Biryani

{{Short description|Rice-based dish from South Asia}} {{good article}} {{Distinguish|Isfahan beryani}} {{pp-pc|small=yes}} {{Use Indian English|date=December 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}} {{Infobox food | name = Biryani | image = "Hyderabadi Dum Biryani".jpg | caption = Hyderabad-style biryani | region = South Asia | course = Main dish | served = Hot | main_ingredient = {{plain list| * Meat * Rice * Spices * Yoghurt (curd) }} }}

{{Contains special characters |special = Hindi, Urdu, Arabic, and Persian text |fix = Help:Multilingual support |error = question marks, boxes, unjoined letters running left to right, misplaced vowels, missing conjuncts, or other symbols instead of Hindi, Urdu or Arabic, an appropriate script }}

'''Biryani''' is a mixed rice dish originating in South Asia, traditionally made with rice, meat (chicken, goat, beef), seafood (prawns or fish), or vegetables, and spices. It was present in Mughal-era India, though the precise date and place of origin are debated.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> It is thought to derive from a Persian rice dish, either ''pilau'' or ''birinj biryan''.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><ref name="TheHindu2012"/><ref name="BBC 2016"/> The dish makes use of slow-cooking as in Persian pilau, combined with Persian-style yoghurt-marinated meat and a spicy Indian style of cooking; it was likely developed in the Mughal court kitchens.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> It is also possible that biryani was brought to South India before the Mughal era, or that pilau was brought to India and biryani was developed from it before being adopted by the Mughals.

Biryani is one of the most popular dishes in South Asia and among the South Asian diaspora. The dish is often associated with the region's Muslim population in particular,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramnath |first=Nandini |date=5 July 2025 |title='Exoticised, alienised, villainised': A book looks at how Muslims have been portrayed in Hindi films |url=https://scroll.in/reel/1081541/exoticised-alienised-villainised-a-book-looks-at-how-muslims-have-been-portrayed-in-hindi-films |access-date=30 April 2026 |website=Scroll.in |language=en}}</ref> but is nevertheless a mainstream culinary staple embraced by every demographic. Similar dishes are prepared in many other countries, often with local variations, and often brought there by South Asian diaspora populations. Biryani is the most-ordered dish on Indian online food ordering and delivery services, is used in weddings and celebrations throughout the region, and has been described as the most popular dish in India.

== Etymology ==

The word biryani ({{langx|hi|{{Wikt-lang|hi|बिरयानी}}}}, {{langx|ur|{{Wikt-lang|ur|بریانی}}}}) is derived from ''biryan'' or ''beriyan'' ({{langx|fa|{{Wikt-lang|fa|بریان}}}}), which means "to fry" or "to roast", said by Merriam-Webster probably to be related to {{langx|sa|{{Wikt-lang|sa|भृज्जति}}}} ''bhṛjjati'' with the same meaning.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2iX3RXJnHCUC |title=The Persian Contributions to the English Language: An Historical Dictionary |last1=Cannon |first1=Garland Hampton |last2=Kaye |first2=Alan S. |publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag |year=2001 |isbn=978-3-44704-503-2 |page=71}}</ref><ref name="BS2011">{{cite news |url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/when-rice-met-meat-111051400071_1.html |title=When rice met meat |first=Anoothi |last=Vishal |date=14 May 2011 |newspaper=Business Standard |access-date=6 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/biryani |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014020333/http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/biryani |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 October 2013 |title=Definition of 'biryani' |website=Oxford Dictionary |access-date=15 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Biriyani |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biryani#h1 |website=Merriam-Webster |access-date=3 December 2025}}</ref> The usage is from the Persian phrase ''birinj biryan'' (with {{langx|fa|{{Wikt-lang|fa|برنج}}}} birinj, "rice"), meaning "fried rice".<ref name="BBC 2016">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-36423412 | title=From Iran to India: The journey and evolution of biriyani |work=BBC News |date=15 July 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Pratibha2009">{{cite book |last=Karan |first=Pratibha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cZe-r38DYjcC |title=Biryani |publisher=Random House India |year=2009 |isbn=978-81-8400-254-6 |pages=1–12, 45}}</ref>

== Origin ==

=== Historical sources ===

[[File:Havij polo.jpg|thumb|A modern Persian pilau, ''havij polo'' (Persian: هویج پلو, "carrot rice") with rice grains cooked to remain separate and in different colours. Pilau may be an ancestor of biryani.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><ref name="TheHindu2012"/>]]

