02/02/2023
The Royal dish at your local Otago Farmers Market this weekend is chicken Biryani.
Biryani - the course that with the variations of meat (either mutton, beef, or chicken ), seasonings (spices and herbs used in biryani may include ghee (purified butter), pepper, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander, mint leaves, ginger, onions, tomatoes, and garlic and saffron), nuts, raisins. The course may be served with dahi chutney or Raita, korma, curry and salad.
So if you are an extremist fan of this delicious course, take your taste buds a little more with the fantasy tale of what makes biryani so remarkable. Biryani has been to satisfy the hunger for hundreds. But, there are so many interesting stories behind the biryani on your plate.
The word Biryani is derived from the Persian term Birian, which indicates 'fried before cooking' and
'Birinj' the Persian expression for rice. There are various tales related to the root of this delicious and tasty course. Many chroniclers declare that biryani introduced in Persia and was taken to India by the Mughals. During the Safavid dynasty (1501-
1736) in Persia, a dish called Berian Pilao was made with lamb or chicken, marinated overnight - with dahi (yogurt), herbs, flavorings, dried fruits like raisins, prunes (dried plums) or pomegranate seeds and later cooked in a tannour oven (mud oven). And it was later served with cooked rice.
Moreover, Biryani emerged in the Mughal royal mess.
There are many short stories connected with the unfolding of Biryani. One of the familiar narrative related to Mumtaz Mahal, wife of Shah Jahan the Mughal Emperor. It is believed that when Mumtaz visited the war troops, and she found that the Mughal warriors looked mistreated and undernourishing. In order to give a balanced menu for the soldiers, she requested the cooks to make the food with meat and rice. The dish was stirred up with seasonings and saffron and
prepared over the wood fire.
See you at the Otago Farmers Market on Saturday.