Does Seven-Eleven's "Erick South-Supervised Biryani" Transform When Heated Upside Down? Ryuji's Taste Comparison and Home Recipe

Ryuji had eaten Seven-Eleven's biryani before and says it was good then too. Ryuji introduces Erick South, the restaurant that supervised it, as "super famous," a sort of gateway restaurant for curry. Although Inada is a spice-curry chef, Inada loves convenience-store food and chain-restaurant food and eats them often. That is why, in Ryuji's assessment, Inada is someone who is sure to make something delicious when put in charge of supervising this kind of product.

Inada takes a positive stance on chemical seasonings, and this product also contains umami seasoning. Ryuji says, "So it's not real biryani, probably," but expresses understanding of the decision, noting that if you're selling it in this size, you have to use umami seasoning for it to taste good enough for people at a convenience store to call it delicious. As for the price, Ryuji states later in the video that it is 758 yen including tax, remarking that it's "fairly pricey."

First, Ryuji heated it normally in the microwave for 3 minutes and ate it. The contents were carrot râpée, red cabbage râpée, potato, two pieces of bone-in chicken, and what appeared to be sautéed onions, with the rice finished light and separate. Ryuji praised it, saying, "It has a basmati feel for convenience-store food." The texture of the long-grain rice was very good, though it was a bit on the moist side. The heat was only mildly spicy, and the bone-in chicken was somewhat dry. The curry poured on top was fairly close to ordinary curry, and Ryuji described it as "biryani for people who buy from convenience stores" rather than something authentic.

A staff member asked whether biryani at Indian restaurants also has curry sauce poured on top. Ryuji answered that quite a lot of places don't, and that the gravy (the curry sauce) is often mixed in. Ryuji also noted that it's about 500 kcal for its portion size and that cardamom and other spices come through, concluding that this quality is more than enough for a convenience store. A staff member who tasted it said it wasn't very spicy but had a spice presence, tasting like curry powder with chili added.

Ryuji's overall verdict was "beginner biryani." Since Ryuji has now become somewhat of an "intermediate," it feels a little lacking, but someone who doesn't know what biryani is should find it really delicious, and since most people aren't used to eating biryani, this is the right answer. If the aroma were more distinctive, some people wouldn't be able to eat it, so in Ryuji's view Inada found "a really good middle ground."

Asked how they can evaluate it in such detail, Ryuji explains that it's because they're currently making biryani every day. Ryuji says biryani's flavor is determined almost entirely by the basmati rice. Since Ryuji eats basmati rice at home every day, the perspective becomes, "So this is what convenience-store basmati rice is like."

When a staff member asked what it would be like if made the same way with regular rice, Ryuji immediately replied, "It definitely wouldn't taste good." This product, too, is strongly in the nature of curry eaten with basmati rice, Ryuji says. Ryuji added that basmati rice can easily be bought on Amazon or at Kaldi, and previewed that a "beginner chicken biryani" at this level can be made super easily even with ordinary curry powder.

Next, Ryuji tried the method Inada had introduced. You flip the container over, poke holes in the bottom, and microwave it a little longer; this time it was about 3 minutes at 600W. Since it said it was best eaten while still upside down, Ryuji ate it that way, mixing as they went.

At the first bite, Ryuji was surprised: "It's completely different," saying the aroma had improved dramatically. Ryuji went as far as to say, "Seven-Eleven should be recommending this," and "This one is way better," and the staff agreed: "This one's better," "The aroma really comes through."

Ryuji offered an explanation of the reason as a guess. When heated with the curry on top, perhaps the curry's aroma escapes outward. With the curry on the bottom, perhaps the aroma transfers into the rice along with the steam, making it taste better. Ryuji raised the rating one step from the regular version's A to an A+, emphasizing that the gap between A and A+ is big. The upside-down version, Ryuji says, has a flavor that hits you with how generously the spices are used. Since this method can't be done with the in-store microwave, Ryuji suggests taking it home to try, concluding, "Seven-Eleven's biryani is just right when you flip it over to heat it."

The second half is Ryuji's own recreation recipe. It serves 2 to 3. Ryuji says it can be made as simple as you want, but asks that you at least get basmati rice. Ryuji got so hooked that they bought it in bulk online, and mentioned that the price isn't much different from ordinary rice.

Ryuji's impression was that Seven-Eleven's product doesn't have all that much gravy poured over it, and that the rice itself seemed to be seasoned. This time Ryuji aims to get close to that, but states plainly that a perfect replica is difficult, so that isn't the goal.

Ryuji positions this as an "introductory version." Prefacing it with, "I'm sure people will say this isn't biryani," Ryuji's view is that lowering the hurdle is what gets many people interested, and those who want to go further can go further. Ryuji also says that with spice cooking, the initial hassle is the wall at the entrance.

Ryuji also talked about the future of biryani. Because it is Indian royal court cuisine, it is originally something with prestige, but in Japan it's a food that will evolve tremendously, and Ryuji predicts it will spread throughout Japan and make its way into home cooking. Ryuji also joked that if they move into the biryani world, the people in the biryani scene won't be pleased.

The ingredients are about 10g each of garlic and ginger and about 150g of onion, all finely minced. Garlic is effective for bringing out aroma, and tube garlic is fine too, Ryuji says. The onion can be thinly sliced, but mincing it gives a better sense of unity with the rice. Ryuji personally usually slices it because mincing is a hassle.

Put about 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and sauté the garlic and ginger well, to the point where they're just on the verge of burning, to bring out their aroma. Then sauté the onion. In authentic biryani, the onions are sometimes browned until charred, and Seven-Eleven's product also contained browned onions. This time, Ryuji keeps it to a slight coloring and doesn't sauté them hard.