Pilau (Persian: پلو 'plo', "rice") is a Persian rice dish whose preparation was first described by the polymath and physician Avicenna in 10th-century Persia.<ref name="Nabhan 2014">{{cite book |last=Nabhan |first=Gary Paul |title=Cumin, Camels, and Caravans: A Spice Odyssey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e-glDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA135 |page=135 |publisher=University of California Press |date=2014 |isbn=978-0520267206}}</ref>

The Mughal text ''Ain-i-Akbari'' (written 1589–1596<ref>{{cite web |title=Ain-I-Akbari.Vol.1 |url=https://famineanddearth.exeter.ac.uk/displayhtml.html?id=fp_00128_en_ainiakbari_vol01 |publisher=University of Exeter |access-date=7 January 2026}}</ref>), from the time of the emperor Akbar, mentions both pilau and biryani, listing ingredients with required quantities for each:<ref name="Ain-i-Akbari">{{cite book |last1='Allami |first1=Abul Fazl |last2=Blochmann |first2=Heinrich (trans.) |author2-link=Heinrich Blochmann |title=The Ain i Akbari |date=1873 |publisher=Asiatic Society of Bengal |location=Calcutta |pages=59–60 |url=https://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702050%26ct%3D0 |archive-date=14 July 2018 |access-date=7 January 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714022016/https://persian.packhum.org/persian/main?url=pf%3Ffile%3D00702050%26ct%3D0 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

{{blockquote|Secondly, [dishes] in which meat and rice, &c., are used ... 2. ''Duzdbiryán''. 10 [[seer (unit)|s[eer]]] rice, 3½ s. g'hí; 10 s. meat; ½ s. salt: this gives five dishes. 3. ''Qimah Paláo''. Rice and meat as in the preceding; 4 s. g'hí; 1 s. peeled gram; 2 s. onions; ½ s. salt; ¼ s. fresh ginger, and pepper; cuminseed, cardamums and cloves, 1 d[han]. of each: this gives five dishes.{{efn|name="Units"|A seer was a measure of weight, varying by region, but around 1 kg; a māshā was around 2 grams; and a dhan was around 50 milligrams (the weight of one wheat berry).}}<ref name="Ain-i-Akbari"/>}}

The ''Ain-i-Akbari'' further names a dish of spiced mutton as a biryani, this time without mentioning rice:

{{blockquote|Thirdly, meats with spices... ''Biryán''. For a whole ''Dashmandi'' sheep, take 2 [[seer (unit)|s[eer]]] salt; 1 s[eer] g'hí; 2 [[Indian units of measurement|m[āshā]]] saffron, cloves, pepper, cuminseed: it is made in various ways."{{efn|name="Units"}}<ref name="Ain-i-Akbari"/>}}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto;" |+ Mughal biryani timeline |- ! scope="col" |Period/Emperor ! scope="col" |Dates ! scope="col" |Event |- style="background-color:lightcoral;" | (Timur) || (1370–1405) || (No record of it in Central Asia at that time)<ref name="Vir_invention"/> |- | Akbar || 1556–1605 || Mention of recipes in ''Ain-i-Akbari'' (1589–1596)<ref name="Ain-i-Akbari"/> |- | Shah Jahan || 1628–1658 || Brief description by Sebastien Manrique in 1641<ref name="Collingham 2006 Manrique"/> |- | Aurangzeb || 1658–1707 || Mention in letters to his son, Bahadur Shah I<ref name="Antani 2022"/> |- | Bahadur Shah Zafar || 1837–1857 || Recipe<ref name="Sanghvi 2021 Safvi"/> |- | colspan=3 style="text-align: center;" |<small>Key: () and red background: Unrecorded</small> |}

The Portuguese priest Sebastien Manrique described rice dishes on sale in the tent-city of the next Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as he travelled to Lahore in 1641. Manrique distinguished "Persian" pilau from "Mogol" biryani:

{{blockquote|Among these dishes the principal and most substantial were the rich and aromatic Mogol Bringes [biryanis]{{efn|See 'Etymology' above on ''birinj''.}} and Persian pilaos of different hues".<ref name="Collingham 2006 Manrique">{{cite book |last=Collingham |first=Lizzie |author-link=Lizzie Collingham |url=https://archive.org/details/curry00lizz |title=Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors |date=6 February 2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-988381-3 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/curry00lizz/page/38 14, 38] |url-access=registration}}</ref>}}

