BIRYANI
It is believed that the dish was first introduced in the subcontinent during the Mughal era. PHOTO: AFP Derived from the Persian word ‘Birian’, biryani is a spicy rice and meat dish which is prepared by mixing layers of rice, meat, tomatoes, fried onions, spices, and food colour. Biryani making is an art – one has to know how long rice should be cooked for, before it can be arranged in layers along with the meat and tomatoes. The rice can become soggy if boiled excessively, or even remain undercooked if not boiled for an appropriate amount of time. All biryani lovers take their biryani very seriously. They feel irked if the biryani isn’t yellow enough or if there’s no khewra (rose water) sprinkled on top. Some take it quite personally when biryani is not served with raita (yogurt). It has become such an integral part of our culture that no desi wedding is complete without a few deghs of biryani. Moreover, biryani deghs are commonly distributed among the p
