Pro Chef Reacts... To Uncle Roger Reviews the WORST Biryani (Epicurious)

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Let's see who makes the best Biryani!
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[@ChefJamesMakinson]

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[@blackkingbastard695]

sir correction there is no veg biryani its called pulao..... in south thank u

[@jinesh9273]

@@blackkingbastard695 pulao is different.... veg biriyani is different....

[@jinesh9273]

Squeeze a lemon when boiling the rice..... it will help to avoid sticking the rice.... avoid rose water to avoid the smell of essence..... instead of rose water, use small pineapple chunks.... this will give biriyani a natural smell...... 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 In Kerala, we use small grain rice specifically made for biriyani.... Known as kaima / jeeraka sala rice.....

[@habajaba9603]

None of those are legit biriyani. It's just sad to even consider calling them that.

[@RussellStClair-cy1vu]

Dirt is wonderful on a freshly pulled Carrot 🥕 ....what ! Better than earwax !

[@flora5090]

Love how James ignores all the dirty jokes and only comments in the cooking, it honestly makes the jokes even better somehow

[@hollish196]

James is one seriously class act. It is one of the reasons I watch--and he does great recipes!

[@sethgaston845]

He has that shy, reserved smile that says he gets it, but has that "nah, I'm not gonna touch that one" vibe.

[@southwest7977]

I go with that he gives it a wink and smile. He’d cut it otherwise. I’m glad that he handles it as he does.

[@sethgaston845]

@@southwest7977 it's such a classy move on his part. I love it, too.

[@LadyMitcly]

@Flora, totally agree. I really like UR but I can’t stand the dirty jokes, so for me, James handles it perfectly! May there be many more men in the world just like him! 🥰

[@Darth_Reposter]

the thing I like about Uncle Roger is that, the more "professional" the chef is the harsher his criticism is.

[@phoenixv8085]

its how it should be. just like you cant be angry at a child for adult problems ou cant be angry at a newbie for profesional mistakes

[@goshu7009]

@@phoenixv8085 Indeed!

[@MrVvulf]

And his puns. The play on words when he made fun of the "diversity" by saying "white rice matters", which with his affected accent sounds like "white lives matter".

[@Randen-Re1.]

That’s because for a professional chef they should be responsible for having cultural awareness. The professional chef using grains then Basmati is just utter disappointment hence why everyone is flaming her. (And That’s only one part of it)

[@macwinter7101]

I honestly think that Uncle Roger isn't purposefully trying to be more critical of professional chefs. He was actually very critical of that one guy in this video who was a beginner level chef. I genuinely believe he would be very kind on a professional chef if that chef did everything right. I think a major reason he appears to more critical of professional chefs is because many of those chefs try to be creative and create their own versions of a recipe. It has actually become quite trendy for professional chefs to try to create new variations of recipes. However, I personally think that it can be problematic when professional chefs try to significantly alter traditional meals, ESPECIALLY when they are advertising that inaccurate recipe to a large, global audience. Not only are they preventing their viewers from knowing what the traditional dish is supposed to be, they are bastardizing the traditional cuisine of many cultures, which can be quite upsetting. My grandma is Japanese, and when she moved to the USA, she was never able to tolerate the "Japanese" food at most Japanese restaurants because it is so unpleasant when compared to what she is used to, all thanks to professional chefs who wanted to be creative and misrepresent her culture's cuisine. And I imagine that most of Uncle Roger's videos intend to criticize chefs for sharing inaccurate versions of traditional recipes he grew up eating.

[@Nocturnturn]

In this format from Epicurious, the 'Level 2' chef most of the time turns out with the best end product. The 'Level 3' chef always comes up with some convoluted thing to do that no homecook would ever make and/or they stray away so far away from the usual concept of the dish they are supposed to be making just to show some over-the-top resourcefulness or something.

[@ZealothPL]

Well the level 3 paella guy just made charcoal...

[@HarpreetSingh-xr6em]

true briyani can be made in hundred's of ways (not having all the ingredients/time ay home) but two things you cannot leave good quality rice and meat preferably mutton

[@pacificcoastbreeze]

I blame the producers. What you describe is probably the exact thing they tell their Level 3 chefs. "Just make it as wild and as wacky as possible to differentiate the skill level involved for this dish." Some of the Level 3 chefs are actual restaurateurs like Esther and she does a really good job.

[@pretendtobenormal8064]

Not when Frank Proto is the level 3... He ALWAYS brings his A-game!

[@Halz0holic]

Plums are a common ingredient in many Biryani recipes. Some people do use dried. But I prefer using fresh plums, boiled and peeled, along with goat meat. Plum is known to be a very good tenderizer.

[@aravindkm2012]

More so in the northern variants but yeah this is true.

[@male-efficient7262]

Yes true, in Kolkata biriyani i nowadays plums these days.

[@nathangamble125]

The way I make biryani is by going to an Indian takeaway and asking for a biryani, giving money to them, and then waiting until I have biryani. This method is easy and works every time.

[@bollakarthikeya4633]

As an Indian, I second that. I'd only try it when I am a pro in cooking. The best way is to order it!

[@debdal6]

Don't try it in the UK though. They don't know the difference between tawa pulao and dum biriyani

[@user-vn5zs7xw2i]

@@debdal6 advice accepted.

[@yam2050]

not bad but you wont get the acutual one, but their variation with their own twist.....

[@bimalendusinha5702]

First time when I made Biryani they put me in Jail. Rice looked like pudding because I didn't used air tight container. I wasn't able to taste it because police took me before tasting it. The reason I ended up in jail was because it was covid time and we were partying, police gave us warning to leave, almost everyone left peacefully but two uninvited guest made a scene there and ran away, so police took me.

[@chloemakesvideos3889]

Level 1 Chef: accidental khichdi Level 2 Chef: actual biriyani Level 3 Chef: absolute blasphemy

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

😂

[@neetishyadav8553]

Tbh if you give that lvl3 bs to an Indian and call it biryani they will legit get angry

[@msmw6]

😂😂😂

[@staarfinger7322]

@@neetishyadav8553 bro the owner of the restaurant will be beaten up publicly if this shit was served

[@ZainAhmed456]

@@neetishyadav8553 even Pakistanis, Pakistanis would get angrier, I mean atleast I'm angry....at all of them.

[@heathg2681]

At 7:08, When it shows the face of rinku on the girl from the ring movie crawling out of the tv, I lost it 😂😂.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Hahaha 🤣

[@prhyu]

The contrast between James (calm, collected) and Nigel (over the top comedy) makes the video really entertaining! I love all your vids

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!

