Biryani

Biryani is a mixed rice dish originating in South Asia, traditionally made with rice, meat (chicken, goat, beef), seafood (prawns or fish), or vegetables, and spices. It was present in Mughal-era India, though the precise date and place of origin are debated. but is nevertheless a mainstream culinary staple embraced by every demographic.<!-- The usage is from the Persian phrase birinj biryan (with birinj, "rice"), meaning "fried rice".

Origin

Historical sources

thumb|A modern Persian [[Pilaf|pilau, havij polo (Persian: هویج پلو, "carrot rice") with rice grains cooked to remain separate and in different colours. Pilau may be an ancestor of biryani.

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 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

thumb|center|upright=2.5|Diagram of [[Lizzie Collingham's analysis of the origin of biryani, proposing that in the time of the Mughals, specifically the emperor Akbar, Persian pilau was adapted to include Persian-style yoghurt-marinated meat and spicy Indian styles of cooking 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". most probably arriving in South India's Deccan region, brought by travelling soldier-statesmen and pilgrims. 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. Achaya notes that ancient and early medieval Indian texts described rice cooked with meat and spices, suggesting that composite rice dishes were part of the subcontinent's cuisine long before the Mughal period.He further references early Tamil literature from the Sangam era ( 300 BCE–300 CE), describing a dish known in these sources as ūn sōru—rice cooked with meat, ghee, and spices—which bears structural similarities to later layered rice preparations. However, according to Ashis Nandy, Colleen Taylor Sen, and Charles Perry, despite having similar names, these dishes referenced in ancient Indian texts were distinct from both pulao and biryani. Later, K.T. Achaya himself conceded that, despite the linguistic similarity, these dishes referenced in ancient Indian texts were not the same as the medieval pulao.

center|thumb|upright=3.5|Biryani evidently has some connection with Persia, but commentators disagree on what that might be. [[Pilaf|Pilau is certainly a Persian dish, attested by Avicenna in 10th century Persia;) is the prime ingredient with rice. Seafood (fish, prawns) and vegetables are sometimes added. Navratan biryani tends to use sweeter, richer ingredients such as cashews, sultanas (kishmish), and fruits such as apple and pineapple.black pepper, cloves,

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, soyabean or vegetables, especially in Hindu or non-religious vegetarian variants. Kolkata biryani, invented by Wajid Ali Shah in the 1850s, includes potato.

Preparation styles

Pakki and kacchi biryani

thumb|[[Lucknowi style mutton kacchi biryani cooked in a clay pot sealed with dough. The dough seal is broken after cooking.]]

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.

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.

The cookery 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. Further, in modern usage, biryani is the primary dish in a meal, while pilau is usually a secondary accompaniment to a larger meal; and biryanis have more complex and stronger spices than pilaus.

Varieties

In the Indian subcontinent

thumb|[[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabadi egg biryani served with mirchi ka salan, raita and salad]]

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.

Outside the Indian subcontinent

thumb|Burmese biryani (danpauk)

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 () 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" for special occasions across the subcontinent. 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.