A new family run business serving up food from Southern India has joined the rich street food market at Five Valleys Shopping Centre in Stroud.
The Biryani Pot is the brain child of chef Guatam Kaila, who has experience of cooking in high-end kitchens in India — more recently working as head chef at Bath’s Fine Cheese Company and the luxury Calcot Manor.
Now, Gautam has realised the dream of running his own business full time by expanding his home delivery service to a wider audience, providing delicious, authentic Hyderabadi biryani dishes as well as dosa, chai and other snacks, with delicious chutneys.
Hungry visitors can choose from a selection of tempting biryanis, cooked in clay pots directly from India which he started using after missing the cuisine of his childhood.
Not only do the traditional pots offer a fond reminder of Hyderabad, they also improve the quality of the food in two ways: by reducing the level of acidity and imparting nutrients — making the food healthier to eat; and allowing the heat and moisture to circulate, so that the entire dish cooks evenly.
On the menu, opt for goat or chicken biryani cooked with basmati rice, crispy onion and marinated with a homemade masala blend of twenty different spices and herbs; while veggies can choose either the vegetable or vegan biryani.
All dishes are accompanied by cucumber and pomegranate raita as well as mirchi ka salan (traditional biryani gravy made with peanuts, sesame, tamarind and coconut).
Gautam said: 'I love the flavours and recipes of southern India and the region I grew up in, and I am so excited to have expanded the Biryani Pot to bring our dishes to Five Valleys Market.
'It is such a great location for authentic street food and we’re proud to be part of the market and looking forward to growing the business here.'
Centre manager at Five Valleys, Erica Malpass, said: 'We’re really pleased to welcome Gautam and the Biryani Pot to Five Valleys, the food looks absolutely fantastic and it’s a great addition to our market here. The market is building up such a great reputation in the area for street food from around the world.'
The Biryani Pot is open at Five Valleys Indoor Market from 10am until 5pm, Tuesday to Thursday; 10am to 8pm on Friday; and 9am to 5pm on Saturday.