[@prhyu]

Was also going to say I'm guessing no. 2 will be the best, let's see how that turns out

[@darkdragonite316]

As a Pakistani who eats biryani almost every week. Seeing freekah or whatever that is pains my heart so much I can't handle it.

[@darkdragonite316]

Also plum is correct. We use it all the time.

[@akshaypendyala]

@@darkdragonite316 in Pakistan?

[@darkdragonite316]

@@akshaypendyala yeah we eat it alot

[@darkdragonite316]

@@akshaypendyala mughlai biryani

[@akshaypendyala]

@@darkdragonite316 oh, I am from Hyderabad, India and we eat a lot of Hyderabadi Biryani, and never heard of plums. So, was curious. But can we agree all three f*cked up Biryani?

[@nadia_islam_1985]

The way we usually make Mughlai Biriyani in Bangladesh is that we firstly parcook the Basmati [or Kalijeera or Chinigura] rice in half-milk half-water that is infused with bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, black peppercorns, a little sugar, and salt. To have the perfect texture, this cooking water is usually drained but at least half is saved for later. The rice will then be dried in air and left cooled. The cooking starts actually a night [or at least 8 hours] before. So we marinade the meat [usually goat meat on bones, but beef is also cool, cut in big chunks, in 1 kilo meat, you get minimum 12 to maximum 16 pieces] with whipped plain yogurt, garlic paste, ginger paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, grated nutmeg, mace paste, chilli paste, almond paste, poppy seed paste, very little tomato purée, kewra water, rose water, saffron, thinly sliced deep fried onion, salt and sugar. A Tbsp of green papaya juice [or paste] can be added if the meat is not that fresh and looks a bit tough. In the mean time, we soak peeled whole new baby potatoes in milk with a bit of turmeric [or yellow food colouring] and salt. Then we drain them potatoes and flash fry in ghee just to get colour on the outside. The cooking is usually done on charcoal. In a large heavy bottom pan, we fry some more onions in a mixture of cooking oil and ghee. In goes whole cardamom, whole cloves, whole cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns, and star anise. Then we add half the marinated meat with some marinations, then half the parcooked rice, half of them fried potatoes and repeat the process. We also use deep fried cashews, more fried onion, sultanas, prunes, and slightly slit fresh green chilli in the layers. Then we add the saved cooking water [so that the water covers 1/3 of the pot] and soaked saffron threads and ghee and little more kewra water on top. Now the pot will be sealed with a sticky dough the way the Indian lady showed on the vid, and the flame will be lowered down. And This is cooked on a very very low flame on charcoal for at least 3 hours without opening the lid for once. This way the meat will be falling off of the bone, yet the rice and the potatoes won’t be mushy. After 3 hours we’ll open up the lid, add some fresh cilantro and let the entire neighbourhood know that we’ve been cooking Biriyani. [Note: Biriyani is not a dish where you mix some random meat with whatever spice you have in hand and rice together and call it a day. The meat to rice to potato ratio is 2:1:1/2. So if you have 1 kilo rice, you should have 2 kilos of meat and 1/2 kilos of potatoes. We usually have chicken Kofta Kebab, some Raita or a fresh green salad, some chutney, and Borhani {A spicy yogurt drink} on the side. BTW, things that SHALL not go in Mughlai Biriyani at any cost, are as follows: turmeric, curry powder, carrot, peas, cream, and big chunks of tomatoes. Happy cooking!]

[@TheJemstar28]

Wow!! That is amazing! Thank you!

[@stevqtalent]

i've rarely felt as white as when reading those lists of spices 😂

[@pragawa]

Wow

[@melikatalks7676]

I'm always shocked to see a Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Indian name for a food that we also use in Iran. I was really surprised when you said Borhani is a drink because here in Iran, what we call Borani is a traditional dish usually made with fried veg (most commonly eggplant or spinach) and yogurt, sometimes topped with fried onion ... It's nothing like a drink! On the other hand, there's an Indian drink called Falooda, which I was also shocked to find out is basically a blended/drink version of our Faloodeh: frozen rice noodles in a sweet sherbet. Not to mention Iranian Sheermal vs Pakistani Sheermal. Why is Middle Eastern food so confusing 😂

[@pragawa]

@@stevqtalent Hehehe

[@veenachandrasekaran5650]

I'm an Indian, and my go to recipe is very similar to the one used by the chef who made shrimp biriyani (I've never used shrimp though, because I worry that I might accidentally overcook them). The reason we make our own spice mixes when we make a dish like biriyani is because the pre-made biriyani mixes often lose their potency, and the biriyani made using them tastes very bland. P.S. I was also horrified by the freekeh "biriyani".

[@apoorvjoshi2383]

Rinku's version was actually inspired by a lot of different type of biryanis and pulao's actually. Kolkata biryani almost always have potato and boiled egg,Kerala biryani is topped with dry fruits, Bombay biryani would have plums or any other tangy fruit in it. So technically her's was very much an actual biryani or rather small elements taken from different biryanis. Also, i believe yes the rice being mushy was an issue with her dish but some people actually prefer it that way. I like my rice very fluffy and each grains separated. My mother on the other hand loves mushy rice a lot. So that could have been a personal preference or just a simple mistake on her part.

[@sayakchoudhury9711]

Absolutely what I thought. She took inspiration from a lot of different gharanas of Biriyani. But, I think her chief inspiration was the Bangladeshis or Dhaka style Kacchi Biriyani.

[@Shaosprojects]

Yeah Uncle Roger was incorrect in that plums are a wrong ingredient. But he did comment on his own video correcting himself.

[@sleep649]

I think it was just a family recipe passed on.

[@spilltea4241]

It looked a lot like Kachhi biriyani which is a popular method of making biriyani in East Bengal.

[@rishadar]

Even in kerala Malabar region we don't use basmati rice, we use khyma rice

[@skrpis550]

I'm from Bangladesh and we have our own version of Biriyani (Kacchi Biriyani) and we use potatoes but not egg. The level 1 chef basically made khuchiri/Khichdi. the level 3 chef made vomit and level 2 made the biriyani I, a 25 year old male made in my first try, way too overcooked but it looked the part

[@ragethewolf]

Problem with level 2 is plum/ a litre of rose water and overcooked rice. The Shahi of Bengali biryani has potato zafraan and lil rose water just enough for that sweetish flavor.

