The Birth Of Biryani In India

Rituparna

The Birth Of Biryani In India

The diversity observed in the platters and cuisines of India depicts a vivid picture of the country’s rich history and reflects the influence of many cultures on its food habits. One such cuisine is biryani, one of the most popular food items in India, which is believed to have arrived sometime between the 14th and 16th centuries.

Biryani is one of the most popular dishes in India. Image Source: Licious

Biryani certainly needs no introduction. Whether you are from North India or from South India you would most certainly have already pictured this rich, golden brown, spicy cuisine and even remembered its taste and aroma by now. Biryani is one of the most popular dishes known locally as well internationally. A blend of all the authentic Indian spices like cinnamon, saffron, or star anise, along with meat and rice makes Biryani a wholesome meal that can be relished for lunch or for dinner.

One of the most interesting things about biryani is that there are many inhabitants who would claim that biryani is native to their specific regions. This is because the flavours, taste and preparation style of biryani are not uniform throughout India, rather each region is renowned for its own version of this dish.

In general, there are two types of biryani - pakki(cooked) and kacchi (raw). Pakki biryani is the kind where the rice and the meat are cooked separately and then mixed together in a handi/pot. In kacchi biryani, raw meat is tucked between the layers of uncooked rice and cooked together.

Due to these multiple cooking styles and flavours, we have several kinds of biryani like Lucknowi /Awadhi biryani, Hyderabadi Biryani, Kolkata Biryani, Sindhi Biryani and so on. Some regions enjoy a sweet, less spicy kind of biryani while others prefer a more generous addition of spices in their dish. Few others, like Kolkata, are renowned for using aloo /potato and egg in their biryani.

Amidst these differences, it becomes quite challenging to trace the actual origins of biryani in the subcontinent. It is highly likely, however, that biryani originated somewhere in West Asia and in India, it was first introduced in the northern/northwestern regions.

The royal history of Biryani is truly reflected in its rich and unique taste, found across India and beyond its borders. When we learn about the history of our favourite foods, we learn to appreciate them even more than before. Thus, the tale of biryani reminds us of our highly sophisticated food culture, one that is influenced by the complex interactions between local and foreign traditions.

Later, when the recipe spread to other parts of the country, biryani was given a unique taste and flavour based on the availability of certain items and to suit the specific cravings of the local inhabitants.

For instance, when the Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, was deposed to Bengal in the 19th century, he instructed the cooks to recreate the Lucknowi/Awadhi biryani but with potatoes instead of meat as he was on a tight budget and trying to cut down his expenses. This is how the present-day Kolkata Biryani came into being!

Traditionally, the biryani was cooked with ghee in a tightly sealed earthen pot to ensure that the vapour, containing the aroma of the actual flavour and spices, does not escape from the pot. Today, we call it the handi(pot) biryani or at times, 'dum' biryani. Dum is, in fact, a Persian word derived from 'dumpukht' meaning airtight, which further suggests that biryani indeed took its birth in Iran. This kind of dum or handi biryani has become increasingly popular in the present, which is perhaps an attempt to revive the authentic flavours of this great dish.

Some food historians had earlier argued that biryani in India may have arrived in the 14th century AD.

According to these scholars, the recipe of modern-day Biryani first travelled from West Asia along with the Turko-Mongol ruler, Amir Timur in 1398.

The hungry Timurid warriors stationed at the western frontiers of India may have found it quite convenient to prepare a combined meal of rice with spices and any available meat in a single pot than to cook different dishes separately. This also proved to be the perfect meal for the soldiers due to its high nutritional value.

Yet, today, there is almost a consensus among the scholars that biryani was actually introduced to India by the Mughals in the 16th-17th centuries, who acquired the recipe and the taste from Persia (Iran). The name biryani is also believed to have been derived from the Persian words birian, which means 'fried before cooking' and birjin, the Persian word meaning 'rice'.

In fact, one of the most popular stories, surrounding the origin of Biryani, is associated with the Mughal Queen, Mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz Mahal was the beloved wife of the fifth Mughal emperor, Shahjahan. According to the legend, Mumtaz Mahal once visited her husband's war camp to check upon him. She expected to find men in full vigour and strength, preparing for their battle. What she found instead, were tired, undernourished soldiers who looked like they could use a proper meal. It was concerning indeed that the army of the great Mughal empire lacked strength because they were not well fed.

Mumtaz Mahal took the matter into her own hands. She instructed the cooks to put together rice, meat and different spices and prepare a meal that would have the perfect amount of nutrients, particularly carbohydrates and protein that would revive the energy of the soldiers. The end product was none other than the beloved biryani that we know today.