Pulao

Pulao is basmati rice simmered with whole spices, vegetables and stock until the grains take on the pot's flavour. It sits in the middle ground between plain jeera rice and a full biryani — more flavoured than the former, far simpler to make than the latter.

What it really is

Rice is briefly fried in ghee with whole spices — cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon — until they turn fragrant, then simmered with stock or water and whatever vegetables the version calls for, all in one pot rather than the separately cooked, later-layered components of a biryani. The liquid is measured precisely so it's fully absorbed by the time the rice is done, leaving grains that are tender and separate rather than the wetter result of an everyday curry.

One pot is the whole distinction from biryani. Biryani's rice and meat cook separately before being layered and steamed together; pulao's ingredients go into the same pot from the start, which is what makes it the quicker, more everyday dish of the two.

How it is served

• As a flavoured alternative to plain rice, alongside a curry that doesn't compete with its own spicing.
• Garnished simply, with a few fried onions or nuts scattered over.
• Sometimes as a light meal on its own, with just yogurt or a simple salad.

How to write it on the menu

• It is naturally vegan and vegetarian in its plain vegetable form; note if a meat version replaces it.
• Distinguish it clearly from biryani on the menu, since guests often use the names interchangeably.
• List the vegetables or nuts used, since recipes vary noticeably between kitchens.