The dish is mentioned, too, in letters of the emperor Aurangzeb to his son.<ref name="Antani 2022">{{cite journal |last1=Antani |first1=Vishu |last2=Mahapatra |first2=Santosh |title=Evolution of Indian cuisine: a socio-historical review |journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods |date=2022 |volume=9 |issue=15 |url=https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s42779-022-00129-4.pdf}}</ref> For example:

{{blockquote|Exalted son, I remember the savour of your 'khichidi' and 'biryani' during the winter. Truly the 'kabuli' cooked by Islam Khan does not surpass them (in point of relish and savour). I wanted to have from you (in my service) Saliman, who cooks 'biryani'; but you did not allow him to serve as my cook. If you happen to find a pupil of his, skilful in the art of cookery, you will send him to me.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Narayanan |first1=Divya |title=Cultures of Food and Gastronomy in Mughal and post-Mughal India |date=2015 |publisher=University of Heidelberg (PhD thesis) |pages=70-71 |doi=10.11588/heidok.00019906}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bilimoria |first1=Jamshid (trans.) |title=Rukaʿat-i Alamgiri or Letters of Aurangzeb |date=1908 |publisher=Luzac & Co. |location=Bombay |page=12 |url=https://archive.org/details/rukaatialamgirio00aurarich}}</ref>}}

According to the historian Rana Safvi, the earliest actual recipe is from the later Mughal period, from Bahadur Shah Zafar's time.<ref name="Sanghvi 2021 Safvi">{{cite news |date=25 July 2021 |title=Rude Food by vir Sanghvi: The people's biryani |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/brunch/rude-food-by-vir-sanghvi-the-people-s-biryani-101627181800260-amp.html |work=Hindustan Times}}</ref>

=== Analysis ===

[[File:Origin of Biryani.svg|thumb|center|upright=2.5|Diagram of Lizzie Collingham's analysis of the origin of biryani, proposing that in the time of the Mughals, specifically the emperor Akbar, Persian pilau was adapted to include Persian-style yoghurt-marinated meat and spicy Indian styles of cooking rice.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/>]]

The historian of food Lizzie Collingham writes that the modern biryani developed in India (Hindustan) in the royal kitchens of the Mughal Empire, specifically during the rule of the emperor Akbar (1556–1605), and is a mix of the native spicy rice dishes of South Asia, Persian yoghurt-marinated meat, and the Persian pilau style of garnished rice.<ref name="Collingham 2006">{{cite book |last=Collingham |first=Lizzie |author-link=Lizzie Collingham |url=https://archive.org/details/curry00lizz |title=Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors |date=6 February 2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-988381-3 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/curry00lizz/page/27 25–29] |url-access=registration}}</ref> Collingham writes that "in the kitchens [of the Mughal court]... the delicately flavoured Persian pilau met the pungent and spicy rice dishes of Hindustan to create the classic Mughlai dish, biryani".<ref name="Collingham 2006"/>

The cookery writer Pratibha Karan states that biryani is of Indian origin, derived from pilau which Muslim traders and invaders brought with them. She speculates that pilau was an army dish in medieval India. Armies would prepare a one-pot dish of rice with any available red meat. Over time, the dish became biryani due to different methods of cooking.<ref name="Pratibha2009"/><ref name="Vir_invention"/>

In the view of the historian of Islamic cuisine Salma Hussein<ref name="BBC 2016"/> and others, biryani came to South Asia from Persia before the Mughal era,<ref name="Vir_invention">{{cite news |last=Sanghvi |first=Vir |author-link=Vir Sanghvi |title=Biryani Nation |url=http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-food/2010/03/03/biryani-nation/ |newspaper=Hindustan Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140817181203/http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-food/2010/03/03/biryani-nation/ |archive-date=17 August 2014 |access-date=24 August 2014}}</ref> most probably arriving in South India's Deccan region, brought by travelling soldier-statesmen and pilgrims.<ref name="BBC 2016"/> It has also been suggested that the dish was introduced from Persia by the Mughals.<ref name="Dhillon2013">{{cite book |last=Dhillon |first=Kris |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kj3BBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT234 |title=The New Curry Secret |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-7160-2352-4 |page=234}}</ref> Another variant theory, that biryani came to India with Timur's invasion, appears to be incorrect because there is no record of biryani having existed in his native region of Central Asia during that period.<ref name="Vir_invention"/>

