Veg Biryani or Pulao? Pune vlogger sparks culinary debate

By: Pune Pulse

November 6, 2023

Pune:  When vlogger Navvin K held up a sign that read, “Stop saying Veg Biryani, it’s a pulao. #Justiceforbiryani,” at a packed chowk on Balewadi High Street, people were united in their love for rice but divided in their protein.

Residents, business owners, and many bystanders were drawn to his efforts in resolving the contentious issue of whether biryani can be called such without meat. Many of them came over to express their thoughts, disagreements, encouragement, or giggles.

Navvin stated that some ardent supporters of non-vegetarian biryani approached him with the intention of holding the board while taking selfies. A few proponents of vegetarian biryani strolled by, offering him disapproving nods. Cars passing by gave him the thumbs up in support, but several security guards attempted to eject him, stating that he was not permitted to act as a sort of stand-in near their society gates.

Video Credits – Navvin_K Instagram handle

A social media post featuring a video of this activity has gained popularity, garnering over a million views, over 1,60,000 likes, and 1,500 comments to date.

The majority of the comments argue over whether the vegetarian version of this delicious rice dish, which includes beans, carrots, cauliflower, peas, and other tiny veggies that are typically leftover in the refrigerator, is worthy of being called culinary royalty.

Popular chefs respond to this seemingly challenging question by emphasizing that biryani is an emotion and that the technical differences between pulao and biryani are not only arbitrary but also vague, which means that the national debate between vegetarians and non-vegetarians about what ingredients a dish must have in order to qualify as biryani will never end.

Shreyas Vange