Food for thought. The Biryani Story:

Food for thought | The Biryani Story: India’s most loved one-pot meal
The story of Biryani is like a delicious mystery. Whether it evolved in India through the Mughals, Arabs, or is an inherent part of our own culture as mentioned in South Indian Vedas, is a subject of debate.
Lachmi Deb Roy
Last Updated:August 12, 2023 13:04:55 IST

The Biriyani Story: India’s most loved one-pot meal

Biryani as we know is a celebratory dish in India. But it’s origin is still a mystery. There are many theories about the origin of biriyani in India. Some believe that the dish originated in Persia and the Mughals brought it to India, while others believe that it originated in south India. It was developed in the Mughal royal kitchen to feed the undernourished Mughal soldiers. Regardless of its origins, it has become the royal cuisine of India that never fails to impress.

According to BBC reports, the lazy scholars are quick to opine that it was the genius of Indian people who transformed the “Cinderella of Central Asian pilaf” into the sparkling biryani, but it is difficult to buy this “thesis.” There can be little doubt that biryani originated in Iran. Even the name biryani can be traced to the original Persian “birinj biriyan” – literally, fried rice.

So, how did the hero biriyani arrive in India? The report further says that, one theory suggests that biryani was brought to India by the Mughals, who ruled over the Indian subcontinent. According to this theory, the Mughals, known for their love of food, brought biryani to India from Persia. The word “biryani” is derived from the Persian word birian, which means “fried before cooking.” This theory is supported by the fact that the Mughals were great patrons of Persian cuisine and often incorporated Persian ingredients and cooking techniques into their food.