The Great Aloo Debate – Should it be or Not in Your Biryani?

Can’t decide what to eat?! You can never go wrong with a plate of biryani! But, hey, wait! Would you like ‘aloo’ in your Biryani??

There’s no second thought when it comes to the Biryani experience in Pakistan; it is unmatched. While you get a variety of flavors in Biryani, such as Sindhi, Karachi-style, Hyderabadi, and Bombay Biryani to name a few, adding potatoes (aloo) in your Biryani has been a long-standing debate among the citizens of Pakistan, especially Lahori(s) and Karachiites.

Biryani with potatoes is a complete no-no for the people of Lahore, and those in Karachi are fond of having aloo in their Biryani. And so the debate continues to this day. 

Biryani is a heavenly amalgamation of rice, meat, and spices. There are several stories from the past about who discovered this deliciously mouth-watering dish. While the word Biryani originated from the Persian language, meaning ‘fried before cooking.’ According to historians, Persia is the origin of Biryani, then Mughals from the sub-continent brought it to India, which led to many variations of Biryani. 

It was also believed that the last Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, first introduced potatoes to his favorite Lucknowi Biryani, due to his time in exile when he moved to Calcutta, and to have something full of nutrition and less expensive potatoes became one of the ingredients of the dish. Another story entails that during the Mughal Era, the queen of the Mughals visited the camp of soldiers and found them weak and feeble, so she ordered the chefs to cook something healthy and filling for the soldiers.  

But, whatever the story be! While writing this, all that comes to mind is a succulent, mushy touch of ‘aloos’ in a steaming hot plate of Biryani. There is indeed nothing as delicious as a combo of Biryani and potatoes., but you can agree to disagree! 

While our people stand divided on the stance of having aloo in Biryani or not, some restaurants and catering services nationwide serve Biryani with potatoes. And no matter what side you belong to, the love for Biryani is mutual, my friend!

Want to know which city serves the best Biryani? (Read) it here!