[@ayishatasnim8703]

Level 2 made shrimp khidchri level 1 made veg khidchri and level 3 I don't even know what is that😅

[@aanvidugar3272]

I don't think level 2 cooked the rice before she added it to the biryani dum, I don't think it's that bad, maybe a little mushy but not terrible.@@ragethewolf

[@deeohen8344]

The reasons these videos are so addictive : 1.) Uncle Roger - believe it or not - is EXTREMELY well versed with Asian dishes AND he has an equally filthy mind. 2.) James is equally well versed in the kitchen but is horrifically nice and terribly uncomfortable with the all of Roger's "meanness" and especially all of his sexual innuendo.

[@FantasmagoriaAhoy]

Nigel Ng is a professional comedian with at least 15-20 years of experience. I worked with him in London long ago and he absolutely slayed the audience. Very funny guy. Now he does shows in his own voice and as Uncle Roger...his crowd work is even more LETHAL. If you wear an orange 🧡 shirt, he picks on you. Because that is complicité. You volunteered.

[@sun_up]

I‘m surprised how much it amuses me to see Chef James laughing at Uncle Roger remarks and jokes. Plus the instructional comments in his calm quiet voice are the perfect complement to Uncle Rogers‘ antics.

[@oliwiaburczyk4624]

I really like the different commentary between you being calm, and Uncle Roger being very expressive. This is so much fun!

[@piratequeen7431]

The Indian chef is making a Bengali biryani. She's spot on right in everything: potato, plum, frying the rice. please keep an open mind and try it once. Sautéing the rice for a while gives a great flavor in the rice. We're eating the exact same biryani since our childhood. It's not a recipe she created, it's a recipe passed on for generation in Bengali people. Lots of love for her 💗

[@animecafe1142]

did you said spot on ?? look at her biryani it's not biryani it's khichdi

[@piratequeen7431]

@@animecafe1142 I'm talking about the recipe, not her cooking. The recipe is good. Try it at home, boil the rice less and use good quality basmati. You'll get fluffy biriani with amazing flavor

[@Blue-en7yu]

You don't know what you are taking about. It is not biriyani at all. Stop saying it bengali because it contains potato.

[@Ray-001]

@@Blue-en7yu 😒😒

[@hamzadounel3840]

@@Blue-en7yu i can also vouch this type of recipe being a bengali classic I have had this since childhood. Its a good recipe but the critiques i have is just not to boil it too much and to be careful to put the rosewater in the biryani.

[@arnatri1503]

The potato in the biriyani is quite ok....like James said, it depends on the region. I am from Kolkata (Calcutta) and potatoes are the heart and soul of the biriyani to us. We even joke about marrying a person who would share their potato from the biriyani. Like, you can ask for a portion of the meat or the rice, but asking to share the alu (potato) is blasphemous 😂

[@bodycounter9386]

As a German i would gladly make the sacrifice of a single potatoe for unyielding, everlasting love.

[@tarrare337]

@Chosen One no

[@styge6287]

As someone from U.P., seeing a potato in biryani might make me vomit. We are strongly against that. But don't judge it. (or well try our best not to)

[@rafiasultana7612]

In Bangladesh we also add Potatoes in our Biriyani

[@VILASHBABU]

You add Potatoes in everything

[@cosminxxx5287]

when i saw the lady making her own spices from raw incredients using that coffee machine i decided who i would like to make my food :) if she would do that in a restaurant infront of the people to stimulate apetite she would get the recognition she deserves. very nice.

[@aditibahadur8081]

Biryani rice (how I do it): Basmati rice only 😅 -Wash rice really well. -Boil rice with excess water and hard spices (star anise, cinnamon stick, cardamom, mace and cloves). Also add salt to the water. -You can cook but don't overcook. You should be able to break the rice grain with finger. -Strain rice with colander and put hard spices away, you don't need it. -Keep strained rice on a flat plate.

[@arbbairagi]

I’m from Kolkata (India) formerly known as Calcutta. Eggs and potatoes are the must-have ingredients for Calcutta Biryani. I didn’t know there was a vegetarian Biryani until today. We call it Pulao and it is made slightly different way than Biryani. You can add meat to Pulao. We have a festival called “Rakkhye Kali Puja”. We make meat (mutton) Pulao for Goddess Kali as an offering. Biryani is my favorite food and the level 3 pro chef messed it up pretty bad. It makes me sad. 😣😣😣

[@madil2259]

That's because there is no such thing as vegetarian biryani.

[@nawabdule5928]

@@madil2259 you are right bro

[@vanng799]

thanks for sharing! That's very interesting!

[@arbbairagi]

@@vanng799 🤗

[@lordsavior8034]

You have too have Potato in Biryani, It's like a marriage of flavour made in heaven.

[@PhycoKrusk]

So far, all I've learned from these Epicurious adventures is that I should never trust that anything a pro chef serves me is actually what they claim it is.

[@acarith8494]

Hahaha close enough, you can only trust the chefs when it's their own nationality on epicurious, like Saúl with Mexican food

[@kellysthilaire]

Unless the chef is Saúl! You can definitely trust this man!

[@nintendonut100]

The chefs in Epicurious vids often seem to overcomplicate things for the sake of it, like they have to put some spin on it to show that they're chefs.

[@soumenmajumdar9058]

13:29 In India, some restaurants do prefer adding plums, but not everyone prefer them on their plates😅

[@amnanisar7696]

It feels sooo good that non desi people know about the importance and VALUE of the most PERFECT DISH BIRYANI!!! 😭💕

[@mintyonthemoon]

I've had a lot of different biryanis in different parts of India, but one thing is constant: NEVER overcook the rice. My mum always tells me that the rice grains have to be long and separate, and if you look closely, the grain shouldn't have split anywhere.

[@justinhelton6777]

I really enjoy how knowledgable Chef James is, also how calming and soothing his voice is when talking. That definitely earns a subscription!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Wow, thank you!

[@pree2697]

One of the best channels I've come across. Decent, honest and just pure knowledge that comes with a lot of experience. Its so calm 🌻♥️

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you so much!

[@RyanKaufman]

I always like your Three Levels reactions because it allows for a variety of your input on various dishes. You get the "amateur" and the "adept" which allow for solid critique from you for things I might actually think myself (maybe not specifically Biryani but philosophies of rice, stock, oil, knife work, etc), and then you get the Pro Chef "Nice" or "Hmm... that's a choice" reactions which are always fun.

[@dakshbhatnagar]

Gotta love how Uncle Roger never misses a chance to roast Jamie 😂😂

[@roberthampton730]

Jamie did it to himself! He is not very good at cooking Asian Cuisine. Facts.

