No other Indian food has as many stories to tell as biryani does. Rosogolla surfaces to public notice once in a while due to the age-old contention over its origin between two neighboring states: Bengal and Odisha, while biryani is the only food to enjoy pan-India attention throughout the year. The stories of biryani are as varied as the taste and flavor of the dish across the country. If lots of conversation or discussion happens over tea in India, many incidents occur over biryani. Biryani is not just a delightful treat but a bribe, bait and gift. It puts smiles on withered cheeks, brings a ray of hope amidst adverse circumstances, pushes campaigns forward, stimulates arguments and unites people.

Travel Beats, a community portal for Indian Diaspora by IndianEagle.com, curated the most interesting biryani stories from across India and abroad to make you understand the unbeatable power and popularity of biryani.

Biryani was a Silver Lining amidst Dark Clouds during Chennai Floods     

Biryani is no compromise under any circumstance! It was evident from the disappointment of some people for being served sambar rice not biryani during the Chennai floods 2015. When a group of volunteers reached out with packets of sambar rice and other relief materials to the people stuck amidst flood waters, braving the pouring rain and shoulder-leveled standing water, they met with disappointment for not serving biryani. Paradise Biryani, a most popular Hyderabadi biryani brand, sent the dish for them.

Actor’s Love for Biryani Inspired the Name of a Tamil Film    

One of the interesting biryani stories is sourced from the Tamil film industry. Among Tamil film stars, Ajith is so fond of biryani that he loves cooking it for everyone on the shooting spot. He has cooked biryani for the filming crew multiple times. It bears out to not only his penchant for biryani but his simplicity and down to earth nature. Moved by Ajith’s unfathomable love for biryani, director Venkat Prabhu named his black comedy film ‘Biriyani” in 2013. Biriyani is a thriller which was filmed in Chennai and Hyderabad.

Cockroach Biryani Led to a Munna Bhai Style Campaign in Kashmir

The story of ‘cockroach biryani’ in Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is among the most interesting Biryani stories in India. When a local dentist and his friends found cockroaches in the biryani served to them at a multi-cuisine restaurant at Hazratbal, one of the outlets owned by Hat Trick fast food manufacturer in Kashmir, they forced their way into the kitchen and found it unhygienic to their surprise. When the ‘cockroach biryani’ story went viral on social media, a group of young foodies launched a ‘Munna Bhai style’ campaign and sent 1000 ‘get well soon’ letters to the restaurant owner. The campaign caught attention of the Food Safety Department and led to sealing of the cockroach restaurant.

Homemade Biryani Forced Dhoni to Vacate Grand Kakatiya in Hyderabad  

One of the Hyderabadi biryani stories is related to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was captain of the Indian Cricket team in 2014. He along with his team vacated the 5 star Hotel Grand Kakatiya where 180 rooms were booked for the team and BCCI officials, and moved to Taj Krishna due to a fiasco over homemade Hyderabadi biryani. One of Dhoni’s teammates brought homemade biryani for the entire team, which Hotel Kakatiya refused to allow within the premises. Hyderabadi biryani is something exclusive to die for!

Biryani Entertains Participants in National Shooting Championships   

The 59^th National Shooting Championship held in Delhi in 2015 is a memorable event for mouthwatering biryani served to the participants. The shooters from all over India were served delicious biryani at a nominal cost. Nawabuddin is the man who cooked and served the dish to them. Popularly known as Nawab Bhai, he has been cooking biryani for all shooting competitions in Delhi for past 6 years. He himself is a shooter and has participated in twenty national shooting championships. Eminent shooters are fans of Nawab Bhai’s biryani.

Biryani Failed to Make Rajnikanth’s Kochadaiiyaan a Success

Do you know that biryani was used as a bait to make superstar Rajnikanth’s Kochadaiiyaan a success in 2013 in Bangalore? When the fans of Rajnikanth felt that the film was going to be a box office disaster, they organized a rally in Bangalore to promote the film and promised the locals free biryani for watching the film. However, biryani could not save Kochadaiiyaan from being a failure.

Biryani Got People Together for a Communal Work in Kerala    

One of the latest biryani stories is how biryani is used to motivate people for a communal work. Recently, IAS officer Prashant Nair promised platefuls of Malabar biryani to a group of people for cleaning of a 14-acre lake in Kozhikode, Kerala. Removing water hyacinth from the lake was a herculean task, but his promise of biryani made it a success.

Biryani Saved a Bride from Marrying a Wrong Groom      

Anything can happen over biryani in India. Marriages can be fixed or broken over biryani. In 2014 in Karnataka, a bride called off the wedding over the ruckus created by the groom party over the taste of biryani. Even the bride’s family sent 30kg of biryani to the groom’s house but it came back as the groom’s family was fond of mutton biryani.

Biryani Energized Political Workers during Elections in Hyderabad  

Some of the stories of biryani in India are politically interesting. You might wonder what biryani has to do with politics in India. During the parliamentarian elections in 2014, Hyderabad witnessed a boom in sales of biryani. Demand for chicken and mutton biryani was tremendously high across Hyderabad during the electoral period in 2014.

