We love Biryani! We can order a plate at work, come home to have Ammi kay haath ki, get up in the middle of the night to have another plate AND then we still wouldn’t mind having it for breakfast! Yes – pretty much crazy about Biryani.
 
Here’s a list of some of the popular versions of biryani. Which ones have you had and which ones would you love to have? Let us know in the comments below!
 

Hyderabadi Biryani

Originating from the city of Hyderabad in India this biryani was developed under the instructions of the Nizam (Ruler of the state of Deccan). It is traditionally made with Basmati rice, spices and goat. Though there is a Pakki (cooked) version of it, the most famous Hyderabadi style of Biryani is called Kacchi ( literally translated as raw).
Don’t worry – it’s not raw! That just refers to the cooking method.
What happens is that the meat is marinated with spices & yoghurt for a couple of hours (even overnight at times). The raw meat is then layered between layers of Basmati rice; the daigh is sealed with dough at the edges so that not even a wisp of heat escapes. The biryani is simmered on really low heat (dum) till cooked. Sounds simple but the process requires skill – the meat needs to be cooked at just the right temperature so it doesn’t over-cook.
Click HERE for a recipe for Hyderabadi Biryani Recipe  

Photo Credits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0ysPoXZjgA 

Bombay Biryani

It’s pretty self-explanatory where Bombay Biryani originated from - Mumbai in India! And just like the city, the biryani is a melting pot of flavors – spicy, masaledaar & chatkharaydaar. The best part about Bombay Biryani is that whether it’s made with either chicken or mutton, it almost always has fried potatoes! With lots of spices & green chilies and a hint of the signature kewra flavor in the end.
Click HERE for a recipe for Bombay Biryani

Photo Credits:  www.jopreetskitchen.com 

Sindhi Biryani

Another biryani named for the region where it originated from. Sindhi biryani originates from the province of Sindh in Pakistan. The cooking method is the same – meat & rice is cooked separately and then layered. The type of meat can be chicken, beef, mutton and considering the near proximity to river Indus fish & shrimp versions are also quite common. A distinctive characteristic is the addition of aloo bukharay in the spices which gives it a beautiful aroma and lots of khatta (sour yoghurt) in the layering which gives it a tangy note in the spice mix.
Click HERE for a recipe for Sindhi Biryani
 
Photo Credits: http://www.food.com/recipe/sindhi-biryani-175950

Memoni Biryani

The Memons are a famous business community in Pakistan and they have their own distinct style of food. Their version of Biryani is similar to Sindhi biryani but with a few changes. They prefer lamb over chicken and there’s more yoghurt, potatoes & fried onions. They also use minimal food coloring so the biryani is more white versus orange. Do remember that the Memoni biryani is different from the Memoni Akhni. The Biryani is spicier but the Akhni is similar to a pulao.
Click HERE for a recipe for Memoni Mutton Biryani

Photo Credits:
www.pepperchilliandvanilla.blogspot.com 

Fish biryani

As fish is so delicate, the preparation of fish biryani is just a little bit different. Fish fillets are half cooked with a thick masala paste then delicately layered with rice & onions. The final dum takes about 10 minutes to ensure that the fish doesn’t get over-cooked. If one adds coconut milk instead of yoghurt in the biryani masala then it becomes kerala biryani – distinct to the kerala region of India where coconut is a staple part of their diet.
Click HERE for a recipe for Fish Biryani  

Photo Credits: http://www.thasneen.com/cooking/king-fish-biryani-south-indian-style/

Shrimp / Prawns Biryani

Another popular variant of Biryani from the sea, this particular variant uses shrimps or prawns. Other than the yummy prawny taste of the biryani, it's quick to make because it literally takes a few minutes to cook the prawns. 
Click HERE for a recipe for Shrimp Biryani  

Photo credits:  http://www.nisahomey.com/2013/02/hyderabadi-shrimp-prawns-biriyanistep.html

White Biryani

Yes, we know the idea of white biryani sounds odd. I mean, biryani without color is basically pulao and as we have decided from the start pulao is definitely not biryani. But ‘The White Biryani’ is a new style developed by a biryani outlet in Karachi. It looks quite mild in flavor but in this case looks are quite deceiving – it actually packs quite a punch with the use of green chilies. Additionally, what we love about it is that it has loads of aloo bhukara which give the biryani a beautiful flavor.
Click HERE for a recipe for White Biryani 

Photo Credits: www.yummytummyaarthi.com 

Keema Biryani

Tired of looking through the biryani ki daigh for your manpasand boti piece! Keema biryani is the solution. Instead of using chicken or mutton meat, you use mincemeat and then cook & layer the salan with rice the traditional manner. The difference is that you get keema in every bite.

Click HERE for a recipe for Keema Biryani
Photo Credits: www.neelscorner.com 
 

Kali Masoor ki Dal Biryani / Pulao

So this rice dish is called both biryani & pulao. It’s a combination of meat (mince-meat or keema) with kali masoor ki daal (called whole red lentil). This biryani requires three separate cooking steps – first the rice is cooked, then the mincemeat is cooked separately with biryani spices and the last step being the cooking of the lentils. The final assembly of biryani consists of rice, mince curry and lentils followed by rice again topped with condiments.
Click HERE for a recipe for Kali Masoor ki Dal Biryani 

Photo Credits: www.mytrystwithfoodandtravel.blogspot.ae