What it means
بریان کردن (beryân kardan) means to roast or braise meat, typically over fire or in a closed pot with fat. The word بریان (beryân) comes from Classical Persian بِرْیَان, derived from the verb برشتن (bereštan, to roast), and is a fully native Persian word. It is used in more formal and literary contexts compared to everyday equivalents like کباب کردن. Historically بریان referred to meat roasted directly over fire. A note on related words: the famous Indian rice dish biryani takes its name from this same Persian root, brought to South Asia through Persian culinary influence.
How to use it
- گوشت را در فر بریان کردند. (Gusht râ dar for beryân kardand.) “They roasted the meat in the oven.”
- مرغ بریان امشب شام ماست. (Morgh-e beryân emshab shâm-e mâst.) “Roast chicken is our dinner tonight.”
- برّه را روی آتش بریان کردند. (Barre râ ru-ye âtash beryân kardand.) “They roasted the lamb over the fire.”
- بریان کردن گوشت وقت بیشتری میبرد. (Beryân kardan-e gusht vaqt bishtari mibarad.) “Roasting meat takes more time.”
Cultural note
بریان is also the name of a celebrated Isfahan dish, بریانی اصفهانی (Beryâni Esfahâni), made from minced lamb lung and meat roasted on a large griddle, served in flatbread. The dish is considered one of the defining street foods of Isfahan and appears in historical accounts of Persian cuisine. Its preparation method, slow-roasting minced organ meat on a wide flat pan, has remained largely unchanged for generations.