[@blueshoes5145]

@@roberthampton730 what do you mean ? He was quite knowledgeful and minus the judgement.

[@roberthampton730]

@@blueshoes5145False. Jamie Olive Oil is not very good at cooking Asian Cuisine

[@gridrot6070]

@@blueshoes5145 yeahh noo jamie reallly sucks at asian cuisine he good tho at italian dishes

[@silverspark4560]

I am from Mumbai(India) with a previous name Bombay. The Traditional Biryani have two different type of rice layered upon each other. The bottom layer rice consist of load of spices with meat and potatoes which turns it color to brown, and top most layer with white rice(both of them Basmati) garnished with saffron, Indian Bay leaf and some other spices and herbs. After watching the video I can only say that the second Biryani is a Biryani but it also got mushy which is a big no, First one have made a pulao, not a biryani but that pulao resembles more to risotto than to a pulao and lastly for third one, I can only say that here we have many street stalls near railway station, markets etc. which sells biryani and many people enjoy it, if someone start selling the third type in the name of biryani than only God can save him or her.

[@c.jishnu378]

We use drained rice water for curries, also we never use more than 2 vegetables, potato and some other random vegetable. really wonderful, doesn't overshadow rice and meat.

[@bodhisatwachakraborty445]

I have grown up eating rice every day twice .. and we have always made rice with the drain method. Separates the starch from the rice. It's fluffier than if you cook the rice till all the water vaporizes. Also it depends upon the kind of rice you are cooking.

[@Nordrir]

I work with a lot of Indians, and we frequently discuss cooking of the areas. I was given a relatively lengthy explanation that Biryani is a regional specialty in all regions of India, with incredible diversity in how it's made. India is a huge country with literally hundreds of authentic recipes for Biryani, some including dried fruits, different types of rice, grain, etc. and vastly different in texture and cooking methods. Basically I was told that it was nearly impossible to make a Biryani that wouldn't be accepted as one, but each place would consider their local one the best (not the only one though, Indians have huge respect and love for the cooking of other regions, it just isn't "home"). Basically, Uncle Roger kinda overshot the mark on the heavy judgment on ingredients for something that probably was just as authentic as his perception of it :-)

[@madil2259]

Agreed

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

yes I agree

[@OkarinHououinKyouma]

It's obvious that Uncle Roger is a Hyderabadi Biryani supremacist...

[@tamberlame27]

Although, I think Basmati rice is a must. I don't think I have ever seen a non-Basmati biryani. The reason is that Basmati rice grain when cooked perfectly separates really easily and that allows the flavours to permeate the biryani

[@lionlover7163]

@@tamberlame27 you don't have wide knowledge of Briyani then. Briyani can be made with seeraga Samba rice as well not just in basmati.

[@yoshanap]

Congratulations on getting a sponsorship chef! Keep up the good work!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I should thank all of you guys! it's because of your views! :)

[@Trollolololol1337]

@@ChefJamesMakinson Sounds like a win-win-win situation! You, us and the sponsor.

[@ilovemangobingsu]

Yes, finally he got sponsorship for this channel. I hope he gets more sponsors in the future.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

@@ilovemangobingsu me too! :)

[@GhulamMustafa-pn2xi]

In Karachi Biryani, we tend to include potato along with our choice of protein (beef, mutton, chicken) more specifically beef. Also, we put the potato in the end for 5 to 7 minutes in the curry, so the potato can infuse with the flavor of the curry. Then take the 80% cooked rice (basmati or parboiled-sella) and start the layering process. Once the layering is done, put a tiny bit of food color either red or orange. After that, let it dum (steam) for 30 to 40 minutes and rest for 10 minutes.

[@Mscellany1]

Yes, we do fry the rice lightly in ghee before cooking it in a biryani. Helps enhance flavor and keep the rice grains separate intead if clumping together. Rinku put in too much water, so it got mushy. The ratio is equal amounts of rice to water (so important to measure out the rice before one starts cooking). If you are using other liquids like rose water or kewra water or juicy cuts of meat (or marinated meat) reduce the water by that much if cooking all the ingredients together. The other method is cooking the rice separately from the other ingredients and then essentially alternately layering the rice with the cooked gravy mixture...😊

[@julianfusco-wright9564]

Level 3 chef is the type of chef to use rice noodles for her pasta carbonara 🤕

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

maybe 🤔 haha

[@rigvedrane]

@@ChefJamesMakinson I mean, she works in "Diversity Kitchen" We knew where this was going😬

[@georgi1905]

Shes the type that can only make yt videos 😂

[@vy-canis4957]

In Pakistan , our version is somehow similar to level 2. However, we fry meat in spices and oil to get extra texture and teste and add rice and water once meat is 80% cooked. Yes, we do add dried plum they really teste good when cooked with rice. Additionaly, we add paste of garlic, ginger and at my home we also add green chilli paste because we like it spicy but we like our biryani rice separated not mushy, no rose water and dry fruits. Fried Onions and potatos are optional we do add these sometimes. Raita is must as it cools down spices.

[@motiurraheman8135]

This method is good as it doesn't suck up all the flavour from the meat.

[@vedanththata8642]

I think the biryani 2 is a type of shaahi biryani which explains the garnishes like pistachios, almonds.might also add the fried onions instead of cucumber . And yeah the rose is okay if it's diluted before use (not too much) so that the fragrance of the rose is uniformly spread ,her technic of pouring the rose water could have been better instead of straiggt up pouring it which would have helped it to spread the fragrance uniformly

[@SRA2513]

Ive followed several recipes for biriyani and finally which really gave off that texture and flavour all was when i used half the amount of water to cook the rice, and let rest of it to get cooked after i cook marinated meat and other stuff in pot. What i do is layering that half done basmati rice (grains wont be clumped in this way) on top of meat layer and topping off with bit of saffron water and all ghee fried stuff like onions cashews peanuts and plums 😁 and I personally seperate meat from the curry base before layering with rice, like after cooking marinated meat with other spices and ingredients for like half and hour sealed in in pot, taking only meat chunks and deep fry them separately with some hard boiled eggs to later use as like a garnish. That gives kinda expensive visual😂

[@bmo1878]

