Biryani

Etymology

The word biryani (, ) is derived from biryan or beriyan (), which means "to fry" or "to roast", said by Merriam-Webster probably to be related to bhṛjjati with the same meaning. The usage is from the Persian phrase birinj biryan (with birinj, "rice"), meaning "fried rice".

Origin

Historical sources

Pilau (Persian: پلو 'plo', "rice") is a Persian rice dish, attested by the polymath and physician Avicenna in 10th century Persia.

The Mughal text Ain-i-Akbari (written 1589–1596), from the time of the emperor Akbar, mentions both pilau and biryani, listing ingredients with required quantities for each:

The Ain-i-Akbari further names a dish of spiced mutton as a biryani, this time without mentioning rice:

The Portuguese priest Sebastien Manrique described rice dishes on sale in the tent-city of the next Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as he travelled to Lahore in 1641. Manrique distinguished "Persian" pilau from "Mogol" biryani:

The dish is mentioned, too, in letters of the emperor Aurangzeb to his son. For example:

According to the historian Rana Safvi, the earliest actual recipe is from the later Mughal period, from Bahadur Shah Zafar's time.

Analysis

The historian of food K. T. Achaya states that pilau is "of older usage in India" than biryani, indicating that it could have been a precursor of biryani.

The historian of food Lizzie Collingham writes that the modern biryani developed in India (Hindustan) in the royal kitchens of the Mughal Empire, specifically during the rule of the emperor Akbar (1556–1605), and is a mix of the native spicy rice dishes of South Asia, Persian yoghurt-marinated meat, and the Persian pilau style of garnished rice. Collingham writes that "in the kitchens [of the Mughal court]... the delicately flavoured Persian pilau met the pungent and spicy rice dishes of Hindustan to create the classic Mughlai dish, biryani".

The cookery writer Pratibha Karan states that biryani is of Indian origin, derived from pilau which Muslim traders and invaders brought with them. She speculates that pilau was an army dish in medieval India. Armies would prepare a one-pot dish of rice with any available red meat. Over time, the dish became biryani due to different methods of cooking.

In the view of the historian of Islamic cuisine Salma Hussein and others, biryani came to South Asia from Persia before the Mughal era, most probably arriving in South India's Deccan region, brought by travelling soldier-statesmen and pilgrims. It has also been suggested that the dish was introduced from Persia by the Mughals. Another variant theory, that biryani came to India with Timur's invasion, appears to be incorrect because there is no record of biryani having existed in his native region of Central Asia during that period.

Evidence: 1: folk theory 2: Kris Dhillon 3: Salma Hussein 4,5: Pratibha Karan 6: Lizzie Collingham ]]

Ingredients

Ingredients for biryani vary according to the region and the type of meat and vegetables used. Meat (chicken, goat, beef, lamb, prawn or fish) is the prime ingredient with rice. Vegetables are sometimes added. Navratan biryani tends to use sweeter, richer ingredients such as cashews, sultanas (kishmish), and fruits such as apple and pineapple.

The spices and condiments used in biryani may include fennel seeds, ghee (clarified butter), nutmeg, mace, pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander, mint, ginger, onions, tomatoes, green chilies, star anise, and garlic. The premium varieties include saffron. Some commercial recipes for biryani include aromatic essences such as mitha attar, kewra and rose water. Dried sour prunes (alu bukhara) may be added. In nasi briyani and other variants made in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, local spices and aromatics such as pandan leaf may be added.

Biryani may be served with side dishes such as raita (yoghurt with cucumber, tomato, etc), fried or curried aubergine (brinjal), salad, or a curried side such as ande ka salan (with boiled eggs) or mirchi ka salan (with chili peppers).

Dietary variations include adding eggs, potatoes, and substituting meat with paneer or vegetables, especially in Hindu or non-religious vegetarian variants.

Preparation styles

''Pakki'' and ''kacchi'' biryani

Biryani can be cooked using one of two techniques, pakki ("cooked") and kacchi ("raw"). In a pakki biryani, the ingredients are cooked separately (at least in part) and then arranged in layers. The different layers can be individually coloured and flavoured with a brightly-coloured spice such as turmeric or saffron. In a kacchi biryani, layers are arranged in a pot which is then sealed and cooked slowly (Dum cooking) for the food to steam in its own liquid.

Difference between biryani and pilau

Pilau is a mixed rice dish popular in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, and Middle Eastern cuisine. Opinions differ on the differences between the dishes, if any.

The British-era author Abdul Halim Sharar mentions that biryani has a stronger curried taste due to a greater amount of spices. According to Delhi-based historian Sohail Hashmi, pilau tends to be plainer than biryani, and consists of meat or vegetables cooked with rice with the bottom layered with potatoes or onions. Biryani contains more gravy, and is often cooked longer, leaving the meat (and vegetables, if present) more tender, and the rice more flavoured. Biryani is cooked with additional dressings and often has a light layer of scorched rice at the bottom.

Author Pratibha Karan states that while the terms are often applied arbitrarily, the main distinction is that a biryani consists of two layers of rice with a layer of meat (and vegetables, if present) in the middle, while the pilau is not layered.

Author Colleen Taylor Sen lists the following distinctions between biryani and pilau:

• Biryani is the primary dish in a meal, while pilau is usually a secondary accompaniment to a larger meal.
• Biryanis have more complex and stronger spices than pilau.

Varieties

Main article: Varieties of biryani

In the Indian subcontinent

There are many types of biryani in the Indian subcontinent. Biryani is the single most-ordered dish in Indian online food ordering and delivery services, and has been described as the most popular dish in India. The names of variants are often based on their region or city of origin. Some have taken the name of the shop that sells it, as in Fakhruddin Biriyani in Dhaka, Students biryani in Karachi, Lucky biryani in Bandra, Mumbai and Baghdadi biryani in Colaba, Mumbai. Biryanis are often specific to the Muslim communities where they originate; they are usually the defining dishes of those communities.

In 2009, the Deccani Biryani Makers Association submitted 'Hyderabadi Biryani' for a geographical indication, but the attempt failed as they were unable to provide documentary evidence of its historical origin.

Outside the Indian subcontinent

Varieties of biryani have arisen in many countries, and was often spread to such places by South Asian diaspora populations. For example in Myanmar, danpauk (ဒံပေါက်) is a mainstay at festive events such as weddings. On the Persian Gulf, biryani (Persian: برياني) is usually saffron-based with chicken, while in Indonesia nasi kebuli is an spicy steamed rice dish cooked in goat meat broth, milk and ghee. In Thailand the dish is known as khao mhok (), using chicken, beef or fish, topped with fried garlic and served with a green sour sauce.

In culture

Biryani forms "the centrepiece of countless Indian holidays and weddings". In Bangladesh, kacchi biryani with mutton has been described as "the quintessential wedding dish" of Old Dhaka, largely replacing the murg (chicken) pulao that was favoured in the 20th century for special occasions across the subcontinent. In Delhi, the Muslim festival of Bakr Eid was marked by biryani at dinner, using the mutton from the goats slaughtered in memory of the prophet Abraham, who had shown he was willing even to sacrifice his own son.

Biryani is used across the Indian Subcontinent in celebrations. Annual biryani festivals have been held in cities such as Ambur, Islamabad and Karachi. South Asian diaspora populations have held their own festivals, for example by the North American Indian Muslim Association in North America. Biryani festivals have been held more widely in places such as Singapore and Qatar.

Notes

References

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