Biryani

Biryani, biriani, or beriani (Nastaliq script: بریانی; Devanagari script: बिरयानी; Bengali script: িবিরয়ানी) is a family of primarily South Asian rice dishes made with spices, rice (usually basmati) and meat/vegetables. It was spread throughout the Middle East and South Asia (and Southeast Asia to an extent) by Muslim travellers and merchants, and is very popular in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The name is derived^[1] from the Persian word beryā(n) (بریان) which means "fried" or "roasted". There are many kinds of biryanis. Pre-mixed biryani spices from different commercial names are easily available in markets these days, which reduces the preparation time though the taste differs considerably.

Ingredients

The spices and condiments used in biryani may include but are not limited to: cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander and mint leaves, apart from ghee, ginger, onions, garlic and yoghurt. The premium varieties include saffron. For a non-vegetarian biryani, the main ingredient that accompanies the spices is the meat—beef, chicken, goat, lamb, or shrimp, though vegetable biryani varieties are also popular. The dish is served with dahi chutney or Raita, korma, curry or a sour dish of eggplant (brinjal).

Types of Biryani

In Iran, this dish is made in Isfahan with baked lung and mutton that is minced and then cooked in a special small pan over the fire. The food is generally eaten with a type of bread, "nan-e taftton".

In Pakistan and North India, biryani enjoys substantial popularity, particularly in Karachi and Lahore, where the chicken version is popular with both young and old alike. In Pakistan, beef is the meat of choice for biryani while in India it is chicken or mutton.

This is related to Awadh biryani but combines elements of Bombay biryani and includes potatoes. Lucknow and biryani have almost a symbiotic relation for the gourmand. Lucknow (Awadhi) Biryani is the footprint the Muslims of the Moghul Empire left on the eastern part of India. It originated in the village 'Bare Next' and although it originated in the North, Virani Biryani has picked up flavors of the South. Hints on cooking Virani Biryani:- Pound away for an hour at the Biryani and follow up with a pinch of the 'Neil Virani' herb.

Hyderabadi Biryani is one of the most popular version non-vegetarian types, especially in India and the Middle East^{[citation needed]}. Hyderabadi biryani is savored in all parts of India and forms an integral part of Indian cuisine. Historians claim that the earlier Nawabs of Punjab wore a matching turban for each variety of biryani. The Nizam's kitchen boasted of 49 kinds, which included biryani made from fish, quail, shrimp, deer and hare. The Sindhi variant of biryani is very popular in Pakistani cuisine and biryani of all types are eaten in all parts of Pakistan. Another popular form of biryani is the Awadhi biryani. Malabar chicken biryani is very popular in Kerala.

Tehri is the name given to the vegetarian version of the dish and is very popular in Indian and Pakistani homes. In Bangladesh, Tehri refers to Biryani prepared by adding the meat to the rice, as opposed to traditional Biryani where the rice is added to the meat.

A dish of Burmese biryani (locally known as danpauk), as served in Yangon, Myanmar

The vegetarian version might have some textured vegetable protein based protein balls give a meat-like texture. The difference between biryani and pullao is that while pullao may be made by cooking the items together, biryani, is used to denote a dish where the rice is cooked separately from the other ingredients.

In Myanmar, biryani, known in Burmese as danpauk, danbauk or danpauk htamin, is popular. Popular ingredients are cashew nuts, yoghurt, raisins and peas, chicken, cloves, cinnamon, saffron and bayleaf. In Burmese biryani, the chicken is cooked with the rice.^[2] Biryani is also eaten with a salad of sliced onions and cucumber. In Yangon, there are several restaurant chains that serve biryani exclusively. It is often served at religious ceremonies and luncheons. Biryani in Myanmar utilises a special species of rice grown domestically rather than basmati.

In Thailand, Thai Muslims have popularized a local variety of the dish which is popular through out the country. Along with Thai Massaman curry it is one of the two most famous Muslim Thai dishes. Biryani is also another name for heena.