Man calls Chennai biryani better than Kolkata; invites Twitter war
What's the story
Biryani is not just any rice-based dish, it's more of an emotion and Biryani lovers don't like anyone who messes up with their emotions. Recently, a Twitter user, Yunus Lasania, tweeted an 'unpopular' opinion on this morsel of saffron-smoked, masala-infused goodness of rice, that invited a mob to his post. Many came hauling to lambast him on his taste while some sided with him.
Comparison
Man calls Chennai biryani better than Kolkata and Lucknow versions
The Twitter user called Dindigul biryani better than the Kolkata and Lucknow versions. "Unpopular hot take on biryani (NOTE: HYD biryani is still my FAV): #Chennai's Dindigul biryani is absolutely amazing. Loved it, and Imho it's better than Lucknow and Calcutta biryani. Very flavourful. This [is] from Erode [Amman] mess. Don't come at me with 'no layers' argument," he wrote.
Criticism
A fierce debate started soon
One user came in criticizing his preference for Chennai's biryani and wrote, "There's a certain phrase I love (obnoxiously) repeating every time this topic comes up: "Hyderabadi biryani is biryani. Everything else is pulao." To which Yunus Lasania responded by writing, "You know, Hyd biryani is actually very similar to the pulao or pilaf they make in Azerbaijan."
Basmati supremacy
'Any biryani without basmati rice is not biryani'
Another user pointed out that 'biryani' made with any rice variant other than basmati should not be called biryani. The tweet read, "As a thumb rule, let's not call a dish made out of any rice variant other than basmati as biryani. Its a humble request." Lasania responded, "I think that's easily disputed because we don't even know if originally that was the case?"
Support
Some users came in for support too
However, there were also some who sided with Dindigul biryani. One user wrote, "The thing about Dindigul biriyani is that you can have it for every meal. The flavour of the seeraga samba rice with the meat, IMHO beats other contenders in this segment. I was so obsessed with this biriyani in the lockdown to cook it every other day!"
Dindigul
Others also poured in their preference for Dindigul biryani
One user wrote in support, "Dindigul mutton biriyani is the best thing on the planet." Another user tweeted, "Absolutely beautiful!!! Chennai's biryani and one other variation that I had in Coimbatore (very similar to Chennai ones) is extremely tasty. I was surprised that regional rice was used instead of Sella/Golden rice. Also distinct taste than northern biryanis."
Different state, different taste
Lucknow vs Kolkata vs Dindigul biryani
The Lucknow biryani is famous for being slow-cooked over a low flame, deriving inspiration from the Persian style of cooking. The Kolkata biryani is a slightly sweeter version that is influenced by the Mughal cuisine of Lucknow, and it has potatoes. While Dindigul biryani is a spicy, tangy version influenced by South Indian cuisine. It uses jeera samba rice instead of basmati rice.