and I went to meet Chef Mayank Sir, Assistant Professor of Food Production.
He explained the competition format. It would last for three days.
- Day One: Starters
- Day Two: Battle of Biryani
- Day Three: Desserts
He then asked each participant one simple question:
"Which category would you like to compete in?"
Without thinking twice, I replied, "Battle of Biryani."
Even today, I don't know why I answered so confidently. Perhaps because somewhere deep inside me, Biryani already felt like home.
My Father's Advice
That evening, I returned to our restaurant and shared the news with my father.
I told him, "Papa, there's a national competition in Bengaluru. I want to participate in the Biryani category."
He listened quietly. Then smiled. And said something that has stayed with me ever since.
"If you're going to represent yourself, don't go there just to participate. Go there to win."
It was only one sentence. But it completely changed my mindset.
Until then, it was simply a college competition. After those words... it became my mission.
My Real Training Began
The very next morning, my real education started. Not inside a classroom. Inside the kitchen of Lazeez Hakeem® | Since 1971, the restaurant founded by my grandfather, Hakeemuddin Sahab.
My mentor during this journey was Shankar, one of the experienced chefs who had spent years preparing our signature Mutton Dum Biryani alongside my father.
He never taught me by asking me to memorise recipes. Instead, he taught me to understand cooking.
He showed me how every ingredient has a purpose. How every spice has a reason. How patience matters more than speed. How consistency creates perfection.
Understanding Dum Biryani
Day after day, I learned every stage of preparing authentic Kacche Gosht Ki Dum Biryani.
First came the basic marination. Fresh mutton was cleaned carefully before being marinated with ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice and salt.
Then came the Yakhni. Whole spices including cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, black pepper, Shahi Jeera and fresh green chillies were slowly roasted before the meat was cooked.
At the same time, the rice was partially cooked with aromatic spices. Golden fried onions (Barista) and fresh curd were folded into the Yakhni.
Finally came the most important stage. Dum.
Rice. Yakhni. Rice again. Layer after layer.
The handi was sealed with fresh dough before being slow-cooked until every grain absorbed the aroma and flavour. That was the moment I realised something important.
Biryani isn't cooked. It's built.
More Than Just Cooking
Winning wasn't only about taste. Presentation mattered just as much.
We experimented with different serving styles. Eventually, we selected a traditional charcoal Sigri because we wanted the judges to experience Dum Biryani exactly the way it is meant to be served.
When I later told Mayank Sir that I would prepare Kacche Gosht Ki Dum Biryani, he looked pleasantly surprised.
As a first-year student, very few expected me to choose one of the most technically demanding forms of Biryani. His appreciation gave me even more confidence.
Team Jagran Lakecity University
Our university eventually finalised its participants. I represented the Battle of Biryani. Rishabh also competed in Biryani. Our senior, Siddhant Purohit, participated in Starters. Two more students represented the Dessert category.
Together with our professor, we travelled to Bengaluru. What had started as an educational trip slowly transformed into something much bigger.
We all wanted to win.
The Search for Perfect Mutton
Almost every ingredient had travelled with us from Bhopal. But one ingredient had to be purchased in Bengaluru: fresh mutton.
A day before the competition, I visited one of Bengaluru's goat markets. I explained to a butcher that I had only forty-five minutes to cook during the competition and needed exceptionally tender meat.
Understanding my challenge, he selected premium-quality mutton. Although the market price was around ₹400 per kilogram, I happily paid nearly ₹700.
Because quality was far more important than cost.
An Unexpected Opportunity
The first day of the competition focused on Starters. Although I wasn't competing, I still found an opportunity to help.
While purchasing chicken, I noticed there was a large price difference between bone-in and boneless chicken. Having already learned professional butchery at Lazeez Hakeem®, I suggested buying whole chicken instead.
Back at the hotel, I deboned the chicken myself. My teammates and professors were pleasantly surprised. For me, it was simply another lesson my family business had unknowingly taught me.
Competition Day
30 August 2019
The competition took place at Shazia Kitchen Studio. Every participant received an identical workstation.
The challenge was simple: Prepare your dish in 45 minutes.
The atmosphere reminded me of MasterChef. Everyone was focused. Every second mattered. After cooking, all dishes were transported to the Bengaluru Convention Centre, where the judges would evaluate them.
Everything was going perfectly.
Until my presentation.
When Plan A Failed
My original idea was to present the Dum Biryani on a live charcoal Sigri. However, the organisers didn't allow open flames because of fire safety regulations.
For a few moments, I thought all my preparation had gone to waste.
Then I noticed another participant using decorative candles. I politely asked if I could borrow a few. They agreed.
Just before the judges arrived, I lit the candles beneath my serving setup. When the judges lifted the sealed handi...
Fresh steam escaped. The unmistakable aroma of Dum Biryani filled the air.
At that moment, I knew I had given everything I had.
The Moment I'll Never Forget
Later that evening, all participants gathered for the final results.
The organisers announced the Bronze Medalists. Then the Silver Medalists. Finally...
The Gold Medal winners.
When my name echoed through the hall, time seemed to stop. I had won.
On 31 August 2019, during the official award ceremony at the Bengaluru Convention Centre, I proudly received my Gold Medal and Certificate in the Battle of Biryani.
It wasn't just a medal. It was proof that hard work, preparation and belief can change your life.
A New Beginning
Winning the competition opened doors I had never imagined. A few months later, I was invited as a Delegate to the 7th Chef Summit, organised by the Indian Culinary Forum.
For a first-year student, it was an unforgettable honour. One competition had become the beginning of my professional culinary journey.
Looking Back
People often ask me, "Where did you learn to make Biryani?"
My answer is never just a recipe.
I learned it from my family's legacy. From the kitchen built by my grandfather, Hakeemuddin Sahab. From my father, who taught me that participation is never enough if you have the ability to win. From Chef Shankar, who taught me patience. From Chef Mayank Sir, who believed in me. From my friends, who became teammates. And from one unforgettable competition in Bengaluru.
That Gold Medal did not make me a chef. It simply showed me the path I wanted to follow for the rest of my life.
Today, every Dum Biryani I prepare carries a part of that journey. And every time I lift the lid of a freshly cooked handi, I remember the aroma that filled a competition hall in Bengaluru and changed my life forever.
Competition Details
- Competition: Food Ex Culinary Challenge
- Venue: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
- Competition Date: 30 August 2019
- Award Ceremony: 31 August 2019
- Achievement: Gold Medal – Battle of Biryani
- Institution: Jagran Lakecity University, Bhopal
