Biranj-a festive sweet rice

The various regional cuisines of India have one or the other way of preparing sweet pulao just like we have many regional versions of Kheer. Biranj is the Gujarati approach to the sweet rice preparation. During the bygone days when festive sweets were made using simple and easily available ingredients grains like wheat, rice, millets were usually used as a base to create the mithai. In Gujarat the regular sweets are very basic and make use of ghee, wheat and jaggery. The ingredients do not shout for attention and the method of preparing was also very simple. Lapsi and Kansaar are the perfect examples of this simple approach we had to our sweets. The ones that used rice was Dhoodh Paak and not so known Biranj. There still exists a tradition of making  ghau ni sev or wheat vermicelli/noodles that is usually cooked in sugar and ghee. Making the wheat vermicelli at home was an annual ritual, they were hand rolled and  sun-dried and stored to last an entire year. The times of making them at home are long gone with most of us buying it ready made.

Biranj is made two ways, one using rice and another using wheat vermicelli which is known as Sev Biranj. The rice Biranj is made with good quality long grained rice, chana dal and loads of dried fruits. The key is to cooke the rice and dal but not allow them to get mushy, the grain has be be fluffed up and separate. The saffron lends the dish  beautiful sunny yellow color and elevates it from simple to festive dish. Biranj was usually prepared to mark new beginnings or on festivals. Biranj is enjoyed as part of the main meal, as it is with most  Gujarati sweets which are part of our  thali.

The recipe I share here is from my Masiba’s repertoire of heirloom recipes. They are notes she has scribble down from her mother-in-law and are almost a century old. They are like those timeless classics, songs we just want to keep hearing again and again. This is food that is simple yet elegant and refined.

Berenj or Birinj is what rice is called in Persian/Farsi. Sheer Berenj  is the Persian rice pudding. Sheer means milk and Berenj is rice. May be our Biranj has some Persian influence. Don’t know, I did ask a few questions but all said Biranj was a very  Gujarati delicacy. Biranj, Berenj, Birinj all sounds familiar, right!!! Biranj is quite similar to Zarda, a sweet rice that is usually made during Ramzan.

Sadly, Biranj is not made quite as much these days. Not many people even know of this delicacy. It is Sev Biranj that is  made quite often. It is time we try this way of making Biranj before it is forgotten…..