India, June 18 -- On lifting the lid off the giant aluminium deg, clouds of pure scented steam escapes into the city's smoggy air. Beneath the steam lie long grains of rice, each separate and glistening, entwined here and there with pieces of chicken, and with limpid strands of whole green chillies.

Across Delhi, Ghaziabad and Gurugram, small eateries and roadside shacks serve this rice dish from morning till night. It is biryani, but not Delhi-style biryani, Lucknow-style biryani or Hyderabad-style biryani. It is Moradabadi biryani.

The city that lent its name to this particular biryani has now crossed the 400-year mark, completing four centuries of history. Moradabad was founded in 1625 and named after Prince Murad Baksh, son of Shah ...