The king of South Asian cooking and a loved-by-all dish is Biryani. The layered preparation, usually with fragrant basmati or kalizira rice, is sprinkled with saffron and has chunks of sumptuous meat. Its brand name smell tells everybody that it’s a special occasion. It is a very popular dish in Pakistan and the question often arises, “Is this the national dish of Pakistan”?
Once a dish for royalty, today bombay biryani masala reflects the flavor and traditions of each locality and is a common dish across many in Pakistan. However, there is a controversy as to whether Biryani is the national dish of Pakistan. It appears to be that the Government of Pakistan has not declared any food to be the national dish because there isn’t just one dish that is popular in every region and such a lavish meal is often out of reach for some Pakistanis. However, Biryani is certainly one of the strong contenders for the title.
“Biryani” comes from the Persian word “birian” which means “fried before cooking.” This South Asian mixed rice dish has its origins among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. It’s essential for the Mughlai cooking that India is popular for which was created from the fifteenth century to about the nineteenth century during the rule of the Mughal empire. The Mughals raised cooking to an art form, introducing several recipes to India like biryani, pilaf, and kebabs.
Biryani was first presented by the Mughals in Northern India. It was known as pakka Biryani because most of the ingredients are pre-cooked and then assembled in a pot (deg) and then set on slow fire (dum) for final cooking. The Nizam of Hyderabad (a monarch) adapted the preparation of Biryani to Katcha (raw) style in which the vast majority of the ingredients are raw and mixed in the deg to the right proportion. The deg is sealed and placed on slow fire until it is cooked to perfection.
Some of the regional flavors of Biryanis in Pakistan include Sindhi Biryani, Punjabi Biryani, Bohri biryani, Afghani Biryani, or the traditional Mughlai Biryani or Hyderabadi style Biryani.
