How the Berry pulao is being hit by Iran stir

Britannia and Co is waiting to restock zereshk barberries, key ingredient imported from Iran, used in the signature dish.

MUMBAI: While the socio-political upheaval in Iran and the Iranian government’s crackdown on protesters has provoked sharp criticism from world leaders, in a far corner in south Mumbai its effects are being felt on a signature aromatic Parsi-Iranian delicacy – the Berry pulav.

How the Berry pulao is being hit by Iran stir

At the 102-year-old Britannia and Co. in Ballard Estate, its owner Iranian Zoroastrian Afshin Kohinoor, 65, is perturbed by the tension in Iran and anxious about replenishing his stock of Iranian zereshk barberries – the key ingredient in Berry pulav -- unsure when the next fresh batch will arrive from the country currently in turmoil. The uprising in Iran has led to the USA announcing 25% tariffs on countries doing business with the country.

“The flight from Iran did not arrive on Tuesday; it did not come the previous Friday either. I have about 15-16 kilograms of the berries which may last only another 15 days,” said Kohinoor, a Mumbai-born Iranian national, who holds an Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI).

Kohinoor said that seven variants of the delicacy make up for 50% of the restaurant’s sales. His imports from Iran, however, are not just limited to the crimson berries; the supply of pistachios, honey, hazelnuts and Gaz -- a nougat also known as the Persian delight -- have also been similarly affected.

Kohinoor, the third-generation Iranian Zoroastrian owner of the restaurant, which was started by his grandfather Rashid Kohinoor in 1923, said that the restaurant needs between 7-10 kilos of the berries every week, and depends on a regular weekly or fortnightly despatch of zereshk barberries from Iran, by his friends.

The prices of the berries may spike, he feels, owing to the ongoing protests but his customers won’t feel the pinch yet. The pulav, available in variants of mutton, chicken, keema, prawn, egg, paneer and vegetables, is priced between ₹450 to ₹1,000 per portion, which serves two. Frozen berries can last up to a year or two, he said.

Britannia rolled out the signature dish in 1982, when Kohinoor joined his parents in the business. The heirloom recipe belonged to his mother, Bacha, who had been using the ruby red tart berries, sourced from Iran, from the time she cooked the first batch. However, when it was first introduced at the restaurant, “at least for the first six months the Berry pulav was a flop”, said Kohinoor. Bacha soon realised the desi penchant for spice and gravy. “That’s when she came up with the masala that is the secret of our pulav. We also introduced marble-sized kebabs in the rice dish along with the berries. It actually took off thereafter and remains popular till today,” he said.

“I get the branded berries. Other restaurants use cranberries. But mine are authentic barberries that come from the city of Yazd,” Kohinoor said.

The restaurant’s supply of the berry was last interrupted in 2022 when protests erupted in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. She died in a hospital days after the country’s morality police beat her up for not following the country’s hijab regulation. “At the time, I got my stock after 20-21 days,” said Kohinoor. “But this time it’s really bad. Protestors are being shot. It is scary. It all depends on (US President) Donald Trump now.”

Yet, Kohinoor, who is often seen at the restaurant’s cash counter interacting with his customers, with his cat Mr Bozo and dog Mr Julu lazily stretched out next to him, chose to remain optimistic as he said: “I am sure this (unrest in Iran) will not last too long. The Berry pulav is not going anywhere.”

Kunal Vijayakar, food writer and television presenter, said: “The Berry pulav at Britannia used to be spectacular but I think even without the berries the pulav can hold its own. The berries bring the sourness to the dish but it would be good even without them.” He suggested that if the supply of berries is impacted, the restaurant “could consider an Indian alternative”.

Historian and culinary anthropologist Kurush Dalal added: “Zereshk also comes through Afghanistan, Iraq, Tajikistan, and that entire region. So it will come one way or another.”