Briyani to India

Biryani originated in Persia and might have taken couple of different routes to arrive in India.


Biryani is derived from the Farsi word 'Birian'. Based on the name, and cooking style (Dum), one can conclude that the dish originated in Persia and/or Arabia. It could have come from Persia via Afghanistan to North India in the 14th century, and was brought by Taimur. It could have also been brought by the Arab traders via Arabian sea to Calicut. We know the history little better during 1800 to 1900. 

During Mogul empire, Lucknow was known as Awadh, giving rise to Awadhi Biryani. In 1856, British deposed Nawab Wajid Ali Shah in Calcutta, giving rise to Calcutta Biryani. Aurangzeb installed Nizam-ul-mulk as the Asfa Jahi ruler of Hyderabad, as well as a 'Nawab of Arcot' to oversee Aaru Kaadu region (Six Forrests) south of Hyderabad. These moves gave rise to Hyderabadi Biryani and Arcot Biryani. The Biryani spread to Mysore by Tipu Sultan of Carnatic. Needless to say it was a royal dish for Nawabs and Nizams. They hired vegetarian Hindus as bookkeepers leading to the development of Tahiri Biryani.


Kolkata is famous for its mutton biryani with pieces of aloo thrown in. Even this has a history behind it, which Shenoy has studied. "The Biryani here originated from the Avadh royal family, which moved when a coterie of cooks migrated to Kolkata. The dish permeated from the royal family downwards to common households. As the latter could not afford meat, they substituted it with mutton pieces. It was a smart way of dressing it." Shenoy talks about how archaeologists have recently discovered about 170 varieties of Biryani that have been recorded by the Maharaja of Patiala.

But how did he manage to gather so much information on the subject? Shenoy explains, "My job has taken me to every nook and corner of India and some unusual parts of the world." He has been working with Parryware, Goodlass Nerolac, ad agencies and FMCG companies. "My dealers who were all from the local communities have helped me immensely with this research." For instance, in Mysore, a dealer told him about a railway coolie who cooked Biryani `Rowther style'. "The Rowthers hail from the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border and they were originally housekeepers to the Nawab of Arcot. This coolie has migrated to Mysore in search of a job and he still makes the best Biryani there."

But what really sparked off his interest in the dish was the wide variety of Biryanis that Shenoy tasted at a Bohri wedding, a few years ago. Keen to share this delight with the world, he soon plans to launch a chain of 12 theme restaurants specialising in, Biryani, of course. The first one will be in Bangalore followed by other cities, in India and abroad. On why he chose Bangalore, he says, "Because it has the most cosmopolitan crowd that is adventurous in its food habits. Mumbai was another choice, but you have very few rice eaters there."

At his restaurant, Shenoy plans to offer the ultimate Biryani experience. "I'll walk the guests through its history, evolution, varieties, etc and then they get to taste some of the most unusual versions of the dish." For instance, vegetarians will have the Nawaabi Tarkaari Biryani (made for the financiers of the Nawab who were Hindus) and the Tahiri Biryani. Even children will not be left out, with offerings like fruit Biryani and doodh Biryani on the menu. The restaurant will also offer traditional accompaniments to the dish such as mirchi ka salan, papads, etc.

"Then, of course, there will be the Sulaimani tea (lemon tea) to end the meal within in typical Calicut style." Shenoy also plans to have signature dishes like the lobster Biryani. He has already zeroed in on his chefs and is adding the final touches before the launch of the restaurant. Having tasted more than 50 varieties of Biryani, it's hard to say which is the best, he says but among his favourites are the Kerala version and the Karachi Beef Biryani that he imported through a friend in Pakistan. "I'm yet to taste the Kuwaiti Biryani which is supposed to be delicious," says the Biryani connoisseur.

Besides the historical facts, the story gets little fuzzy with legends.
One legend has it that Timor, the lame brought it down from Kazakhstan via Afghanistan to Northern  India. According to another legend, Mumtaz Mahal (the beauty who sleeps in Taj Mahal) concocted this dish as a "complete meal" to feed the army. Yet, some say the dish really originated in West Asia. The Nomads would burry an earthen pot full of meat, rice and spices in a pit, eventually the pot was dug up and there was the Biryani.