A fragrant rice dish cooked with meat, vegetables, or seafood, layered with basmati rice and aromatic spices, then slow-cooked to blend the flavors.
From Persian 'beryān' meaning 'fried' or 'roasted,' derived from 'beryan' (to fry). The dish traveled from Persia to the Indian subcontinent through Mughal influence, where it evolved into the complex layered preparation known today.
Authentic biryani involves a technique called 'dum cooking' where the pot is sealed with dough and cooked on low heat, creating a pressure-cooker effect that was invented centuries before actual pressure cookers! Each grain of rice absorbs the meat's juices while staying separate, and the bottom layer develops a prized golden crust called 'tahdig.'
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