This is khoresh fesenjoon, another national culinary treasure of Iran. There are few dishes that bring as much pleasure and joy as fesenjoon. It is inherently simple, showcasing a perfect balance of straightforward yet deeply flavorful ingredients that are abundant in Iran, making it a true celebration of the country’s natural resources.

The dish begins with walnuts ground into a coarse powder and features lightly browned pieces of chicken, patiently cooked until tender in a rich pomegranate sauce. Choosing the highest quality ingredients will ensure you create the best fesenjoon in town.

Pomegranate

The tradition of making homemade pomegranate paste persists in some families, but increasingly, people are buying pomegranate products, even in Iran. While this quintessential Iranian fruit has made its way into kitchens across the U.S. and the globe, it’s quite expensive. I acknowledge that the pomegranate I bought for this recipe was out of season, but I paid nearly $6 for just one. At that price, I will definitely not be making my own pomegranate paste; I’d quickly need a second mortgage on our house!

So what to do? Worry not. After teaching Persian cooking classes for over twenty years, I am incredibly proud to have influenced my local grocery cooperative to introduce pomegranate paste onto its shelves and into American homes. That said, not all pomegranate products are created equal.

If you visit a West Asian or Iranian market, you will find a range of pomegranate products, including paste, molasses, and concentrates. To make matters even more interesting, different brands vary widely in consistency, and their flavor profiles can range from intensely sour to noticeably sweet.

The two brands I am most familiar with and use most often are Cortas and Sadaf. Both are rich and flavorful, but they differ in important ways. Cortas is thicker and denser, with a sharp, tart flavor. Sadaf, on the other hand, is a clear, thick syrup with less acidity and more sweetness. When using Cortas in this dish, I typically use about half a cup and balance the tartness with sugar. When using Sadaf, I use about one cup and do not add any sugar.

Walnuts

II purchase my walnuts from the bulk department at my grocery co-op, opting for them over the pre-packaged ones on the shelf. The bulk section has a quicker turnover, which means the walnuts are less likely to go stale or become rancid.

With the rise of food allergies and sensitivities, nuts often top the list of foods people need to avoid. So, what can you do if you have a walnut allergy or intolerance?

Let me tell you a story!

Recently, while traveling Asia, I met a lovely soul in Seoul with whom I discovered a shared, distant, and somewhat forgotten history. We both grew up in Iran in the mid-1970s, and she, a farangie (foreigner in Persian) from Europe, was experiencing Iran and Tajrish, a neighborhood of Tehran, much as I was. We both remember our moms watching Julia Child’s cooking show on the American TV channel.

Since our encounter in Seoul, we have maintained our connection, and we reminisce about what we each remember from our time in Iran, though hers was much shorter than mine. She tells me what food adventures she is up to and what Persian food she is making, and I tell her about the next recipe on the blog, and share pictures.

Talking with my “Seoul-mate”, I discovered recently that she cannot tolerate walnuts and is therefore unable to indulge in fesenjoon. So naturally, we explored how this recipe can be adapted to suit various dietary needs and restrictions.

Fortunately, fesenjoon is a highly adaptable dish that can be made with pistachios or almonds instead of walnuts. Chicken can be swapped out for duck or beef meatballs. Meat can be eliminated altogether and substituted with butternut squash or mushrooms.

As for the chicken, I am 100% for free-range, organically and ethically raised ones.