Awadhi, Dindigul or Hyderabadi...
With the holy month of Ramzan coming to a close, we ask you, dear readers which is the most delectable biryani you ever had.
Biryani refers to: a fragrant dish of rice layered with meat, fish or vegetables.
But every biryani is special and has a story to tell.
It's not surprising that almost each region in India has its own mouth-watering, trademark biryani. And debates often arise about which is the best.
Is it the traditional Mughlai Biryani or Lucknow's melt-in-your-mouth Awadhi Biryani?
Ask a Bengali for his favourite biryani and without battering an eyelid he'll say: "Kolkata!" That's a preparation that derives some of its flavours from the Awadhi style of cooking biryanis.
The Malayalees insist that all other biryanis bite the dust when it comes to the Thalassery Biryani (sometimes spelled biyani) which uses a unique variety of Kerala rice called khyma.
And (of course!) there's the Kappa Biryani from Kerala made with beef and tapioca (known as kappa in Kerala).
The Hyderabadi Biryani from the kitchens of the Nizam is a clear winner when it comes to taste and is loved by locals and tourists.
Close on its heels is Chennai favourite, Dindigul Biryani, which originated in the small town of Dindigul, Tamil Nadu.
Few people would have heard of the tiny hamlet of Ambur in Tamil Nadu. But many have tasted its Ambur Biryani. Here the rice and meat are cooked separately and then put together in a covered large pot. It's spicier than the Lucknowi Biryani, which is based on the Persian style of cooking.
Vegetarians will surely vote for the Tahiri Biryani, a meatless biryani from Hyderabad. This perfectly spiced biryani, which boasts of simple goodness, is cooked with special vegetable masala.
There's the humble Kampuri Biryani of Assam, a simple dish where chicken is cooked with vegetables and flavoured with spices, and the Bombay Biryani that stands out for the use of potatoes and gets its hint of sweetness from the crispy-fried onions.
Bhatkal Biryani comes from the Nawayath Muslim community of Bhatkal, coastal Karnataka. Lighter on the stomach than the Bhatkal Biryani is the Beary Biryani which is relished by the Muslims of south Karnataka.
In the traditional Iranian Scheherazade Biryani rice is cooked with marinated fish and later layered with fried onions. It's served in Iranian restaurants in Mumbai and New Delhi.
Other favourites are the spicy and zesty Sindhi Biryani from Sindh, and the Memoni Biryani, quite similar to the Sindhi Biryani, but fewer tomatoes are used in this biryani.
We can just go on and on talking about the different biryanis of India.
But we'd like to stop here and ask you, dear readers which is the tastiest biryani in India.
Take the poll given below and let us know.
If you don't find your biryani here, please let us know about it on the message board below.
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Where to find the best biryani in Mumbai?
Lead photograph: James/Creative Commons
