Biryani (pronounced [bɪr.jaːniː]) is a mixed rice dish from the Indian Subcontinen

     It is made with spices, rice and meat or vegetables.

 

     Origin

The origin of biryani is uncertain. In North India, it is traditionally associated with the Mughlai cuisine of Delhi and the Awadhi cuisine of Lucknow; in South India, it is traditionally associated with the Hyderabadi cuisine.

 

The word "biryani" is derived from Persian language. One theory is that it originates from "birinj", the Persian word for rice Another theory is that it derives from "biryan" or "beriyan" (to fry or roast).

 

There is a theory about the Mughals having brought biryani to India, but another theory claims that the dish was known in India before Babur came to India. The 16th century Mughal text Ain-i-Akbari makes no distinction between biryanis andpulao. It states that the word "biryani" is of older usage in India.

 

A similar theory - that biryani came to India with Timur's invasion - also appears to be incorrect, because there is no record of biryani having existed in his native land during that period. There are references to a dish of "fried" rice, flavoured with various aromatic spices and condiments in ancient texts of India, which were enjoyed by the ruling classes. There was a traditional culinary preparation native to Bengal where semi-cooked fish was steamed with rice, letting the rice absorb its aroma, in a covered earthen pot, in a manner in which biryani is prepared. Hence this 'dum' style of cooking is not new to the Indian sub-continent

 

According to Pratibha Karan, the biryani is of South Indian origin, derived from pilaf varieties brought to India by the Muslim traders and rulers. She speculates that the pulao was an army dish in medieval India: the armies, unable to cook elaborate meals, would prepare a one-pot dish where they cooked rice with whichever meat was available. Over time, the dish became biryani due to different methods of cooking, with the distinction between "pulao" and "biryani" being arbitrary.

 

Lizzie Collingham states that the modern biryani was created in the Mughal kitchen, as a confluence of the Persian pilau and the spicy rice dishes of India.[6] According to Vishwanath Shenoy, the owner of a biryani restaurant chain in India, one branch of biryani comes from the Mughals, while another was brought by the Arab traders to Calicut (Kozhikode) in South India.[

 

                                                      Difference between biryani and pulao

 

Pilaf or pulao, as it is known in the Indian subcontinent, is another mixed rice dish popular in Indian cuisine. Although some of its varieties are associated with Persian influence in northern India, it is also mentioned in ancient Hindu texts such as Yagnavalkya Smriti. Opinions differ on the differences between pulao and biryani, and whether there is a difference between the two at all

 

According to the British-era author Abdul Halim Sharar, the biryani has a stronger taste of curried rice due to a higher amount of spices.

 

The main distinction is that a biryani comprises two layers of rice with a layer of meat (or vegetables) in the middle; the pulao is not layered.[4] According to Holly Shaffer, based on her observations in Lucknow, in pulao, the rice and meat are cooked separately and then mixed before the dum cooking; in biryani, the soaked rice is fried and then cooked with the meat and stronger spices.

 

                                                       Varieties 

 

There are two basic types of biryani: pakki ("cooked", also pukka) and kacchi ("raw", alsokutchi). In pakki biryani, the cooked meat and cooked rice are layered.

 

In the kacchibiryani, raw marinated meat is layered with raw rice before being cooked together It is also known as kacchi yeqni. It is cooked typically with goat meat (usually 'khasi gosht', which is meat from castrated goats and often simply referred to as mutton) or withlamb, and rarely with chicken or beef.

 

The dish is cooked layered with the meat and the yogurt based marinade at the bottom of the cooking pot and the layer of rice (usually basmati rice) placed over it. Potatoes are often added before adding the rice layer. The pot is usually sealed (typically with wheat dough) to allow cooking in its own steam and not opened till ready to serve.  

 

 Different Kind  Of BiryaMutton Biryani

Mutton Biryani may include goat or lamb (sheep) meat.

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani is made with fried or baked chicken.

Beef Biryani

Beef Biryani uses beef as meat.

Egg biryani

Same preparation as Chicken Biryani but with a boiled egg instead of chicken.

Sometimes the rice is taken from Chicken Biryani, and may have chicken flavour in it.

Shrimp Biryani

This variety uses shrimp. It is quicker to prepare, as it does not require long hours of complex marinating procedures.

Fish Biryani

Fish Biryani uses different varieties of fish. It is also known as Fish Khichdi in Britain.

Daal Biryani

Daal Biryani offers the addition of daal to the ingredients of Biryani. This enhances the nutritional value and fragrance.

Soya Biryani

Soya Biryani is a popular version of the dish, it is specially popular among the people following a vegetarian diet.

In addition to the usual ingredients, this version also includes Soya chunks, which act as a source of protein.

Hyderabadi Biryani is a form of biryani, made in Hyderabad, India. It is prepared in the form of kachay gosht ki biryani and dum ki biryani.

 

For recipes: kindly follow the blog on this page

 

A word from the author

 

However the most popular and ancient time of Biryani is the kachche gosht ki Biryani, Nothing can beat this kind of Biryani,
It is the original form of dum biryani with kachcha khassi ka gosht in desi ghee.

 

Courtsy:  Wikipedia,

 

Courtsy:  Wikipedia,