Most Ordered Food in India: What Tops the Delivery Charts?

You'd think with all the options—dosas, biryanis, curries, and momos—it would be hard to pick a winner. But if you peek at top food delivery apps in India, one dish clearly stands out: biryani. Not just by a little, but by a long shot. Last year alone, over 200 million biryanis were ordered on just one platform. That’s not a typo. Whether it’s Hyderabad’s spicy version or Kolkata’s milder take, biryani lands in millions of carts every week.

Why is biryani so crazy popular? For starters, it’s comforting, filling, and packs flavors everyone loves—spiced rice, tender meat or veggies, and that irresistible aroma. Plus, you can feed a crowd or just yourself. It’s even better the next day, so leftovers are basically guaranteed. Not a meat-eater? No stress—veg biryani is just as huge. And if you’re worried about long ingredient lists or tricky steps, there are shortcuts and easy recipes that fit even the busiest living rooms. Stick around if you want to know why biryani reigns supreme, and how you can whip up a solid version at home without sweating it.

• India’s Most Ordered Dish: The Big Reveal
• Why This Dish Rules Delivery Apps
• How to Make It at Home—Easily
• Regional Twists and Surprising Stories
• Tips for Quick, Tasty Homemade Versions

India’s Most Ordered Dish: The Big Reveal

If you scour the numbers from Swiggy, Zomato, and all the food apps, one thing jumps out—biryani smashes the competition when it comes to delivery. In 2024, Swiggy alone delivered around 250 million servings of biryani. That means every few seconds, somewhere in India, someone’s enjoying a plate of biryani straight from a delivery box. Neither pizza nor burger stands a chance—biryani is literally in a league of its own.

Here’s a quick snapshot of just how big biryani is when matched up with other favorites:

Biryani isn’t just a special-event dish anymore. People order it for solo dinners, office parties, and even late-night cravings. The crazy part is, it isn’t just chicken biryani. Paneer, mutton, egg, even jackfruit biryani get plenty of love, showing this dish bends for every taste and diet. Places from Hyderabad to Lucknow all have their own twist, but every version is riding that wave of non-stop orders.

If you’re wondering why this matters, think about it: knowing what’s trending in Indian food delivery isn’t just cool trivia—it helps you figure out what people really want to eat right now. And if you’re a home cook or just looking for dinner ideas, biryani is proof that classic comfort food never goes out of style, even when everyone’s glued to their phones.

Why This Dish Rules Delivery Apps

Biryani isn’t just a favorite—it’s a phenomenon. Scroll through any major app like Swiggy or Zomato, and most ordered food in India is almost always biryani, often beating pizza and burgers. In 2023, Swiggy reported 2.5 biryanis ordered every second during peak dinner time. That’s wild when you think about just how big India’s food scene is.

Here’s why biryani stays on top of delivery charts:

• Travel-proof: Biryani doesn’t get soggy or bland after a bike ride across town. In fact, the flavors get better as they mix.
• Complete meal: You get rice, meat or veggies, and sometimes even eggs, all in one box. No need to order a bunch of sides unless you want to.
• Perfect for sharing: Biryani comes in personal and family-sized packs. It makes group orders a breeze, whether it’s game night or a weekend binge.

It’s not just about taste—there’s that feel-good factor, too. According to a survey by Zomato, 71% of regular food app users picked biryani as their top comfort food.

“The aroma of biryani instantly takes people to happy places. It’s a celebration food, but now you can have that vibe in your living room, anytime," says Pratiksha Rao, Regional Head at Zomato.

For the numbers people, check this table out—the raw stats from the past year will probably surprise you:

No other Indian dish comes close when it comes to reliable delivery, convenience, and feel-good comfort. And let’s not forget—leftover biryani is basically a bonus meal for tomorrow, no extra work required.

How to Make It at Home—Easily

Biryani can sound intimidating, but it’s honestly way simpler if you focus on the basics. The trick? Don’t try to do it restaurant-style on day one. Home cooks across India swear by pressure cooker and ‘one-pot’ hacks that get dinner on the table in 45 minutes—without missing that classic biryani feel.

Here’s what you actually need: good basmati rice, your choice of protein (chicken, paneer, even veggies), yogurt, onions, tomato, ginger-garlic paste and a handful of spices. Store-bought biryani masala does the heavy lifting so you don’t need a spice cabinet worthy of a chef.

Check out these basic steps for unbeatable homemade biryani:

1. Soak 1 cup of basmati rice for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a cooker or deep pan, fry thinly sliced onions till golden. Set some aside for topping later.
3. Add ginger-garlic paste, tomato, and your protein or veggies. Cook till browned.
4. Sprinkle in 2 heaped teaspoons of biryani masala, ½ tsp turmeric, and 1 tsp red chilli powder. Add salt to taste.
5. Mix in 2 tbsp of thick yogurt and cook till oil separates. This is your base.
6. Add the drained rice and about 1¼ cups of water. Top with fried onions and a dash of ghee or butter.
7. Cook on low till rice is fluffy and water is absorbed, or pressure-cook for 1 whistle. Let it rest before fluffing up with a fork.

