MINNEAPOLIS · MINNESOTA
We don't cut corners. We just slow-cook lamb for four hours.
Grandmother's recipes, made with Minnesota ingredients. Honest spices, real basmati rice, and zero shortcuts. That is Desi Bites.
- 4-hour slow cook
- Minneapolis kitchen
- 100% Halal meats
OUR BEGINNINGS
It started because I couldn't find a decent plate of rice in the Twin Cities.
I moved here in 2018. Back home, biryani wasn't a special occasion dish — it was what you ate on a rainy Tuesday because your grandmother decided to spend the afternoon hovering over a massive copper pot. When I tried to find that same depth of flavor here, everything tasted like yellow rice with some boiled chicken thrown in at the end.
So I called my grandmother. She spent two hours on WhatsApp yelling at me because I didn't know the difference between mace and nutmeg. I burnt the first three batches in my tiny apartment kitchen. By the fourth, the hallway smelled so good my neighbors knocked on the door asking for plates. We started selling out of a shared commercial kitchen three nights a week. Now we have our own spot on Main Street.
4
Cook time per batch
Hours
14
Directly imported spices
100%
Locally sourced Minnesota lamb
From the Clay Oven & Copper Pots
We keep our menu tight so we can focus on doing a few things incredibly well. Here is what we are cooking today.
Hyderabadi Lamb Biryani
Our signature. Tender local lamb layered with fragrant basmati rice, caramelized onions, and our secret 14-spice blend. Slow-cooked under a dough seal. $18.99
See Menu DetailsMinnesota Chicken Tikka Masala
The classic North Indian staple, but we smoke the chicken over local applewood before simmering it in a rich tomato-cream gravy. Slightly sweeter, deeply smoky. $16.99
See Menu DetailsSindhi Kadhi Pakora
A tangy, comforting chickpea flour and tamarind curry packed with fresh green beans, okra, and potatoes, topped with crispy spiced fritters. Naturally vegan. $14.99
See Menu Details
OUR METHOD
We don't rush the rice.
Real biryani cannot be microwaved or thrown together in ten minutes. We follow the traditional dum cooking method every single day.
The Spice Roast
We toast our cardamom, cloves, and star anise whole every morning before grinding them. It makes the kitchen smell incredible, and the flavor is unmatched.
The Marinade
The lamb rests in spiced yogurt and fresh papaya paste for a full twelve hours. This is the only way to get the meat truly tender before it hits the heat.
The Dum Cook
We layer the par-boiled rice and marinated meat, seal the heavy copper pots with fresh wheat dough, and let it slow-cook in its own steam.
We cook in limited batches daily.
Once a copper pot is empty, we are done for the day. Call ahead or order early to secure your dinner.
What the Neighborhood Is Saying
We are grateful to our regulars who keep our small kitchen running.
- 5 out of 5 stars
Got the lamb biryani last Friday. Tastes exactly like my aunt's kitchen in Secunderabad. The rice isn't greasy at all, which is usually my main complaint elsewhere.
Priya
Northeast Minneapolis Resident
- 5 out of 5 stars
I was skeptical about the applewood smoked chicken tikka masala, but the smoky flavor completely changes the dish. Plus, the portions are huge.
Marcus
Local Teacher
- 5 out of 5 stars
Been coming here since they were cooking out of the shared kitchen. The Sindhi Kadhi is a sleeper hit—tangy, spicy, and perfect for the cold Minneapolis winter.
Amit
U of M Student