This year has been a busy one. After figuring out how to send Bacon Naan Rolls in the post, we then found a way to send delicious, part-prepped meals to your homes, and soon Home Feasts were being enjoyed in houses (and gardens, campsites, caravans..!) all over the UK.
However, there was one common complaint: the star dishes are Sheekh Kabab and Murgh Malai, and this meant our vegetarian friends felt a little left out. Of course, in Bombay, vegetarian dishes abound. From street food stalls to lavish banquets, there is no need of meat to provide a fulsome feast, and many Bombayites forgo it happily. This is one of the reasons our restaurant and delivery menus are so vegetarian-friendly, and so it was obvious, in hindsight, that the Dishoom Store needed to catch up.
In response, Chef Naved and his inventions-wallas busied themselves again, and now we’re very glad to be able to send you a delicious, hearty, entirely vegetarian meal at home by way of the Biryani Feast.
Slow-cooked, layered and aromatic, the Biryani traces its origins to Iran. The traditional method is long, complex and requires a good amount of skill and attention. Gratifyingly, Chef Naved has cleverly found a way to provide a welcome shortcut to a first-class Biryani along with a range of vegetarian favourites, ready for you to dish up and share with your fortunate loved ones in the comfort of your own home.
We’ll also send an ample range of other Dishoom favourites: Mattar Paneer, House Black Daal, Kachumber, Raita, Bhel, Tawa Rotis and Gulkand Mess to finish. Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will be delighted (and very, very full!).
Your at-home feast is accompanied by a creamy and refreshing Mango Lassi, and you may also opt for a bottle of natural Italian sparkling wine from top-notch independent producers, Integrale. A fetching Dishoom tea towel is also included for good measure (and for keeping your rotis nicely warmed).
The Biryani Feast serves 3–4 people generously and may be ordered now with nominated day delivery up to three months in advance!
Prepared with love by Dishoom chefs, kits are delivered nationwide* before 10pm on your chosen date. For every kit you enjoy, we donate a meal to Akshaya Patra.
Jackfruit Biryani – Jackfruit is the star of this vegetarian version of the legendary Irani café special. In India, it is used (unripe and savoury) in biryanis, and renouncers and lovers of meat alike relish its exceptional savour and satisfying bite. Marinated with a special blend of spices for deep, rich flavour, layer your jackfruit with seasoned rice and anoint with luxurious saffron, cream and a little butter – a golden touch before sealing for baking (traditionally this is done with dough, but foil will also do nicely). Crispy fried onions are also included for essential sweetness and crunch. Dig deep with your spoon when serving to ensure all hungry guests enjoy its multi-layered delight.
House Black Daal – Dishoom’s signature dish, dark, rich, deeply flavoured. A labour of love cooked over 24 hours for extra harmony (though it will take mere minutes in your own kitchen!)
Mattar Paneer – A steadfast, humble and delicious vegetarian curry with a rich tomato base, sweet peas and mild Indian cheese. Warm your heart with its heartiness.
Kachumber – Whole tomatoes, cucumbers and onions ready to chop and mix with coriander and lime juice for freshness and crunch.
Raita – Delicate minty yoghurt, for mellowness.
Bhel – A tempting delicacy, and sunset snack of choice on Chowpatty Beach. Puffed rice, peanuts, Bombay Mix and nylon sev tossed with fresh pomegranate, tomato, onion, lime, tamarind and mint – cold and crunchy, light and lovely.
Tawa Rotis – Three dough balls artfully handmade with wholemeal atta flour ready to be rolled out and gently browned. Lighter than a naan, these will counter the richness of your Home Feast nicely.
Gulkand Mess – Strawberries in rose syrup, muddled with fresh cream and meringue. Sweet, indulgent, sublime.
Teatowel – Finest quality organic cotton, with a pleasing "Dishoom Textiles" design. Generously sized, and something you will enjoy using for years to come.
Salted Butter – Milk of renowned quality, churned in the traditional way in Somerset for finishing your Biryani and generously slathering onto freshly made rotis.
Mango Lassi – Superior yoghurt blended with fresh mango pulp. Welcome coolness.
You may also upgrade your kit to include a bottle of organic sparkling Italian wine.
Int3gral3 Organic Unfiltered Frizzante Bianco, NV, Trento – A delicious natural wine with just the right body to complement these flavourful dishes. Gently fizzing with lively sparkles and a cloud of white flowers with a dry grapefruit bite. Naturally lower in alcohol (10.5%) but mirth is likely.
*Delivery area covers the UK mainland (except Northern Ireland), with some exclusions in Scotland and Channel Islands due to the transit time required. Regretfully, no changes or substitutions can be made to this kit. Must be consumed within two days of delivery.
The sun is momentarily out again. Calendars are fast filling up. There’s many a thing to do and many a friend to meet. And if we may kindly add to the excitement and the plan-making, here’s our list of what we’re looking forward to in September.
While we were at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, we caught Evening Conversations, an engaging show by Sudha Bhuchar. We caught up with her after the show to talk about her journey and her views on South Asian representation on screen, which you can read below. And for those who didn’t walk down the cobbled streets of the city or stumble into an impromptu performance this year, we highly recommend it for 2024.
Each year as August dawns, the streets and rooms and corners of Edinburgh fill with music, art, laughter and song. Wander into grand halls and pokey pubs, as the morning sun rises or in the dark of night, to see creations of every kind as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In honour of this wonderful celebration of the performing arts (and as a little treat), here’s a special edition Dishoom Loves, covering all the acts we’ve circled on our festival programme.
For anyone looking to learn or read more on Partition, this page holds a series of resources, for all ages, created by people knowledgeable and knowing about such matters. It is by no means definitive – we have simply found them to be useful, inspiring and accessible.