Deccan Darbar

Biryani is been derived from the Farsi word 'Birian'. In Northern India and then through Mughal courts and fusion of cooking influences for Persia.

Aurangzeb brought it to Hyderabad when he invaded south.

It was a royal dish of the Nawab’s and Nizam’s and come to be Known as a celebration dish.

Hyderabadi Biryani is made traditionally with uncooked, marinated lamb or chicken. It is layered at the bottom of pan with rice in various stages of 'doneness'; the topmost is more precooked, than the rice nearest the meat that is cooked only 25 percent. The point is to have perfectly cooked meat with flavorful rice.

The Nizam's Kitchen boasted of 49 kinds, which included Biryani made from Fish, quail, shrimp, dear etc. Today there are over two dozen varieties in India alone.

The blending of Mughlai and local cuisines in kitchens of the Nizam, ruler of historic Hyderabad State, resulted in the creation of Hyderabadi Dum Biryani.