Sunday, September 30, 2007
FOOD mirrors a culture enabling important insights into its mores and customs, tracing its social history, documenting its rites and rituals. Being a connoisseur of food and having done hundreds of food reviews, I can vouch that there is no better delight than gulping down heavily steamed mutton pieces ensconced under a mound of velvety rice.
Any special occasion calls for a feast, and to many minds, a feast is briyani. In the month of Ramadhan, it holds its own place among the many dishes especially prepared for iftar and dinner. Whether you want to treat friends or feed the poor in an act of charity, serving briyani is one way to bring smiles to faces around you.
Briyani is a dish made of long grain, aromatic rice with spices and meat, or even poultry or sea food, and touched with saffron. There are variants to this basic dish, giving special regional flavours to a global favourite.
Briyani's aroma has wafted down the centuries and is still floating through the length and breadth of the subcontinent. Word has it that there are 26 types of briyani in the subcontinent alone. The interplay of condiments, spices, and flavours gives it a distinctiveeness every time the equations and proportions are juggled. It has the power to beat away the blues of a hard day's work.
Vishy Shenoy, a briyani chronicler based in Bangalore who has done research in pursuit of his culinary obsession, has studied it grain by grain.
Shenoy writes: "Briyani actually originated in Persia and travelled to Asia in the 14th century, and was brought by Taimur. 'Birian' actually means 'fried before cooking' in Persian. But now it has become a loosely held term for any rice dish across the country. And not many know that it has to be cooked in layers."
Hyderabadi briyani is a tradition among the vast Muslim population of the Deccan Plateau, and is served on all special occasions, and doled out in large measure and with chunks of meat. So tasty is the dish that often it is hard to tell when to stop eating.
In a more refined setting, it is served with dahi ki chutney (whipped yoghurt with thinly sliced onions, finely chopped green chillies and coriander leaves) and baghara baigan ka salan (aubergines in peanut gravy). It could alternately be served with the more exotic, and hot, mirch ka salan (curry made with whole, large, green chillies). In some households, it is unheard of to serve briyani without an accompaniment of dalcha (lentil dish made with meat stock and spices). And this feast is followed up with double ka meetha (a version of bread and butter pudding) or khubani ka meetha (a sweet dish made of dried apricots).
Chettinad briyani is yet another dish which finds favour with culinary aficionados. Shaji Abraham, manager of Woodlands Restaurant in Oman, says: "It is the onslaught of chillies that set the taste buds tingling and the senses on fire at the first bite of Chettinad briyani." To add more colour to the dish, papad, pickles and raita come as traditional accompaniments.
Yet another briyani, which is not too well known but is delectable, is the Bhatkali briyani. Writes Shenoy: "On the Western Coast, you have the Calicut briyani and Bhatkali briyani, the recipe for which has come through the spice route and it has a Yemeni/Irani flavour."
Tazeem Suhail, whose culinary skills are widely known in Oman's Bhatkal community, says: "Bhatkali briyani is cooked in two layers; the bottom layer is of half-cooked meat in a number of traditional spices and the upper layer is the half-cooked rice. Then the pot is sealed for dum cooking." It comes sealed in pots, which once opened, spreads its aromatic magic.
Long-grained delicately fragrant basmati rice is a must for making Bhatkali briyani. Fish and prawn Bhatkali briyani are variants with a taste that we can only describe as "out of this world".
For those who wish for a fire-in-the-belly experience, there is the spicy Kerala briyani garnished with curry leaves and fried onions, as well as the Kuttanadan beef briyani that has a generous dash of pepper.
The authentic Calicut briyani is cooked over coconut shells. There are over a dozen varieties of briyani from South India, besides Chettinad, Calicut and Bhatkali. The Moplah briyani as well as the Vanambadi and Dindigul briyani have their own style of cooking.
Some people even make string hopper (vermicelli) briyani. Such a dish is usually eaten in Bhatkal, Arcot, Sri Lanka and in the Far East. Kolkata is famous for its mutton briyani with potatoes.
The Kashmiri briyani is a little sweeter with a profusion of raisins and walnuts.
