Vijay Dum Dum Biryani Grand Finale crowns Kartik Nair as Biryani Raja, Shafahu Rameez as Dum Star

Kartik C. Nair was crowned Biryani Raja and Shafahu Rameez was named Biryani Dum Star at the final of the 10-month Vijay Dum Dum Biryani competition in Saudi Arabia.

The final was held on the rooftop of LuLu Hypermarket in Malaz, Riyadh, before a large audience that included international chefs and business leaders.

 Twenty contestants competed in the final round after qualifying from earlier stages of the competition.

Organisers described it as one of the largest food festivals held within the expatriate community, citing the level of public participation and the scale of the program. They said the event also expanded the activities of Malayali community associations in Saudi Arabia.

Kartik, a native of Thiruvananthapuram and a long-time Riyadh resident, works as a facilities management supervisor at SABIC.

He said his interest in preparing biryani was influenced by the cooking methods of Chef Abida Rasheed.

Chef Suresh Pillai, who served as a judge, praised Kartik’s dish for its delicate flavours and balanced use of spices.

Kartik’s wife, M.S. Praveena Subhash, is a physical education teacher at Riyadh Yara International School.

Shafahu Rameez is a native of Thalassery and lives in Riyadh. Her husband, Rameez, works as a designer at a private company in Olaya.

In the Biryani Raja category, Azharuddin, a Hyderabad native and pharmacist based in Dammam, finished second.

Muhammed Shahbas from Kannur, an inventory controller at Geepas Middle East in Riyadh, secured third place.

 In the Biryani Dum Star category, Riyadh-based Kannur native Mumtaz Naseer finished second.

Shamshad Begum from Mangalore, a teacher living in Al Khobar, placed third.

The winners of the two categories each received SAR10,000. The second-place contestants were awarded SAR5,000, while the third-place winners received SAR2,000.

Gold, silver and bronze-coloured crowns were presented according to the final rankings, along with official winner sashes.

Vijay Masala provided the cash prizes. The main prize winners also received trophies and gifts from Impex and City Flower, while all 20 finalists were presented with gifts and certificates of appreciation.

Plaques and cash awards were presented by Chef Suresh Pillai; Raj Kalesh; Gulf Madhyamam Middle East Head Saleem Ambalan; Regional Manager Saleem Mahe; Coordination Committee Chairman Sadaruddin Keezhisseri; Convener Shanid Ali; and representatives of Vijay Moolans Group, Impex and LuLu.

Chef Suresh Pillai said the contestants produced high-quality dishes despite the challenges of the outdoor venue, weather conditions and large crowd.

LuLu and Gulf Madhyamam arranged an open kitchen for the final with 20 induction cookers, ingredient kits containing rice and meat, grinders, fresh water and kitchen assistants.

The event was sponsored by Vijay, LuLu, Alyoum, Impex, FRiENDi, City Flower, Fareed, Regal Gold, Star Health Medical, BISSAP Arabia, KAF, Tax Point, Easy Cook, Shifa Al Jazeera Medical Polyclinic, Dresscode, RKG and Safa Makkah Polyclinic.