New Delhi, Oct. 11 -- Suhel Seth, who has an opinion on everything under the sun and beyond, has triggered a sort of non-veg debate on 'X', formerly 'Twitter', by claiming that Kolkata's biryani is the best in India. Mohandas Pai, an ardent supporter of the Modi government, also jumped into the fray without understanding the political implications, as he stands very tall among Modi 'bhakts'. Calling Suhel's claim presumptuous, he invited Suhel to try Bengaluru's Donne Biryani. Umesh (Modi ka Parivar), in an unlikely polite manner, differed with them, saying 'naati biryani' is the best, with a caveat: "It depends where you eat."
Sanatana Rao from Hyderabad, who looks like a Sanatani from his profile, which says 'Urdhwapundra Madhwa, Upanishads, Vedas, Sanatana Temples', asked Suhel to try Hyderabadi Kachi Handi ki Biryani. Yashwant Deshmukh of C-Voter fame questioned Suhel's logic of having potato and eggs in biryani, saying, "If Aaloo-Bhaath was Biryani."
Many supporters of potatoes came to the fore, saying 'aaloo' never tastes so good in biryani. Some Bongs took the debate back to the Bengal famine. Sujata Suri says, "An egg, one aaloo and a piece of meat per plate makes it more affordable for the masses. If you dissect our Bong cuisine, you'll realise that much of it was influenced by the Bengal famine. We even cook the skins of potatoes and lauki! Nutritious too. Now it's (sic) our comfort food." Satavahana endorsed the Sujata theory, saying, "Aloo was introduced into biryani as a substitute for meat. As the Bengal famine pushed many into poverty."
Nirav Kanodra totally debunked Suhel's assertion. "Best biryanis for someone is what they grew up eating. But it's actually one that travels well. Don't see Kolkata biryani spots elsewhere. Hyderabad and Lucknow biryanis are the only ones popular in the third location."
Malayaj, taking a potshot at Suhel, said, "Kolkata biryani is the worst form of biryani. Also good to know that even in food choices I stand on the opposite side of whatever that fatso Suhel Seth believes in." Ishaan Sinha, who has been living in Kolkata for the past four years, said, "4 years in Bengal, 7 among its people and I found myself compatible with almost everything Bengal: its food, its people, its culture. But Kolkata Biryani is that one damn thing I just couldn't warm myself up to. Rice is too bland and that giant potato is mehh. Just didn't cut."
But Suhel, as he always wants to have the last word, cut the debate, saying, "Just saying it here. The best biryani in India is the Kolkata style Biryani with a potato and an egg. Nothing else compares. End of debate."
The debate on great Indian biryani is going on 'X', with everyone overruling each other's claims, but unlike TV channel debates, the language and the decibel level remain very civil. But this entire delicious debate was 'spoiled' (pun intended) by a putrid remark by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who said that 'those born to eat biryani are animals'. Coming from a man who just a few months ago had no problems with people eating beef at home, it left a bad taste in the mouth.
One is sure this remark must have hurt Suhel's sentiments. Suhel, who is proud of his English, needs to find a new word in his vocabulary to give Sarma a mouthful.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.