It is 10.30am on a Sunday morning and 29-year-old S Santhosh is polishing off a plate of mutton biryani at Bangaru, a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Dindigul, popularly known as the ‘10am biryani place’. Located on the busy Big Bazaar Street, it is among the oldest biryani outlets in the city. Set in the owner’s home, the modest space has just a handful of tables, and opens at 6am, selling out before 11am.
Biryani for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In Dindigul, there are people who eat this dish every day of their lives. How did this small town in Tamil Nadu, become synonymous with the decadent rice-based dish? We biryani-hop on a hot summer day, looking for answers.
