Hyderabad curries favour: No one knows the origin of biryani - but this 地域 in India is said to serve the best (and some plates of the dish cost just 50p)

When we ordered a mutton biryani at the Shadab restaurant - ‘delight in every bite!’ - in Hyderabad, all I could see was a piebald pyramid of rice 長,率いるing our way on a silver platter.

But, then, the 成分s became 明白な: lushly perfumed chunks of mutton, with a kaleidoscopic 範囲 of flavours - roasted onions, ginger, garlic, cinnamon and cumin seeds の中で them - served with a 味方する dish called mirchi ka salan, a chilli and peanut curry mix.

No one knows the origin of biryani, but it is assumed to have arrived with the 征服する/打ち勝つing Moghuls from Central Asia, where it was then 精製するd in the イスラム教徒 kingdoms of Lucknow in northern India and Hyderabad in southern India.

There are animated 審議s about which 申し込む/申し出s the best 見解/翻訳/版, with Hyderabad usually winning the argument.

Food historian Jonty Rajagopalan believes ‘the secret is in the marination of the meat’.

A star of India: Bruce Palling travels to Hyderabad (pictured) in southern India and discovers some of its best biryani joints

A 星/主役にする of India: Bruce 棺/かげりing travels to Hyderabad (pictured) in southern India and discovers some of its best biryani 共同のs?

Bruce visits Hyderabad’s Falaknuma Palace (pictured), which serves biryani at its flagship restaurant

Bruce visits Hyderabad’s Falaknuma Palace (pictured), which serves biryani at its 旗艦 restaurant?

The next important thing is how the meat - usually mutton - is spiced and 層d between the rice.

Both are cooked together, いつかs with the 肌 of green papaya 追加するd to tenderise it.

We started with some of the more aristocratic 見解/翻訳/版s of biryani.

This 要求するs a short trip to Falaknuma Palace, a 広大な classical mansion on a rocky citadel overlooking Hyderabad.

It’s a former palace of the Nizam - the 地域’s 支配者 until Indian independence who was, at one point, considered to be the richest person on earth.

Food historian Jonty Rajagopalan believes ‘the secret' to making the best biryani 'is in the marination of the meat’. Pictured: Charminar in Hyderabad, the region said to serve the best

Food historian Jonty Rajagopalan believes ‘the secret' to making the best biryani 'is in the marination of the meat’. Pictured: Charminar in Hyderabad, the 地域 said to serve the best

'No one knows the origin of biryani, but it is assumed to have arrived with the conquering Moghuls from Central Asia,' writes Bruce (file image)

'No one knows the origin of biryani, but it is assumed to have arrived with the 征服する/打ち勝つing Moghuls from Central Asia,' 令状s Bruce (とじ込み/提出する image)

In its 旗艦 restaurant, each biryani comes in its own circular silver コンテナ with a chapati-like 最高の,を越す as tight as a drumskin 調印(する)d along the 辛勝する/優位s with dough.

Once broken, there’s a 解放(する) of spices and aromas of mutton.

The most popular chain of biryani restaurants in Hyderabad is 楽園 - ‘world’s favourite biryani’ - with nearly 30 出口s.

The main 支店, 近づく Hyderabad’s 日光 Hospital, has posters of famous Indian personalities on the 塀で囲むs, 含むing cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.

Some (人命などを)奪う,主張する that the 楽園 biryani is too spicy to qualify as authentic. But it’s excellent value for little more than £3.

Even lower 負かす/撃墜する the culinary つつく/ペックing order, the curiously 指名するd Saddam Hotel Restaurant ladles out hundreds of biryani dishes daily from 抱擁する steaming マリファナs for little more than 50p a plate.

Paradise is the most popular chain of biryani restaurants in?Hyderabad. Bruce dines at the main branch (pictured) near Hyderabad’s Sunshine Hospital

楽園 is the most popular chain of biryani restaurants in?Hyderabad. Bruce dines at the main 支店 (pictured) 近づく Hyderabad’s 日光 Hospital?

Above, the posters of famous Indian personalities on the walls at Paradise's main location

Above, the posters of famous Indian personalities on the 塀で囲むs at 楽園's main 場所

Then we 長,率いるd for the fabled Shadab, where some 200 people were seated in padded leat herette booths with whirring fans above.

All were searching for bite-sized 部分s of mutton, wrapping it around the rice and eating it with their fingers.

I realised after my first mouthful that my search for the perfect biryani was over. This was it.

TRAVEL FACTS?

Bruce travelled with The Ultimate Travel Company, which 申し込む/申し出s five nights at the Taj Falaknuma Palace, in a 王室の 控訴 B&B, from £2,965 per person, 含むing return flights with British 航空路s and 私的な airport 移転s. Go to: theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk, 020 4525 2788.