The History of Kolkata Chicken Biriyani

Back in May 1856, Wajid Ali Shah, the 10th Nawab of Oudh, came to what was then Calcutta with much disquiet in his heart. The British had confiscated his lands, his treasury , his comfort -indeed, they had even banished him from his beloved Luc know. So what was he left with? On the outskirts of Kolkata, in Metiabruz, the Nawab rebuilt a replica of his beloved capital, complete with grand Islamic structures, his beloved parikhana of damsels, a zoo of exotic animals, kite-flying, kabootarbaazi and yes, food from the royal kitchen. But the purse strings had been tightened. The table was set, but the grandiose banquets were under quite a bit of financial strain.

So the Nawab’s enterprising chefs thought of an ingenious way to deal with the shortage of meat. They added potatoes and eggs to the royal repast -and thus was born the Kolkata biryani.

BUT WHY THE ALOO?

When Wajid Ali came to Kolkata, he did not have enough funds to feed his entourage in an elaborate way . But his culinary heritage was his biggest treasure and he was both khaane ke aur khilaane ke shaukeen. So, after a few years in Kolkata, the potato was introduced in the biryani. The tuber had been brought to India by the Portuguese and was considered a novelty, since it was imported. It was also quite expensive, though not as much as meat. Apart from bringing down costs, the potato also helped to maximise the volume of the dish.

The taste of the biryani available in restaurants differs from what they cook at home. Restaurants use artificial colour, meetha attar and definitely there’s no saffron. It is also a bit spicy. But the one that they make at home has to be mild and we use saffron to get that perfect colour. The biggest difference is that they use mustard oil to cook korma.

FROM THE KITCHEN TO THE WORLD

Over the years, this member of the royal family has turned her love and passion for cooking into a part-time profession. She takes house party , birthday and small corporate event orders, for a headcount that doesn’t exceed 25.Apart from the biryani, she also makes chicken or mutton rezala, dum ki machhli and different kebabs.