Little else can compare to the grandeur of a biryani. Beautifully aromatic and blended with spices, rice and meat has long since been the favourite of khansamas and cooks everywhere.

But the classic biryani has also seen variations over time, regional as well as in cooking styles. We present a few of them...

Raan Biryani
A whole leg of slow-cooked lamb is served along with the fragrant biryani rice, in this style. The serving is large, usually enough for four people.

Calcutta Biryani
Bengali food has inherited a large number of influences. Says chef Ashish Shome, "A key influence to the cuisine came was due to Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Avadh. This can be seen with the liberal usage of rose or kewra. It can be well seen in the very popular Calcutta Mughlai Biryani. Years of recession, forced chefs to use eggs and potato along with meat. Later on that evolved as the special feature of this style of making biryani."

Chettinad Chicken Biryani
This is a dish of the Chettinad region of Tamil nadu state in South India, known for its spiciest and one of the most aromatic cuisines. Says chef Himanshu Taneja, "The dish is hot and pungent with fresh ground masala, and topped with a boiled egg that's usually considered essential part of a meal. Chefs use a variety of sun-dried meats and salted vegetables. The meat includes fish, prawn, lobster, crab, chicken and lamb. Most people do not eat beef andpork."

Dryfruit Biryani
With cashewnuts, almonds and raisins, this biryani is is as rich as it is tasteful.

Samudri Khazane ki Biryani
Says chef Sudhir Pai, "This particular recipe is influenced from Bohri Biryani, which is a a little more fragrant and less spicy than the usual fare and also its more of a pulao thing than a regular biryani. The variation I have created here uses an assortment of fresh seafood instead of traditional chicken and added pomegranate seeds to the green chutney masala which gives a special tang as well as thickness to the green chutney."