Delectable Pulao Versus Delightful Biryani – Do You Know The Difference?
Sadly, you’ll find a lot of folks these days who’re under the impression that pulao is the same thing as biryani. This is not true. Despite the fact that each dish is fundamentally rice based and comes from the Middle East or India, you will find a handful of remarkable differences which help make each dish distinct. Here’s how to identify the two dishes:
1) Layering – Any time biryani is prepared the rice should be cooked independently from the lamb meat and masala. The basmati rice should be cooked in it’s own stainless steel pot with an abudance of salted water after which it must be drained using a colander a little bit before it is completely cooked through. The rice then needs to be stacked in layers in a dish with the lamb meat & masala (that has already been cooked). After the rice & masala are layered on top of one another, the dish is then baked in the oven.
With pulao, the grains of basmati rice are instead added straight into the meat & masala which will already have been cooking in a large container (normally on a stove top). A bit of water or broth is then incorporated and the whole pot is covered with a lid and left on a low heat until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is completely cooked. This is known as the absorption method of cooking rice (versus the draining approach employed for biryani).
2) Strength of Spice – Biryani is generally much heavier in spice level than a pulao. Overall the volume of spices & aromatics added to a biryani will be considerably larger than to a pulao. The key components that bring the spice are chili powder, garlic cloves, ginger root, and serrano chilis. Pulao however will not include as great a quantity of these kinds of ingredients and usually also balances the spice with additional components such as dried raisins and nuts. Also, due to the layering in biryani the degree of heat on each individual bite can really fluctuate drastically. A first bite could be filled with masala and spices, whereas others might have much more plain basmati rice. This is rather different from a pulao in which the degree of spice in each bite is made essentially uniform throughout the dish since the dry rice is cooked in the masala liquid.
3) Simplicity of Preparation – Pulaos are normally less complicated meals to prepare since they’re usually done in a single pot and don’t call for the independent cooking and eventual combination and layering of rice and meat / masala like a biryani does. Biryani will often be employed as a center piece of a meal because it is so hearty. Pulao, due to the ease by which it can be prepared (in addition to its levity compared to biryani), will often only be a piece of the meal – as opposed to a primary course.
So, I hope we’ve now been able to clarify for you the difference between biryani and pulao. Best of luck with your indian dishes!
Find out about four essential indian spices that must be in your cabinet, and a few special techniques to use when cooking biryani.
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