The historian of food K. T. Achaya states that pilau is "of older usage in India" than biryani, indicating that it could have been a precursor of biryani.<ref name="TheHindu2012">{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/Food/food-safari-in-search-of-ambur-biryani/article3452311.ece |title=Food Safari: In search of Ambur biryani |last1=Padmanabhan |first1=Mukund |last2=Jeyan |first2=Subash |last3=Wilson |first3=Subajayanthi |date=26 May 2012 |newspaper=The Hindu |access-date=6 August 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018041053/http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/Food/food-safari-in-search-of-ambur-biryani/article3452311.ece |archive-date=18 October 2012}}</ref> Achaya notes that ancient and early medieval Indian texts described rice cooked with meat and spices, suggesting that composite rice dishes were part of the subcontinent's cuisine long before the Mughal period.<ref name="Achaya1994pX">{{cite book |last=Achaya |first=K. T. |title=Indian Food: A Historical Companion |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Delhi |year=1994 |isbn=9780195634488 |page=X}}</ref>He further references early Tamil literature from the Sangam era ({{circa}} 300 BCE–300 CE), describing a dish known in these sources as ūn sōru—rice cooked with meat, ghee, and spices—which bears structural similarities to later layered rice preparations.<ref name="Achaya1994pY">{{cite book |last=Achaya |first=K. T. |title=Indian Food: A Historical Companion |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Delhi |year=1994 |isbn=978-0195634488 |page=Y}}</ref> However, according to Ashis Nandy, Colleen Taylor Sen, and Charles Perry, despite having similar names, these dishes referenced in ancient Indian texts were distinct from both pulao and biryani.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sage Journals: Discover world-class research |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/action/cookieAbsent |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=Sage Journals |language=en |doi=10.1177/0262728004042760}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Perry |first=Charles |date=1994-12-15 |title=Annual Cookbook Issue : BOOK REVIEW : An Armchair Guide to the Indian Table : INDIAN FOOD: A Historical Companion By K. T. Achaya (Oxford University Press: 1994; $35; 290 pp.) |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-15-fo-9100-story.html |access-date=2026-04-29 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Colleen Taylor |url=https://books.google.co.in/books?id=VN_vCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA164&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Feasts and Fasts: A History of Food in India |date=2014-11-15 |publisher=Reaktion Books |isbn=978-1-78023-391-8}}</ref> Later, K.T. Achaya himself conceded that, despite the linguistic similarity, these dishes referenced in ancient Indian texts were not the same as the medieval pulao.<ref>https://www.virsanghvi.com/Article-Details.aspx?key=1777 by Vir Sanghvi </ref>

[[File:Theories of Biryani's origins.svg|center|thumb|upright=3.5|Biryani evidently has some connection with Persia, but commentators disagree on what that might be. Pilau is certainly a Persian dish, attested by Avicenna in 10th century Persia;<ref name="Nabhan 2014"/> ''Birinj biryan'' is a Persian phrase meaning "fried rice".<ref name="Pratibha2009"/> The Mughals had biryani by the reign of Akbar in the 16th century, attested in the ''Ain-i-Akbari''.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/><br/> <br/> Evidence: 1: folk theory<ref name="Vir_invention"/> 2: Kris Dhillon<ref name="Dhillon2013"/> 3: Salma Hussein<ref name="BBC 2016"/> 4,5: Pratibha Karan<ref name="Pratibha2009"/> 6: Lizzie Collingham<ref name="Collingham 2006"/>]]

== Ingredients ==

[[File:Mirchi ka salan and Dahi chutney.jpg|thumb|Biryani can be accompanied by side dishes such as ''mirchi ka salan'' and ''raita''.]]

Ingredients for biryani vary according to the region and the type of meat and vegetables used. Meat (chicken, goat, beef<ref name="Saveur 2017-06-22">{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.saveur.com/south-asian-indian-biryani-guide |title=A Beginner's Guide to Biryani, the Ultimate Rice Dish |last=Makhijani |first=Pooja |magazine=Saveur |date=22 June 2017 |access-date=19 December 2018}}</ref>) is the prime ingredient with rice. Seafood (fish, prawns) and vegetables are sometimes added. Navratan biryani tends to use sweeter, richer ingredients such as cashews, sultanas (''kishmish''), and fruits such as apple and pineapple.<ref name="ndtvravish"/>

