From serving polao on mats to becoming a beloved local brand: The story of Haji Nanna Biryani
Haji Nanna Biryani is a brand that took off to unprecedented success from very modest beginnings relying on one food item equally loved by all Bangali people: ‘biryani’
In 1962, amid the tension surrounding the education movement, a typical middle-class man got down from a rickshaw to buy monthly groceries in the bustling Moulvibazar marketplace, situated next to the former Central Jail in Dhaka.
Although done out of necessity, grocery shopping in kitchen markets is a rather toilsome affair, enough to leave a grocery shopper hungry and weary. Halfway through, our grocery shopper unexpectedly got distracted by a beautiful aroma in the crowded place. The shopper recognised the smell.
Upon close inspection, he soon found out the source. It was rather a small and shabby shop serving chicken biryani named Nanna Miyah, after the shop's cook.
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Unable to resist, he went in and placed an order. As he gobbled down a plate full of the delicious Morog Polao, their signature dish, one wonders if he could foresee Haji Nanna Biryani's rise to prominence over the next 60 years?
We cannot say for sure. After all, the shopper's tale is a story concocted by the authors. But this is probably what it looked like back in 1962 when Haji Nanna Biryani first began to rise to prominence.
Haji Nanna Biryani now operates in seven branches at Becharam Deuri, Lalbagh, Nazira Bazar, Najimuddin Road, Mirpur, Benroshi Polli, and Elephant Road, all across Dhaka with hundreds, if not thousands, of copycats using Nanna Miya's brand image to run their own biryani business.
Abdullah Babul, Nanna Miya's nephew and his hand-picked successor, was there to witness it all: the initial struggles to its heyday.
"When we first began selling our signature item 'Morog Pulao' back in the 1960s, we did not have any physical store, nor did we have a typical sitting arrangement. We used to lay down thin mats on the floor of a small store in Moulvibazar," said Babul.
"We only operated in the daytime and initially cooked only five to six kgs of biryani each day. So it started with a very small initiative, but it also became an instant hit," he added.
Abdullah is currently heading the main branch at Becharam Deuri. He was very close to his uncle and even instinctively referred to him as 'Abba.'
"Nanna Miya was more of a father or mother to me than my own parents. When I was little, I used to help him in cooking and running the business alongside studying. He made me who I am today and I try to uphold his values to this day," said Abdullah.
According to Abdullah, Nanna Miya started the legacy of 'Haji Nanna Biryani' along with his brothers, Late Jummun Miya and Late Chan Miya. Interestingly, Nanna Biryani was not even the first restaurant they ran. Earlier, they used to run Ansar restaurant, a famous restaurant in pre-independence Lalbagh.
"It was long before our independence. Back then, Ansar Restaurant used to be one of the most prominent restaurants here. My uncle Hazi Nanna Miya along with his brothers used to run it. At one point, he and his friend Pyare Baburchi decided to cook biryani as an extra item/dish [and pursue it as a] side business and that's how Nanna Biryani began its journey," Abdullah reminisced.
Although Nanna Biryani began its journey at Moulvibazar, they later shifted to Sardar Bhaban at Becharam Deuri.
"Nanna Biryani really took off after we moved to Sardar Bhaban. Back then we only had 'Morog Polao' and 'Mutton Biryani'. Recently, we added 'Mutton Kacchi Biryani' to our menu as well," said Abdullah.
"As Nanna Miya's reputation grew and spread throughout the city, people from all across the country began coming here with their friends and family. People all the way from Gulshan, Banani, Dhanmondi regularly come here for our Morog Polao. Even parties from other districts placed bulk orders for our Morog Polao on different occasions," he added.
As Abdullah said, Nanna Miya's mouth-watering Morog Polao - befittingly accompanied by the rich flavoured chicken and dark onion gravy - captivated attention from people all over Bangladesh. But what makes this Biryani outlet any different from a thousand others in Dhaka?
"The consistent taste and the quality of food helped us to hold our position for years. The secret recipe of our polao is not replicable. Also one of our interesting features is that we sell Morog Polao with an entire chicken per serving on the fifth day of every month," said Abdullah.
The magical hands of Nanna Miya served people with mouthwatering polao till 2005, the year he passed away. Although Abdullah did not disclose the current 'Baburchi's' (cook) name, he shared that they were all taught by Haji Nanna himself.
"After Nanna Miya's death the people who assisted him over the years in cooking, now emulate his cooking under my supervision. Now all seven branches are operated by our relatives. Some by my brothers; others by my cousins," said Abdullah.
When asked about the copycats across the country, Abdullah lamented and said, "It's not only Dhaka. From Dubai to Singapore, fake Nanna Biryani is everywhere. Sadly, some of those shops - like the one in Nazirabazar - even have larger dining space than ours."
"We have lodged cases against these fraudulent businesses in the court. Some of these cases are still ongoing. But we do not have the resources to fight against all of them," he added.
Despite all the copycats, the following of Nanna's delicacies only grew over the years and the recipe for its signature Morog Polao remains safe with the original establishment. Nonetheless, they are still fighting to legally quash those businesses.
That is not to say that they didn't struggle at times. For instance, during the Covid-19 pandemic, when all restaurants were ordered to remain closed, Nanna Biryani also took a serious hit.
"It was troubling times. The entire country was going through a pandemic and we were hurt as well. I don't even know if and how we will recover from the losses during the lockdown periods," said Abdullah.
Against all odds, Nanna Biryani plans to open more branches in Dhaka and improve the dining spaces at the existing ones. The main branch at Becharam Deuri was renovated with modern interior design just two months ago.
"We want to keep serving people and keep Nanna Miya's legacy alive through the food he served," said Abdullah, proudly.
