Biryani — the name itself is enough to make your mouth water. Whether it’s a spicy chicken biryani or a flavorful mutton biryani, it’s a dish most of us can’t resist. But while we are busy indulging in this favourite delicacy, how often do we stop to think about how it’s prepared or what it's served in?
If you have ever visited a biryani stall or a biryani serving hotel, you may have noticed the large aluminium vessel — the biryani Handi — placed right at the entrance or cooking area. It’s typically a huge pot used to cook and serve biryani in bulk. To attract customers, vendors often stir the biryani and hit the sides of the vessel with a ladle, creating a thud sound that draws attention. But beneath this seemingly harmless act lies a silent, dangerous health hazard that many of us are unaware of!
Have You Noticed the Inside of Biryani Handi (Vessel)?
Take a moment next time and look inside the handi. You’ll likely see hundreds of marks and scratches along the inner wall of the aluminium pot. These aren’t just signs of heavy use — they’re evidence of continuous scraping with metal ladles or spoons. Every time that ladle hits the aluminium surface, aren't tiny particles of the metal scratched off?
And here’s the worrying part — Do these aluminium/metal particles disappear into thin air. Don't they get mixed right into the food? This means, with every bite of your delicious biryani, you could be unknowingly consuming traces of aluminium!
What Happens When You Ingest Aluminium?
While a single meal might not do much harm, repeated consumption over time can be dangerous. Studies have shown that cooking in aluminium utensils — especially with acidic ingredients like tomatoes, vinegar, or lemon (all commonly used in biryani) — causes the metal to leach into the food. This increases the aluminium content in what you eat. To worsen the matter, every time the vendor hits the Handi, aluminium particles are scratched off and added to biryani.
Excess aluminium in the body has been linked to several serious health concerns. According to various studies, prolonged exposure can
lead to:
- Neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
- Kidney damage, especially in people with existing renal issues.
- Gastrointestinal issues, including indigestion and nausea.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that an adult should not consume more than 5 mg of aluminium per day. But if you regularly eat food cooked or served in scratched aluminium vessels, you might be unknowingly exceeding that limit!!
Vendors Need to Be educated and awareness needs to be created.
The purpose of this blog isn’t to scare you or stop you from enjoying your favourite biryani. Rather, it’s to raise awareness — both among food lovers and vendors. Food vendors should stop hitting the vessel with ladle and switch to safer alternatives like stainless steel or food-grade cookware, which are far more durable and pose no such health risks.
Hope that the government agencies/health department take cognizance of the matter and create awareness among vendors and consumers.
Final Thoughts
The biryani may be tasty — no doubt about that — but is it worth compromising your health? Sometimes, the biggest dangers are the ones we overlook. That shiny aluminium pot might be serving up a dose of metal along with your meal. Let’s spread the word and make sure our love for biryani doesn’t come at the cost of our well-being.
घोडा है, मैदान है, यह बंदा परेशान हैं !
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