Fierce Curry House,
16, Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar Utama,59000 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 019-383-0945
JUST like the phrase “behind every successful man is a woman”, in the world of restaurants and delectable cuisines, behind every restaurant is its passionate owner. And that makes Fierce Curry House stand out from the rest.
We were greeted by Herukh T. Jethwani, from the point we met, displayed so much of love and passion for the biryani he had clearly created, tested and perfected.
His passion was clearly underlined by his facial expressions, hand gestures and excited tones.
The Jethwanis acquired Bangles, the oldest North Indian restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, known for its biryani and tandoors.
With a beginning in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the majestic name in fabulous Indian dining moved to a colonial bungalow in Jalan Ampang with a new facade and larger banquet space.
The lease expired in 2009 and with the imminent threat from local mamak hangouts that offer biryani at lower prices, the Jethwanis went back to the drawing board to make a bigger comeback.
And they did with Fierce Curry House.
The ambience
Simple: The restaurant can easily be mistaken for a mamak hangout.We were puzzled as to how the name was conceived, and Jethwani cheekily told us that is how his dad colloquially describes anything that is spicy and zesty.
At first, the restaurant appears as any other non-descript restaurants¸ easily be mistaken for a mamak hangout.
The ambience is simple, but with lots of focus and attention to food and service. The restaurant carries several elements synonymous to Bangles, including the chairs, glasses, etc. While waiting for our mutton and chicken biryani to be served, Jethwani talked about his passion for biryani.
He learned the cooking of biryani from his aunt in Hyderabad and perfected the art upon returning to Malaysia. Since then, he has started exploring with other types of meats such as turkey, venison, prawn, lobster and scallops.
The Chicken Biryani set.
How it is made
Although our biryani took a while to be served, Jethwani’s explanation on the multi-step cooking process, the long hours involved in the preparation using more than 20 types of spices and using the best basmati grains, made the wait worthwhile. Not a drop of oil is used in the cooking except ghee.
The first to be served was the mutton biryani.
In order to retain the moisture and rich aroma of the biryani, traditionally the pots are sealed with dough made from chapati flour.
Jethwani explained that the dough also helps to block external steam from seeping into the pot. The art of removing the dough gives an interesting eating experience.
You have to use a spoon to rigorously stab around the brim of the pot and slowly lift out the dough to see the biryani.]At first glance, the top layer did not impress us as it was less vibrant compared to other biryanis we have eaten.
However, this is the Hyderabad Dhum Biryani, while the ones commonly sold in Malaysia are the Malaysian versions.
When we started digging in and stirring the mix, the aroma of the biryani sprung up. The first spoon filled with small pieces of mutton was awesome, with rich taste of the spices flooding the mouth.
CHECK THIS OUT: Jethwani showing how to open the dough.We tried the chicken biryani and agreed that it tasted better than the mutton biryani. We felt that the meat was more galvanised with the spices and so was the rice. The mutton and chicken biryani are priced at RM18 and RM15 respectively.
The secret to enjoying the biryani is to eat it as it is, without adding any gravy which most Malaysians tend to do.
Jethwani insists that the Fierce Curry House’s Hyderabad Dhum Biryani is the best.
Jethwani justifies the claim with the long and natural process that is used in the cooking, the premium grains used and also the myriad of spices thrown into the marination process.
The meat is marinated the night before while the meat is still frozen, unlike the conventional practice where the meat is left in hot or warm water to allow the meat to thaw. As the restaurant is still new (it opened October last year), the drink menu is still basic. Jethwani will be introducing lassi, masala tea and other traditional beverages soon.
We ordered the fresh milk tea and it was simply delicious. We also tried the fresh milk coffee and it was equally good too. Jethwani also offers the Four Variety Biryani Day on Fridays, where the kitchen will serve vegetarian, chicken, mutton and fish biryani to patrons.
Fierce Curry House intends to open their second branch in six to eight months in Damansara Heights. If you want biryani with a difference, head on to Fierce Curry House and enjoy the biryani in the warm company of the owner and his friends.