Next, add one can (200cc) of tomato juice. According to Ryuji, Erick South uses tomato purée. If you don't have purée at home, juice is the closest thing, and the idea is that it becomes purée once it's reduced. Add 8 chicken drumettes and simmer. There was a moment when a staff member was surprised, asking, "Don't they sear the chicken in India?"; the chicken is simmered as is, without searing, to make it tender.

For seasoning, this time convenience takes priority and curry powder is used: 3 teaspoons (about 1 tablespoon) of S&B's "Indian Curry" and 1 teaspoon of salt. Normally you'd blend various spices, but because Indian Curry has a diverse blend, it alone is enough, Ryuji says. Garam masala for aroma is even better if you have it. The bone-in chicken produces a good stock, so simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Partway through, Ryuji added about 100cc of water because the drumettes needed to simmer a bit longer.

Ryuji emphasized not using Ajinomoto or chicken consommé. The chicken's umami alone is enough, and this is what biryani is, Ryuji says. In Ryuji's view, Seven-Eleven's product using amino acids and something like chicken extract is unavoidable because it contains so little meat to begin with.

Because the drumettes were large and still red and undercooked around the bone, Ryuji cut slits along the bone with scissors. This brings out flavor, makes them easier to eat, and saves time. Ideally you'd just score them with a knife during prep, but Ryuji shows it can also be done afterward as a quick fix.

As for how far to reduce it, if too much liquid remains the rice will turn mushy, so a thick, sludgy state is best. As long as you end up with a good "sludginess," there's no need to remove the lid. Ryuji adds that results vary completely depending on the frying pan.

Ryuji puts forward an idea described as "something I've figured out through recent research": "Biryani is pasta." It means that instead of cooking basmati rice in a measured amount of water, you boil it like pasta in plenty of water.

Basmati rice expands quite a lot, so about 200g is used this time. The boiling water should be fairly salty at around 1.5%, about as salty as ramen broth. On set, about 1 tablespoon of salt was added to 1.5L of water. Ryuji points out that the rice in Seven-Eleven's product was also well salted.

There's normally a step of soaking the rice in water, but Ryuji says, "Recent research has shown it's unnecessary," and that it tastes good without soaking. The boiling time is about 15 minutes, and you can think of it the same way as boiling thick pasta for about 15 minutes. You can add spices here if you like, but Ryuji said it's not necessary.

For those who want to make it more authentic, Ryuji recommends buying garam masala, but one other than S&B's. The reason is that S&B's garam masala, as the label "spicy spice" suggests, just ends up making things hot. Ryuji recommends the garam masala with an illustration of an old man on it sold at Kaldi; it contains bay leaf and everything else, giving a more authentic aroma than ordinary curry powder. Ryuji explains that making it with curry powder gives a flavor geared toward Japanese tastes, while making it with garam masala makes it taste "more like over there."

Traditionally the rice is cooked together with spices, but that requires a considerable amount of spice, so Ryuji says they don't do it much.

Ryuji points out that basmati rice stays delicious even after it sits, so it pairs well with bento meant to be reheated. Ryuji said it was impressive of Seven-Eleven to pick up on that, though perhaps Inada suggested it. Including the fact that it can be sold at 758 yen per serving including tax, Ryuji predicts that basmati rice is definitely going to take off.

Drain the boiled rice, sprinkle on about 1 teaspoon of curry powder, and mix lightly. This creates uneven patches of yellow color in the rice. It's also delicious with garam masala instead, but Ryuji didn't do that this time. Place this rice on top of the gravy. Normally you'd steam it from here, but Ryuji says that's unnecessary too. The rice and sauce aren't tossed together either, because tossing them "turns it into chicken pilaf."

Since butter was listed in Seven-Eleven's ingredients, 10g of butter is torn into pieces and scattered on top. Tearing it is also to create unevenness, and Ryuji repeats, "Biryani is the aesthetics of unevenness." Japanese people tend to mix everything together, but mixing makes it hard to tell what it is. When plating, too, scoop and serve it with the unevenness intact. Garnishing with cilantro or carrot would look nice, but that was skipped this time.

There are many theories about how to make it, and there are schools such as such-and-such style. Ryuji says that declaring "this is the real thing" gets you flamed online. Incorporating foreign cuisine is difficult, and even with Japanese food, people tend to argue over what's authentic and what's the real thing, Ryuji says. Ryuji also shared a funny story: upon telling Inada, "Maybe I'll study Indian curry," Inada replied, "Don't stir things up."

Since no umami seasoning is used, it's a fairly authentic biryani, Ryuji says. However, bone-in chicken doesn't release much stock relative to its weight, so the flavor may come out a little weak. Ryuji says it might taste better with 2 or 3 shakes of Ajinomoto.

At the tasting, both Ryuji and the staff kept saying "It's good." The chicken was especially well received as "ridiculously good," with comments that bone-in works too. A staff member said the saltiness was more spot-on than Seven-Eleven's, and Ryuji explained that this was because the boiling water was saltier. You can squeeze lemon over it or add cilantro or mint if you like, Ryuji says.

Ryuji personally said it seems to work fine without umami seasoning. The spice aroma does lean toward curry powder, but it's totally fine. Adding garam masala and other spices would layer the aromas and make it even more delicious, but each person can pursue that according to their own taste; Ryuji considers this good enough as a standard. Ryuji also liked how the butter added at the end gave off a subtle aroma.

To wrap up, Ryuji urged viewers to first try Seven-Eleven's biryani, and if they have the time, to also try making Ryuji's "super-easy curry powder biryani." If Seven-Eleven's biryani works, then this biryani should work too—that is Ryuji's final argument.