Biryani is a staple dish in South Indian cuisine, and has a special place in many people's hearts for its flavour bomb.
The dish is made with rice and spices and includes chicken, beef, mutton, prawns or fish. Biryani is also made with vegetables or paneer to cater to vegetarians.
To add lightness back into the rich and flavourful dish, raita is served with biryani, made out of cucumber, onions, tomatoes and yoghurt.
The origin of the dish is not clear, however versions of the dish can be traced back to the 16th century during the Mughal Empire.
With a lot of South Asians calling Dubai their home, there are many restaurants that serve a version of the cult popular dish.
If on the hunt for some great suggestions for biryani that are sure to make the mouth water and keep people coming back for more, then look no further.
Gazebo
With 16 branches in Dubai, 5 in Abu Dhabi, 3 in Sharjah, 2 in Ajman, 3 in Al Ain and 1 in Ras Al Khaimah, there is no wonder why the restaurant is on the list of one of the best biryani spots to try out. The restaurant serves diners the taste of India and incorporates 200-year-old traditional recipes in their cooking. The biryani is made in earthen pots, which are known for enhancing the flavour of dishes when cooked in it. With a wide variety of biryani choices, delight in options including fish tikka biryani, prawn masala biryani and gosht roganjosh biryani which is dum biryani made with a red curry.
www.gazebo.ae
Sigdi
Sigdi on Al Zabeel Road in Al Karama is a great place to go back in time and enjoy the amazing flavours of the Mughal Empire. By incorporating spices and creating rich dishes, the recipes served at the restaurant have been passed down for generations and are definitely worth the trip. While dining, enjoy delicious biryani options, including chicken tikka biryani, vegetable biryani, mutton biryani and fish tikka biryani.
www.sigdi.ae
Jaffer Bhai's
Jaffer Bhai's, with four branches in Dubai, located at DIFC, Al Karama, Al Barsha and Jumeirah Creek Side Hotel, is a great restaurant to enjoy dum biryani, which is made by slow cooking the rice and meat together, giving the dish all the more flavour. Delight in the tastes of 'the biryani kings of Bombay' and tuck into biryani choices like mutton Hyderabadi biryani, egg biryani, kheema biryani, paneer tikka biryani, chicken biryani and more.
www.jafferbhais.ae
Pak Liyari
Pak Liyari, with five branches in Dubai is a brilliant place to visit to enjoy authentic Pakistani cooking. The restaurant is an amazing place to spend time relaxing with loved ones and bonding over a delicious meal. Diners can relish in biryani options, including beef biryani, chicken biryani and mutton biryani.
www.pakliyarirestaurant.com
Biryani Pot
Biryani Pot on Jumeirah Beach Road at Umm Suqeim 1 is a great one-stop destination to explore a wide variety of biryani options and never get bored. Specialising in biryani and delivering all over Dubai, the restaurant brings mouthwatering Indian cooking to all that are craving comfort food. Savour in biryani choices, including chicken 65 biryani, lamb Hyderabadi biryani, butter chicken biryani, prawn biryani, lamb biryani and many more.
www.biryanipot.me
Sthan
Sthan on Zabeel Road in Al Karama, awhich means 'place', brings food across all borders to one spot. The restaurant is known for its Raan Irani, which can be traced back to 300 BC, and is served by slow-cooking the lamb in a tandoor. However, the biryani served at the restaurant is definitely an added must try, and diners can delight in choices ranging from vegetable biryani, Bombay anda biryani which is biryani made in Bombay style and chicken biryani.
www.sthan.com
Calicut Paragon
Calicut Paragon with two branches in Dubai in Al Nadha and Al Karama offers diners the scrumptious tastes of Calicut in Kerala and serves delicious coastal food. While at the restaurant, the biryani is sure to have the mouth water with options including prawn biryani, egg biryani, mutton biryani, fish biryani and chicken biryani.
www.paragonrestaurant.net
Grub Shack
Grub Shack in Umm Hurair is a brilliant place to enjoy amazing coastal Goan flavours. With live music, the experience is a great one, and the biryani is said to be one of the best in Dubai with their tawa tandoori chicken biryani, which is a take on traditional chicken biryani.
www.grubshackuae.com
Student Biryani
If on the lookout for delicious Pakistani biryani, Student Biryani with four branches in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman, is the place to check out. The restaurant is known for taking traditional and age-old recipes and putting a modern twist on them. Delight in choices including mutton biryani, chicken biryani, beef biryani, tikka biryani and veg biryani.
www.studentbiryani.ae
Memsab Curry and Tandoor
Memsab Curry and Tandoor, situated in Cluster J in JLT, serves contemporary Indian cuisine, adding a spin to Mughlai cooking and is the perfect spot to spend an evening over delicious food with the family. While dining, tuck into biryani choices, including vegetable biryani, paneer biryani, fish biryani, chicken tikka biryani, butter chicken biryani and more.
www.memsaabfood.com