Pune Restaurant Creates Twitter Drama After Claiming “Only Hyderabadi Biryani Is Real Biryani, Everything Else Is Pulao”

Written by Niharika Nayak, BA (Media & Communication)  • 

Let’s get one thing straight. All biryani is good biryani! It’s not right to pick and choose which biryani is the real biryani because every type tastes different and is unique in its own way. Just as India is a diverse country, so is its love for biryani. In Hyderabad, they like their biryanis as spicy as possible, in Kolkata, they like their biryanis aromatic, and in Bombay, they like biryani minty and with a lot of lime squeezed on top. As a vibrant and diverse nation, we should all learn to respect each others cultures and tastes even if it’s different from ours. However, a restaurant in the Maharashtrian city of Pune seems to disagree. Let’s look at what they said and how it went viral:

Online Drama

Online Drama
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Image: Twitter

A Pune restaurant went viral after a Twitter user shared images of its updated “Biryani Policy”. Clearly the restaurant meant it in a humorous manner but many came forward to defend their favorite biryanis. Like a personal food war, they descended onto the internet to yell out their support for their favorite flavors. People mocked Kolkata for adding potatoes to their Biryanis, some mocked the restaurant for excluding delicious Lucknowi Biryani and others announced their support for the sentiment.

Pune Restaurant Creates Twitter Drama After Claiming “Only Hyderabadi Biryani Is Real Biryani, Everything Else Is Pulao”
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Image: Twitter

Many users were offended by the declaration and one even went so far as to writing, “Dear Hyderabad, pouring Mirchi ka salan on your boiled rice tantamounts to a crime against humanity. May as well pour ketchup while you’re at it”. Clearly sensibilities were hurt and this sparked a spicy debate on social media. For those of us who love biryani for what it is, delicious from every corner of the country, this was a fun feud to observe.

Others took offense to the fact that Bombay and Pakistani biryani were not given their due respect. Many reacted by bringing up the fact that the word biryani itself is of Persian origin. This was how it was brought into the city of Bombay. When Parsis moved into the city in the early 1600s.

So, Where Is Biryani From?

So, Where Is Biryani From
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Image: Shutterstock

Although biryani and India have shared a unique love story for many years, the country was actually introduced to biryani by people traveling from Afghanistan and Mughals. After spreading its wings across the country and mixing with the various herbs and spices in each region. Indians changed up the biryani game by giving it a local twist with each iteration and variation.

Biryani is not just popular in India but in many parts of the world too! Indians and Persians spread their love for biryani to all the numerous countries they immigrated to. Now you can find biryani in every corner of the world and it has been mixed and flavored in numerous manners.

Flavors Galore

Flavors Galore
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Image: Shutterstock

Let’s take a look at some of the other forms of Biryani that are out there. While India and Pakistan might be known for their biryani, our neighbor Bangladesh also makes a delicious biryani called Kacchi Biryani. The delicious preparation is made with mutton cooked along with spices and rice. Dindigul Biryani is a delicious preparation that is much loved in the city of Chennai. This form of preparation adds a unique twist to the dish by using jeera rice instead of the commonly used Basmati rice. It also uses smaller mutton and chicken chunks than regular types of biryani.

Pune Restaurant Creates Twitter Drama After Claiming “Only Hyderabadi Biryani Is Real Biryani, Everything Else Is Pulao”
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Image: Shutterstock

Sindhi Biryani is another type of biryani that is not as well known as the common ones. Sindhi Biryani that originated from Sind, Pakistan makes use of curd which gives the biryani a spicy and zesty flavor. A generous amount of chilies and spices are also thrown into the mix, ensuring that this is a spicy treat for all. Malabar Biryani is popular in Kerala, especially in the northern area of the state known as “Malabar”. This type of biryani makes generous use of spices and dried fruits like raisins and cashew nuts. Truly an opulent delight for your tastebuds.

Pune Restaurant Creates Twitter Drama After Claiming “Only Hyderabadi Biryani Is Real Biryani, Everything Else Is Pulao”
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Image: Shutterstock

While there are numerous other types of biryanis out there, we should promise not to discriminate against others for their tastes in biryanis. Every palate is unique and everyone has a different level of spice tolerance than the last. If you believe biryani is supposed to be spicy, make spicy biryani, or visit restaurants that serve more than one type of biryani. If you’re someone who doesn’t like spicy biryani you can avoid eating it or just dilute it with curds instead.

In the end, all biryani lovers should be respected and appreciated. Do tell us what your thoughts are in the comment section below! Share this article if you learned something new!

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