JUNE 2023

RECIPE
Biryani, Persian Style
Recipe shared by Sally Najor
and Sanaa Bahoora
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (or pieces)
1 lb. ground chuck
5 potatoes
3 large onions
6-10 eggs (optional)
4 cups of rice
2 sticks of butter
3 cups of vegetable oil
20 ½ cups of water
¼ Tbsp saffron
5 Tbsp baharat biryani
6 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp baharat
3 Tbsp curry powder
2 Tbsp ground noomi basra
2 Tbsp tomato paste
Directions:
Step 1, Chicken: Place raw chicken
in an 8-qt pot filled with 12 cups of
water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and
1 tablespoon of biryani spice. Bring
to a boil, cook for about 1 hour or
until chicken is fully cooked. Cool,
remove large bones, and cut chicken
into small sections. Strain the
chicken broth and set aside.
Step 2, Meat Balls Ras Asfoor: Take
ground chuck, add 1 tablespoon of
salt and 1 tablespoon of baharat,
and mix well. Shape into meatballs.
Sauté in a skillet until brown and
fully cooked, then set aside.
Step 3, Potatoes: Peel and cut into
1” cubes. Fry with 2 cups of oil,
remove and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon
of salt, then set aside.
Step 4, Onions: Cut in half then
slice lengthwise. In a skillet, on medium
heat, add ¼ cup of vegetable
oil, then add onions and sauté until
golden. Add 4 tablespoons of baharat
biryani, 1 tablespoon of salt, 2
tablespoons of curry powder, noomi
basra, and tomato paste. Mix well
and set aside.
Step 5, Eggs: In a 4-quart pot, add
8 cups of water and eggs. Cook until
hard-boiled. Remove the shells
and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of
curry powder and 1 tablespoon of
salt. Fry in a skillet with 1/4 cup of
vegetable oil, then remove and set
aside.
Step 6, Rice: In an 8-quart pot, heat
butter with 1 tablespoon of salt, 1
tablespoon of baharat biryani, saffron,
1 ½ cup of water, and 3 cups of
reserved chicken broth, then bring
to a boil. Add washed and drained
rice, cook for about 10 minutes on
medium heat, then stir and cook for
15 minutes on low heat.
Step 7, Arrange: In a 10-quart pot,
arrange the onion mixture, chicken,
meatballs, potatoes and 1 cup of
chicken broth, then mix all parts
together. Next, add cooked rice as a
top layer, cover and cook for about 5
minutes. Remove from heat. Remove
the lid, place a tray that’s larger than
the pot opening on top, then carefully
flip upside down in a swift singular
motion. Remove the pot slowly,
taking care to not be burned by the
steam, then place boiled eggs around
the rice and serve.
Although the multiple steps can make
this process somewhat time-consuming,
Biryani is not a complicated dish
to prepare. With exotic flavors that
can transport one’s palate to another
place and time, this popular dish is
well worth the effort.
Above: Biryani is prepared by pre-cooking several ingredients that could easily be stand-alone
dishes, then combining them to simmer with the rice and spices. After the dish is finished
cooking, it is served by swiftly flipping the large pot and emptying the contents onto a tray.
Left: Among the spices used with the dish are saffron, baharat biryani, salt, baharat, curry
powder, ground noomi basra and tomato paste. Rose water is also added to bring out the
unique flavor of the ingredients.
JUNE 2023 CHALDEAN NEWS 33