Biryani Brought Good Luck to DMK Party in Chennai in 2009

Biryani not only keeps political workers on the go during elections but also plays an active role in success of electoral campaigns. Chennai witnessed the power of biryani in 2009 when the DMK party won elections in Tamil Nadu. The winning party distributed biryani packets to voters during the campaigns apart from offering usual baits like liquor, clothes and mobile phones. The popularity of biryani was so utilized to tempt common people that the 2009 election in Chennai was notoriously nicknamed ‘Biryani Bypolls.’

Biryani was a Gift from Sania Mirza to Dilwale Team        

Biryani is not just taken advantage of as bait or bribe. It is a pretty gift too. When Sania Mirza visited Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan during the shooting of Dilwale in 2015, she carried a box of Hyderabadi biryani for them.

Two Indian Restaurants Locked their Horns over Biryani in USA

Not only India but also the United States has interesting biryani stories to tell. Two Indian businesses in the US – Paradise Biryani Pointe and Paradise Biryani Grill – locked their horns in a legal battle over biryani at a New Jersey court. Both of these Indian restaurants in New Jersey serve the dish. In 2011, Paradise Biryani Pointe moved the court against its rival Paradise Biryani Grill accusing the latter of infringing the former’s trademark and biryani recipe which the former claimed to have developed over 7 years.

Read More Interesting Food Stories and News

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Prince William and Kate Middleton had a royal Indian dinner in the company of Bollywood biggies and business tycoons at Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace Hotel on Sunday evening. The Taj Hotels and Resorts had arranged the dinner gala in reception of the Royal Couple from Cambridge, England. The glittering evening of 10^th April was full of entertainment for the Duke and Duchess as well as VIP invitees from Mumbai’s film industry and business niches.

An Indian dance show on a number of songs from Bollywood films and an Indian fashion show were organized to introduce the Royal Couple to the cultural flavors of India. But it was the dinner menu that stole the show with Prince William and Kate Middleton at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai.

The dinner menu had the best of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes from different Indian cuisines including some of the delicacies cooked in the kitchens of India’s royal palaces in the bygone eras. The menu started with an amuse bouche with orange caviar, which was followed by a Maharaja Thali in the next course.

It was a most delicious feast for non-vegetarians among the guests at the reception of Prince William and Kate Middleton in Mumbai. The main course dishes on the royal dinner menu included Ajwaini Macchli, Shahi Murg ka Soyota, and Kundan Kalia. These were served with Awadhi Gosht Biryani and Lucknowi Vegetarian Biryani. Shahi Murg ka Soyota is a dish of chicken morsels cooked in saffron-rich gravy of cashew nuts and sweet corns. Kundan Kalia is a spicy dish of boneless lamb with gold varq. The biryani was accompanied by boondi and mint raita.

Since some of the invitees abide by the customary tradition of eating only veg food on nine days of Navratri festivity, they were served a grand vegetarian menu with mouthwatering dishes including Dal Langarwali, Paneer Shahi Korma, Khumb Makhana Mattar, Chhonka Palak, Subz Gandheri Kebab and likes. Subz Gandheri Kebab is a popular dish from the cuisine of Hyderabad while Paneer Shahi Korma is a delicacy from the kitchens of Nawabs in Lucknow City.

The royal Indian dinner of Prince William and Kate Middleton at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel ended with such traditional Indian desserts as Chhenna Payesh, Sharifa Kulfi and Dodha with Rabdi. Chhenna Payesh is one of the most popular Bengali delights from Kolkata.

A team of 228 people including chefs and culinary experts made the dinner a memorable one for the Royal Couple and other premium guests. They did their best in everything from selection of ingredients, meticulous cooking and eye-catching presentation to courteous serving. Though it was a small menu with a limited number of main course dishes and desserts, the team made sure that each and every item tasted the best. The guests were served on silver platters with silver cutlery as per the royal dining traditions.

The dinner with traditional delicacies from Lucknow and Hyderabad was meant to wow Prince William and Kate Middleton with a flavorful taste of our rich Indian food culture in the eras of Nawabs and Nizams. The Royal Couple is vegetarian, so we served moderately spiced vegetarian dishes to them. – Executive Chef Amit Chowdhury at Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace Hotel

The sumptuous feast in the reception of the Duke and Duchess was attended by Bollywood biggies from the entertainment industry of India, including Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit, Rishi Kapoor, Karna Johar, Sonak Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and likes.

Prince William and Kate Middleton visited the India Gate and the Gandhi Smriti Museum in New Delhi. Read more about the Royal Couple’s itinerary in India.  

Travel Beats is a digital portal for Indians and NRIs by IndianEagle, a leading travel organization. Travel Beats publishes interesting stories and news about travel, culture, entertainment, lifestyle and aviation from India and the US.

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What to eat in Lucknow is one of the most important things to know about Lucknow. The City of Nawabs is known for the centuries-old Awadhi cuisine, which is mostly influenced by the culinary culture of the Mughal era because the Mughal Emperors hired officials for administration of the Awadhi Province. The traditional Indian food menu has incorporated Lucknow food from the Awadhi cuisine over years. A paradise for foodies in India, Lucknow City is a labyrinthine trail of food from biryanis to kebabs, chaats and paans. Indian Eagle explores the Lucknow food trail and dares to cut the long list of dishes short so that you don’t feel spoilt for choice.