The spices and condiments used in biryani may include fennel seeds, ghee (clarified butter), nutmeg, mace,<ref name="WWeek">{{cite news |url=http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-17853-the-melting-pot.html |first=Ruth |last=Brown |date=16 August 2011 |title=The Melting Pot – A Local Prep Kitchen Incubates Portland's Next Generation of Food Businesses |newspaper=Willamette Week |volume=37 |number=41}}</ref>black pepper, cloves,<ref name="WWeek"/> green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander, mint, ginger, onions, tomatoes, red chillies,<ref name="Saveur 2017-06-22" /> star anise, turmeric, coriander, cumin, milk, yoghurt and garlic. The premium varieties include saffron.<ref name="WWeek" /> Some commercial recipes for biryani include aromatic essences such as mitha attar, kewra and rose water. Dried sour prunes (''alu bukhara'') may be added. In ''nasi briyani'' and other variants made in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, local spices and aromatics such as pandan leaf may be added.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nasi Biryani Recipe |url=https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022901-nasi-biryani |access-date=2 May 2024 |newspaper=The New York Times Cooking}}</ref>

Biryani may be served with side dishes such as ''raita'' (yoghurt with cucumber, tomato, etc), fried or curried aubergine (''brinjal''), salad, or a curried side such as ''ande ka salan'' (with boiled eggs)<ref name="ToI - Sides">{{cite web |title=Side Dishes to Enjoy with Biryani |url=https://recipes.timesofindia.com/web-stories/not-just-regular-raita-other-unique-side-dishes-served-with-biryani/photostory/108397874.cms |publisher=The Times of India |access-date=4 December 2025}}</ref> or ''mirchi ka salan'' (with chili peppers).<ref>{{cite web |last=Kapoor |first=Sanjeev |author-link=Sanjeev Kapoor |title=Mirchi Ka Salan |url=https://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/Recipe/Mirchi-Ka-Salan-Khazana-of-Indian-Recipes.html |publisher=Sanjeev Kapoor |access-date=9 December 2025 |date=2 August 2016}}</ref>

Dietary variations include adding eggs, potatoes, and substituting meat with paneer, soyabean or vegetables, especially in Hindu or non-religious vegetarian variants.<ref name="Bhandari 2020">{{cite news |last=Bhandari |first=Kabir Singh |date=21 April 2020 |title=The curious case of potato in Kolkata biryani and how the British fed us a lie |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/more-lifestyle/the-curious-case-of-potato-in-kolkata-biriyani-and-how-the-british-fed-us-a-lie/story-k1smJjNz1QhxyyVZVdNyKN.html |access-date=19 August 2020 |newspaper=Hindustan Times}}</ref> Kolkata biryani, invented by Wajid Ali Shah in the 1850s, includes potato.<ref>{{cite web |last=Saha |first=Somdatta |url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/the-fascinating-story-of-aloo-in-kolkata-biryani-all-you-need-to-know-4268746 |title=The Fascinating Story Of Aloo In Kolkata Biryani: All You Need To Know! |website=NDTV Food |date=4 August 2023 |access-date=9 February 2026}}</ref>

== Preparation styles ==

=== ''Pakki'' and ''kacchi'' biryani ===

[[File:Lucknowi Mutton Matka Dum Biriyani.jpg|thumb|Lucknowi style mutton ''kacchi biryani'' cooked in a clay pot sealed with dough. The dough seal is broken after cooking.]]

Biryani can be cooked using one of two techniques, ''pakki'' ("cooked") and ''kacchi'' ("raw").<ref name="Dey 2022">{{cite web |url=https://www.getbengal.com/details/the-origin-of-biryani-how-a-mughal-delicacy-invaded-bengal |title=The origin of Biryani – how a Mughal delicacy invaded Bengal |first=Shuvra |last=Dey |date=16 November 2022 |website=GetBengal |access-date=18 November 2022}}</ref> In a ''pakki biryani'', the ingredients are cooked separately (at least in part) and then arranged in layers. The different layers can be individually coloured and flavoured with a brightly-coloured spice such as turmeric or saffron.<ref name="Dey 2022"/> In a ''kacchi biryani'', layers are arranged in a pot which is then sealed and cooked slowly (Dum cooking) for the food to steam in its own liquid.<ref name="Dey 2022"/>

=== Difference between biryani and pilau ===

thumb|Biryani on a 2017 stamp of India

Pilau is a mixed rice dish popular in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, and Middle Eastern cuisine. Opinions differ on the differences between the dishes, if any.<ref name="KrishTulasi2012">{{cite book |last=Shaffer |first=Holly |chapter=6: Dum Pukht |editor1-last=Ray |editor1-first=Krishnendu |editor2-last=Srinivas |editor2-first=Tulasi |title=Curried Cultures: Globalization, Food, and South Asia |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p1kZBqJBjOgC&pg=PA124 |year=2012 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-27011-4 |pages=124–125}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.myntorlando.com/what-is-the-difference-between-biryani-and-pulao/ |title=What is the Difference Between Biryani and Pulao |website=Mynt Orlando |date=23 June 2023 }}</ref>

