We lunched at Aminia last weekend, a brand-new addition to the bustling Indian restaurant scene of Karama, Dubai. While Aminia may be new to Dubai, the restaurant boasts of a deliciously rich past that originated in Calcutta, India during British rule in 1929. Aminia was founded by Maulvi Abdul Rahim of Lucknow, and was named after his son Mohammed Amin. The menu is therefore greatly inspired by rich Mughlai cuisine.
There are a few things that make Aminia stand apart from the usual Mughlai Awadi restaurants in our city. First off, it is heritage cuisine. Proudly family-owned for four generations, Aminia is scrupulous about maintaining the original taste and secret recipes that were loved by the very first diners in Calcutta.
The restaurant opened its second branch in Calcutta in bustling New Market on 15th August 1947 the very day that has gone down in history as Indian Independence Day! Interestingly, their menu lists a curry called ‘Aminia Special Mutton Curry’ that Mr. Firoz Molla (Marketing & Operations Lead) tells me was a favorite with the British diners as a breakfast item! The Britishers in British India must have developed a taste for spices and dipped white bread into this fiery curry featuring boiled mutton, whole potatoes, tomato and onion.
I always distinguished Calcutta Biryani for its inclusion of chunky boiled and refried potatoes, and Mr. Molla tells me it was Aminia who started this trend way back in the early 1930’s when meat was scarce, and potato was also considered a delicacy. It became so popular that many restaurants in Calcutta followed suit allowing the humble potato to shine in their biryanis and has now become synonymous with Calcutta Biryani.
Aminia has established itself as a popular restaurant in the Eastern cities of India including Kolkata, Siliguri and Guwahati (Assamese me was delighted to see this!), and the Dubai branch is their first venture out of India.
Given they are located in Karama, expect a very reasonably priced menu (a hearty three-course lunch for two would be around AED 200) and a warm, inviting interior that replicates their original branches in India.
For appetizers, we started off with kebabs. We were recommended the Chicken Malai Kebab, a generous platter of six ‘melt in the mouth’ chicken pieces that comes with a spicy mint chutney. Mild on the spices, yet so succulently soft and flavorful, this was my daughter Farasha’s favorite!
We also tried the Mutton Pasinda Kebab, a starter that is as old as Aminia’s history. This platter comes with two densely ground kebabs that have the intense heat of freshly ground spices, and is served with flaky paratha making it a hearty meal in itself.
We tried Aminia’s Mutton Biryani. It is quite different from the regular biryanis of Dubai. The rice is fragrant, flavorful yet light. The three large pieces of mutton were moreishly soft, meaty and succulent and that fried whole potato was an absolute game-changer to the dish. If you are looking for a delicious yet not too heavy biryani and love well-cooked mutton, this biryani is a must-try.
As a lover of Bengali cuisine, I was also stoked to find Rezala on the menu! We ordered Chicken Rezala. This traditional white curry can be likened to a Korma, but is sweeter and has a more buttery after-taste, making it ideal with fresh naan.
We also tried the Aminia Chicken Chap, a thick near-dry gravy with chicken that is perfect for scooping up with Tandoori Roti.
For drinks, we had Masala Cola, a perfect accompaniment for this massive, indulgent feast of a lunch, and ended with Firni (traditional Indian rice pudding).We tried the Aminia Saffron Firni, which was creamy, milky sweet with a hint of saffron, as well as Aminia’s ode to Dubai, a Pistachio Firni which was far denser without being overpoweringly sweet. Both are served in traditional clay pots.
Aminia also has a café-style section called ‘Mast’ where you can pick up Kathi Rolls, a kebab wrap that is a popular street-food of Calcutta, along with steaming hot cups of Masala Chai.
Best of all, Aminia is also available on Talabat and Noon, and also offers catering services for home parties.
Excited to see an Indian restaurant from Eastern India in our city, and that too, one with so much history to share! Definitely going back to Aminia soon with a bunch of foodie friends.
The Tezzy Files 