Chaldean Kitchen: Biryani, Persian Style

Sally Najor learned how to prepare Biryani from her mother. Photos by Alex Lumelsky.

See the full recipe at the bottom of the article.

By Z.Z. Dawod

“Homemade Chaldean food is like no other,” says Sally Najor. As a world traveler who has traversed the globe on multiple occasions, Sally has sampled a wide range of cuisines and speaks from experience.

Sally was born in Kirkuk, Iraq but spent most of her childhood in Baghdad before immigrating to the United States about 50 years ago. Going back a few generations, her family roots lie further east. Sally’s maternal grandmother, Rosa, grew up in an area that now falls within the borders of Iran, in a vibrant Chaldean community that remains to this day. It was from this region where Biryani, a long-time favorite Chaldean dish, first emerged.

A Culinary Tradition

When Sally’s grandmother married and moved to Baghdad, she brought with her the many traditional recipes her family cooked in the north. Among other dishes, the matriarch favored this Biryani recipe, a dish that Sally’s mother, Suad Savaya, grew up eating. Later, as an adult, Suad also mastered the making of this special dish and made a point of teaching it to Sally and her sisters. 

About fifteen years ago, to preserve their own family’s rich traditions, Sally’s sister, Sanaa Bahoora, took on the task of typing and organizing all family recipes. Now, the family has a treasure box of recipes — easily accessible, for all to enjoy.

Sally has also done her share to preserve rich culinary traditions. In addition to her decades-long career as a travel agent, Sally has been a long-time member of the Chaldean American Ladies of Charity (CALC). One of the projects Sally is most proud of participating in is the Ma Baseema cookbook, a collection of traditional Chaldean recipes that was first published in 2010.

On the day I visited Sally at her home, she was preparing to make her family’s signature dish, Biryani - Persian Style.

A critical step that gives Sally’s recipe its unique flavor is in the preparation of the onions. She starts by sautéing onions until golden brown, then adds the biryani spices (baharat biryani), along with a small amount of chicken stock. However, the ingredient that makes this dish moist throughout (and melt in your mouth) is the tomato paste — Sally’s unique and delicious surprise in this version of the recipe.

History as Rich as the Taste

Biryani is one of the most popular dishes in South Asia but, contrary to popular belief, the dish did not originate in India. The word “biryani” comes from the Persian word “birinj” or “birian” which means “fried before cooking.”  Meat, rice, and vegetables are each cooked separately before being mixed and brought to a simmer.

Many historians believe that Biryani originated from Persia and was brought to India by the Mughal Empire (1526-1857). During its reign, the Mughal Empire controlled much of South Asia. For about two hundred years, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of present-day Assam and Bangladesh in the east, and the uplands of the Deccan Plateau in South India.

Biryani was further developed in the Mughals’ royal kitchen when, according to legend, Queen Mumtaz Mahal (who inspired the Taj Mahal), took notice of Shah Jahan’s undernourished soldiers while visiting their barracks. In response, she is said to have asked the royal chef to develop a special dish to provide more balanced nutrition for army personnel.

From what is modern-day Iran, Biryani has travelled with pilgrims and soldier-statesmen of noble descent to the Deccan region in south India. Over centuries, this dish has acquired a wide variety of flavor combinations, depending on the region in which it is prepared. The dish breaks through barriers of class and caste and enjoys a wide appeal among people of many backgrounds — served both as street food and in upscale restaurants.

Chaldeans have lived in this general region since long before modern-day borders were established. Throughout many centuries, Chaldean communities were influenced by traditions from surrounding cultures and by the many travelers who passed through. Over the years, Biryani was adopted and adapted by many generations of Chaldeans who made the dish their own.

While Biryani is still known all over the world as an Indian dish and we instantly think “Indian cuisine” when we hear the word, Sally Najor remembers it as one of her grandmother’s staples, a key dish among her family’s rich history of home-cooked Chaldean recipes.