If you’re a non-vegetarian who is all defensive about biryani, and is completely offended by the title, we request you to please keep reading. And if you’re a vegetarian who always gets a dead stare whenever you mention ‘Veg Biryani’ in front of your super defensive non-vegetarian clan, then read to rejoice, because Veg Biryani is going to get its due this time. (FINALLY!)
Major Differences:
We have not one, but three major differences which make biryani different from pulao. Dear non-vegetarians, brace yourselves for a reality check.
1. Technique
For a Pulao to be made, the vegetables and rice are sautéed together and cooked in a common vessel.
Whereas for a Biryani, the spices and vegetables are cooked separately from the rice in two different vessels. The rice is semi cooked and then layered with the spices in a different vessel and left covered on a low flame to get the ‘dum’. Because of the layering, you get some spoons loaded with spices and some with plain white rice.
2. Spice Strength
Biryani has significantly higher amount of spices and aromatics incorporated with a lot of patience and love.
Pulao on the other hand has very less spices and vegetables.
3. Preparation Time and Simplicity:
Biryani obviously wins when it comes to presentation and taste. Those cashew nuts, fried onions, and freshly chopped coriander used to decorate that sinful plate takes A LOT of time and patience, because of the layered cooking.
Pulao on the other hand is very basic when compared to biryani and is super easy to cook.
Now that you know the difference between the two, it’s time you accept it is not the meat that creates the difference, it is the technique.
“BUT VEG BIRYANI AND PULAO IS THE SAME THING”
Being a vegetarian myself, this statement irks me to the core. This is as good as saying that non-veg biryani is pulao with meat. Which isn’t really true.
Now that the difference is clear, please DO NOT compare Veg Biryani with Pulao ever again.
*drops the mic*