Biryani is different from fried rice as it is cooked in layers and at a lower heat. Par-cooked rice is used in biryani along with par-cooked meat and vegetables. They are cooked separately then layered with sauce over ‘dum’ (slow fire or low heat) until the rice grains absorb the sauce and finish cooking. Fried rice is made with cooked chilled rice and cooked over high heat. The process for making fried rice is much quicker and less tedious than making biryani.