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Long, long time ago there was a simple village lass named simply as Pal-anya . Her name literally meant meat / vegetables cooked in rice — your simple Peas Pulao. Peas was the most available veggie for the village folks.
But one day the eyes of a Persian prince fell on her. Eyes? Tut tut… it was the prince’s nose and his tongue. He liked her simple, rustic flavours. Whisking her away on his Persian stallion he introduced her to his royal court chefs. And soon was she reborn as the magnificent Persian Pilau. Lady Pilau had arrived!
She had three daughters. The Eldest was named Khichuri/ Khichdi. She was of a rather rustic nature. And her name literally meant a mix, a hotch-podge. She inherited her mum’s humble beginnings. Soon she was the go-to comfort food for the poor and the rich, in the rains ☔️and winter 🥶, from the hills to the plains, in the palaces and mansions of the cities to the huts and shanties of the villages. Though her mum remained a sought-after society lady, a high-flyer, Ms Khichuri remained down-to-earth. The Brits loved her and almost kidnapped her and anglicised her and called her Kedgeree. Oh! God save the Queen!!! 🤦🏻 She could never be satisfied with anything she ever had. Well, we don't blame her. Who in her right mind can be satisfied with bland spice-less porridges in that dark and foggy weather? I haven’t the foggiest! 😖
Ms Khichuri essentially remained mostly vegetarian, but there had been reports of her getting mixed up with minced meat at times. But for the most part, she remained a simple, hearty sustenance for the average Hindustani and couldn’t afford meat 🍖 most of the time.
The second of the siblings was named Pulao / Polao. Ms Polao aka Pulao became a celebrated Hindu aristocrat and a society lady much like her mum but a favourite of the Hindu kings and average joes alike. Polao dressed up in different styles, flavours and fashions. As each grand occasion deserved she dressed to kill! She was equally a hit in the grand palaces and in the pious temples🛕. She could be a vegetarian and also a non-vegetarian. She had no qualms. She was an aristocrat! And that was that!!!
Now we come to meet the youngest of the siblings— the mysterious Ms Biryani. Tragedy struck early in her life. She was still a toddler and could barely speak when she got lost from her mother, Pilau, in the grand bazaars of Persia. They looked for her high and low but alas little Ms Biryani was nowhere to be found. But they had to move on. The spice laden caravans won’t wait for anyone. It was with these caravans that they were travelling to Hindustan, the land of the great Mughals, the richest superpower of the day. In Delhi and elsewhere, in the far-flung markets of Hindustan people everywhere wanted spices. Spices fresh and flavourful.
Many years passed. The little Biryani was taken home by some chefs whose names are lost to history. There she grew up in the kitchens of the amirs and the shahs of Persia absorbing all the aromas and flavours of those kitchens. Many think she was closest to a famous inhabitant of that realm named Birinj Biryan. Yet many argue that Biryani had taken after her own dear mum, Madam Pilau/Pulao.
Whatever be it, fate had singled her out to be a star of international proportions. She developed herself through slow-cooking as her mother had, the Persian Madam Pilau; she combined her mum’s Persian-style yoghurt-marinated meat with a spicy Indian style of cooking; she likely developed all these in the Mughal court kitchens. It is also possible that young Ms Biryani was brought to India before the Mughal era, or that Madam Pilau came to India first and young Ms Biryani followed her as a lost child who was adopted by the elite chefs of the royal court kitchens where she was groomed and educated in the best of culinary manners and cultures before being adopted by the Mughals as their very own darling. And now the world loves her: America to Europe, Middle-East to India, SE Asia to the Far East — the world is her playground. But it is in India that she is loved the most. Every region of India loves Ms Biryani in their own way, dresses her up with their own aromas and flavours. And each argue they have treated Ms Biryani the best.
