SPICE HISTORY OF BIRYANI

 A delectable dish called "biryani" is made of rice, meat, and rich gravy made of flavourful spices. Each region has its variation of a biryani recipe. Many people believe Indians add spices to almost all of their dishes. But the truth is that not every Indian dish is spiced. The spices used in biryani are many and varied. Biryani is a dish you can enjoy anytime, whether at a wedding or at a Sunday lunch with your family. 

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD BIRYANI? 

• Fresh vegetables include cauliflower, green beans, peas, carrots, potatoes, and coriander. 

• Fresh kinds of seafood, chicken, meat, or eggs. These are marinated with a yoghurt-spiced base mix to give them tenderness. 

• Depending on where you are in India, there are different rice variants. In South India, short-grain rice is used for biryani; in North India, long-grain rice is the preferred choice.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN SPICES USED IN BIRYANI?

Spices used in biryani might be whole, ground, blended, or used individually. A few extra spices are added to the biryani to give it a unique flavour.

• Bay leaves

• Kashmiri red chillies

• Coriander seeds

• Cumin

• Caraway seeds

• Mace

• Cinnamon

• Nutmeg

• Cloves

• Black cardamom

• Star anise

• Pepper

• Fennel

• Turmeric

Because these spices were expensive in the earlier days, biryani was often referred to as a "Dish of Rich." The moniker came from the fact that it was high price ingredients for regular people.

HISTORY OF BIRYANI

The origins of the biryani dish in India are the subject of various speculations. One of them is that biryani arrived in India via the southern Malabar coast. Tamil literature claims that Arab traders frequently made stops on the coast and brought the dish with them. Its name was Oon Soru. It contains rice, ghee, bay leaves, coriander, pepper, and turmeric.

Another famous folklore story is a favourite and can be traced back to Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan’s queen and the inspiration behind the iconic Taj Mahal. When Queen Mumtaz saw how frail and malnourished the Mughal soldiers/warriors were, she was appalled. She ordered her cooks to come up with a meal with meat and rice to serve the Mughal soldiers. And so, biryani came into being.

 

AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE ROYAL MEAL, BIRYANI

First, the Basmati rice is fried in ghee/butter and cooked in boiling water. Frying Basmati gives a nutty flavour forming a layer around each grain. With the help of this process, the rice maintains its shape and will not clump together when mixed with meat. 

Biryani is seasoned in several ways, and spices like cardamom and cinnamon are added for aroma. Herbs like bay leaf, fresh coriander, and mint leaves can bring life to the cuisine. You can add nuts, cashews, almonds, raisins, and apricot to add another texture and flavour. 

HOW THE REGIONAL FLAVOURS OF INDIA WERE BLENDED INTO BIRYANI

Many foreigners invaded India, which led to the addition of different spices and flavours to the dish known as biryani. It has led to numerous species of that particular delicious food. The classic Persian or Arabian biryani is relatively delicate in flavour. In contrast, India, which is regarded as the "Land of Spices," has contributed significantly to the variety of flavours of this dish.

The spices used in biryani are distinctive since India has a wide variety of regional cuisines. Like how the southern version has a taste of coconut and tamarind, while the northern one tastes curb and other spices like cinnamon and bay leaf.

VARIETIES OF BIRYANI

There are varieties of biryani cooked in unique styles. Some main types are Lucknowi biryani, Hyderabadi biryani, Malabar biryani, Memoni biryani, Kolkata biryani, Ambur biryani, and others. Since each type of biryani is prepared differently, each has a unique flavour and exquisite taste.

In kacchi biryani, raw meat and rice are both cooked at the same time. At the bottom of the saucepan is meat marinated in yoghurt and seasonings-covered with potatoes all over it, with rice on top. Last but not least, it is sealed to stop steaming.

Pukka biryani is an alternative in which the rice, meat, and sauce are cooked individually and then layered. In other words, the flavour and taste of the meat and rice are retained. Different biryani can be divided into these two categories: kacchi and pukka biryani.

Over time, diverse dishes developed their unique cooking styles; each is prepared differently today. Let's learn more about it:

• Dum biryani, as it is sometimes known, is the name Lucknow Biryani since it is prepared in the traditional dum pukht manner. Dum pukht, which translates to "slow oven," is one of the most sophisticated cooking techniques.

• The Nawabs were the ones who first popularised the Calcutta Biryani. Whole, boiled potatoes, and meat are the main ingredients in the recipe. Potatoes were substituted for meat during that time due to the recession, and the substitution has been in effect.

• Aurangzeb inspired the creation of Hyderabad Biryani. The king carried the recipe to various regions of India. Because of the garam masala used to prepare it, it has a distinctive flavour. It tastes even better when some fried onions are added as a garnish.

• Tahari Biryani is a vegetarian variation of the dish that uses a range of vegetables in place of meat, as well as potatoes, peas, and several kinds of beans.

• One variety of biryani that lacks meat is called Peshwari. In Biryani rice, green peas, black gram, and Kabuli chana are substituted for red or white beans. Sometimes almonds, nuts, saffron, and other spices can be added to dishes to deepen the flavour.

You can now enjoy these several varieties of biryani in regions worldwide. There are countless biryani recipes available online; however excellent biryani requires a lot of patience to prepare.

When cooking biryani, it's not just about how the rice is prepared or if long grain rice is used. Its authentic flavour comes from the masala, making it one of the most well-known Indian dishes ever. If you don't want to cook biryani, you can always buy a 10x ready-to-cook biryani kit.

Biryani has gained a lot of worldwide recognition recently. Numerous personal styles have been adapted by it. Any Asian or Indian seafood restaurant will provide biryani in all its varieties, so be sure to order one when you are there. When you eat biryani, you can learn a lot about the culture and history of India. Since the time of the Mughals, this meal has been one of the most well-known, and it still is.