Eid-ul-Fitr 2025: Exploring the flavours of biryani across India

The eyes of Sayed Safar Ali 84yearold owner of Lucky Restaurant light up when we tell him we want to speak about biryani ldquoMaking biryani is art not science The word biryani comes from the Persian word lsquobiryanrsquo When it came to the Mughals they called it biryani In the early days few Mughlai restaurants in Bombay served biryani Lucky which opened in 1938 was one of themrdquo he says with pride The restaurant serves Mughlai biryani a version passed down from the court of Mughal emperors ldquoMemoni biryani is similar just a bit generous with the oilrdquo Ali points outThe famous trioHyderabadi Lucknowi and Kolkata biryanis are the most popular versions ldquoThe most sophisticated version comes from Lucknow ldquoThe people of Lucknow like nothing better than to eat and be happy They perfected the art of biryani their recipe leaning towards a more fragrant style Hyderabadi is spicier with bold masalas Kolkata with the addition of egg and potatoes is overall mildrdquo says Ali Biryani is highly dependent on the hands that make itSayed Safar Ali with a plate of chicken biryani PicSatej ShindeldquoVegetable mutton chicken or fish are marinated in curd and masalas are mixed in The last addition is of birista or fried onions Ali explains ldquoWhen a biryani is sealed in atta it is called dum cooking This ensures the right temperature fed from above and under so it cooks evenly There is a right time to put the masala as well says Ali ldquoThe right time to put the masala in the marinade It has to be introduced before putting the parboiled ricerdquo Ali signs offPan Indian palateConsultant chef Sadaf Hussainrsquos recent book Masala Mandi has over 50 types of biryani masala blends ldquoOne is from Assam While I have been corrected that Assam doesnrsquot have a traditional biryani I wanted to add a version for representationrdquo says Hussain who loves Delhirsquos achari biryani made with the addition of pickle Another version is his motherrsquos recipe that combines Hyderabadi and Kolkata flavoursChef Sadaf HussainldquoWhen in Mumbai I savour the Bombay biryani especially the local ones My top picks are Noor Mohammadi and Biryani by Kilo I make a version using Shan Masalardquo he adds While biryani in the north of India is made from longgrained Basmati rice south India uses shortergrained rice like Kaima or jeerakasala ldquoDue to the popularity of North Indian biryani many institutes in South India have switched to Basmatirdquo says HussainDeciphering the methods of biryani making he adds ldquoHyderabad has a version of biryani with kacche gosht raw meat The meat is cooked after it is marinated in masalas for around 24 hours It is added to the pot or vessel below the rice for cooking On the other hand Lucknowi and Kolkata biryani is usually a pakke gosht ki biryani This means you first make the chicken or mutton korma and then yoursquore layering it up with rice Here the elders and the purest would add rice at the bottom layer first and then meatUpkeeping family traditionsWhile the definitions will divide biryani into regional pockets homestyle serves merge the borders for a personal fuller taste Shahla Ahmed a caterer in Delhi who specialises in Rampuri and Mughlai cuisine and runs Khaalaarsquos Kitchen says the best biryani is one that has been elevated keeping family traditions and taste palates in mindldquoMy father had a typical way of making biryani and when I started experimenting I made it as per my taste My version of the recipe has Nizami influences along with the addition of saffron that gives it an Irani touch I was a picky eater I donrsquot like elaichi or mint leaves in my bite I grind my own masalardquoBiryani goes SouthSouth India has a robust list of biryanis that resemble meat and rice in curry made moist with the addition of tomato and onions While the donne biryani of Karnataka is spicy and aromatic and served in a pouch which lends it its name Dindigul biryani of Tamil Nadu is dark brown with tender meat Thalassery or Malabar version of Kerala is a mild dum biryaniSarah Jacob Nair of Nair on Fire swears by her mumrsquos biryani ldquoShe has taken several influences as she lived across the state It is greenish like a donne or a Dindigul but a milder Kerala style with gentler masala of nutmeg mace and shahi jeerardquo says Jacob On the menu she has a homestyle pothichorustyle biryani Traditionally a pothichoru is a food packed in banana leaf for a journey ldquoIt has sabzi curry chutney omelette and chicken Our biryani too doesnrsquot have distinct layers but is a mishmashed serving For Eid we are offering a Malabar dum biryanirdquo she saysKerala also has variations like a rowther biryani from Palakkad and manjali biryani from Kochi ldquoFish biryani doesnrsquot take certain masalas as well as chicken and mutton We do a minimal seasoning of garam masalas more pepperrdquo Nair elaboratesPulao or biryani The big debateChef Mukhtar Qureshi of Waarsa at NCPA Nariman Point simplifies the difference ldquoIn pulao vegetables are tempered with rice but without dum slow cooking In some parts of Delhi pulao is made with proper dum but in Gujarat Kolkata and Rajasthan it is cooked directly Think of pulao as similar to Chinese fried ricerdquo he laughsVegetable biryani Pics CourtesyWaarsaHe also acknowledges the muchdebated concept of vegetarian biryani ldquoThe most popular vegetarian biryani was Pulao buchi from Kashmir In Kerala and Rampur it is made with kathal jackfruit In Gujarat biryani can have a sweet touch but in Kolkata there is no vegetarian biryani mdash only vegetarian pulaordquo he explainsMukhtar QureshiAt Waarsa Qureshi serves a Lucknowi vegetable biryani with saffron as well as one made with kathal both cooked using proper dum ldquoIt is just as good as our mutton biryanirdquo he signs offTake Your Pickgtgt LuckyAT Junction of SV Road amp Hill Road Bandra WestCALL 919820066471gtgt Noor MohammadiAT Wazir Building Bhendi BazarCALL 23456008gtgt Biryani by KiloLOG ON TO biryanibykilocomCALL 18002122212gtgt Nair on FireCALL 9324059522LOG ON TO naironfire on Instagramgtgt WaarsaAT NCPA Marg Nariman PointCALL 9594943555gtgt ShalimarAT Mohammed Ali Road Bhendi BazaarCALL 69098888gtgt Go BiryanCALL 9152848844LOG ON TO gobiryandotpeingtgt JafferbhaiAT Pathe Bapurao Marg Grant Road East Dadar and BandraCALL 23875656gtgt Oh CalcuttaAT Shop 99C Tardeo multiple outlets Andheri and VashiCALL 8356905158