Perfect, long-grained rice of superior quality, the scintillating aroma that emanates with the right blend of spices and the generous pieces of meat that slither off the bones is what quintessential biryani is all about. Hailing from the mystic arena of Arabia, biryani is the indisputable rice-based food. Having crossed many generations, it has numerous versions across India and an equal number of theories boasting its origin. It’s not important whether Mughal emperors Babur or Aurangzeb first gave birth to this delectable dish but the fact that it has made itself a popular household name.
In medieval times, this one-pot dish coupled with meat served as a handy food solution to people, especially soldiers. Stemming from ‘birinj’, the Persian word for rice, the method of cooking requires layering with rice at the bottom and top with meat in the middle. It is often scented with kewda, rosewater and saffron.
But is biryani a north Indian or a south Indian invention? Travelling from the north to the south, one finds it adventurous to discover its many moods, attires and aromas. Kashmiri biryani is spicy and nutty. In the south, the full richness of biryani dawns on you. It isn’t just the famous Hyderabadi biryanis, it is also the richly-spiced biryanis of Kerala, the Andhra biryani and those of Tamil Nadu. Biryanis of Kolkata are simpler, but the smell of ghee and big potatoes give them a unique taste.
Amrita Panda, a homemaker from Kolkata now based in Chennai who runs her food blog Gastro Delight, says: “What makes this lightly-spiced biryani so special to a Bengali is their love for potatoes. The Kolkata biryani is a form of Awadhi biryani and was brought along by its last nawab, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (1822-1887), who finally settled in the outskirts of Kolkata at Metiabruz after being exiled.”
The present generation which practices a healthy diet tends to avoid the ghee-filled Kolkata biryani. “They might not be regular eaters, but when they have an occasion to remember the biryani takes precedence over all other dishes,” shares Probhashish Sanyal, general manager of JSM Corporation, Mumbai, which brings together some of India’s most successful and well-known restaurants. The biryani lover says, “Hyderabadi biryani is a perfect example of Kachhi biryani where raw meat is marinated in spices and the rice is mixed in spiced yoghurt. The ingredients are then put together in a handi and cooked over low flame. Biryani from the north is mostly Pukki, where the rice and the meat are cooked separately and then layered and cooked in a handi in a low flame.”
Celebrity chef Malgudi Kavitha, who works in Washington DC, has been popularising Indian food via 1947 Indian Restaurant, a new Indian food inn. She believes the north and south divide in case of biryani is because of the way the rice is made, the ingredients and spices. She explains, “North Indians use Basmati rice. In the south, most people use Ceeraga Sambaa variety. The flavours of the northern style come from anise, mace, rose essence, kewda water, nutmeg and saffron, but the southern style incorporates bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves for tempering. In terms of cooking as well, the people in southern India prefer to saute it directly with onion and green chilli and the vessels too are different.”
Ambur biryani in Tamil Nadu is accompanied with dhalcha, a sour brinjal curry, and pachadi or raita. The Bohri biryani is flavoured with a lot of tomatoes.