The first guy , Steven, as a "level 1 chef" is someone with no real training or experience, he is a lot of fun in some of these, but his cooking is usually.. interesting. He has a lot of charisma but as a level 1 he isn't expected to know anything about the recipe more than maybe looking on up online and having tried it once. So Rinku whenever I see her, she is pretty consistent. Especially for a home chef, I get the idea this is a passed down recipe for her so there will be some differences that change over time like a game of telephone. I think she did a fine job. As a level 2 they know the recipe pretty ok and have done it more than once but not formally trained. Danielle is honestly... well I have nothing nice to say after seeing her again and again, and not just about her cooking. so we will leave it at that. Level 3 chefs can be hit or miss, they are often educated/trained and will often want to put something of themselves in the dish, for better or worse. Some though are great authentic chefs that want to make the food the "right way" and you get a more traditional dish where someone puts in the extra work. As someone who things that there is high beauty in simplicity I tend to prefer the level 2 chef's who aren't putting exotic ingredients and using tools that cost as much as my car to make a Quesadilla unique. You should check out Frank (level 3 on the paella) on his channel proto cooks, you see him do things more in his wheelhouse and he will redeem himself. He might not have done the best Paella, but give him a 2nd chance, you won't regret it.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

that's why I didn't say much with Steven, as he doesn't really know. No 2 did better, but the Chef for me was trying to hard to make something different. I'll have to take a look at Frank's other paella!

[@Eiensakura]

I'll honestly eat Frank's cooking, the ones in this video however, probably a hard pass.

[@nectarpeach2853]

That’s because Chef 3, the “pro” chef is your typical diversity hire.

[@joshbull623]

​@@nectarpeach2853 I found it very ironic and amusing that the "diversity chef" only noticed color as the problem with her recipe. Almost like her entire focus in life was surface level color and not substance of any kind.

[@MahiMahi-yu5jo]

I personally like Chef Saul. He is just charming. Chef Peggy keeps adding booze to her recipes, and she's another brand of charming. Chef Frank and Chef Palak are fine too. And that's about the only Level 3 chefs I like

[@fredojunior6635]

The briayani made by the Indian lady is actually quite accurate, it's the Punjabi style. They put potatoes, plums or sometimes mangoes and finish it off with some kind of nuts. If I'm not mistaken for vegetarian version they'd call it pillau instead of briyani. Personally, I like the Lucknow briyani, they'd boil the rice till 80% done, and start stacking the neat and rice like lasagna before sealing the pot with a dough and finish it off on low heat.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you for the explanation! :)

[@ppprinzeugen]

I watched an Indian youtuber's review to this, and he also mentioned pillau regarding the Indian Lady's biryani.

[@Nvd1987]

accurate except for the mushy part. it became khichdi not biryani lol

[@Subhadebu]

Calcutta version has eggs and potatoes and cashews. The veg/polau usually have peas.

[@hammynz8811]

I am from Punjab and we do not add any mangoes or plums inside any biryani.

[@mo-sy9ws]

South Africans also cook biryani. We have a large Indian descendant population. But it's cooked not only in Indian households. Love how diverse our country's cooking influences are! Think this is a sign to cook some biryani the way my family likes it😋😁

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Really? I didn't know that!

[@ludwigratbeethoven9336]

​@@ChefJamesMakinsonin South Africa there is a lot of Indian influence in terms of cuisine. It's similar for the West Indies because a lot of people from Indian subcontinent were forced to work in the West Indies during the British rule.

[@shuklajt]

Taking time to point out there are different types of biryani is something you don't see much in videos. Respect brother.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you I'm still not an expert on Indian Cuisine or Asian Cuisine in general but I love to learn!

[@shuklajt]

@@ChefJamesMakinson great to hear it brother. Constantly learning is the only way to reach near anything close to expertise, especially when it comes to something as vast as Indian or Asian cuisine. Just to give you an example, although I'm sure you would have many such anecdotes from your own experiences. I come from the city of Lucknow, a city known for its food. And from my childhood I have seen the love and care people put in cooking. And what makes it great is that every family adds their own twists to things and those nuances not only make the taste to be different but give you so much to learn and try and adopt in your own cooking. It makes cooking so much similar to art.

[@manojvasrani7509]

Dried Plum is a common ingredient in the Nawabi style biryani and it’s substituted with tomatoes or tamarind in the southern Indian biryani

[@sheraztariq2806]

That is correct. Dried plum is very common and traditional in biryani

[@okalright.]

came here to comment this. 🙏

[@vasukidhole7036]

In Biryani many people also uses dry fruits like cashew nuts, almonds, dry grapes. First they fry them and then they use it

[@tubahasan3819]

My mom makes the curry first and when she is half way through it she prepare the rice and she use the 80 percent dry and rince it and she use orange food colour and its yummy tbh

[@jaemin-2054]

i think james’ grace with the level 1 chef is beautiful to see

[@shoraz]

Exactly he is trying to make biryani and failing, lvl 3 didn't even read the question correctly.

[@avritlal4527]

The plum actually sounds a bit weird in biryani but people in India actually do use it. Some places in Kolkata use plum in their biryani but the amount is very little. Also the potatoes are the best thing about Kolkata Biryani.

[@saptarshi109]

KOLKATA BIRYANI IS THE BEST BIRYANI.

[@seramukherjee9952]

@@saptarshi109 as a bengali from kolkata i agreeee also the rajhasthani one?? its so good too- (or what my perception of the rajhasthani one is)

[@prod.hiZZy.]

Kolkata biryani is not even close to Chennai biriyani

[@ragethewolf]

All biryani's are unique there is no best or worst. As you move north the biryani is sweet and flavourful. In south the biryani is spicy and flavourful. It's all depends on individual taste.

[@saptarshi109]

@@seramukherjee9952 Oh, is it? I haven't tried that one yet. But trust me, if you're looking for something unique, try Bangladeshi biryani. They use different kind of rice for each type of meat and the flavours are just so different from what we have here.

[@puteriasri2046]

i usually use yogurt marinate chicken. sometimes use yogurt to replace the coconut milk....in curry...

[@crimsonninja5090]

There are multiple different types of Biriyani that I make, but here's one of my favorites. First, I marinate the chicken/lamb with yogurt, a teensy bit of lemon, garam masala, turmeric powder, cumin powder, ginger garlic, and chili paste, blended coriander, and mint leaves, salt, and some crushed pepper (I prefer white pepper). I let it marinate for a couple of hours. And then when I am about to start, I have washed basmati or samba rice and have it soaked in salted water. On a heated pot with some oil, I add whole spices for garam masala (Bayleaf, star anise, etc). I let the aroma seep out and then immediately add thinly sliced onions. After a few minutes, I add ginger garlic chili paste and cook it a little longer, and then I add tomatoes, a bit more of garam masala, and cook it until the sauce is really well cooked. Only after that do I add the chicken (In case of lamb, I have it cooked in a pressure cooker until it is almost done before adding it here). I cook the chicken on high heat at the start to give it a nice sear on the outside. Then I reduce the heat and let it cook until the chicken is pretty much done. Next, I add some sliced green chilies and the soaked rice on top of the chicken base. I add enough water to just cook the rice properly, and cook it at low-medium heat while keeping the pot sealed or closed well. In about 15 minutes, it should be properly cooked. Once it is ready, I take it off the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes. I serve it with an eggplant side, spicy chicken, boiled eggs, or raita with carrots, cucumber, and onions.

