When he left Bangladesh in 1992 at the age of 22, Meru Sikder wasn’t heading to New Jersey with the intention of opening two food carts in Midtown Manhattan. He was simply seeking a better life. But after settling in New Jersey, getting an associate’s degree, and honing his culinary skills for eight years as the banquet chef at a Hilton first as a part-time sushi chef for New Jersey’s then largest Japanese restaurant, he longed to run his own establishment. As he was searching for a small restaurant space in Midtown, he got the notion of running a cart. “I saw all these shish kebab, hot dog, pretzel vendors, and there were no Indian carts.” Offering a full lunch menu off of a cart wasn’t something the other vendors were focused on. So he procured the vendor license for the southwest corner of West 46th Street and 6th Avenue, and opened the Biryani Cart in 2004.
Meru’s menu has evolved from the typical halal cart meat over rice to being full Indian take-away with the introduction of his namesake biryani. The chicken biryani—spiced basmati rice mixed with chicken pieces and topped with a golden hardboiled egg—quickly became a fan favorite. Regulars also gravitate to his chicken tikka—tender pieces of chicken thighs that have been marinated in yogurt and spices before hitting the hot grill. Anything served by a man whose favorite ingredients are habanero sauce and Sriracha is guaranteed to have a spicy kick to it, and it wasn’t long before Meru found a following among office workers looking for a flavorful and reasonably priced Indian dishes being served up. Midtown is flush with pricey, mediocre Indian buffets, and Meru filled a niche for them it is one step away from a sit-down Indian joint, without the Bollywood music.
One of the most popular items on the menu, the kati roll, wasn’t offered until the late spring of 2007. Originating in Kolkata, kati rolls are now a ubiquitous street food in India, where anything you want can be folded into the paratha, an unleavened flatbread made by alternating several layers of thin dough with clarified butter or ghee. Kati Roll Company, an Indian take-out shop on 46th Street had popularized the dish with the neighborhood lunch crowd. Meru says, “I wanted to offer the same thing.” But instead of using the traditional parantha roll, he opted to make his rolls with slightly thinner chapati bread, also an unleavened disc made with ghee, but one that uses a whole-wheat flour and fewer costsists of layers. The chapati swaddles fillings made with a base of either spicy meat, potatoes, or eggs before being topped with cooling lettuce and onion.
On May 30, 2007, Biryani Cart, Meru, and his “Indian bur r itos” were profiled on MidtownLunch.com, causing a flood of publicity to the cart, which sold out of 300 kati rolls before 1p.m. “As soon as Mr. Zach wrote about me, I exploded,” he says. When Kati Roll Company moved into a new restaurant space seven blocks south, Biryani Cart filled the void and its popularity increased exponentially. In 2008, the cart was named the People’s Choice winner at the annual Vendy Awards. “Winning was very good,” says Meru. The following morning he appeared on the CBS’s The Early Show. 2009 brought another People’s Choice Vendy win and an article in the New York Times’s “$25 and Under” column. Now Meru is the one being imitated. “Everyone around me has biryani now,” he says with a chuckle.
Adapted from Meru Sikder’s recipe
Though Biryani Cart didn’t originally offer kati rolls, they’ve since become famous for them. Meru’s chicken tikka recipe can be served as a main dish over rice or with other sides or rolled into chapati bread (page 83) with grilled onions and lettuce for homemade kati rolls. Either way is delicious when drizzled with a creamy
2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or dark meat, cut in to 1½ -inch cubes
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
1 teaspoon toasted coriander seeds
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground celery seeds
¾ cup fresh ginger, garlic, and onion paste
¾ cup plain yogurt
fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, coating the chicken. Marinate covered in the refrigerator for at least one hour letting all the spices soak in.
Place a flat-top grill or large nonstick pan on high heat. Place a generous amount of chicken cubes into the pan, being sure to not overcrowd, pan searing for 15 minutes total until the meat is charred.
Adapted from Meru Sikder’s recipe
Chapati is India’s whole-wheat equivalent of the Latin tortilla, an unleavened flat bread easily made fresh in your own kitchen. Though they can be made a few hours ahead of time, with a quick reheat before serving, they are much better and more pliable when made to order.
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¾ cup warm water Butter for frying
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients together. Make a well in the middle, pouring in both the melted butter and water. With your hands, mix the dough together until it is well combined. If you find your dough needs more water, add a bit at a time until it is moist. Once ready, knead the dough for about 5 minutes, either in the mixing bowl or on a lightly floured surface, until smooth. Divide into 8 equal parts and let them rest, covered with a damp paper towel, for 15 minutes.
Lightly flour a flat surface and roll out each ball of dough to about an 8-inch disc. Stack the discs on top of one another on a plate in preparation for frying. Place a large flat pan or griddle on high heat, allowing the pan to warm first before greasing with butter. Once hot and greased, place a disc into the pan, allowing the dough to fry. It should start puffing up with air within the first 2 minutes. That is the sign to flip the chapati. Allow the second side to fry for a couple of more minutes before removing from the pan. Be sure to grease the pan in between the chapatis.
