Biryani is probably the most-ordered dish at South Asian restaurants in North America, and one of the most argued about. Ask ten people where the best biryani comes from and you'll get ten answers. That's partly because "biryani" isn't one dish. It's a family of rice-and-meat dishes, and each region of the subcontinent has its own version, with different techniques, spices and even different ideas about whether potatoes belong in it.
Here's a guide to the main styles you'll find on menus in the US and Canada, and how to tell them apart.
What makes a biryani a biryani
At its simplest, biryani is long-grain rice (almost always basmati) cooked with meat or vegetables, spices and aromatics such as saffron, fried onions, mint and rosewater. What separates it from a pulao, its simpler cousin, is layering. In a pulao, the rice and meat cook together in the same liquid from the start. In a biryani, rice and meat are prepared at least partly separately, then layered in a pot and finished together, so every spoonful has a different balance of rice, meat and masala.
The two main methods are:
- Kacchi (raw): Raw marinated meat goes into the bottom of the pot, and partly cooked rice is layered on top. The pot is sealed and everything cooks together slowly. This is hard to get right, because the meat has to be done at exactly the same time as the rice.
- Pakki (cooked): The meat is cooked into a curry first, then layered with par-boiled rice and finished together. This is more forgiving, and it's the method most restaurants use.
Both usually finish with dum: the pot is sealed (traditionally with dough around the lid) and left on low heat so the rice steams in the meat's juices and the aromatics.
Hyderabadi biryani
The most famous style, and the one you'll see most on menus in North America. It comes from Hyderabad, the old capital of the Nizams in the Deccan.
- Kacchi method: Traditional Hyderabadi dum biryani is the raw-meat style described above. Goat is classic, and chicken is common.
- Flavour: Spicy, tangy from yoghurt and lime, with plenty of fried onions, fresh mint and coriander, and saffron-coloured grains mixed through white ones.
- Served with: Mirchi ka salan (a peanut, sesame and chilli curry) and raita.
Fremont, Brampton and Chicago's Devon Avenue all have restaurants and food trucks that specialise in Hyderabadi biryani. See our Fremont guide for a few.
Lucknowi (Awadhi) biryani
From Lucknow, the old capital of Awadh in North India. It's the opposite of Hyderabadi in temperament.
- Pakki method: Meat is cooked first, often in a delicate stock (yakhni), then layered with rice.
- Flavour: Mild and fragrant rather than fiery. Expect whole spices, saffron, kewra water and rosewater. The goal is subtlety.
- How to spot it: The rice is usually lighter in colour, and the dish smells floral rather than hot.
Kolkata biryani
A descendant of Lucknowi biryani, brought to Kolkata in the 19th century by the exiled Nawab of Awadh. Its famous difference is that it contains a potato, and often a boiled egg. The potato soaks up the meat juices and saffron and is, for many people, the best part. Kolkata biryani is lightly spiced and a little sweet. It's harder to find in North America, but look for Bengali restaurants.
Sindhi biryani
From Sindh in present-day Pakistan, and the standard biryani at many Pakistani restaurants. It's spicy and tangy, with plenty of green chillies, tomatoes, dried plums (aloo bukhara) and often potatoes too. If a restaurant just says "biryani" and the owners are from Karachi, this is probably what you'll get.
South Indian styles
South India has many biryanis of its own, and they're increasingly common in the US, especially in the Bay Area, New Jersey and Houston.
- Ambur and Vaniyambadi biryani (Tamil Nadu): Made with short-grain seeraga samba rice instead of basmati, and flavoured with red chilli paste rather than powdered spices. It's less oily, and it's usually served with brinjal curry.
- Dindigul biryani: Also made with seeraga samba rice, with plenty of pepper and a sour note from yoghurt and lime.
- Malabar or Thalassery biryani (Kerala): Uses the fragrant, short-grained kaima rice, with ghee, fried cashews, raisins and a milder, sweeter spice mix.
- Andhra-style biryanis: These are often the spiciest of all. They're usually made with basmati and are fiery with red chilli. Menus call them "Vijayawada", "Guntur" or "Andhra" biryani.
Vegetarian biryani
Purists argue that "vegetable biryani" is just a pulao with ambitions. In practice, most restaurants offer a vegetable or paneer biryani made the same way as the meat versions, and many are very good. In areas with large Gujarati or Jain communities, like Edison, NJ, you'll find good vegetarian and Jain versions too.
How to order biryani
- Ask how it's made. If a restaurant does true dum biryani, it will be happy to tell you. Some make it to order, so expect to wait 30 minutes or more.
- Say how much heat you want. Hyderabadi and Andhra styles can be very spicy. Most kitchens will adjust if asked.
- Order it with sides. Raita (yoghurt with cucumber or onion) cools it down. Salan, or a simple dal, adds moisture if the rice is dry.
- Share it. A single order of biryani is usually enough for two, especially with a starter.
- Try it on a weekend. Many restaurants make their best (or only) dum biryani in large pots on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Where to find good biryani
Most of the cities we cover have at least a handful of biryani specialists. Browse by city to find them: