Chola Biryani

Biryani is arguably the king of India’s rice-based dishes, a favourite across much of the country, and appropriately adapted to different tastes and palettes. Besides the original, there’s Kolkata Biryani, Sindhi Biryani, Memoni Biryani, Malabar Biryani, Thalassery Biryani, Ambur Biryani, and Dindigul Biryani, among several others.

Chola Biryani is one such iteration. Like every Biryani, it’s a time consuming and meticulous process. For the chana gravy, one will need oil, jeera, cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, sliced onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chillies, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, soaked chana or chickpeas, coconut milk, and salt. Further, to cook the rice, one will need water, cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, and salt. To achieve the Biryani’s different layers, mint, coriander leaves, ginger, saffron strands, and rose water are also required.

Chole or chickpeas are a particularly healthy addition to Biryani, bringing with them several health benefits. They’re rich in vitamins and minerals. Their high protein and fibre content keeps one feeling full for longer, aids in digestion, constipation, and manages blood sugar. They're also an accessible and easy food to add to one’s diet.

As part of a biryani, they interact with a host of flavours and layer upon layer of dazzling taste. This delicious dish’s name comes from the Persian word "birian" meaning ‘fried before cooking’ and "birinj", the Persian word for rice.

There are a few different origin stories for how Biryani reached India. One states that Timur the Conqueror brought the dish with him when he reached India in 1398, and is believed to be his army’s diet. Another story goes that Biryani arrived in India at the Malabar coast through frequent Arab traders. A 2nd-century AD Tamil text mentions Oon Soru, a dish made of rice, ghee, meat, turmeric, coriander, pepper, and bayleaf, and was again, used to feed warriors. But the most popular origin story states that Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan’s wife and the inspiration behind the Taj Mahal, visited the army barracks and saw Mughal soldiers looking weak. For a balanced, nutritious diet, she asked the cook to prepare a dish that combined meat and rice. And so the Biryani was born.

Whatever its origins, India has embraced and loved Biryani for several decades, adding local tastes and flavours to it and making it its own, and will seemingly continue to do so.