Biryani or Karahi: which dish wins the dinner table?

Few food debates in Pakistan get as heated as this one. Biryani is a festival on a plate: long-grain rice layered with spiced meat, fried onions, saffron and a little tang from yoghurt and plums. Every city has its own style, from Sindhi biryani with its potatoes and green chillies to the milder, more fragrant versions served at weddings.

Karahi is the opposite in spirit. It is cooked fast and hot in a heavy wok, usually with chicken or mutton, tomatoes, ginger, green chillies and plenty of black pepper. There are no layers and no waiting: it goes straight from the flame to the table with fresh naan.

Biryani is the dish people plan a gathering around. Karahi is the dish people stop for on a road trip at midnight. One rewards patience, the other rewards appetite.

So if you could only order one for your next family dinner, which would it be? Cast your vote and see how everyone else feels.