Potato in Biryani: Food Science Says Yes!

Описание: I am often asked what my favourite Biryani is and my answer is Kolkata or Dhaka’s biryani and almost always the followup remark is - “BUT Y THEY PUT POTATO YA?”, so I thought it might be interesting to look at both the history and the food science behind this.

The history is one of resourceful bawarchis (chefs) of an exiled Nawab who was short of money using a meat substitute that was starting to become popular among the working class of Bengal as a high-yield crop that rarely failed - the potato. Now, of course, as with all food history in India, this could very well be an urban legend given that there are other versions of this story that give less of the credit to the Nawab's chefs. But IMO, the history is less important than the culinary/food science aspect of this.

As I researched food science to write Masala Lab, it became evident that the potato is actually a fantastic addition to not just Biryani but most meat-based dishes because as a stem tuber, its cellular structure is designed better for absorption than a tightly packed and largely dry rice grain. The potato loses water as you cook it and in its place, absorbs fats from the meat and ghee and with that, all of the dissolved spice flavours.

This is why the right way to enjoy a Biryani in Kolkata or Dhaka is to eat the rice and meat first and save the potatoes for the end.