Biryani

Allergens at a glance

• UsuallyMilkYoghurt marinade, ghee, and saffron soaked in milk.
• OftenTree nutsFried cashews or almonds as garnish, or nut paste in Mughlai styles.
• OftenEggsBoiled egg in Kolkata and many other styles, and egg biryani.
• SometimesGlutenWheat dough seals the pot; some fried onions are floured; hing may contain wheat.
• SometimesPeanutsMirchi ka salan, the Hyderabadi side curry, is made with peanuts.
• SometimesSesameSesame seeds in mirchi ka salan.

Usually in the standard recipe. Often in many versions. Sometimes in some kitchens, or a cross-contact risk.

Diets

• Vegetable biryani is vegetarian, but usually still contains yoghurt and ghee.
• Meat biryani is often halal, especially in Muslim-run restaurants; ask if it matters.
• Raita (yoghurt) served alongside is more dairy.

Recipes change from kitchen to kitchen. If you have an allergy, confirm every ingredient with the restaurant before you order.

What is biryani?

Biryani is a one-pot rice dish in which partly cooked basmati is layered over spiced meat, sealed, and steamed so the rice absorbs the flavours. It came to India through the Mughal courts, drawing on Persian rice cooking, and almost every region now has its own style. It's a full meal on its own, usually served with a yoghurt raita.

What's in it

• Basmati rice, parboiled with whole spices (bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon)
• Chicken, mutton (goat or lamb), beef, fish, prawns, egg or vegetables, marinated in yoghurt and spices
• Ghee, crisp fried onions (birista), mint and coriander
• Saffron soaked in warm milk, and sometimes rose or kewra water
• Often fried cashews, almonds and raisins on top

The best-known styles:

• Hyderabadi: raw marinated meat layered under the rice and cooked together (kacchi), with lots of mint
• Lucknowi (Awadhi): meat and rice cooked separately and layered, milder and more fragrant
• Kolkata: lighter spicing, with potato and boiled egg
• Malabar (Kerala): short-grain kaima rice, cashews and raisins

Allergens and diets

Milk is in nearly every version through the yoghurt marinade, ghee and saffron milk. Tree nuts are often scattered on top or, in richer Mughlai styles, ground into the marinade, so ask even if you can't see any. Boiled egg is standard in Kolkata biryani and a common garnish elsewhere.

Gluten is a cross-contact question rather than an ingredient. Dum biryani is traditionally sealed with a ring of wheat dough around the lid, packaged fried onions are sometimes dusted with flour, and asafoetida, if used, may contain wheat. Coeliac (celiac) diners should ask about all three.

The sides matter too. Hyderabadi biryani is usually served with mirchi ka salan, a chilli curry thickened with peanuts, sesame and coconut. Prawn and fish biryani add crustaceans and fish.

On the menu

In India, "mutton" usually means goat. Biryani is often sold by the plate (full or half), and a full plate is generous.

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.