Tribal People Try Biryani

Every time the tribe has tasted biryani: 3 videos of first impressions from villagers in rural Punjab, Pakistan, usually Pakistani food they have never seen before.

Also covers: biriyani, biryanis, pulao, pilaf, polao, sindhi biryani, chicken biryani, mutton biryani, yakhni pulao

What it is

Biryani is layered rice and meat cooked together with whole spices, fried onions, yogurt and saffron — Pakistan's celebration dish and the subject of arguments about which city does it best. It is the recipe most requested from the channel.

What to watch for

When outsiders try it, the heat and the whole spices — a clove or cardamom in the mouth — are the surprises. When the tribe try a foreign 'biryani', the verdict is usually swift and unkind.

The village comparison

Sindhi, Karachi, Lahori, Hyderabadi: everyone has a side. The village makes it for Eid and weddings in enormous pots, and a good biryani is the highest compliment a cook can get.

If you cook it: Par-boil the rice to seventy per cent, layer, seal the pot and let steam finish it. Do not stir.

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