The cuisine of Lucknow, the capital of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, is known to be royal repast. Once called Awadh, this city is the crucible of Awadhi cuisine, redolent with recipes brought from Persia and developed to the taste of the Mughal kings who ruled the northern regions of India for several centuries. Even today, the word kebab is associated with Lucknow some count that even today 60 varieties are available across the city. But there those who say kebab-making is a dying art as the ageing holders of secret recipes can't find apprentices.
Briyani is a different matter. The traditional Lucknowi briyani is light in colour, texture and spices, with each fine grain of rice separate from the other. The meat is a melt-in-the-mouth texture and its presentation is a delight to the eye.
"Dum pukht briyani is the rich version of Lucknowi briyani," says Kakul Agha, a resident of Muscat who hails from Lucknow. There is also a yakhni (meat stock) version, but that is pulau (in which the meat and rice are cooked separately and mixed later) rather than briyani, she clarifies.
Lucknowi briyani is traditionally served with boondi raita (a whipped yoghurt base with drops of fried batter) or any other varieties of raita. Other accompaniments include chutney and pickles. And with guests to impress, briyani may be served along with kebabs and other dishes.
A traditional sweet generally follows a traditional feast. In Lucknow, the firni (a rice and milk dish) is the favourite roundup to a briyani meal, though kheer (a variant of the rice and milk dish) and seyvaiyan (sweet vermicelli) are also popular.
In Pakistan, the Karachi mutton or beef briyani that is heavily flavoured with mint and coriander is much sought after. In the Arabian Gulf, briyani-like rice dishes are quite popular. The Omani briyani, Kuwaiti briyani (its lamb briyani is called the Mechbous), the red-hued ruzz bhukari, the brown-tinged sayyadiyyah, mashkul, mandi and kabsa are preferred. Dried limes, cloves and cinnamon sticks give these dishes their zest.
In Sri Lanka, the dish is called "buryani". The Bangladeshis use puffed rice instead of rice. The Malaysians make a coconut-flavoured briyani while Indonesia and Thailand have their own versions.
The repertoire of the briyani has gone beyond the original mutton briyani. The innovative ingenuity of chefs has resulted in a number of briyanis chicken, fish, prawn, lobster, paneer, vegetable and egg.
So this Ramadhan, why not fan out in Brunei to find what briyani types are served? You won't regret it. The Brunei Times
Any special occasion calls for a feast, and to many minds, a feast is briyani. In the month of Ramadhan, it holds its own place among the many dishes especially prepared for iftar and dinner. Whether you want to treat friends or feed the poor in an act of charity, serving briyani is one way to bring smiles to faces around you.
Briyani is a dish made of long grain, aromatic rice with spices and meat, or even poultry or sea food, and touched with saffron. There are variants to this basic dish, giving special regional flavours to a global favourite.
Briyani's aroma has wafted down the centuries and is still floating through the length and breadth of the subcontinent. Word has it that there are 26 types of briyani in the subcontinent alone. The interplay of condiments, spices, and flavours gives it a distinctiveeness every time the equations and proportions are juggled. It has the power to beat away the blues of a hard day's work.
Vishy Shenoy, a briyani chronicler based in Bangalore who has done research in pursuit of his culinary obsession, has studied it grain by grain.
Shenoy writes: "Briyani actually originated in Persia and travelled to Asia in the 14th century, and was brought by Taimur. 'Birian' actually means 'fried before cooking' in Persian. But now it has become a loosely held term for any rice dish across the country. And not many know that it has to be cooked in layers."
Hyderabadi briyani is a tradition among the vast Muslim population of the Deccan Plateau, and is served on all special occasions, and doled out in large measure and with chunks of meat. So tasty is the dish that often it is hard to tell when to stop eating.
In a more refined setting, it is served with dahi ki chutney (whipped yoghurt with thinly sliced onions, finely chopped green chillies and coriander leaves) and baghara baigan ka salan (aubergines in peanut gravy). It could alternately be served with the more exotic, and hot, mirch ka salan (curry made with whole, large, green chillies). In some households, it is unheard of to serve briyani without an accompaniment of dalcha (lentil dish made with meat stock and spices). And this feast is followed up with double ka meetha (a version of bread and butter pudding) or khubani ka meetha (a sweet dish made of dried apricots).