[@86501freightliner]

Has anyone ever told you that you have the most calm, cool demeanour ever?! I love it!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

not all the time! haha :)

[@m4nt1c0r3s]

@@ChefJamesMakinson Has anyone told you that you look like a young Peter Griffin? :D

[@yummymellon4058]

5:21 When we used basmati, we usually left it to soak with water for few hours(drain n washed) and then add more water when its cook in the rice cooker. Thanks for the pasta salt tip, didn't know pasta water supposed to be a bit salty. used to see people putting few grains of salt that I thought the amount of it never matters. 😅

[@BorgWolf359]

In all the kitchens I worked in when I was younger, we could not have our rings on at all! We had one lady that didn't take her ring off, she slipped by somehow on the inspection! She lost her ring in the food she prepped during the day! We had to shut down & still never found her ring! Still to this day I have no idea if it ever showed up!

[@daijishinomori9161]

No matter how many times i see this on my dash, I still rewatch it. I love biryani, and I hope to taste a true, honest-to-goodness version of it

[@thepurplebox380]

Indian here, you are absolutely right about a lot of things: - Yes, the method of sealing is traditional - Yes, there are a lot of different varieties of biryani. I'm from Kerala and we make fish and beef biryani. Potatoes are actually done in a few places. - Biryani is a broadly south Asian food (Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan). So there are plenty of options to add dried fruits and nuts. So I'm not surprised by the pistachios and the plums (we use raisins in Kerala) - Yes, Steven's rice is certainly too mushy and Freekeh will not give you the right consistency. You wouldn't call use soba noodles in pasta. So it's a little odd for me to see someone use a grain for biryani.

[@ebinesvthundupurackal7446]

Odd ooo its utter nonsense. Nammade nattill ann athenki 2 divasam kada putiyene bro. And you know that too

[@thepurplebox380]

@@ebinesvthundupurackal7446 Yeah. A restaurant serving these would definitely not survive in India 😂. Calcutta uses potatoes in biryani, but I think she was going for somewhat of a homecook style.

[@shekelboi]

Beef biryani in Kerala makes a lot of sense since so many people eat beef in Kerala compared to other states.

[@neunzehnvierundachtzig]

Beef biriyani is good, but i think Kozhikode dum Biriyani and Thalaserry chicken biriyani are top ones

[@FantasmagoriaAhoy]

Imagine a Mushroom Risotto where there is no rice, just oats. Gross, right?

[@sammy.3152]

None of these dishes are actually Biryani that we eat in India. Its so strange when even a so-called Level 3 chef messes up Biryani. Tbh the level 2 cook actually tried to make the dish authentic, but the Biryani of the Pro chef was not Biryani at all 😂

[@krishrox1015]

one thing we like to do with the potato is slice them into thin circles and fry them like chips, then add them to the biryani layering rather than leaving them whole and thick

[@willrobertson2136]

Dried plums are traditionally in a lot of Bangladesh versions. And in BIR the rice is stir fried but I would never do this is a traditional style. If I were to I would fry in ghee as the first stage before adding water.

[@theletterr3541]

I'm amazed how Uncle Roger got the traditional recipes, was hoping you correct his mistake. Guess Uncle Roger is not only comedian. Love your tips and knowledge, thank you.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

he does a lot of research

[@nerd26373]

Chef James Makinson is one of the best food reviewers apart from Uncle Roger and so on and so forth. Seems like the chefs cooking biryani seem to be struggling in this episode. I feel as though the Indian woman got the recipe right even though there’s just a few errors here and there, but she still did a pretty great job overall. Uncle Roger will never not be funny. He’s keen on making people smile per video of his.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

thank you very much!

[@u140550]

He definitely is one of the best, and he takes input very well.

[@iseytheteethsnake6290]

@@ChefJamesMakinson no such thing as giving kindness to disrespect.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

@@u140550 thank you!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

@@iseytheteethsnake6290 thank you very much!

[@boygenius538_8]

Plums in biryani are actually amazing, my mom does it sometimes, and shortly frying or toasting the rice is fine and helps bring out the aroma of the basmati.

[@kryptikknowledge1501]

Never heard of cooking rice to 80% or whatever.. What my family usually do is called "Dahm" not sure if i spelled that correctly but basically you steam the rice to let all the water evaporate. Usually by wrapping a cloth on the lid to trap the water to. We usually do a base first so all your masala whatever you're going to use. Then sort out the meat and add it to the masala. Add your rice and water then let it steam cook for however long it needs. (Obviously i condensed this down enormously but you get the general idea lol

[@philmontemayor8657]

I've just ran onto these "double" reactions and am learning a lot. What has me smiling the most is your admonishments for us to be nice... I feel like a grammar school student again... This is a great environment to relax and learn at the same time. Thanks for this ... pj

[@personifiedcat]

I think it will be level 2. I find the level 2s don’t over complicate the recipes, but still make a product that looks really good.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

she did do pretty good!

[@monishbeck3859]

@@ChefJamesMakinson she did pretty bad. Biryani is easy. I made a great one first time. And that too without the basmati rice but the normal aged one. If I made such a dish I would be haunted my entire life. And there have been such occasions. But I was drunk at that time

[@niroopatel6080]

Some times in South India rice is cooked with a lot of water, for about 80% and then drained so that we get all grains are separate.

[@jackfelldown1]

Potatoes and even boiled eggs are added to meat biryani in some areas of India. For example, Kolkata biryani. On the other hand, compared to some other places like Hyderabad (another famous place for biryani) they add fewer spices and ghee and make it a lighter version that you can eat a lot more of. As for me, I like adding potatoes. I quarter them and fry them lightly before adding them to the meat. I'm also kinda lazy, so if I just want a quick biryani and don't wanna order, though I always take the time to marinate my chicken the day before, I put raw rice over raw chicken and add water(I'm selectively lazy). Though the rice isn't always the fluffiest that way, it tastes good.