Seriously, that’s it. You can even scale this up for a party, or swap chicken for mushrooms if you’re in a veg mood. Don’t stress over layering or dum cooking unless you really want a weekend project.

Here’s a quick comparison of common biryani styles and average home-cooking time:

The crazy part? Search stats show that “easy Indian food” gets almost as many Google hits as “biryani recipe”—so you’re not alone. Try the pressure cooker version first, and play with the extras (like mint, saffron, or fried cashews) once you’ve nailed the basics. Homemade biryani is absolutely doable—even for beginners.

Regional Twists and Surprising Stories

Biryani isn't a one-flavor-fits-all kind of dish—it’s got so many faces depending on where you eat it. Each city seems to have its own way of making it, and people can get pretty loyal about their style. In Hyderabad, for example, their signature is layers of spicy, marinated meat cooked with fragrant basmati rice. They usually throw in deep-fried onions, saffron, and boiled eggs. Up north in Lucknow, the biryani turns a bit lighter and subtle; it’s cooked with less spice, using the dum pukht technique—slow cooking in a sealed pot, building deep flavors as it steams.

Kolkata biryani might surprise your taste buds. The story goes that the potato was added when the Nawab of Awadh, exiled to Kolkata, couldn’t afford enough meat for his biryani. Now the potato is a must and fans actually hunt for the soft, spice-soaked chunks. Chennai’s biryani scene is all about robust flavors and short-grained seeraga samba rice, which soaks up spices differently. Even Kerala has its own Malabar biryani, famous for rich, coconut flavors and the use of ghee and fried cashews.

If you want to geek out on numbers, biryani’s rise on delivery apps blows away everything else. Zomato’s 2024 report said about 22 biryanis were ordered every minute during peak hours on their app—no other most ordered food in India comes close. And during the IPL cricket finals last year, Swiggy reported a 40% bump in biryani orders just during those few hours. Food is serious business here!

Even in small towns, local cooks love throwing in their own touches—think beetroot in Goa or fish biryani along the coast. The main tip if you want to try a twist at home: don’t be afraid to swap ingredients based on what you have. Add that leftover roast chicken, or toss in boiled eggs, paneer, or veggies if you don’t eat meat. That’s how biryani traveled and changed across India in the first place.

Tips for Quick, Tasty Homemade Versions

Cooking biryani at home doesn't have to mean slaving away all day. Most people avoid it because they think it’s complicated or takes forever. The real trick? Using shortcuts that don’t mess with the flavor. Here’s the lowdown on easy, time-saving biryani hacks, plus what data says about what works best for busy home cooks.

• Most ordered food in India is biryani, and most folks want it fast. Don’t feel guilty for using pre-cooked or leftover rice—it actually keeps the grains fluffy and prevents mushy biryani.
• Pick ready-to-go spice mixes from the store, often labeled "Biryani Masala." Even top restaurant chefs use them when they need speed. These packs pack in most of the core spices—just avoid the extra chili if you prefer it mild.
• Use a pressure cooker, rice cooker, or Instant Pot. You don’t have to stand and stir forever. In a pressure cooker, biryani’s done in about 25 minutes flat, and you get all the flavor locked in.
• Marinate chicken, paneer, or veggies the night before. A simple yogurt, salt, and masala blend does wonders, and you’ll have one less thing to do on cooking day.
• For an extra kick, throw in fried onions—store-bought or quick-fried at home. Mix half in the rice and save half to sprinkle on top for that “restaurant” feel.

If you're craving even more speed, here’s a one-pot biryani shortcut:

1. Heat oil or ghee, toss in sliced onions (keep some for garnishing), garlic-ginger paste, and the protein of your choice. Sauté until it's cooked halfway.
2. Add biryani masala and yogurt, let it coat everything well. Mix in parboiled or leftover rice. Splash a little water so it doesn’t stick.
3. Cover and let it steam for 10 minutes. Fluff gently so you don’t break the rice.

Want numbers? Check out how long some tricks save compared to traditional biryani:

People also swear by these ideas: Swap in frozen veggies to cut prep work, or use rotisserie chicken from the local shop. The flavor’s all about the layering—so as long as you get the onions, masala, and rice together, the rest is up to you.

Bottom line: you don’t need restaurant secrets to make killer biryani at home. Keep it simple, trust shortcut ingredients, and focus on good layering. Most importantly, taste as you go—because your “best” biryani might be totally different from what’s trending on those food delivery apps.