Sydney's biryani, the way it should be.
Aged basmati. Hand-pounded whole spices. Saffron bloomed in milk. Marinated meats sealed under dough and cooked in their own steam. Four regional biryanis on the menu — and a decade of getting the dum right.
Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani
Hyderabad, IndiaThe classic. Chicken marinated in yoghurt, mint and chilli, layered raw with par-cooked basmati and sealed under dough. Cooked entirely in its own steam — meat and rice finish together.
Awadhi Murgh Biryani
Lucknow, IndiaThe aristocratic style. Lighter, more aromatic — saffron, kewra, rosewater and a softer spice profile. Chicken cooked separately and layered with fragrant rice.
Nawabi Tarkari Biryani
Mughal courtsOur vegetarian biryani worth ordering. Cauliflower, potato, peas and paneer in a saffron-spiced rice — built with the same technique as the meat versions.
Sindhi Lamb Biryani
Sindh, PakistanBolder, tangier — tomato, mint and a heavier hand with green chilli. Riverina halal lamb slow-cooked until the spice has gone all the way through.
No shortcuts. No pre-made masala.
Most biryanis in Sydney are built fast — pre-cooked rice tossed with curry. Ours is built the old way. Whole spices toasted and pounded the morning of service. Aged long-grain basmati soaked, then par-boiled in salted water with bay, clove and cinnamon. Meat marinated overnight in yoghurt and ginger-garlic.
The pot is layered raw — meat at the base, rice on top, saffron milk and fried onions between — sealed with dough and finished over coals. When it comes to your table, the lid breaks open and the steam carries thirty minutes of slow cooking with it.
That's dum. That's why people drive in from Castle Hill, Kellyville and the North Shore for it.
Book a table or order in.
Dine in at Sky City Bella Vista, or order biryani for delivery across the Hills.