[@tubeyoujacob]

I can listen to Chef James talk all day ! Amazing voice and delivery 🙂

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!

[@shubhankurbiswas7044]

The Level 1 chef is making more of a 'khichdi' another indian dish where you just put all vegetables and rice together and pressure cook them

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

You are right!

[@EagleShieldBay]

I love the explanations from Chef James, very valuable info and rather serious, but still some humour

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!

[@Fire-Swan]

I don’t know about other cultures but in mauritius, potatoes are used in Briyani. The potatoes are peeled, either kept whole or chopped in half, par cooked by deep frying, saffron water is poured on top of the potatoes, then they’re added to the rice so that they’re cooked through by steam.

[@RedPanda83]

I love how James takes a thorough culinary view to the video but still can’t help laugh at some of what Uncle Roger says 😂

[@ummesalma8451]

Dried plums is actually a common ingredient for Biryiani at least here in Bangladesh. In Bengali it is known as alubukhara.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

When I visit south east Asia, I will have to try a lot of dishes!

[@ummesalma8451]

@@ChefJamesMakinson you are most welcome here

[@madil2259]

Yes, plums are relatively common in many biryanis.

[@Eiensakura]

I don't see plums used in Briyani over here in Malaysia but have definitely came across few that used raisins, cost issue I guess.

[@mixfy926]

Then Bengalis of Bangladesh may eat plums... But the Bengalis of India in West Bengal state caters to mostly Potato and Egg with their Biryani without the use of dry fruits, plums... also considering Bengali Indian Biryani is kind of an offshoot of Awadhi Biryani as historians claim it to be its interesting.

[@marcilk7534]

I sauté the onions and garlic, then add the spices, then mix in the soaked rice, then the stock. I add the chicken that was already browned and baked, cover and cook. At the end I add honeyed onions and sautéed eggplant marinated in honey and lemon, with pomegranate seeds and herbs. It’s a recipe from a cookbook called Honey by Hattie Ellis. Not necessarily traditional, but so delicious.

[@ibinmenon5565]

Idk if it is a coincidence. I do this before the rice is cooked. I have found out that frying the (soaked raw) rice in high heat with some oil and spices for around 2 minutes stops the rice from sticking to each other at the end of the whole process.

[@marklock6421]

In this video I’d say the lvl 2 is closest but even then she messes up the dish… remember watching this video with one of my sous chefs, who is from India and he was appalled

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

haha you should have taken a video! haha :)

[@Baszottbivaly2]

We watch these 4 levels of series with my friend, we always bet who's going to do it best, when they introduce the cooks and the sushi episode is our favourite. Level 1:Just some dude Level 2:A home cook Level 3: The woman is actually Japanese We both just went, "Ay, that's cheating!"

[@ThePapaja1996]

The dude that put a cheesecake in pancakes.

[@ydgames4291]

@@ThePapaja1996 half a cheesecake to be specific

[@Mark-nh2hs]

Regarding perfecting recipes i find like you say it takes a long time to profect a recipe but i find i still tinker around with it to make it even better even though its perfect. People go its delicious and perfect but in my head im going i should of done this and maybe added a little more of this 😂. Its the way my head works. When i make Biryani there is no veg in it and i use marinated chicken and use Mace and a bit of nutmeg as well as the core spices required. I normally crisp up the onions until they are crispy adds that extra layer of texture. Sometimes i add a few sultanas in depends on my mood and ive had bryiani which has had sultanas and nuts in it.

[@forrestbeckley877]

honestly, good takes on fried rice! I've been trying to learn perfect fried rice, because I just really like fried rice. You have a very good sense of all of it.... definitely uncle James :)

[@seanwallace9269]

For me, Peeling potatos depends on the potato type. A rough skin, I peel. For a smoother skinned potato, like Yukon Gold, I will leave peel on.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

In the US a lot of places don't peal but over here, we peel everything that has a skin. you do lose some nutrients with peeling.

[@edim108]

One thing I love about Indian cuisine, and India in general, is just how much variety there is. Rinku's version takes inspiration from multiple different kinds of biryani: eggs and potatoes are a must have in Kolkata biryani; plums are one of the defining ingredients of Punjabi biryani. Don't have an issue with the mushy rice. It's a question of preference- I like fluffy rice, but there's nothing wrong with mushier rice, as far as biryani goes. There is so much variety. Every region does their biryani differently and within the regions every family has their own spin on it, and it also goes for pretty much every Indian dish. One thing that is common across all the regions however is that biryani is a dish for Special Occasions: weddings, holidays, important celebrations, etc. It's not a dish that you're going to be making often, so it can be as complex as you want and require a lot of effort. It's basically like wedding cake- it's a rare occasion so you can go wild. Which is why the "pro chef" version just makes me want to shrivel up like a leaf fallen off a branch and die. It's like trying to make wedding cake health conscious. Just don't...

[@boanoah6362]

It's not even health conscious though, grains are carbs, she just swapped to an entirely different grain and pretended it's healthier for you because it's green.

[@OkarinHououinKyouma]

I like mushier rice in my Pulao. People call me weird.

[@lazeroad]

Biryani is not indian tho

[@edim108]

@@lazeroad And Hamburger isn't technically American, I know.

[@boanoah6362]

@@lazeroad It quite literally is, it originates from India, or as wikipedia puts it: "the indian subcontinent"...

[@valerperez184]

Love your professionalism and the knowledge you impart. Thank you Chef Makinson.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I appreciate that

[@mahmoodakib9608]

Dried Plum is used in many forms of Biriyani, specially in Kacchi.

[@shaunakdas1852]

Hey James love your videos! Thanks fot reacting to more Indian cuisine, Traditionally biryani is just layered rice and meat (can br cooked or uncooked) and letting everything steam together. Potatoes is common in Kolkata style biryani which is popular in the eastern side of the country (also the southern biryanis use short grain rice instead of basmati). Adding rose and kewra (screwpine) water while cooking lamb seems kinda off since it's the last step during layering to preserve the auroma. Most importantly almost all Biryanis have some sort of 'fried onions' layered into the rice

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!

[@thelinecook]

James your channel is taking off!! So exiting. Keep up all the amazing videos. All your hard work is definitely paying off. Congrats on your sponsor as well! As always your critique is on point.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you so much buddy! I hope the fish are still biting! :)

[@ravenspurn7446]

I remember one of the Biryani we used to make Was Chicken and Apricot. Chicken thighs, dried apricots, it was actually really good, the apricot added a slight fruity tartness. The chef that introduced me to this was from Chandīgarh.

