A friend has asked me to post this search. She, herself, is of Indian heritage and she’s looking for an Indian restaurant in (or near) the East Village that offers authentically prepared biryani made with goat meat. Any recommendations? Thanks!
No personal experience with that dish, but Kokum and Benares (both pretty good restaurants) serve it.
I’ll second that she should go to Kokum, as its on their menu. As Hemant M. is overseeing the kitchen there, as well as several other places (including one on E.6th St in the East Village), she can also arrange to talk to him about it. He’s a very approachable, social guy (somewhat shy) but is around Kokum a lot (since 3-4 of his other kitchens are on the same block).
I don’t know how authentic your friend wants it: the traditional version in India is a layered dish of rice and meat. There’s a layer of rice, a layer of meat, and often caramelized onions, topped by another layer of rice. Saffron infused milk is poured over the top, the pot sealed, and the contents heated on low heat. Most restaurants in New York simply mix rice and meat and call it biryani. You can deduce as much from the variety of biryanis they offer: goat, lamb, chicken, shrimp, etc. They could not possibly have large pots of each type layered and ready to serve.
The Benares menu pays lip service to layering, but the version I’ve had at their midtown location is the usual unlayered rice-meat mix. I can’t think of a restaurant in New York that sells a properly layered version of the kind that you get in restaurants in India that specialize in biryani, or that a specially hired biryani chef might make for weddings, etc.
Agree with Steve R that Kokum would be worth a look. Hemant Mathur is likely to turn out a good version. (I haven’t been.)
I’m Indian and have plenty experience with this dish Dhaba in the EV/curry hill has solid Indian food and they make a nice goat biryani.
Kokum is on the top of my list also to try.
Just so you know, although there are different chefs running the kitchens, both Dhaba and Kokum are under the direction of Hemant Mathur & have the same ownership.