Biryani is one of the unique things to eat in Lucknow. It is one of the must-have dishes on the traditional Indian food menu. Influenced by the Awadhi cuisine during the era of Nawabs, Lucknow Biryani is unlike the Dum Biryani of Hyderabad in cooking style and flavor. Rice and meat are cooked separately. Both are mixed later and flavored with garden-fresh spices.

Lalla Biryani and Wahid Biryani are the places to eat in Lucknow. The former is famous for mutton biryani and the latter is known for chicken biryani. Among other dishes served at Lalla Biryani, mutton korma and mutton kebab are simply irresistible. Since 1955, Wahid Biryani has been a favorite of foodies. It is a must stop during food tours in Lucknow City. Wahid Biryani has been featured in many newspapers, food shows and travel videos for its USP that is the rare blend of 56 difference spices. Even they serve visitors at the Taj Mahotsav in Agra. You can visit the by-lanes of Aminabad in  the old city for vegetarian versions of Lucknow Biryani.

Galawati Kebab or Galauti Kebab is what to eat in Lucknow during a trip or food tour. It is said that the recipe was invented for a change of taste when a Nawab wished to eat something new that would melt in his mouth. Galawati Kebab does really melt in the mouth as it is made from ground meat. Add Tunday Kababi near Akbari Gate to your list of best places to eat in Lucknow City as it serves authentic Galauti Kebab with paratha. Chicken Korma is another must have at this food joint.

Galauti Kebab is also known as Tunday Kebab (Tunday means handicapped). It is called so because the person who invented the recipe was handicapped. This Lucknow food owes its unique flavor to the blend of 100 spices.

Of the Lucknow Kebabs, Boti Kebab is served as a starter. It is made with tender pieces of meat under intense heat. It is a Mughlai dish from the Awadhi cuisine.

You should add Tokri Chaat to your list of never-tasted-before things to eat in Lucknow. Generally, chaat is an Indian street food and a popular monotony-breaking snack. Tokri Chaat is a Lucknow-special dish of deep-fried basket-shaped dough filled with a mix of boiled peas and potato mash. Unique to the City of Nawabs, it is unlike the varieties of chaat that Delhi, Agra, Nagpur and Indore fare famous for. Royal Café in Hazrat Ganj Market serves the best of Tokri Chaat.

READ MORE Interesting Facts about Lucknow

Sheermal is a sweet version of naan (baked flat bread) savored with anything spicy in contrast to it. Sheermals are made of refined flour mixed with sweetened, warm milk and flavored with saffron. Don’t forget to get your taste buds blessed with contrasting flavors of sheermal and a spicy curry.

Lucknow and Varanasi (or Banaras) are the ultimate stops for paan lovers and paan eaters in India. No meal is complete without a Lucknowi paan, which is not just another experience. Stuffed with several different tongue-teasing ingredients including mango pulp in summer, paan is omnipresent in this Indian heritage city. Mango Paan at Mehrotra Paan Corner is a unique bliss of Lucknow.

The list of things to eat in Lucknow does also have Malai Ki Gilori for those having a sweet tooth. Soft in make, this sweetmeat melts in the mouth within seconds. Pista Barfi is another famous sweet treatment for the taste buds in the city.

Your tour of the best places to eat in Lucknow would remain incomplete without an experience of Prakash ki Kulfi and Chanakya ki Kulfi. These two varieties of kulfi in different flavors including malai, rose, elaichi and kesar-pista will leave an indelible impact on the foodie in you. Parkash ki Kulfi with sweet noodles is a must try in Aminabad, and the place offering Chanakya ki Kufli exhibits food related poems on the walls.

If you happen to visit Lucknow during winter, don’t give a miss to Makhkhan Malai. Known as Lab-e-Mashook in Urdu, the delicacy is sold near Kali Temple at Chowk in the old city.

With Paya ki Nihari, we at Travel Beats are back to the non-vegetarian menu that Lucknow City is famous for. It is a spicy broth of lamb trotters, cooked slowly for 6-7 hours. Lucknow owes this dish to Haji Abdul Rahim Sahib who started serving it with kulche for morning breakfast in the year 1890. Since then, the city has been breaking its fast with a bowl of Paya ki Nihari and a plate of kulche in the morning.

Lucknow Travel Tips

October to March is the best time to visit Lucknow, one of the weekend getaways from New Delhi. The Double-decker AC Train is the best of all Delhi to Lucknow trains. It covers the distance between Delhi and Lucknow in 7 hours. If travel by train is not your cup of tea, book a domestic flight to Lucknow from Delhi.

Cheap Flights on Indian Eagle

Indian Eagle offers the best itinerary to Lucknow including the cheapest flight tickets to New Delhi and the best domestic flight to Lucknow from Delhi. The lowest airfare and the best service are guaranteed!

The post Lucknow Food Trail: Best Places to Eat Biryani and Kebab appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.