Thanksgiving leftovers are the beginnings of biryani

BIRYANI, the fragrant, festive rice dish, is found all over India and Pakistan, but is popular in the Middle East and Southeast Asia as well. Of course, it is also served in the United States in restaurants and private homes, and sold from street carts.
It most likely reached the Indian subcontinent from Persia, and by all accounts it is an ancient preparation, with roots stretching back at least 2,000 years. The dish rose to high status as palace fare, served to royalty on enormous platters decorated with silver leaf and other adornments. Even today, biryani is considered a fancy addition to most Indian banquets and similarly embellished.

But there is a legend and certain evidence that biryani was once (perhaps first) a wholesome, filling meal prepared to nourish warriors at battle. So it has no doubt been enjoyed by both the haves and the have-nots throughout history. Suffice it to say that there are at least 1,001 variations, each delicious in its own way, some built around vegetables and some layered with meat. In New York City, chances are your taxi driver can direct you to his favorite biryani spot. You’d do well to take that advice.

Thinking about what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers, I settled on biryani as a natural choice. With broth made from the turkey carcass and a pile of meaty leg meat (use the white meat for sandwiches), all that is necessary is a handful of spices and some good basmati rice. If you don’t have leftovers, the recipe here can be prepared with fresh turkey legs. You can make it completely vegetarian if you wish, using roasted squash, potatoes or cauliflower, and adding legumes or green peas.

Making biryani is undeniably a bit fiddly, and takes more than an hour, even my somewhat simplified version. But it reheats beautifully and can be made well in advance, even a day ahead. Wait for the last minute, though, to make the crisp fried garnish of cashews and raisins. Be sure to serve it with plenty of yogurt raita, since the rice in biryani is relatively dry, and a little sauce is welcome and refreshing. And don’t hesitate to offer an assortment of other spicy chutneys.