[@edgybitch2177]

i use basmati rice when cooking biryani, i parboil it with my whole aromatic spices though only for a small specified time, and typically there's much more water in the pot. after parboiling, i typically will spread the rice out on a baking sheet to cool, and then i add it back to the pot to steam the rest of the way for about 30 minutes. this has been by far the best method for making biryani. it looks like the first chef overcooked his rice, and it does seem very wet. i think he's also breaking it down further by stirring it. Basmati rice is a long grain rice, but its not resilient enough to handle persistent stirring. i also agree that 45 minutes is a bit long especially with persistent heat. not only do i leave it for 15 minutes less, but i also take the pot off the heat, once the bottom layer is boiling. There's actually no need to continue to cook past that point, so long as the pot is sealed well enough the steam from the bottom layer will cook everything through completely. i have also not found good results trying to cook basmati rice in a rice cooker, and i've tried numerous ratios of rice to water too. it always ends up making it too sticky for my liking. the parboiling and steam method is more involved, but easily preferred imo. this is best practice in addition to minimal stirring, and 30 minutes to steam with most of that time spent off the burner. it yields fluffy rice with good structure. i think to add, whole cumin does give you a bit of a surprise, but it is not quite as strong as whole peppercorn. its probably one of the more tame whole spices out there, and its really not that bad if thrown in as whole seeds. what i really push for is toasting the cumin seeds prior to adding other ingredients, and sometimes i'll be lazy and just throw in whole seeds. if you don't like whole seeds, there's the more common method of toasting the seeds, and then grinding them to add to the recipe later, slightly more involved, but you don't get any whole seeds in the dish, and it may impart a more uniform flavor. from my experience having both, i will say it's not much different from having coarse salt in a dish. if you want heavy hits of salt in ur food, you can sprinkle with coarse salt if you want. it's just a matter of preferences. i am not a big fan of coarse salt myself, but a bite of cumin is usually more enjoyable than not. probably best to follow the recipes closely when cooking for others tho. those recipes exist for a reason.

[@eks8960]

Just stumbeld on your channel yesterday and already watched a whole lot of videos. I really like your way of explaining things from a professional perspective. Keep it up!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!! I will! :)

[@seanmower3926]

Just started watching your channel, you are an incredibly Captivating reactor, you are level headed and not chasing reactions

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!

[@jay_hebi]

I'm just starting over how to cook more I never knew that adding salt would increase the flavor I have to try it now

[@adikul911]

I prefer kewra water or mix of kewra water and rose water. Spice mix would taste better if spices are lightly toasted. Missed key ingredients like mint leaves and caraway seeds (shah jeera/kala jeera).

[@Kaboomboo]

I'm legit dying to try Level 2. On the original video, there seems to be a divide on if it's actual biryani or a "close enough" example. But darn if it doesn't look delicious. Presentation is the best too.

[@tanzeemzillu]

As a Bangladeshi, one interesting thing to add here, potato is very important in Biryani in Bangladesh. And Bangladesh is also very famous for Biryani, which is the food for the celebration. You can find some references about the Biryani of Bangladesh on KZbin (for example, recently Mark Wines made a food blog about it). Nevertheless, it would be really fun if a Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani chef made a similar kind of video about Biryani. Every version is so different but equally tasty.

[@brainbuster4u744]

I fry my rice right after it's done with it's soaking and drained well. I fry it in ghee and spices and then cook it. Rice doesn't overcook, not stick to each other fluffy and just right.

[@riv515]

Chef James has anyone ever told you your voice is very calming and relaxing. Almost ASMR 💤💤

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

yes quite a few people! :)

[@tomlindsay4629]

I worked VERY briefly at an Indo-Pak restaurant several years ago. There they would give the rice a thorough washing before adding it raw to the marsala, meat, and onions, then cooking it in a convection oven for 45 minutes, sealed tightly with foil in a 400 pan. Everything going in cold and raw, excepting the meat, it didn't come out terribly overcooked at all.

[@neetishyadav8553]

It seems like some western restaurant bs, it seems edible with right ingredients and preparation but i doubt it will taste as good. Tell me how it compares to a proper biryani

[@ilovemangobingsu]

This is something new for me. I learned a lot from this video. I am not really familiar with Biryani but in all fairness to Uncle Roger, he is very knowledgeable with this dish. And thanks to the added information you shared here aside from what Uncle Roger has already said. I find it amazing that you have a wide knowledge about different cuisines, from western to Asian cuisine. This episode is very educational especially for someone like me who is not really familiar with Indian cuisine. Thanks again and keep us the good work. More power to your channel. 😊

[@iceberg789]

if you find any indian restaurant near your place, you must try it out. but, biryani has been there for centuries but it differs from region to region. so you may just find new types of biryani, depending on which indian cuisine they serve.

[@amnanisar7696]

As a teen, i LOVE BIRYANI more than any Dish. I want my BIRYANI in less time, So let's startt!! I take chicken, put yogurt or curd, spices AND BIRYANI masala (if i don't have biryani masala then i just use simple spices like turmeric salt chilli powder etc) i mix everything and fry the onions, i use more onions, and then put the potatoes in, fry the potatoes (POTATOES ARE MUST IN BIRYANI) (tip : don't marinate your potatoes in the chicken those won't be soft) then i put the chicken and when the chicken is half cooked i put tomatoes(it gives tangy sour taste 👌)(tip: use more tomatoes) and cook it completely. While cooking the korma i boil rice. THEN i make 2 layers ONLY. If i can't wait more then i just put rice first than put the whole korma on rice and layer it with some rice just to cover the korma. And it's DONE!!! It's literally the BEST feeling when you take the first bite 😭❤️

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

😉

[@niranjanr8075]

Though basmati is popular for biriyani, I recommend everyone to try the ones made with “Jeera Samba” rice. It’s usually used in South India (Tamilnadu to be exact). I’ve always grown up enjoying the Hyderabadi style basmati version and I thought the Jeera samba was some knock off version (cause the rice was smaller like the normal ones) and the colour is plain brown. But it’s THE best. In fact, it’s the costliest rice variety I’ve seen my parents use !!!

[@__aru]

they use jeera samba rice for biriyani in kerala too! (at least for thalassery biryani) maybe it's because it's the variety of biryani i'm used to, but i honestly prefer it to basmati biryanis because i feel like basmati rice can be too dry sometimes-jeera samba rice holds in more moisture but doesn't make the biryani wet, and it smells and tastes soooo good! but truly, biryanis of all types and varieties are amazing! 🤤