Bengali delicacies is an fascinating mixture of flavours, heritage and the journey of Calcutta to being as we speak’s Kolkata. It is wealthy, different and says rather a lot concerning the in depth historical past of the area. Unfortunately, someplace between ‘maach’ and ‘mishti’, a number of Bengali delicacies and their fascinating tales go unnoticed. And one such dish certainly is the traditional Kolkata biryani. Whenever we point out biryani, the primary two names that pop up in each thoughts are – Lucknowi biryani and Hyderabadi biryani. But you ask any Bengali, biryani for them is equal to Kolkata biryani that comes with a giant boiled potato, loaded with flavours; and that is what makes biryani of Bengal standout within the lot.
Now you have to be questioning why an aloo got here into the scene, when you have already got juicy items of meat to take pleasure in with the fragrant rice?! To perceive, it’s essential first delve into the historical past of Bengal. Read on.
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How Aloo Was Introduced In Bengal’s Biryani Preparation:

The story goes again to the 12 months 1856 when Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, the final King of Awadh, was dethroned by the British and exiled to Kolkata from his capital Lucknow. When he moved town, Nawab took his ‘khansamas’ (cooks) alongside to not compromise on meals behavior – historical past has it, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was keen on his tastes and indulgences.
Over the time, because of the shortage of Nawab’s cash, his indulgences had been in repair. But as they are saying, necessity is the mom of invention – the cooks determined so as to add an area variation to the Lucknowi biryani by chopping down on meat and including potatoes to it. As per meals knowledgeable Kalyan Karmakar, because of the cash crunch, “the biryani became lighter with toning down of spices in the rice. And meat was expensive, so they decided to add potatoes instead to give contrast to the rice.”
However, there are numerous conjectures to the idea. Reportedly, some theories negate the shortage of cash angle and state that potato was included as an indication of luxurious because it was thought-about an unique vegetable throughout that time frame.
Also Read: Weekend Delight: Try Peshawari Chicken Biryani For A Flavourful Feast

What Is The Science Behind Adding Potatoes In Kolkata Biryani:

You have to be questioning, why potatoes, when there have been different unique greens too?! There’s a science behind this. Potato us a tuber, with starchy texture. Its mobile construction is designed to soak up all of the flavours of the meals, compared to rice that may be a dry grain and absorbs much less flavours. Hence, you’ll discover potato being extensively utilized in numerous meat-based recipes, the place the vegetable loses its water content material and absorbs the flavours of the spices and juice and fats of the meat.

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What Is The Right Way To Add Potato In Kolkata Biryani:

According to biryani consultants, the standard of Bengali biryani is greatest understood from the aloo inside. The well-cooked the aloo is, the higher the biryani tastes. An excellent biryani aloo ought to be intact, but mushy and juicy, with all of the flavours of the meat and rice.
According to Kolkata-based Chef Koyel Roy Nandy, “To get that perfect taste and texture of biryani aloo, you need to first pick the right kind of potatoes of same size. Preferably, get jyoti potatoes of 100gm each. Keeping a uniformity in size helps you cook all the potatoes evenly.” The subsequent essential step is frying. Chef Koyel provides, “Wash, peel and then marinate the potatoes nicely with salt, turmeric and red chilli. Then fry them well and cook along with the meat for all the flavours and juices. Frying also helps you hold the structure of the potatoes after cooking.”
Sounds scrumptious, certainly! If all these discussions about scrumptious Kolkata biryani is making you slurp, then right here now we have a shock for you. We convey some iconic biryani locations from Kolkata which can be a must-try. Click here for particulars.