BIRYANI- The gift to Bengal from the Nawab

BIRYANI- The word is enough to make anyone drool. There are very rare people who do not like a plate of steaming biryani with the soft chunk of meat (chicken/mutton) and of course a big piece of love i.e. The potato. YES…. You heard that right... A piece of aloo or potato what makes a Bengal biryani different from others. In every state we can find biryani and every state has their own style of making biryani, some like it spicy whereas some like it subtle. Each one have sometimes or the other, have relished a plate of mouthwatering biryani but do we really know from where Aloo was included in the Biryani?

Let us take a look into the glorious history of Bengali- style Biryani that makes it Unique from the other states of India:

The word ‘Biryani’ comes from a Persian word called ‘Birian’, which means fried before cooking. The Mughal empire has brought this gem with them during their rule in India. But the Nawab of Lucknow i.e. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah during his exile period has gifted Bengal with a unique style of Biryani which has an extra treat in the plate that is famously known as the ‘Biryani with the alu’.

HOW BIRYANI CAME TO BENGAL?

In 1856, when the Nawab of Lucknow was dethroned by the British, he found his new capital in the outskirts of Kolkata called Metiabruj. He was such a Nawab that never failed to indulge in luxurious activities such as petting exotic animals in his personal zoo to savouring on richly cooked food. During his exile, he has brought the entourage of the Khansamas or the royal cooks along with him.

Even though he wanted to indulge in royal food after his exile, but his budget was tightened due to which he and his khansamas invented a new style of Biryani which had aloo or potato in it so that it can be substituted in place of meat.

The new style of Biryani was a gift of Nawab to the Bengal. The modified version of Biryani has subtle taste, with the spices being toned down and had a lower meat- to- rice ratio. It is slow cooked on wood that gives a authentic flavor and can make anyone fall on their knees for this plate of love.

Bengalis are not only surrounded by fish and rice i.e. maach bhaat and Roshogollas but also a big handi of Biryani which has big pieces of juicy meat and the love of every Bengali i.e. the alu or the potato. Lucknawi biryani was given a special touch by the Nawab so that even a poor person can relish and gorge on a plate of Biryani.

This fact requires a special mention where one should definitely visit if they wants to taste the food from the Royal kitchen of the Nawab- Manzilat (this is run by the great grand-daughter of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, Ms.Manzilat Fatima, who has well-guarded the recipe of biryani from the Nawab’s kitchen).

Well, here is a list of famous Biryani joints that one must visit during his/her stay in Kolkata: