Unless otherwise specified, all content is made available under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence, though additional terms may apply. We were hearing the history of this dish from Manzilat Fatima, the great-greatgranddaughter of the Nawab. Awadh at the heart of Uttar Pradesh, which you now know as Lucknow, emerged as the new seat of regal grandeur. She has been invited as translator-in-residence at Cove Park, Scotland, in October 2017, and in December 2017 she was invited as poet-in-residence at Arcs of a Circle, Mumbai. It can be had by itself. You may know, but I’ll start with what it isn’t. When I served my biryani to my friends, because British curry house biryani was all they had tasted., one of them said: “I didn’t understand what the big deal was before. I remember going to Arsalan and ordering a vegetable biryani. Arsalan has eight outlets in Calcutta, Aminia eleven, Shiraz five, Zeeshan ten and Rahmania eight. [i]The kingdom of Oudh was a princely state in undivided India during the British Raj. Biryani is popular throughout the Indian subcontinent, as well as among its diaspora. The Kolkata biryani emerged around 1856, when the last Nawab of Oudh, Wajid Ali Shah was dethroned by the British and exiled to Kolkata during the reign of Queen Victoria. There are many legends associated with it. The Kolkata Biryani: Culture, Identity, and Politics Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the tenth and last ruler of Oudh [i], who was on the throne from 1847 to 1856, is said to have brought the biryani to Calcutta in 1856, when he settled in Metiabruz, on the outskirts of Calcutta [ii]; an impeached, broken ruler. The Story of a ‘Blue Blooded’ Biryani’, published on his blog. Food is at its most flavourful when it’s shared after all. And just like sports teams everywhere, every region has the best Biryani. It is made by cooking almost all the liquid from milk until there are only solids left. Others were taking livestock to the Market. Kolkata Biryani is an offshoot of the Lucknow style, which happened as the last Nawab of Lucknow was exiled in 1856 to Metiabruz, a suburb of Kolkata. 2, issue 3, July 2014). Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the tenth and last ruler of Oudh[i], who was on the throne from 1847 to 1856, is said to have brought the biryani to Calcutta in 1856, when he settled in Metiabruz, on the outskirts of Calcutta[ii]; an impeached, broken ruler. It requires two people to work for 6 hours. Rosie Llewellyn-Jones brings in her scholarship on the nineteenth century ruler in her book The Last King of India: Wajid Ali Shah (London: Hurst and Company, 2014). That time, due to circumstances the king reached in Calcutta (the old name of Kolkata) with his closed associates and lived in the Metiabruz-Garden reach area till his last breath. Evolution of the Kolkata biryani. It was mind-blowingly delicious. ‘Hunger Games: Reading Food Cultures and the Politics of Representation.’ Impressions of Eternity: Journal of Language and Literature Studies. The Story of a ‘Blue Blooded’ Biryani’, published on his blog Finely Chopped. It isn’t the stodgy fried rice with curry on the side that you get at your local curry house in the UK. The area roughly corresponds to the modern Awadh region in Uttar Pradesh. Unless otherwise specified, all content is made available under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence, though additional terms may apply. [ix]D Balasubramanian’s article ‘Potato: historically important vegetable’ published in The Hindu on October 16, 2008 (which was regarded as the ‘Year of the Potato) brings to the table the historical significance of this vegetable and how it came to be popular in India. The word “biryani” is derived from the Persian language. While it is difficult to pinpoint an exact date, we can conclusively say that the aloo made its way into the handi when the Nawab made his way to Metiabruz, in 1856. Food plays a cultural role which is as important as its nutritional role. Salt — this recipe calls for a lot of salt. Hope you like the story about Kolkata’s Biryani. The origin of Biryani is uncertain. The really interesting thing about this technique for me was the “dum.” I used foil, but traditionally, this was a salt dough used to seal a lid while the dish was finished to slowly steam on cooling embers. In Bengal, the humble biryani plays a significant role in uniting people of different classes, castes and religious backgrounds. Somrita Urni Ganguly is a professor, researcher, and translator, soon to complete her PhD from the Centre for English Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. As Aloo becomes so important in our Biryani that we find biryani without aloo or even a smaller piece then we can’t even describe it as Biryani because for us , a matter of pride. Khoya is the basis for many Indian sweets — its a fascinating ingredient. Spices. [iv]Begam comes from the Turkish (bigim = princess/ big = prince) and refers to a married Muslim woman. Any advice, contact me. Pie Crust Isn’t as Difficult as You Think. Nidhi Dugar Kundalia’s article in The Hindu on June 4, 2017 titled ‘Debauchery, Dissipation and Low Pursuits’ also highlights an aspect of the late Nawab’s life. 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. [vi]Refer to the article by Kalyan Karmakar dated March 17, 2017, titled ‘What Makes Kolkata’s Biryani Special? It is believed that the Dutch brought potatoes to India and it was then included in the diet of the British and the Muslims. The Nawab of Lucknow Wajid Ali Shah tried to recreate his Lucknowi Biryani in the city of Kolkata.Due to budget constraints his local cooks replaced the meats with deep fried potatoes.Which is now the signatute of Kolkata Biryani.This biryani is low on spices and uses yougurt as a primary ingridient in marination.The rice is half cooked separately and later infused together into Kolkata Biryani.This … These weren’t in the Arsalan version and I reckon you can omit this. A dish that originated in families belonging to the Muslim community and is today enjoyed by people across caste, creed and religion, and for those who don’t eat meat, there are vegetarian versions too! Now, I know that I might get killed for this nonsense talk. The biryani that stepped into Bengal with the King of Awadh, Late Nawab Wajid Ali Shah and then over the last 200 years, became one of the most favorite dishes of Kolkata. An Awadhi dish from Lucknow is today known by the name of the place which has given it its own distinct character. The ambiance of this outlet is pretty decent. The two B’s are inseparable,' says another Biryani aficionado, Anannya Bhattacharjee[xi]. The Sanskrit (and therefore Bengali, Assamese, Hindi, and some other North Indian languages) and Urdu word for potato is aloo and it came into popular use around the 1830s. I think it is a perfume. It is also prepared in other regions such as parts of Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. Kewra water — You can get this from a lot of Indian shops. Now the biryani I am talking about is the quintessential Kolkata Biryani that is served with a huge potato. We do not use any dalda or artificial colouring. Sometimes I cook stuff because I am hungry. [viii]Khansama comes from the Persian (khaan+saaman = master of household goods) meaning a male cook and/ or the steward. The contrarian opinion, supported by Begum Manzilat Fatima, the great grand-daughter of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, suggests that the addition of the potato was in fact an innovation to the biryani and had nothing to do with cutting down of expenditure[vii]. Best Biryani in Kolkata - Menu, Photos, Ratings and Reviews of Biryani in, Chicken Biryani, Veg Biryani Kolkata. I substituted persian plums which you can find at the glorious Way2Save (which I wrote about in a previous post although they were delicious. More often than not, in Calcutta, eggs are also added to the rice along with the meat and the potato. A dish that originated in families belonging to the Muslim community and is today enjoyed by people across caste, creed and religion, and for those who don’t eat meat, there are vegetarian versions too! In 2013 I went to Kolkata for the first time. The Kolkata biryani transcends the realms of being just food and transforms into becoming a cultural symbol, a sentiment, an emotion. But please spare a minute and read this. Made with aromatic rice, tender meat and a handful of masalas, the Kolkata Biryani has long been delighting the palates of the City of Joy since over a century now. [iii]Ishqnama, considered to be the autobiography of the Nawab provides details of some of his escapades. A recipe so complex and comprehensive it has its own project management chart. Biryani has many variants throughout India. Anyway, the biryani was ok. Sometimes, the quality of rice is compromised on, at other times the clarified butter (ghee) is replaced partially by hydrogenated vegetable oil (dalda). Being too English to wake up the staff asleep in the lobby of the hotel I had booked, I sat and watched the city wake. Eid is celebrated with plates of biryani. Biryani is a mixed rice dish with its origins among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. No sides need to be ordered with this dish which is entire and complete in itself. Unlike a Hyderabad chicken biryani, this biryani uses spice for the mild fragrant that wafts towards you when a plate of biryani is served to you.. Every restaurant in the city and region has their own recipe for a powdered biryani masala.However, I prefer to get it store-bought and I ensure I get a good one. But it took much longer than that when you factor in finding exotic, rare ingredients. … Second is the fact that it is a dish that is a beautiful symbol of communal harmony. Vol1, 2016. xivIn Karmakar’s article dated March 17, 2017, titled ‘What Makes Kolkata’s Biryani Special? 'There’s a large chunk of meat, there’s an egg, there’s a potato, there’s rice, all in one plate,' says Sushavan Das, a biryani enthusiast who lives in Calcutta, 'What more do you need?'[x]. Women were carrying milk in pails up the main road. Can we make some?” If you love me; you will give me the Nolir Har from your Mutton Biryani!” (Nolir Har is the heavenly marrow bone) “Hey, I am feelling blue! But I was having too much fun. What is it about biryani that gives it the status that it today occupies in the culinary map of the city/state? [ii]Metiabruz is located in the Garden Reach area in the fringes of Kolkata. Wajid Ali Shah, banished by the British, rebuilt a copy of Lucknow with large Islamic structures, a zoo with exotic animals and of course, a royal kitchen for cooking Nawabi khana. A great example of the democratisation of a dish that has led to great joy and happiness, and employment opportunities too. Birista — Browned onions — make sure you save the oil and cook things in the beautiful onion oil afterwards. It is a dish that has acquired a niche for itself in South Asian cuisine. Dumpukht refers to a style of slow oven cooking. I cut it down a lot, but still used more than I usually would. The Kolkata biryani may be the ultimate comfort food, but has a stunning history behind its birth. Sahapedia® is a registered trademark of Sahapedia, a non-profit organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. But now I do.”. Instant food poisoning was assured. Hence why Emma and I were throwing boiling water and scalding rice around with abandon. It has a radically different odour and taste from the East Asian Pandan leaf. 'I think there are two things that make Kolkata’s, or any biryani for that matter, special. I think they come from green plums. Kolkata Biryani with Egg (from Arsalan) Lightly spiced, signified by the presence of Potato; apart from meat and light if compared to its Hyderabadi counterpart and aesthetically similar to the Lucknow one, what we have as Kolkata Biryani is thanks to the 10th Nawab of Lucknow, Wajid Ali Shah. I am not sure what I could find was the right thing or even for eating. There is really no documented evidence, but it is assumed that with rising expenses and eroding of experience over generations meat chunks were reduced and potato pieces added instead. They rapidly apologised and hilarity ensued. At what point in history did the potato make its entry into this dish and why? The Kolkata biryani, therefore, has the unique ability to transform from being a solid egalitarian food, to an elite delicacy, and vice versa. The history behind Kolkata Biryani – best Biryani restaurant in Kolkata The name Biryani is originated from two Persian words ‘Birinj’ (means rice) & ‘Biryan’ (means to roast), it’s an orthodox dish of roasted rice with meat. A bit like aristocracy or royalty as far as I can tell. But most agree that it came from Persia. No offense to its Hyderabadi, Dindigul, or Awadhi counterparts, the biryani in Kolkata is a different beast not just because of its delectable taste that motivates gluttony but also because of its fascinating history that makes it a glorious symbol of multiculturalism. Put That Leftover Halloween Candy to Good Use! However, from there, accounts differ and the family tree branches out. And because, as far as I know, you can’t get a Kolkata style biryani in London. Kewra water — you can get this from a lot, but has a different... The juice from the Turkish ( bigim = princess/ big = prince ) and to. Rice with curry on the side that you get at your local curry house in city. Still used more than I usually would the heart of Uttar Pradesh the legacy of the usage of a repast. The autobiography of the Caribbean Arawakan group potato is kachaaloo [ ii Metiabruz. So complex and comprehensive it has a radically different odour and taste from the Nawabs, or any biryani that... 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