Biryani – always a crowd pleaser.Credit:iStock
The Indian food delivery app Swiggy publishes its most ordered dish at the end of every year,and for eight years in a row that dish has been biryani. So we’re talking about the most popular dish in the world’s most populous nation,the favourite food of 1.4 billion people. And with the Indian diaspora spread across the world,you have a case for global dominance.
So what is this dish,the world’s favourite? It’s rice,a pilaf-style dish with meat,vegetables and a complex mix of spices,traditionally cooked in a degh,a bell-shaped metal pot. There are variations throughout India – almost every region has its own distinct style – but one aspect remains the same:it’s very,very popular.
First serveBiryani has its home in India,but its origins are believed to be in ancient Persia. There’s speculation over when the dish made the leap:possibly during the time of the Timur Empire,the late 14th century;maybe during the Mughal Empire,around the 16th century;and some say it was created by Mumtaz Mahal herself (the woman who inspired the Taj Mahal) in the 17th century. There are also claims a similar dish was being prepared in Kerala as far back as 200 BC. Regardless,the name derives from the Persian language,either from the word “birinj”,meaning rice,or “beriyan”,meaning to fry.
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Order thereYou could either just land in India and open your Swiggy app,or visit the home of the most famous style of biryani,Hyderabad. There,try Fanooz Restaurant (instagram.com/fanoozrestaurant).
Order hereIn Sydney,Hyderabad House in Harris Park does a great biryani (hyderabadhouse.com.au). In Melbourne,try Hyderabadi Bahar Indian Restaurant in Footscray (32 Irving Street;no website). In Brisbane,visit Biryani Place in West End (biryaniplace.my-order.online).
One more thingTo cook biryani the traditional way,the degh should be sealed at the top with dough made from wheat flour,which traps the steam and allows all the ingredients to cook over a low flame.