Volunteers from the Bengalis in Pune Facebook group bring iconic Kolkata biryanis to the city for fellow food lovers
After gauging interest within the community in April, the organisers arranged a pilot delivery of 300 packets with a vendor. From the initial 300 packets, the operation has grown to around 800 packets per drive. On Aug 22, the team organised a Dada Boudi biryani delivery, followed by another drive around Mahalaya (Oct 10),” said Bose.
For Bengalis in Pune, therefore, finding Kolkata-style biryani is not enough.
The packed food is placed in dedicated thermocol boxes, which are sealed to retain freshness,” said Roy. Iconic establishments such as Arsalan, Mezban and Dada Boudi have their own distinctive flavours, shaped by their spice blends, cooking methods and the balance of meat, rice and seasoning. A stronger note of clove here, an extra dash of cinnamon in the garam masala, and the taste changes. Each establishment has a loyal following that swears by its own favourite, making biryani as much a matter of restaurant allegiance as regional identity. The craving is often for a specific restaurant’s preparation, one that another kitchen cannot quite replicate. For Saumik Bose and Samit Roy, both settled in Pune, the solution was to bring the biryani here rather than keep wishing for a taste of home. In April, requests from friends and members of the Bengalis in Pune Facebook group prompted them to organise a delivery from Kolkata. The first step was to approach Arsalan and establish whether the restaurant could prepare and pack the biryani for air transport. The response encouraged them to expand the operation. “Perishable food requires particular care during transit. We tell the restaurants to give it in flight-packing, for which they use airtight containers. We also ask them to remove the potatoes from the biryani and pack them separately. This helps prevent excess moisture from affecting the rice and meat during the journey. Weekend deliveries make the logistics easier. Orders are collected in advance and finalised by Saturday, allowing volunteers to coordinate the Sunday distribution. “Some volunteers, including those based in Dhanori, collect the consignment from Pune airport before dividing it by area. Our network then delivers the boxes to customers across locations including Hadapsar and Dhanori.
They subsequently approached IndiGo-authorised cargo vendors to negotiate rates and eventually began coordinating directly with the airline’s cargo operation. The restaurant prepares and packs the food before handing the consignment to the authorised cargo team at Kolkata airport. The organisers book the shipment and pay the applicable charges, with a late-night flight bringing the consignment to Pune early the next morning.