Biryani is a lavish rice preparation seen in the Indian subcontinent which includes a heady cocktail of spices, basmati rice and meat and/or vegetables. Its preparation is a long, time consuming one, though the end result can make the time spent well worth the taste. The spices and condiments used in biryani is what makes it so rich in taste as it generally includes cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander and mint leaves apart from ghee, ginger, garlic and yoghurt. The premium varieties include saffron. The main ingredient apart from the spices is the meat which generally is from mutton or chicken though other exotic meat biryanis do exist. The vegetable biryani replaces the meat with various vegetables. It is also served with raita, and korma or curry to make the dish more sumptious.

Though there is more than one method of preparing a biryani, the Hyderabadi Biryani is by far the best known. Legend has it that the then Nawab of Hyderabad had a matching turban in his wardrobe for each variety of Biryani. That speaks volumes about this Indian delicacy.