A local, south Indian grocer introduced me to jeerakasala rice for biryani. It’s a small grain, very flavourful rice that is now a family favourite.
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Jeeragasamba / jeerakasala is lovely. I haven’t encountered it much outside India, but it makes sense that a south indian store would stock it.
When I was exploring regional Indian rices last year, I discovered that there is a western variety from Gujarat called jeerasar (for the size of the grain — jeera means cumin seed).
In the east, gobindobhog is prized, but basmati is still the usual pick for biryani. In the west, ambemohar is intensely fragrant (I prefer it these days) but still basmati is used predominantly for biryanis and pulaos.
There’s a basmati industrial complex 
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Not a shock for delivery, but still interesting
TLDR: it’s Biryani 
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Kheema Biryani
I started making Kheema Pulao, but then went a bit extra and made biryani instead.
Started with leftover Kheema Aloo, from which I separated the potato and amped up the spicing in the ground mutton (ie goat).
Then birista — caramelized fried onions, started stovetop and finished in the microwave.
Par-boiled rice in the microwave, drained and rinsed, then added salt and ghee and kewda / kewra water (screw pine / orange blossom).
Layered the kheema, potatoes, cilantro, rice, and caramelized onions in a dish, jiggered a cover for it, and finished the lot in the microwave because we were starving.
Turned out really well. Eaten with yogurt and papad. I was going to make quick pickled red onions to go with but then I forgot.
I switched up the rice and used ambe mohar, which is small grain, and incredibly fragrant but in a very different way than basmati,
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I’m going to admit.
I want friends’ South Asian moms’ home-made Biryani, or @Saregama 's Biryani, or Biryani from a restaurant that knows what it’s doing.
And they’ll all be different but delicious!
But until then, I highly recommend giving it a shot yourself — you can break it up into a couple of days even (make the onions which last forever, the base a day or two before you want to assemble, and finish with the rice the day of).
It’s not hard, there are just multiple steps.
Or make a Pulao! No need for layering. 60-70% of the return.
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I have made it maybe 6 times. Although, not in the past 6 months. Mediocre results so far.
I think I’m chasing a dragon. 
By far most restaurants list biryani last on their menu. No matter how good the place is otherwise, it’s an afterthought for them, and they don’t put in the effort.
Even worse are upscale places that use boneless, skinless chunks of white meat chicken, protecting you from any hint of flavor that might otherwise seep its way into your food.
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It’s listed last because the rice course is usually last in a North or South Indian meal, not because it’s an afterthought.
But as I’ve ranted often, I agree that it’s rarely proper or good.
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Sorry about that. I mess up roughly 1 in 4 times, usually because I rushed one step or didn’t wait for everything to settle
When it’s great, the korma (base) was good, I cooked the rice properly, and I let it all meld as it needs to.
My mess-ups are usually rice related in that, I overcooked it or didn’t soak it or left too much liquid in the base to finish cooking it.
I made a Chana (chickpea) Pulao last year that tasted very biryani-like and was a fraction of the effort, so that might be a a good one to try if you like chickpeas.
Or Masoor (whole brown lentil) Biryani is delicious too, and somehow harder to mess up.
Then just extend the prep from there
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Toronto and other parts of Ontario have a number of restaurants that specialize in Biryani. The choices are overwhelming.
There’s even a chain restaurant called The Biryani Walla, with 10 locations across Ontario.
Older pan-Indian restaurants in Ontario don’t focus on Biryani as much, but some make a nice version.
Best Biryani in Downtown Toronto subreddit #1
Best Biryani in Toronto subreddit #2
Biryani near the University of Toronto campus (subreddit topic from 4 days ago)
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Never made it, but I like it enough to differentiate good from bad. I’ve greatly enjoyed some lamb biryani in restaurants.
I’d love recs for places that have excellent biryani in the Seattle/Vancouver region. And I’m interested in what more knowledgeable Onions have to say on the subject…
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Vancouver is known for very good North Indian food, and Seattle has a strong Indian tech base between Microsoft and Amazon (yes I’m typecasting my people) so you should have access to some good versions.
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Yeah, thanks. Know any particular restaurants that rock biryani?
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No, but I’ll ask and do some internet sleuthing when I can.
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There’s also a significant Ismaeli population in North Vancouver. I haven’t looked up any restaurants serving Ismaeli Indian food via Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. The best Biryani I have eaten was an Ismaeli Biryani made by a frenemy’s mom.
This is from a subreddit 3 years ago, so not current, but a start, if you’re interested in Khoja Cuisine in Vancouver.
Kilimanjaro Snack House serves 4 different Khoja Biryanis
Thank you very much! I will explore this.
I’m going to make a pulao tomorrow (a half recipe, although I will need to leave out or sub for the mishti doi), subbing winter flounder fillets:
I’m going to make the gravy base today and then do the rest tomorrow. Do we have a pilaf/pulao thread already?
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Mishti doi is an odd ingredient – it’s a dessert preparation of yogurt, with reduced milk sweetened with jaggery or sugar and then set into thick yogurt.
I’d use greek yogurt and skip the sweetness until you taste the gravy at the end – you can always adjust then. (This and this Bengali recipe just use plain yogurt.)
Feel free to report it here, I think the continuum of pulao to biryani is a fluid one.
