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President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has shared his well-wishes for the Tamil New Year, Puthandu, falling on Tuesday (April 14), and to Sikhs, Malayalees, Bengalis and other Indian communities in Singapore who are also celebrating festivities in the next couple of days.<\/p>\n
He also took the opportunity to share his personal preference when it comes to briyani, according to a Facebook post on the same day.<\/p>\n
He then went on to share his love for the traditional and “quintessential” Indian dish, emphasising how it has transcended race, religion and culture.<\/p>\n
President Tharman has gone off beef, but there is a choice of chicken, mutton, lamb or seafood briyani to enjoy \u2014 which he says must be slow-cooked to infuse the rice with the flavour of meats and spices.<\/p>\n
But his current preference is vegetable briyani, with jackfruit replacing meat.<\/p>\n
“It’s in fact a fast growing, healthy and environmentally friendly choice in India, where briyani is the most popular food order,” he said.<\/p>\n
Describing the dish as one that “crossed geographies and cultures”, the president briefly addressed briyani’s history.<\/p>\n
He explained that it is believed to have its origins in Persia, today’s Iran, before it spread to India, which subsequently evolved and adapted briyani to suit each region’s tastes.<\/p>\n
“Southeast Asia has put its own riffs on the dish,” he added.<\/p>\n
“Nasi briyani in Singapore and Malaysia is usually served with achar (pickled vegetables) or cooked slices of pineapple, and a generous amount of dalcha (lentil curry).<\/p>\n
“In Indonesia, expect more coconut milk and local spices.”<\/p>\n
As for his preferred vegetable briyani, President Tharman said that the dish is often made with short-grain rice from Tamil Nadu, which is gluten-free and has a lower glycaemic index than other long-grained white rice varieties.<\/p>\n
“It is also grown with less water, which is getting to be in seriously short supply in rice-growing regions,” he said.<\/p>\n
Netizens also expressed their gratitude for his well-wishes, with many reciprocating with similar felicitations.<\/p>\n
“Your love for different cultures and food is truly inspiring, Singapore is lucky to have you,” said one.<\/p>\n
Another commented: “Thank You sir, very awesome, informative (post) about briyani. Happy, blessed Tamil Puthandu… Wishing you and your family a year filled with love, happiness, good health (and a) peaceful life always.”<\/p>\n