Chettinad briyani is yet another dish which finds favour with culinary aficionados. Shaji Abraham, manager of Woodlands Restaurant in Oman, says: "It is the onslaught of chillies that set the taste buds tingling and the senses on fire at the first bite of Chettinad briyani." To add more colour to the dish, papad, pickles and raita come as traditional accompaniments.
Yet another briyani, which is not too well known but is delectable, is the Bhatkali briyani. Writes Shenoy: "On the Western Coast, you have the Calicut briyani and Bhatkali briyani, the recipe for which has come through the spice route and it has a Yemeni/Irani flavour."
Tazeem Suhail, whose culinary skills are widely known in Oman's Bhatkal community, says: "Bhatkali briyani is cooked in two layers; the bottom layer is of half-cooked meat in a number of traditional spices and the upper layer is the half-cooked rice. Then the pot is sealed for dum cooking." It comes sealed in pots, which once opened, spreads its aromatic magic.
Long-grained delicately fragrant basmati rice is a must for making Bhatkali briyani. Fish and prawn Bhatkali briyani are variants with a taste that we can only describe as "out of this world".
For those who wish for a fire-in-the-belly experience, there is the spicy Kerala briyani garnished with curry leaves and fried onions, as well as the Kuttanadan beef briyani that has a generous dash of pepper.
The authentic Calicut briyani is cooked over coconut shells. There are over a dozen varieties of briyani from South India, besides Chettinad, Calicut and Bhatkali. The Moplah briyani as well as the Vanambadi and Dindigul briyani have their own style of cooking.
Some people even make string hopper (vermicelli) briyani. Such a dish is usually eaten in Bhatkal, Arcot, Sri Lanka and in the Far East. Kolkata is famous for its mutton briyani with potatoes.
The Kashmiri briyani is a little sweeter with a profusion of raisins and walnuts.
The cuisine of Lucknow, the capital of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, is known to be royal repast. Once called Awadh, this city is the crucible of Awadhi cuisine, redolent with recipes brought from Persia and developed to the taste of the Mughal kings who ruled the northern regions of India for several centuries. Even today, the word kebab is associated with Lucknow some count that even today 60 varieties are available across the city. But there those who say kebab-making is a dying art as the ageing holders of secret recipes can't find apprentices.
Briyani is a different matter. The traditional Lucknowi briyani is light in colour, texture and spices, with each fine grain of rice separate from the other. The meat is a melt-in-the-mouth texture and its presentation is a delight to the eye.
"Dum pukht briyani is the rich version of Lucknowi briyani," says Kakul Agha, a resident of Muscat who hails from Lucknow. There is also a yakhni (meat stock) version, but that is pulau (in which the meat and rice are cooked separately and mixed later) rather than briyani, she clarifies.
Lucknowi briyani is traditionally served with boondi raita (a whipped yoghurt base with drops of fried batter) or any other varieties of raita. Other accompaniments include chutney and pickles. And with guests to impress, briyani may be served along with kebabs and other dishes.
A traditional sweet generally follows a traditional feast. In Lucknow, the firni (a rice and milk dish) is the favourite roundup to a briyani meal, though kheer (a variant of the rice and milk dish) and seyvaiyan (sweet vermicelli) are also popular.
In Pakistan, the Karachi mutton or beef briyani that is heavily flavoured with mint and coriander is much sought after. In the Arabian Gulf, briyani-like rice dishes are quite popular. The Omani briyani, Kuwaiti briyani (its lamb briyani is called the Mechbous), the red-hued ruzz bhukari, the brown-tinged sayyadiyyah, mashkul, mandi and kabsa are preferred. Dried limes, cloves and cinnamon sticks give these dishes their zest.
In Sri Lanka, the dish is called "buryani". The Bangladeshis use puffed rice instead of rice. The Malaysians make a coconut-flavoured briyani while Indonesia and Thailand have their own versions.
The repertoire of the briyani has gone beyond the original mutton briyani. The innovative ingenuity of chefs has resulted in a number of briyanis chicken, fish, prawn, lobster, paneer, vegetable and egg.
So this Ramadhan, why not fan out in Brunei to find what briyani types are served? You won't regret it. The Brunei Times