Tucked away beside Golden Mile Food Centre is Koothurar Nasi Briyani where you can smell such fragrant aromatic mix of Indian spices that draws people closer and closer to a unsuspecting briyani stall with quite a queue.

I accidentally came upon this stall when I was walking towards Golden Mile Food Centre. I got distracted by the surprising fragrance of Indian spices even before reaching the hawker centre.  Out of curiosity, I followed the aroma until I reached a stall corner with around a dozen people in queue waiting to get their briyani.  There is no signboard or menu so you can just ask the staff what they have for the day but there is no doubt that the briyani is the must have as all the customers in front of me carry huge plates of briyani.

Upon ordering mutton briyani, the staff relays my order to a gentleman that gets the basmatic rice from a huge drum onto the plate and places it on to a table where another person completes the meal by putting the mutton, egg and pickled vegetables. A small bowl of curry also comes with the briyani.

The mutton is quite tender and mutton curry is quite thick and rich.  The separate bowl of curry sauce is a nice flavorful addition that brings some added spiciness to the briyani.  The boiled egg along with pickled cucumber and carrots provides contrast to the meal.  

I checked what other hungry diners had to say about this stall in the Internet and came to know the briyani stall as Koothurar Nasi Briyani that has been around for several decades.  The stall has been in the neighborhood ever since and it is currently being run by Sadiq. Though the stall may seem small, it is operated by at least six men when I was there.   By afternoon, they are already preparing for the next service with carrots, onions being peeled and fresh chilis and tomatoes being readied.

Koothurar Nasi Briyani provides satisfyingly delicious briyani.  Drop by during lunch time!