Biryani: The Art of Layered Rice
Biryani is the dish you order when rice deserves to be the star. Far more than a side, it is fragrant basmati cooked with spiced meat, prawn or vegetables until every grain carries flavour. Traditionally a dish for feasts and celebrations, it remains one of the most rewarding things on any Indian menu. Here is how we do it at Saffron Soho.
What Makes a Biryani
A biryani is built around long-grain basmati, lightly spiced and stir-fried with its main ingredient so the rice and the filling become one dish rather than two. It is aromatic, gently spiced and deeply satisfying, the kind of plate that fills the table with scent the moment it lands.
It is also a complete meal. Ours come served with a vegetable curry or raita on the side, so the dry, fragrant rice has something cool and saucy to play against. You need little else.
The Ones to Order
The Saffron Special Biryani is the showpiece, a combination of chicken, lamb and prawn in one fragrant plate, for when you cannot choose. Chicken or Lamb Tikka Biryani brings tandoor-grilled meat to the rice, adding smoke and char to the mix.
King Prawn Biryani pairs lightly spiced basmati with plump king prawn, and for vegetarians the Vegetable Biryani and Paneer Tikka Biryani are every bit as generous. Whatever you choose, it arrives as a single, complete, satisfying plate.
Why It Is Different
Most curries are sauce-led, eaten with rice on the side. Biryani turns that on its head: here the rice is the dish, and the spicing is woven through every grain. It is drier, more aromatic and more about texture than gravy.
That makes it a great choice when you want something a little lighter than a rich curry, or when you simply want the comfort of a one-plate meal. It is also a brilliant introduction for anyone who finds saucy curries too heavy.
How to Eat It
Biryani comes with its own raita or vegetable curry, so it needs nothing more, though a papadam or a small side of dal never goes amiss. Spoon the cooling raita over the rice to balance the spice, and take your time. A good biryani is meant to be savoured.
Come and Eat With Us
We serve the full menu straight through from midday, late into the night: until midnight, every night.
You will find us at 63 Old Compton Street, W1D 6HT, two minutes from the West End and close to Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road.
Book a table online or call us on 020 3941 9935.
Frequently asked questions
What is biryani?
Biryani is a dish of fragrant basmati rice cooked together with spiced meat, prawn or vegetables, so the rice itself carries the flavour. It is drier and more aromatic than a curry, and is served as a complete meal.
Is biryani spicy?
Our biryanis are lightly and aromatically spiced rather than hot, making them a great choice if you find rich, saucy curries too heavy. They come with a vegetable curry or raita on the side to balance the rice.
What is the difference between biryani and curry?
A curry is sauce-led and eaten with rice on the side. In a biryani the rice is the dish, with the spicing woven through every grain, so it is drier and more about texture and aroma than gravy.
Do you have a vegetarian biryani?
Yes. We serve a Vegetable Biryani and a Paneer Tikka Biryani, both every bit as generous as the meat versions and clearly marked on the menu.
