Like many others, the 33-year-old standup comedian was left high and dry when the pandemic struck two years ago, causing his family’s travel agency – where he worked a day job as a tour guide – to grind to a halt.
Luckily, they were not easily beaten. Hindra told FMT that when his family members were thinking of ways to sustain themselves, they recalled how popular his mum and dad’s biryani was with friends and family.
“At every family event, they would always ask my parents to make their biryani,” he pointed out. So, the Chandraboses turned one of their tour buses into a delivery vehicle, and Mr Bose Biryani was born.
They started solely with deliveries but, when movement restrictions made this challenging, decided to switch to a food truck. They now run their business in Section 14 in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, with their schedule regularly updated on social media.
Their faith in the family recipe was well-placed: Mr Bose – pronounced “boss” – quickly became a hit among lovers of the Indian-Muslim mixed-rice dish, and also gained a following from the standup-comedy community.
Each family member plays a part in running the business. Hindra and his sister help their father cook while their mother prepares the spices, the blends of which she and her husband worked together to create. Hindra’s sister also makes the drinks.
Mr Bose offers five different biryanis, each with a different level of spiciness.
The Bose chicken biryani is made in the traditional “ambur dum” style, where the chicken is prepared with herbs and spices and cooked with high-grade basmati rice.
This is their least spicy option but, if you have a very low tolerance for spiciness, you will still feel some heat. Luckily, you can temper this with some cooling raita, made with yogurt and vegetables.
If you prefer your food to “fight back”, ask for more of their salna curry, which packs a savoury punch and brings out the meatiness of the chicken.
The chicken salna biryani is described as “mildly spicy” and brings heat and flavour in equal proportions. The rich, creamy curry leaves an aftertaste that will make you hanker for more even though your stomach is bursting.
The sardine sambal biryani, meanwhile, is an interesting combination that brings to mind late-night mamak visits. The canned mackerel is spicy – so much so that it might take you by surprise!
Order some plain biryani on the side with extra raita as the amount of throat-searing fish they serve goes a long way.
Their bestseller is the mutton chukka biryani, a dry curry with tender chunks of meat that has been marinated in the finest of southern spices – perfect for people who like a lot of heat with their meal.
This dish is addictive and just one serving will surely not be enough – you will find yourself going back to tapau some more!
To cool yourself after all these fiery delights, give their salted coffee and salted chocolate drinks a try.
Thick, slushy and incredibly refreshing, these beverages coat the tongue as they wash away the spiciness of the biryani – and, contrary to their name, don’t really taste salty. They are also a great pick-me-up on a hot afternoon.
The family welcomes input from customers, and have even adjusted their recipes based on the feedback they have received.
Hindra now has a deeper appreciation for the food and beverage industry, saying: “My respect goes out to all the people who do F&B. It’s fun, but it’s a nonstop cycle of hard work.”
And now that Malaysia has entered the endemic phase, he will be running the food truck by day and returning to the comedy stage at night. The family also plans to reopen their tour business, gradually.
“It can be tiring, but there is business and there is passion,” Hindra concluded. “The hard work has to be done for me to achieve both.”
Follow Mr Bose Biryani on Facebook and Instagram. Also check out Hindra’s comedy via his Instagram account.