Iman Jasani

  Biryani   ( / b ɜːr ˈ j ɑː n i / ) is a   mixed rice dish   originating among the   Muslims of South Asia . It is made with   Indian spices ,   vegetables ,   rice , and usually some type of   meat   ( chicken ,   beef ,   goat ,   lamb ,   prawn , and   fish ), or in some cases without any meat, [1]   and sometimes, in addition,   eggs   and   potatoes . [2] Biryani  is one of the most popular dishes in  South Asia , as well as among the diaspora from the region. Similar dishes are also prepared in other parts of the world such as in  Iraq ,  Myanmar ,  Thailand , and  Malaysia . [3]   Biryani  is the single most-ordered dish on Indian  online food ordering  and  delivery  services, and has been labelled as the most popular dish overall in  India .

  The exact origin of the dish is uncertain. In  North India , different varieties of  biryani  developed in the Muslim centres of  Delhi  ( Mughlai cuisine ),  Rampur ,  Lucknow  ( Awadhi cuisine ) and other small principalities. In South India, where rice is more widely used as a staple food, several distinct varieties of  biryani  emerged from  Hyderabad Deccan  (where some believe the dish originated [10] ) as well as  Tamil Nadu  ( Ambur ,  Thanjavur ,  Chettinad ,  Salem ,  Dindigal ),  Kerala  ( Malabar ),  Telangana , and  Karnataka  ( Bhatkal ) where Muslim communities were present According to  historian  Lizzie Collingham, the modern  biryani  developed in the royal kitchens of the  Mughal Empire  (1526–1857) and is a mix of the native spicy rice dishes of India and the Persian  pilaf . [12]  Indian  restaurateur ...

  Biryani is an intricate  rice dish  made with layers of curried meat and rice. Given its use of adornments and luxurious finishes, it’s no surprise that biryani has roots in Persian cuisine. Biryani started among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent  and grew in popularity in that region. It then found its way to different South Asian countries and has been tweaked to accommodate other cultures. The origin of biryani first began by the Mughals in Northern India and was known then as pakki biryani. Biriyani is the quintessential celebratory dish in  India  and an aromatic delicacy that dazzles as a sublime one-dish meal, writes historian and food expert Pushpesh Pant.