Photo by Rizwan Tabassum. Video by Soha Anwar.
Glaring at each other across traffic, rival Pakistani biryani shops vie for customers, serving up fiery platters of meat, rice and spices that unite and divide South Asian appetites.
Both sell niche versions of the dish steeped in the same container, with matching prices and trophies celebrating their quality.
But in Karachi, where a biryani boom took off after the creation of Pakistan, it’s the subtle differences that motivate dedication.
“Our biryani is not only different from theirs, but also unique in the world,” says restaurateur Muhammad Saqib, who makes a “bone marrow biryani” layered with herbs.
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“Once you take a bite, you get lost in the world of flavors,” says the 36-year-old.
Mohammad Zain, across the road, sees it differently.
“We were the first to start the biryani business here,” insists the 27-year-old, as staff guzzle masalas and share platters.
“This is our own personal secret recipe.”
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Both agree on one point.
“You won’t find biryani like Pakistan’s anywhere in the world,” Saqib says.
“Whether it’s a celebration or any other occasion, biryani always comes first,” says Zain.
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British colonial rule in South Asia ended in 1947 with the violent division of the region along religious lines.
Hindus and Sikhs from the newly created state of Pakistan fled to India, while Muslim “Mohajirs” (refugees) fled in the opposite direction.
Since then, India and Pakistan have been bitter rivals, fighting wars and engaging in endless diplomatic battles. Trade and travel have all but stopped.
Many Mohajirs settled in Karachi. Karachi had only 400,000 residents in 1947, but now it is one of the largest cities in the world with a population of 20 million.
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For Indian food historian Pushpesh Pant, biryani served in South Asian melting pot cities like Karachi is a reminder of a shared tradition.
“The way Hindus ate, the way Nanakpantis (Sikhs) ate, the way Muslims ate were all different, but their food was different from each other,” he told AFP from the city of Gurugram on the outskirts of Delhi. That’s not to say it didn’t have an impact.”
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“The differences in taste and food between certain parts of Pakistan and certain parts of India are not so great that you would think there would be an artificial border.”
Each region of Karachi has its own cafeteria, with vendors standing in front of their shops tapping the inside of biryani pots with spatulas.
There are endless variations of the recipe.
Beef-based dishes are popular in Muslim Pakistan, but vegetarian dishes are more popular in Hindu-dominated India.
Chicken is common all over the world. There is a lot of seafood along the coastline.
And purists are debating whether adding potatoes is heresy.
“Other than that, we also have pulao biryani, which is purely from Delhi,” says Muhammad Al Aqib, a 27-year-old pharmacist, explaining the soup-based variation.
“My roots also go back to Delhi, so it’s like the mother of biryani for us.”
“Perhaps everyone has a different way of cooking and their method is better,” said Mehran Koso, a 36-year-old homeowner.
The origins of biryani are hotly debated.
However, it is generally accepted that the word has Persian roots, and it is argued that the dish was popularized in the elite kitchens of the Mughal Empire, which spread across South Asia from the 16th to the 19th century.
Despite its pedigree, its characteristics are permutations.
Qatul Ain Asad, 40, spends Sunday mornings cooking for her husband and son, descendants of the Mohajir family, whose family came to Karachi from the Indian town of Tonk in 1948.
But at the dinner table, instead of an heirloom recipe, we’re feasting on the TV chef’s version, with cold yogurt sauce and a simple shredded salad.
Mr. Assad insists on supremacy of Biryani in Karachi.
“Once you taste Karachi’s biryani, you won’t like biryani from other countries,” she says.
“There are no secret ingredients, just cooking with passion and joy,” she added. That might be why it tastes good.
Biryani, cooked in bulk, is also a staple of charitable giving.
At Ghazi Foods, 28-year-old Ali Nawaz rows dozens of servings of biryani, packs them into plastic bags, and delivers them to poor neighborhoods on his motorbike.
A minute after the bike stops, the biryani is gone, snatched up by children and youth.
“People pray for us when they eat it,” says Nawaz. “We are happy that our biryani is reaching people.”