The British-era author Abdul Halim Sharar mentions that biryani has a stronger curried taste due to a greater amount of spices.<ref name="KrishTulasi2012" /><ref name="Abdul1913">{{cite book |first=ʻAbdulḥalīm |last=Sharar |author-link=Abdul Halim Sharar |title=Lucknow: The Last Phase of an Oriental Culture (Hindustan Men Mashriqi Tamaddun ka Akhri Namuna) |translator=E.S. Harcourt |translator2=Fakhir Hussain |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=98IPSgAACAAJ |year=1989 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-562364-2 |orig-year=1913}}</ref> According to Delhi-based historian Sohail Hashmi, pilau tends to be plainer than biryani, and consists of meat or vegetables cooked with rice with the bottom layered with potatoes or onions. Biryani contains more gravy, and is often cooked longer, leaving the meat (and vegetables, if present) more tender, and the rice more flavoured. Biryani is cooked with additional dressings and often has a light layer of scorched rice at the bottom.<ref name="ndtvravish">{{cite AV media |people=Ravish Kumar interviews historian Sohali Hashmi |date=9 September 2016 |title=प्राइम टाइम : क्या-क्या अलग करेंगे बिरयानी से? |trans-title=Prime Time: What will separate from Biryani? |medium=Television production |language=hi |url=https://khabar.ndtv.com/video/show/prime-time/prime-time-what-will-be-separate-from-biryani-430689?yt |access-date=19 October 2016 |location=Old Delhi |publisher=NDTV}}</ref>

The cookery author Pratibha Karan states that while the terms are often applied arbitrarily, the main distinction is that a biryani consists of two layers of rice with a layer of meat (and vegetables, if present) in the middle, while the pilau is not layered. Further, in modern usage, biryani is the primary dish in a meal, while pilau is usually a secondary accompaniment to a larger meal; and biryanis have more complex and stronger spices than pilaus.<ref name="Vir_invention"/>

The translator and cookery author Colleen Taylor Sen notes that the difference has been extensively debated, that the dishes are both of long-grained rice with meat or vegetables, and are sometimes "almost impossible to tell apart". However, pilau is usually a side dish, biryani a "centre piece" with its own sides; and pilau is a one-pot dish, while biryani's rice and meat can be cooked separately.<ref name="Sen 2015">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VN_vCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA194 |title=Feasts and Fasts: A History of Food in India |last=Taylor Sen |first=Colleen |publisher=Reaktion Books |year=2014 |isbn=978-1780233918 |pages=194–195}}</ref>

== Varieties ==

=== In the Indian subcontinent ===

[[File:Hyderabadi egg biryani.jpg|thumb|Hyderabadi egg biryani served with mirchi ka salan, raita and salad]]

There are many types of biryani in the Indian subcontinent. Biryani is the single most-ordered dish in Indian online food ordering and delivery services, and has been described as the most popular dish in India.<ref name="scroll7Feb2020">{{cite news |last=Daniyal |first=Shoaib |title=Biryani is India's most popular dish – so why does the BJP hate it so much? |url=https://scroll.in/article/952475/biryani-is-indias-most-popular-dish-so-why-does-the-bjp-hate-it-so-much |access-date=2021-12-17 |work=Scroll.in |date=7 February 2020}}</ref><ref name="Tandon 2020">{{cite news |last=Tandon |first=Suneera |title=Jubilant FoodWorks forays into biryani business with 'Ekdum' |url=https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/jubilant-foodworks-forays-into-biryani-brand-ekdum-11608126898411.html |newspaper=Mint |access-date=15 November 2021 |date=16 December 2020}}</ref> The names of variants are often based on their region or city of origin. Some have taken the name of the shop that sells it, as in Fakhruddin Biriyani in Dhaka,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nibizsoft.com/dhakas-biryani-a-taste-of-aristocracy/ |title=Dhaka's Biryani - A Taste of Aristocracy |date=23 May 2015 |website=NIBiz Soft |access-date=6 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://bdnews24.com/amp/story/lifestyle%2Fdhakas-biryani-can-be-unesco-world-heritage-says-food-critic-matt-preston |title=Dhaka's biryani can be UNESCO world heritage, says food critic Matt Preston |first=Hassan |last=Bipul |date=28 March 2016 |website=Bdnews24.com |access-date=December 17, 2025}}</ref> Students biryani in Karachi, Lucky biryani in Bandra, Mumbai and Baghdadi biryani in Colaba, Mumbai.<ref name="ndtvravish" /> ''Biryanis'' are often specific to the Muslim communities where they originate; they are usually the defining dishes of those communities.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-hotels/2009/02/01/where-does-biryani-come-from/ |title=Where does biryani come from? |website=Hindustan Times |access-date=20 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624141257/http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/rude-hotels/2009/02/01/where-does-biryani-come-from/ |archive-date=24 June 2016}}</ref><ref name="scroll7Feb2020"/>

