One of the languages spoken in Iran is Persian, like English, a member of the Indo-European family of languages. Throughout history, Persian has given hundreds of words to English, including calabash, candy, carob, lemon, orange, pistachio, and even—oddly, considering that Iran’s hot climate makes keeping ice difficult—sherbet. These words were all adopted by English about four centuries ago. In contrast, the word biryani—Persian in origin, but introduced to English through Hindi—entered English only about four decades ago as the name of a highly spiced dish of meat, rice, and lentils. The Persian source of the word—biryan—means fried or roasted.
Hailing from the Moglai region, this cuisine consists of rice layered with highly seasoned meat and onions. While lamb was initially utilized, chicken pieces serve as a fitting alternative. Additionally, it can be presented as a vegetable-based dish.