Biryani: what it is and how the styles differ

Biryani is a rice dish in which long-grain rice and spiced meat, fish or vegetables are cooked together, usually in layers, so that the rice takes on the flavour of the filling. It is eaten across South Asia and well beyond it, and it is one of the most searched dishes in Britain. This guide explains what defines a biryani, how it differs from a pilau, how the Pakistani styles compare, and which biryanis appear on the menu of Shimlas Great Horton Road in Bradford.

What is biryani?

Biryani is a one-dish meal of rice and a spiced filling that are combined and finished together, and it is usually served with raita. The filling is most often chicken, lamb or goat, and the rice is almost always basmati or a similar long, slender grain.

Three features separate it from plain rice with a curry on top. The rice is parboiled or partly cooked first so that it can finish later without turning soft. The meat or vegetables are marinated or cooked in a spiced base of onion, ginger, garlic, yoghurt or tomato. Then the two are brought together, often in layers, and finished over low heat.

The result should have separate grains, some stronger pockets of spice and meat, and a fragrant steam when the lid comes off. A biryani that is wet or clumped is usually considered a failure by those who cook it.

Where does biryani come from?

The origin of biryani is disputed, and no single account is accepted by everyone. The name is generally traced to Persian, and the dish is associated with the Mughal courts of South Asia, but cooks in Hyderabad, Lucknow, Kolkata, Karachi and many other cities each describe their own version as the original or the best.

What can be said safely is that rice-and-meat dishes cooked in sealed pots have a long history across Persia, Central Asia and South Asia, and that regional kitchens developed their own methods. The word itself is also spelt in several ways in English, including biriani and briyani.

Anyone who tells you with certainty that one city invented biryani is giving a preference, not a settled fact. This guide does not take a side.

How is biryani cooked?

Biryani is made either by layering partly cooked rice over a cooked filling and steaming it, or by cooking the raw marinated meat and rice together in the same pot. The first is often called pakki and the second kacchi, terms widely used in Hyderabadi cooking.

The steps in a typical layered method look like this:

1. Marinate the meat in yoghurt, ginger, garlic, chilli and spices.
2. Boil the rice in salted, spiced water until it is part cooked, then drain it.
3. Cook the filling, or leave it raw in the kacchi method.
4. Layer rice over the filling, often with fried onions, herbs and a little saffron or food colouring.
5. Seal the pot and cook over low heat.

The sealing step is called dum, which describes slow cooking in trapped steam. Traditionally the lid is fixed with a strip of dough. Many busy restaurants use a shortcut, such as finishing portions in a covered tray, so what arrives on the plate can differ from the traditional method. A restaurant’s own menu is the only reliable source for how it cooks its version.

What is the difference between biryani and pilau?

A pilau cooks the rice in a stock with the meat or vegetables from the start, while a biryani assembles rice and a more heavily spiced filling that were prepared separately. In practice the two can overlap, and some cooks use the words loosely.

The distinction is a guide, not a rule. A dish a family calls pilau may be richer than another family’s biryani, and menus in Britain often use one name for both.

What are the main styles of Pakistani biryani?

The best-known Pakistani styles are Sindhi biryani, Karachi (sometimes called Bombay) biryani and Lahori versions, and each places the emphasis differently. Descriptions below are general, and individual cooks vary.

Sindhi biryani is often named as the hottest of the group. Names overlap and the boundaries are blurred, so a menu that says only chicken biryani does not tell you which tradition it follows.

What goes with biryani?

Raita is the standard accompaniment, followed by a small salad of onion, cucumber and tomato. The cool, salted yoghurt balances heat and fat, and it works as a sauce for the rice.

Other sides you may see include:

• a mild curry sauce, which is a British restaurant habit
• lemon wedges
• papad or poppadoms
• pickles, particularly lime or mixed pickle

Bread is not normally needed because the rice is the main starch. Some diners still order a naan to scoop the last of the raita, which is a matter of taste rather than tradition.

Which biryanis are on the Shimlas menu?

The online ordering page of Shimlas Great Horton Road lists two biryanis, in a section the restaurant labels biryani and stir fry. As recorded in November 2026, a Chicken Biryani is £11.49 and a Meat Biryani is £12.49.

The page describes both as rice cooked with lentils and onions, served with raita, so raita comes with the dish. A separate Raitha is listed at £1.99 if you want more. The page does not say which style of biryani it is, how the meat is cooked, or what spice level to expect, so those are questions for the restaurant on 01274 723992.

These are the collection prices on the official ordering page, and prices differ between branches, delivery apps and in person. For the current menu and to order, use the restaurant’s own site at shimlas.uk. This guide does not take orders. The full recorded list is on the menu page.

How do you choose between a chicken and a meat biryani?

Chicken biryani is the lighter and more common choice, and a meat biryani is usually richer, with a stronger flavour and chewier pieces. The menu records £1.00 more for the meat version at Shimlas.

If the cook uses bone-in pieces, you will find bones in either, and that is normal in this style. Ask whether the meat is on or off the bone if that matters to you. The word meat on a Pakistani menu can mean lamb, mutton or goat depending on the restaurant, and the Shimlas ordering page does not say which. Its menu does say that it uses fresh mutton for its meat products, but it does not state which dishes that covers, so ask when you order.

What are common mistakes when ordering or making biryani?

The common mistakes are expecting a curry sauce, expecting identical dishes in different restaurants, and, at home, overcooking the rice first. Understanding the dish removes most of the disappointment.

• Expecting gravy. A good biryani is moist but not saucy. Order a curry alongside if you want sauce.
• Assuming it is mild or hot. Ask about heat, because styles vary a great deal.
• Ordering it for a quick snack. Portions are filling and are built as a full meal.
• At home, cooking the rice all the way first. The rice should be about two thirds cooked before layering, or it turns to paste.
• At home, skipping the rest. Leaving the pot covered and off the heat for a few minutes lets the steam settle the grains.

Why is biryani served with raita and not with a sauce?

Raita is served because biryani is dense and rich, and the cool yoghurt gives moisture and balance without turning the rice into a stew. A sauce would wet the grains that the cook has worked to keep separate.

The salt and mild sourness of raita also work against fat and chilli. A spoonful on the side lets each diner decide how much to add. Cucumber, mint and sometimes onion or tomato are the usual additions, and some versions are thin and some thick. The Shimlas ordering page records raita as coming with its biryanis, and a separate Raitha is listed at £1.99, which is a useful point if more than one person is sharing a plate.

How do you eat biryani?

Eat it with a fork or spoon, or with your right hand in the traditional way, taking rice together with a piece of meat and a little raita. Mixing the layers lightly rather than digging down to one part gives a balanced mouthful.

Leave any whole spices such as cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaf or cinnamon on the side of the plate. They flavour the dish but are not meant to be eaten. Bones in the meat are normal in several styles.

Is biryani halal, vegetarian or suitable for allergies?

That depends entirely on the restaurant. Biryani is made in meat, fish, egg and vegetable versions, so the name alone tells you nothing about the ingredients.

For Shimlas, the official ordering page tags the restaurant as Halal, and Zabihah lists it as fully halal with a halal certificate seen on display, with no certifying body named in the sources checked. This guide gives no religious rulings, so ask staff directly if you need to be certain. Both biryanis on the recorded menu are meat dishes. For nuts, dairy or other allergies, ask the restaurant before ordering, because raita contains yoghurt and the ordering page recorded no allergen details.

Common questions

This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Shimlas Great Horton Road itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.