Explore the Difference between Pulao and Biryani

One of the first things that people do when they chill out at a top Indian restaurant in Colorado Springs or go to a lavish party is to check out the menu for Biryani. This amazing dish with its alluring flavor and rich texture has been immensely popular over the years transcending borders and reaching all shores.

The craze for Biryani continues with people enjoying the dish and uploading pictures of it in the Social Media.

Well, Biryani does have a close competitor and that is the Indian Pulao! The aroma of the dish is simply ethereal and takes ardent rice lovers on a rich savory trip. Sadly enough, many of us still tend to get confused between the two culinary delicacies. A lot of people think that they are the same things. But that’s wrong. They are certainly not the same. Let’s highlight the main differences between the two.

biryani

 

Origin 

Biryani had its origin in the Indian subcontinent, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Persia. In India, it is popular in Lucknow and Hyderabad, two of the chief cities ruled by the Mughals.

Pulao was invented in Turkey and Central Asia. To taste authentic and fresh biryani and pulao, visit the best restaurant in Colorado Springs.

 

Smell

The smell of biryani is heavy due to an assortment of spices used in the recipe.

Pulao, on the other hand, has a moderate smell since fewer spices are used for preparing it.

 

Layering

Biryani is made in layers, with one layer devoted to meat and veggies while another layer is filled with fried onions.

In the case of pulao, there is no layering but the meat, veggies, and rice are sautéed together and then cooked in a fixed quantity of water.

 

Cooking Technique

The way that Biryani and Pulao are cooked differs a lot. While biryani is cooked by using the drainage method, pulao is cooked through the absorption method.

In biryani, at first, rice is boiled until it is ready and after that water remaining is entirely drained to dry it following which meat, potatoes, dry fruits, and fried onions are added in layers.

The cooking method for pulao is different. Here, water used in boiling rice and veggies is absorbed completely.

pulao

Spices and Condiments Used

Both biryani and pulao are distinguished by the spices and condiments used in them. While preparing biryani, spices such as chili powder, garlic, onion, ginger, nutmeg, mace, pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, saffron are used. The luxurious blend of spices lends it its wonderful flavor and aroma.

On the other hand, for preparing pulao spices such as peppercorns, fennel seeds, cardamom, and star anise are used that render it a unique taste and exotic flavor.

 

Preparation Time

Biryani needs longer preparing time because of the assortment of ingredients that have to be blended in at different stages. It also has a long cooking time because a very low flame is used to cook it in a closed container.

Pulao takes lesser time to get prepared because it gets cooked on medium to high flame and involves lesser preparation methods.

 

Serving

Biryani is treated as a complete meal and served with chutney or raita.

Pulao is served as a side dish along with gravy-based meat dishes, veggies, dal, and paneer.

Enjoy the best Indian food, at Urban Tandoor, a premium restaurant in Colorado Springs that offers a lavish dining experience. Whether it is biryani or pulao, you will get the best food and hospitality!

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