In 2009, the Deccani Biryani Makers Association submitted 'Hyderabadi Biryani' for a geographical indication, but the attempt failed as they were unable to provide documentary evidence of its historical origin.<ref>{{cite web |title=Famous Delicacy ‘Hyderabadi Biryani’ Fails To Prove Its Origins |url=https://www.ndtvprofit.com/pursuits/famous-delicacy-hyderabadi-biryani-fails-to-prove-its-origins |publisher=NDTV |access-date=7 January 2026 |date=9 March 2017}}</ref>

=== Outside the Indian subcontinent ===

thumb|Burmese biryani (''danpauk'')

Varieties of biryani have arisen in many countries,<ref name="Wallis 2017">{{Cite news |last=Wallis |first=Bruce |date=12 April 2017 |title=Eat My Words: A taste of Iraqi Kurdistan |url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/lifestyle/food/4249270-eat-my-words-taste-iraqi-kurdistan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005065230/https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/lifestyle/food/4249270-eat-my-words-taste-iraqi-kurdistan |archive-date=5 October 2021 |access-date=28 December 2018 |work=Duluth News Tribune}}</ref> and was often spread to such places by South Asian diaspora populations.<ref name="Michelin Malaysia">{{Cite web |title=Iconic Dishes: A Guide to Rice Dishes in Malaysia and Where to Find Them |url=https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/dining-out/iconic-dishes-a-guide-to-rice-dishes-in-malaysia-michelin-guide |access-date=30 May 2025 |website=Michelin Guide }}</ref> For example in Myanmar, ''danpauk'' ({{Linktext|ဒံပေါက်}}) is a mainstay at festive events such as weddings.<ref name="tmt20Mar2015">{{cite news |url=https://www.mmtimes.com/business/13642-biryani-trade-takes-on-a-new-flavour.html |title=Biryani trade takes on a new flavour|date=2015-03-20 |newspaper=The Myanmar Times |access-date=25 April 2020 |archive-date=27 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727012233/https://www.mmtimes.com/business/13642-biryani-trade-takes-on-a-new-flavour.html |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.mmtimes.com/news/mouth-watering-thingyan-food-and-delicacies.html |title=Mouth-watering Thingyan food and delicacies |date=2018-04-06 |newspaper=The Myanmar Times |access-date=2020-04-25 |archive-date=12 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191112054705/https://www.mmtimes.com/news/mouth-watering-thingyan-food-and-delicacies.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> On the Persian Gulf, biryani (Persian: برياني) is usually saffron-based with chicken,<ref name="rediff_Priya2004">{{cite news |last=Ganapti |first=Priya |date=9 April 2004 |title=Of biryani, history, and entrepreneurship |url=http://www.rediff.com/money/2004/apr/09spec.htm |access-date=27 August 2014 |work=Rediff.com}}</ref> while in Indonesia ''nasi kebuli'' is an spicy steamed rice dish<ref>{{cite news |title=Nasi Kebuli Gaya Betawi |date=21 February 2009 |newspaper=Kompas |url=http://travel.kompas.com/read/2009/02/21/08230951/nasi.kebuli.gaya.betawi |language=id |trans-title=Betawi Style Kebuli Rice |access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref> cooked in goat meat broth, milk and ''ghee''.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ihcDAAAQBAJ&q=kebuli+rice&pg=PA31 |title=Kumpulan Masakan Favorit Sepanjang Masa |language=id |first=T. S. |last=Dharmaputra |isbn=978-602-213-036-9 |publisher=Puspa Swara |year=2015 |location=Jakarta |access-date=5 June 2017}}</ref> In Thailand the dish is known as ''khao mhok'' ({{langx|th|ข้าวหมก}}), using chicken, beef or fish, topped with fried garlic and served with a green sour sauce.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ismael |first=Furqan |date=2022-02-11 |title=ข้าวหมกไก่มาจากไหน ทำไมถึงกลายมาเป็นอาหารอิสลามในประเทศไทย |url=https://www.halallifemag.com/thai-chicken-biryani/ |access-date=2025-09-22 |website=Halal Life Magazine |language=th |trans-title=Where did Khao Mok Gai come from? Why did it become an Islamic food in Thailand?}}</ref>

