For smooth Ad free experience
For smooth Ad free experience
If we go long back, one will find that Hindus and Mughals weren’t enemies from the beginning it seemed, since the Mughals were the ones who introduced one of the most loved delicacies in India. This delicacy is not just like any other dish that the Mughals introduced or brought to India. This delicacy is like no other.
The Love of Biriyani
Whenever any Hindu hears the word Mughal, all they can think of is how the Mughal emperors slaughtered thousands to take over lands in India. Not only this, Mughals being Muslims in a majority, signifies the two being enemies from the very beginning, however, this is just based on some stereotypes that were started a long time back, mostly because of the India-Pakistan diversion as well as the disputes.
A plate filled with well-cooked rice and some delicious chicken to go with it, which as soon as gets into the mouth and touches the taste buds of the tongue, melts inside giving you a small vision of what heavenly food is. The delicious dish is nothing else but the one and only Biriyani.
Now, wondering what part does the Mughals play in this and how did they come up with such an amazing delicacy as the Biriyani is just the right thing to do here.
To be very precise, Biriyani was founded by the Persians for the very first time. However, it was the Mughals that brought the dish to India and then supervised it further in order to make it one of the most finger-licking good dishes.
It is believed that one of the reasons that Biriyani becomes the favourite of everyone who tries it for the first time and remains on top is because to a greater extent, it is related to India’s symbol of love, the Taj Mahal.
The reason for the Taj Mahal to be made was Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan. The same was the reason for Biriyani to be made for the first time.
Mumtaz once visited an army barrack where she found the Mughal soldiers to be too undernourished and malnourished to fight or continue fighting. In order to change what she saw; orders were given to the cooks to cook something with rice and meat. Rice, meat and some spices, and saffron later, Biriyani was made over a wood fire.
Biriyani was initially and originally cooked in an earthen pot over a charcoal fire. However, since it came to India, the dish saw a lot of improvisations which led to the creation of a lot of different versions of the dish.
To begin with, one of the places where Biriyani is the most famous dish and is talked about all over, in Hyderabad. Hyderabadi Biriyani was introduced after the rule of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The dish was created with 50 different types of meat including fish, shrimp, deer, hare as well as quail meat along with saffron.
Moving on to the original form of the delicacy, the Mughlai Biriyani is also considered one of the best types amongst every other. This one was made because of the fondness of luxurious dishes and dines of the Mughal rulers. The Mughlai Biriyani is made with kewra rice and spiced meat pieces.
One of the other places where the biriyani is recommended and is talked about is Lucknow. Lucknowi Biriyani is also known was Pukki Biriyani and Awadhi Biriyani. The reason behind it being called Pukki Biriyani is because of the method that it is cooked with, which is known as Pukki. Here, the rice and meat are cooked separately and then mixed or layered together in a copper vessel. The reason behind the biriyani also being called Awadhi Biriyani is because of the dish becoming a favorite of the Nawabs of Awadh, hence the name.
Some other types of Biriyanis are the Bangalorean and the Thalassery Biriyani. In the former one, the dish uses the specified Zeera Samba rice only. Whereas, in the latter one, soft pieces of chicken wings, Kaima rice, and Malabar spices are used.
Regardless of whichever biriyani it may be, the star of the dish is always the saffron and the spices.
A delicious mix of rice, meat, saffron and a lot of spices is bound to get any mouth to water instantly. Not just the taste, but the aroma of this delicacy is enough to make anyone hungry. Despite the fact that it was brought to India by the Mughals, the love of food does prove out to make any differentiation and diversion between people, turn to null.
0
You might be interested in reading more from
