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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
7 min
29/01/2026
There are two kinds of people in this world – those who lovingly babysit their biryani for hours, and those who believe a pressure cooker is their ultimate wingman. Both will claim theirs is the real deal (it’s a given which one is) – one citing tradition, the other citing hunger. So, what does one get from the royal handis of Hyderabad to the Instant Pots of today’s kitchens? Biryani has evolved faster than the average attention span.
Few dishes evoke as much passionate debates, bordering on hostility at times, nostalgia, and pride as biryani. It started from the royal kitchens of Hyderabad to bustling home kitchens across the world. Biryani is more than just a meal. Yet, in today’s fast-paced world, the way biryani is cooked has evolved. While traditionalists swear by the slow ‘dum’ method that defines its authenticity, modern cooks who still want the flavour in record time have found creative shortcuts to bring those same comforting aromas and flavours to the table.
The story of biryani begins in the royal kitchens of places like Lucknow and Hyderabad, where the technique known as dum pukht – literally meaning ‘slow-oven cooking’ was born. A heavy-bottomed earthen or metal pot was sealed and cooked over a low flame, allowing meat, rice, spices and steam to work their magic. From the choice of basmati rice to the restrained but judicious use of whole spices such as cloves, cinnamon and cardamom, everything was rooted in refinement and opulence. Over generations, the layering of rice and meat under dum became not only a technique but a symbol of craftsmanship and celebration.
What sets a traditional biryani apart, beyond its ingredients, is how you build the dish. The dum method requires layering partially-cooked rice and marinated meat (or vegetables) alternately, sealing the vessel and cooking on very low heat to let steam do the work. As per many sources, dum is where biryani becomes biryani. The seal traps moisture, whole spices release their fragrance slowly, and each grain of rice ends up infused with flavour. Without this sealed pot where the steam does its work, even the right spices and meat may deliver a bland or flat result.
When one thinks of biryani, images of the aromatic scent of ghee-fused rice, fried onions, saffron and whole spices are evokedand none of these are incidental. The layering process ensures that the bottom layer, often meat or gravy, shields the rice from scorching while letting its juices infuse the rice as it steams. In addition, ghee or butter-rich fats help carry the aroma of spices like cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaves as well, their essential oils scenting the entire pot. The resulting dish has deep flavours, rich in aroma, with fluffy rice that is distinct rather than being mushy or soggy.
One of the simplest biryani hacks is to start with ingredients that cook quickly. Instead of large bone-in pieces, you can opt for minced chicken (keema) or smaller cuts, which skip long marination and slow cooking. For example, a ‘Quick Chicken Keema Biryani’ uses minced chicken, minimal marination, and takes around 30 minutes. Also, pick good-quality long-grained basmati rice, which cooks faster and yields fluffier grains.
Modern kitchen tools like pressure cookers or Instant Pots are game-changers for biryani. They allow you to replicate the effect of ‘dum’ (steaming under a lid) in far less time. A one-pot Instant Pot recipe for chicken biryani reports a total time under an hour. Similarly, a pressure‐cooker vegetable biryani claims to be ready in under 20 minutes. These methods conserve flavour while drastically cutting time.
Even in quick hacks, smart preparation of rice can make a big difference. Soak your rice ahead for about 20-30 minutes so it cooks faster and more evenly. Par-cooking (cooking rice until 70-80% done) helps you finish it with the meat or vegetables without over-cooking. Then you layer, rather than fully mixing everything, which better preserves texture and flavour even when time is limited.
The classic dum method (low heat with sealed pot) is labour-intensive, but you can simulate key effects quickly. For example, after layering meat and rice, you can seal the pot (use foil, a tight lid, or a dough seal) and cook on a very low flame for a short period to lock in aroma. Pro chefs advise placing a tawa (griddle) under the pot to prevent burning when doing a low-heat finish. This gives you the aroma and finishing touch of dum, without hours of slow cooking.
Time-saving biryani isn’t just about cooking faster – it’s also about prepping smart. Some hacks suggest using leftover cooked chicken or curry, and simply layering it with partially cooked rice and whole spices for a quick biryani upgrade. Similarly, you could fry onions ahead of time, keep marinated meat ready, or use frozen vegetables. These shortcuts reduce active cook time and make biryani feasible on busy days.
Whether you choose to simmer your biryani under a tight dough seal or drop the Instant Pot lid and let it work its magic, what matters is that glorious moment when the lid lifts and the aroma hits you like a sucker punch. Pick your lane – whether you want to walk on the traditional slow-cooked route or the done in a jiffy road, to a delicious haven on your plate. Both are good!
