The Appetizing Biryani with Mirchi ka Salan

Happiness is getting a handi of biryani, right?

A handi of Biryani with Mirchi ka Salan or Raita is the ultimate full meal for every Indian. When the steaming hot handi is placed right in front of you , the tendency is to launch a vicious attack and devour it. That is how much we love handi biryani. Right?

During the Mughal reign, Awadh (now Lucknow) was the capital of their kingdom, which is how the Awadhi biryani with its delicate flavors got its name. When Aurangzeb became the ruler, he sent his Nizams to Hyderabad and Arcot and their chefs created the Hyderabadi and Arcot biryanis by infusing the local flavours.

With the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah deposed to Kolkata, his chef created the traditional Kolkata biryani by adding potatoes, which are now integral to the biryani of that region. Tehri biryani, a vegetarian version of the dish, is believed to have been created during this time as food for bookkeepers of the court who would not eat mutton biryani.

Some of us cannot just resist handi biryani or dum biryani. It is something we have loved eating as a child too. Whenever we feel low, just pamper yourself with a zaayekedaar handi biryani.

Each spoonful of this traditional dish is suffused with aromatic spices and rich flavors which gives immense happiness to all Biryani fans. Lovers of the dish swear by its distinctive taste which goes well with curd raita or mirchi ka salan.. However, a key fact most handi biryani lovers know is that despite its various local varieties, the dish did not originate in India.

Biryani is not something that can be whipped up in a trice. There is a very precise and long process of making it to get the best tasting product, not just for the most popular Hyderabadi biryani but the others too such as Handi Biryani, Dum Biryani . When prepared well, it is nothing but satisfaction and happiness.

And food historian KT Achaya’s book ‘A Historical Dictionary of Indian Food’, Handi biryani is described as: “A spicy dish of meat cooked with rice, referred to by this term in the thirteenth century. Numerous variations occur all over India.

The primary distinction between a biryani cooked in India and elsewhere in the world is the choice of spices and flavors and side dishes served with such as raita or mirchi ka salan or meat gravy. While India, the land of spices, has contributed immensely to the various flavors of the biryani, the traditional Persian or Arabian biryanis are quite subtle.

Since there is a vast variation in the flavors of different regions of the country, the spices used in the biryanis are also unique and eye-catching. Biryanis from the south of India have the distinctive coconut and tamarind flavor and could have an extra dash of chilis, but the ones in north India use curd as a marinade and delicate whole spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaf.

Some handi biryanis are also flavored with jasmine, rose, kewra, and saffron, using screw-pine and other dry fruits for the added nutty flavor. This flavor can also be created by frying the rice in ghee before it is cooked with the meat or vegetables. The melt in mouth Biryani pulls any biryani lover to the plate.

Keep calm and add Dum to Your Biryani:)