Biryani Stories

Hyderabad has a rich culinary history inspired by Mughlai cooking that has evolved for over hundreds of years. Famous for its hot and spicy cuisine, Hyderabad is never complete without a taste of the Shahi Dastarkhan. Note: Hyderabad picture by Crazymaq

The Dastarkhan, or the dining place where the food is served and eaten is normally a low chowki (table) with mattresses and bolsters that provide seating in the traditional Indian style. Traditional delicacies of Hyderabad that have been inherited from the Nizams are predominantly meat-based and cooked with a liberal use of exotic spices. Hyderabadi cuisine features key flavors of coconut, tamarind, peanuts and sesame seeds and sometimes even fresh fruit.

The Shahi Dastarkhan includes such mouth-watering delicacies as Osmani Murg Korma, Paneer Aur Ananas Ka Korma, Mirchi Ka Salaan, and the well-known Nahari, a dish is made from lamb trotters. However, the one dish that has been written about, even by travellers during the 18th century who visited this city, is the aromatic Biryani.

And so to celebrate my 100th blog post, let me serve some (virtual) biryani to readers! Note: Biryani picture by Vijay Pandey.

Biryani is a fragrant rice dish made from a mixture of spices, long-grained Basmati rice, meat and yogurt. The name is derived from the Farsi word birian. Based on the name, and the cooking style (dum, explained later), it appears that the dish originated in Persia or Arabia. While some think it came from Persia via Afghanistan to north India, others think it was brought by the Arab traders via the Arabian Sea to Calicut, which had maritime trade with West Asia.

Besides the historical facts, the biryani's story gets a bit spiced up with legends. One has it that Timor 'the Lame' brought it down from Kazakhstan via Afghanistan to north India. According to another fable, Mumtaz Mahal created this dish as a wholesome meal to feed the Mughal emperor's army. From the Mughals, the biryani spread to the Nizam's kitchens in Hyderabad, as it did to Awadh (now Lucknow) and Calcutta.

When Aurangzeb installed the Nawab of Arcot to oversee Aaru Kaadu region south of Hyderabad, he unwittingly led to the creation of the Arcot biryani. The biryani also spread to Mysore thanks to Tipu Sultan. Needless to say it was a royal dish of the nawabs and nizams. These worthies hired vegetarian Hindus as bookkeepers, which led to the creation of the tahiri biryani (a vegetarian version).

Note: Biryani picture by Karan V.

To me 'authentic' biryani, and the one I crave the most, is the dum-pukht variety with Hyderabadi or Awadhi influence. Dum means steam and dum pukht literally means to choke off the steam. The food is placed in a pot, usually made of clay, and dough is used to create a tight seal to prevent steam from escaping. The food is slowly cooked in its own juices and steam, allowing herbs and spices to fully infuse the meat or rice, preserving the nutritional elements at the same time. In the best biryanis, grains of rice are well-cooked yet do not stick to one another. The meat, usually on the shank, is soft, well marinated and enhances the heady aroma of Basmati and the spices. I like my biryanis best with raita, onion rings and mint chutney.

Hyderabadi biryani is traditionally made with uncooked, marinated lamb (kacche gosht). It is layered at the bottom of a pan with rice in various stages of 'doneness' -- the topmost is more pre-cooked than the rice nearest the meat which is only 25 percent cooked.The point is to have perfectly cooked meat with flavourful rice, preferably in the same dish, although there are some versions of biryani in which the two ingredients are browned and cooked separately.

The Lucknowi biryani is made from stock, and not water. The meat is first sauteed and then cooked separately. The rice is later cooked in the same stock.This precludes the concept of Kachhe Ghosht ke biryani. Like someone described very aptly, while Hyderabadi biryani has top notes and middle notes, Lucknowi biryani owes its success to a homogenous blend of spices, so that no single one predominates.

There is an interesting story to the biryani from Calcutta (or Kolkata as the city is known today). When cooks from the Nawab's kitchen fled to Kolkata in 1857, they arrived here with their biryani recipes which then evolved to create its own distinct identity. Kolkata biryani is far spicier than its other cousins, and distinguishes itself by its use of potatoes which absorbs the stock and spices during the cooking process. However, robustness rather than delicacy defines this biryani.

Note: Charminar, Hyderabad picture by Geetesh Bajaj.

What is less known are the southern cousins of the biryani. Vishy Shenoy, who has cronicled the spread of the biryani, describes the many varieties available:

The fish and prawn Biryani which is unique to Kerala. In Tamil Nadu, you have the Ranipet Biryani and the Dindigul Curry Biryani (which was painstakingly prepared for President Bill Clinton when he visited India) from the Erode and Tirupur area. The Kangayam Catering College has documented and archived the Dindigul Biryani. "These varieties use a shorter grain of rice," he says.

On the Western Coast, you have the Calicut Biryani and the Bhatkali Biryani, the recipe for which has come through the spice route and it has a Yemeni/Irani flavour. The North-West Frontier offers the Sindhi Biryani and the Kutchi Biryani, which is also called the Memoni Biryani. Kashmiris use asafoetida in Biryani, which is unique, and all the ingredients are marinated overnight.

For those who wish to taste the best biryani in Delhi, I recommend Dum Pukht at The Maurya for a great experience. For those in Pune, Sigree is the best option. For the really adventurous foodie, there are many good restaurants and biryani shops located in the winding gullies (alleys) of Lucknow, Kolkata, Delhi and Hyderabad. Check with a local; you won't find these places listed anywhere else.

If you liked this, you may also enjoy the following posts:

• Of Nawabs and Kababs
• Oh So Sweet!
• Not Just Parathas
• The Rosogolla Revisited