Layered and steamed, not fried rice with curry stirred in, and a vegetable curry sauce on the side
Biryanis
Basmati layered with spiced chicken, lamb, king prawn or vegetables, sealed and steamed so the rice takes the flavour, with fried onions and coriander on top and a vegetable curry sauce on the side.
A takeaway biryani is too often pilau rice fried with a few pieces of chicken. Ours is layered: par-boiled basmati with saffron and rose water over spiced meat or vegetables, sealed in the pan with dough and steamed for twenty minutes so the rice takes the flavour from underneath. We make them in batches through the evening, so on a Friday you might wait five minutes for the next one; it is worth it.
Every biryani comes with a vegetable curry sauce on the side, medium, because a biryani is drier than a curry and most people want something to pour. Swap it for raita (95p extra) or a dal (£2) if you would rather. The special mixed has chicken, lamb and prawn with a boiled egg.
Heat is a gentle two; ask for green chillies through it and we will. Biryanis travel well and reheat better than anything else on the menu, which is why they are what people order for tomorrow's lunch.
What you get
- Layered and steamed, not fried
- Basmati with saffron, fried onions and coriander
- Vegetable curry sauce on the side
- Swap the sauce for raita or dal
- The special mixed with egg
- Allergen codes on every line
What it costs
Vegetable biryani £10.45, chicken £11.95, lamb £13.45, king prawn £15.45, the special mixed £15.95. Raita 95p. The menu has every price with its allergen codes; the curry builder works out a curry, rice and naan to your heat.
Questions about biryanis
Why does a biryani take longer?
Because they are steamed in batches. On a busy night the next pan may be ten minutes away; we say so when you order.
Is there a vegan biryani?
The vegetable biryani can be made without ghee; ask when you order and we cook it in oil.
Build it to your heat, see the price, then ring.
Nine curries, five proteins, one to five chillies, a rice and a naan: the builder gives the price before you pick up the phone. Free delivery over £20 within three miles; about forty minutes on a normal night.