Why is Biryani so famous in India? The authentic version is South Asia’s best kept secret ! 10 Types
- 4 years ago
Biryani is derived from the Farsi word 'Birian'. Based on the name, and cooking style (Dum), one can conclude that the dish originated in Persia, or from Arabia. It could have come from Persia via Afghanistan to North India. It could have also been brought by the Arab traders via Arabian sea to Calicut.
OF ALL THE culinary classics synonymous with the rich food heritage of India, biryani is in a class of its own. Variations on the simple rice, meat, vegetable, and spice dish can be found in every section of India, though it’s not quite known how it became such a staple.
One theory traces the origins to Persia, (where berian means “fried before cooking”), and the Mughals, who brought the dish to the Indian subcontinent in the 16th century. Another is that it’s an evolution of the plov, or rice pilaf, brought to the region by the Macedonian, Alexander the Great, around 327 BCE. Yet another theory is that, biryani has local roots in the simple rice, and beef dish from the Hindu scripture, Briha daranyaka, Upanishad, around 700 BCE.
In the end, it’s immaterial considering the mishmash of indigenous flavors, and local ingredients. There’s now a different biryani for every region of the country, making it a dish as diverse as India itself. There’s Bhatkali biryani with its fiery red chilies, Kashmiri biryani with its pungent asafoetida (fennel powder), and Beary biryani for its no-spice lightness. Not to mention Bhopali biryani, which is perfect for mutton lovers, and Mughlai biryani, which is served with almond paste, and dried fruit the way 16th-century royalty liked it.
OF ALL THE culinary classics synonymous with the rich food heritage of India, biryani is in a class of its own. Variations on the simple rice, meat, vegetable, and spice dish can be found in every section of India, though it’s not quite known how it became such a staple.
One theory traces the origins to Persia, (where berian means “fried before cooking”), and the Mughals, who brought the dish to the Indian subcontinent in the 16th century. Another is that it’s an evolution of the plov, or rice pilaf, brought to the region by the Macedonian, Alexander the Great, around 327 BCE. Yet another theory is that, biryani has local roots in the simple rice, and beef dish from the Hindu scripture, Briha daranyaka, Upanishad, around 700 BCE.
In the end, it’s immaterial considering the mishmash of indigenous flavors, and local ingredients. There’s now a different biryani for every region of the country, making it a dish as diverse as India itself. There’s Bhatkali biryani with its fiery red chilies, Kashmiri biryani with its pungent asafoetida (fennel powder), and Beary biryani for its no-spice lightness. Not to mention Bhopali biryani, which is perfect for mutton lovers, and Mughlai biryani, which is served with almond paste, and dried fruit the way 16th-century royalty liked it.