International styles and variations[edit]
British biryani[edit]
Biryani was brought in the UK by primarily Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrants. There are several ways through which it is made in the UK. However most of the places it is served in the Sindhi biryani style. Spices are toned down a lot from any of the original versions. In most of the restaurants one has to ask to boost spices.
Burmese biryani[edit]
In Myanmar, biryani is known in Burmese as danpauk or danbauk, from Persian dum pukht. Featured ingredients include cashew nuts, yogurt, raisins and peas, chicken, cloves, cinnamon, saffron and bayleaf. In Burmese biryani, the chicken is cooked with the rice.[17] biryani is also eaten with a salad of sliced onions and cucumber. In Yangon, there are several restaurant chains that serve biryani exclusively. It is often served at religious ceremonies and luncheons. Biryani in Myanmar utilises a special rice grown domestically rather than basmati.
Thai biryani[edit]
In Thailand a goat version is eaten almost exclusively by the Muslim population. Along with Thai Massaman curry (Musulman Curry) and satay it is one of the most notable Muslim Thai dishes. Biryani is also another name for heena.
Sri Lankan biryani (Buriyani)[edit]
Biryani was brought into Sri Lanka by the South Indian Muslims who were trading in the Northern part of Sri Lanka and in Colombo in the early 1900s. Hotel De Buhari in Mardana, Colombo which was run by Haji. Muthuwappa and A. M. Buhari of India, was a historic eatout to commercialize biryani in Sri Lanka in the 1930s and its was popularly called 'Buhari' Rice by the native Sinhalese. As the founders of the food joint returned to India in 1970s, the restaurant was taken over by the Sri Lankan Government and still serve the famous Buryanis. In Sri Lanka they call it Buriyani, a colloquial word which generated from Buhari Biryani. In many cases, Sri Lankan biryani is much spicier than most Indian varieties. Side dishes may include Acchar, Malay Pickle, cashew curry and Ground Mint Sambol.
One form of biryani uses string hoppers as a substitute for rice and is sometimes served with scrambled eggs or vegetables.
Iranian beriani[edit]
During the Safavid dynasty, a dish called Berian Polo (Nastaliq script: بریان پلو) was made with lamb or chicken, marinated overnight – with yogurt, herbs, spices, dried fruits likeraisins, prunes or pomegranate seeds – and later cooked in a tannour oven. It was then served with steamed rice.[18]
In its more original form, in some cities the dish is known as dam pokht/dam-pokhtak. The compound in Persian means "steam-cooked"—a reference to the steamed rice that forms the basis of the dish. This name is still in common use in Iran alongside "beriani". In Southeast Asian countries such as Burma/Myanmar, this older, general Persian term is in common use, as danpauk.
In the central Iranian city of Isfahan, Berian is made with cooked mutton or lamb, which is stewed and minced separately, and then grilled in special small round shallow pans in an oven or over a fire. The meat is generally served with powdered cinnamon in a local bread, usually "nan-e taftoun", but also occasionally "nan-e sangak".
Malaysia and Singapore[edit]
Biryani dishes were introduced to Malaysia and Singapore by the Indian Muslim as well as the Arab diaspora. Biryani Bukhara is a local adaptation of Buhari Biryani, originating from Tamil Nadu, India. Another biryani variation called Nasi Beriani Gam is an adaptation of the Indian Dum Biryani. Nasi Minyak, a dish commonly served at Malay weddings in Malaysia, Singapore and Sumatra, is also sometimes referred to as Nasi Beriani. However, this is actually a variation of the Indian ghee rice. Just as with the Indian version, the rice in Nasi Minyak is cooked separately from the meat. As such, Nasi Minyak is generally not considered a Biryani by the Indian diaspora in Malaysia or Singapore. However, as with Biryani, Nasi Minyak is usually served with acar as condiment. Malaysian/Singaporean Nasi Minyak is typically served with chicken or beef Rendang, a decidedly Malay take on dry spicy Indian meat curries.
Filipino dish[edit]
There's a version of biryani in the Philippines Pampanga region on the northern island of Luzon and in the predominantly Muslim areas of the southern island of Mindanao and theSulu archipelago. The Kapampangan Nasing Biringyi is related to the Malay Nasi Beriani, see Kapampangan cuisine.
In the southern island of Mindanao, biryani style rice dishes are served during big celebrations.
Mauritian biryani (briyani)[edit]
The Mauritian biryani is a version of the Hyderabadi Dum (Kachii) biryani and strictly conforms to the recipe requirement such as using a sealed copper degg, gravy will consist of chicken or meat mixed with garlic/ginger, yogurt, mint and coriander as herbs, fenugreek, cardomom, cinnamon, cloves etc.
The difference with the Dum biryani is that the Mauritians added fried potatoes and roasted cumins to the gravy in replacement of kashmiri chilli generally used in the Hyderabadi version.
The rice is flavoured with saffron + cardomoms, cinnamon and whole cumins.
Cooking is slow and meticulous as with the Hyderabadi recipe.
Nasi kebuli[edit]
Nasi kebuli is an Indonesian spicy steamed rice dish cooked in goat broth, milk and ghee. Nasi kebuli is descended from Kabuli Pulao which is an Afghani rice dish, similar to biryani served on the South Asia.[19][20]