== In culture ==

Biryani forms "the centrepiece of countless Indian holidays and weddings".<ref name="Haq 2016 BBC">{{cite web |last1=Haq |first1=Husna |title=India’s biryani wars |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20161006-indias-biryani-wars |publisher=BBC Travel |access-date=9 December 2025 |date=7 October 2016}}</ref> In Bangladesh, kacchi biryani with mutton has been described as "the quintessential wedding dish"<ref name="Old Dhaka"/> of Old Dhaka, largely replacing the murg (chicken) pulao that was favoured in the 20th century<ref name="Old Dhaka">{{cite news |title=Old Dhaka Weddings: Of flavours and traditions |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/life-living/news/old-dhaka-weddings-flavours-and-traditions-3882986 |access-date=9 December 2025 |work=The Daily Star}}</ref> for special occasions across the subcontinent.<ref name="Collingham 2006"/> The Muslim festival of Bakr Eid is marked by biryani at dinner, using the mutton from goats slaughtered in memory of the prophet Abraham, who had shown he was willing to sacrifice his own son.<ref name="Haq 2016 BBC"/>

Biryani is used across the Indian Subcontinent in celebrations. Annual biryani festivals have been held in cities such as Ambur,<ref>{{cite news |title=Beef banned from menu at Tamil Nadu biryani festival, authorities asked to reconsider decision |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/tamil-nadu/story/beef-banned-from-menu-at-tamil-nadu-biryani-festival-authorities-asked-to-reconsider-decision-1948783-2022-05-12 |access-date=9 December 2025 |newspaper=India Today |date=12 May 2022}}</ref> Islamabad<ref>{{cite web |title=Back Biryani Festival and Presenting of REAP Journal Ceremony |url=https://www.kln.gov.my/web/pak_islamabad/news-from-mission/-/blogs/biryani-festival-and-presenting-of-reap-journal-ceremony |publisher=High Commission of Malaysia, Islamabad |access-date=9 December 2025 |date=4 December 2023}}</ref> and Karachi.<ref>{{cite web |title=Biryani Festival 2024 |url=https://moroccoconsulatekhi.com/biryani-festival-2024/ |publisher=Morocco Consulate Karachi |access-date=9 December 2025}}</ref> South Asian diaspora populations have held their own festivals, for example by the North American Indian Muslim Association in North America.<ref>{{cite web |title=Biryani Fest |url=https://indianmuslims.org/biryanifest/ |publisher=North American Indian Muslim Association |access-date=9 December 2025}}</ref> Biryani festivals have been held more widely in places such as Singapore<ref>{{cite web |title=Savour the Flavours at Singapore's Only Biryani Festival 2.0 |url=https://indiplomacy.com/2025/07/23/savour-the-flavours-at-singapores-only-biryani-festival-2-0/ |website=In Diplomacy |access-date=9 December 2025 |date=23 July 2025}}</ref> and Qatar.<ref>{{cite news |title=Thousands throng first-ever Biryani Festival |url=https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/11/02/2018/Thousands-throng-first-ever-Biryani-Festival |newspaper=The Peninsula |access-date=9 December 2025 |date=11 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Biryani Festival launched |url=https://www.gulf-times.com/story/580964/biryani-festival-launched |newspaper=Gulf Times |access-date=9 December 2025 |date=8 February 2018}}</ref>

== See also == {{commonscat}}

* Bannu pulao * Fried rice * Kabuli pulao * Jollof rice * Tehri * Paella * List of rice dishes

== Notes ==

== References ==

{{Rice dishes |state=collapsed}} {{Bangladeshi dishes|state=collapsed}} {{Burmese cuisine}} {{Indian Dishes |state=collapsed}} {{Indonesian cuisine}} {{Malaysian cuisine |state=collapsed}} {{Pakistani dishes |state=collapsed}} {{Sri Lankan cuisine}} {{Street food}} {{Curry in the United Kingdom}}

Category:Bangladeshi rice dishes Category:Burmese rice dishes Category:Chicken and rice dishes Category:Desi culture Category:Fish dishes Category:Indian chicken dishes Category:Indian meat dishes Category:Indian rice dishes Category:Indonesian cuisine Category:Lamb and mutton dishes Category:Malaysian cuisine Category:Pakistani rice dishes Category:Singaporean rice dishes Category:Singaporean meat dishes