Our nation has a great history of Arab rulers who introduced quite a lot of cuisines to our culture and traditions. To name a few Persian, Afghans and the Turks; probably you may be able to recall these rulers from your old school day textbooks. Don’t you?
The introduction of many delicious dishes has been done by them, and the most interesting and mouth-watering one is your "Biriyani," the one that is served in different places across the world now. We may find extra happiness in preparing this historical food in our home or wherever it is, but do we know how it reached our land? It’s an interesting story to read about:
The Stories of Rulers and Their contribution To the Cuisine
You may or may not remember this person: the Turk-Mongol conqueror Timur, who brought the origins of the Biriyani with him when he landed at the borders of India in 1398. Those times this food had been consumed by the army of Timur, it was considered as the war campaign diet of the soldiers.
They used the traditional earthen pot that contained rice, spices, and the meats, which were cooked in a hot pit, before finally digging it up and serving it to the warriors. I would say that it is such an interesting way to arrive in our land of diverse people and cultures. The Arab traders, who were frequent visitors to India, carried the dish to the Malabar Coast of India. So, they also played a critical role in spreading this here.
The Dish For a Healthy Diet
There is also a story behind – we all know once Mughal emperors ruled once. It is from their diary that, on one occasion, Mumtaz Mahal, the beautiful queen of Shah Jahan, happened to visit the army.
She then recognized that the warriors are very weak and undernourished. What she did was, she called the chief and ordered to prepare a dish mixed with rice to give a balanced nutrition to them – Of course it is nothing other than Biriyani. Did you know? At that point, the rice was fried in ghee without washing to deliver a typical flavour and prevent it from clumping.
The Myth of Hyderabadi Biriyani
Actually, the dish doesn’t need an introduction, and I believe everyone would have enjoyed the real taste of hydrebadi style. Let us have a clear idea of how and when it originated. Everything began when Hyderabad was taken over the Mughal’s in the beginning of 1600 till Nizam rule.
Mughlai, they have decided to join with the local traditions to form a revised Hyderabadi cuisine. Subsequently, the people attributes the formation of Hyderabadi Biriyani to the first Nizam, the chef, Nizam-ul-Mulk in the 18th century and when Mughal started to decline, Hyderabad came out as the place of South Asian Culture, ending in a combination of innovation for the dish.
Though we have some information with us, the actual origin is still uncertain. As far as I'm concerned, it may have originated in the southern part of India, predominantly from Arab traders. Let us assume these could be the actual facts, and don't keep this in the mystery category.
What now!
We have covered the remarkable history behind this dish, and this dish has been utilized well by the rulers for some reasons. Nowadays, most of us can’t even imagine going a week or so without having this yummy dish, and now it has become part and parcel of our lives.
Wherever the places you go, the dish has a unique name in the menu. Whatever name it has, the food remains the same, but the flavor may be different. Let it be any celebration; you see variety of Biriyani’s to grab our attention and we have it in a unique way and enjoy every bit of it. The world has changed a lot, and the food has as well.
To sum up, the dish has even become commercialized as it gains popularity everywhere. High-quality food at an affordable price will work out for the entrepreneurs. This food will exist in the world until and unless people develop a love for it. The weekend is fast approaching, so let us think about having this delicious meal and creating some good moments.
