This dish takes me way back to my childhood growing up in Tehran. I remember loving this dish for Its flavor and simplicity clearly appealed to my teenage palate. A simple meatball dish with fried potatoes over steamed rice—how can you go wrong with that? As I prepared this dish, I found myself struggling to…
Tahchin – Crispy saffron rice cake
Rice takes center stage on the Persian table, and there are numerous techniques for preparing it, ranging from simple steamed rice to more complex rice dishes where various ingredients are layered into the rice to create a one-pot meal. Tahchin, which translates to “arranged in the bottom,” is a classic casserole-style rice dish made by…
Khoresh Gheymeh – Beef and yellow split pea stew with roasted potatoes
Khoresh Gheymeh is a well-recognized and popular dish among Iranians: a comforting meat-and-potato stew that embodies all the familiar flavors of Persian cuisine. The stew is often flavored with a Persian spice mixture called advieh, which contains warming spices such as cinnamon and cardamom, earthy cumin and coriander, and a gentle hint of ground rose…
Shami-e Lapeh -yellow split pea and beef patties
In the West, we have the burger with all its glorious variations. In Iran, we have the Shami with many regional influences. Shami resembles a donut, with a hole in its center. This is Shami-e Lapeh! In the North of Iran, there is the green Shami, in which the beef patty is packed with fresh…
Maast-o Museer – Yogurt with Persian shallots, garlic and mint
Maast-o Museer is another gem in the Persian yogurt series. Yogurt plays such a significant role in the cuisine and is always there to accompany a flavorful layered rice or well-seasoned stew. The star of this yogurt dish is Museer, a Persian shallot. Museer is best described as a mix between an elephant garlic and…
Maast-o Khiar – Yogurt with dried mint, cucumber and raisins
Yogurt is no stranger to Persian cuisine and is, frankly, a mandatory side item on the table. Each region of Iran offers its own unique version of a yogurt dish to accompany a Persian meal. Maast-o khiar is one of them. In the north, by the Caspian Sea, the specialty is garlic and shallot yogurt,…
Kuku Bademjan – Eggplant frittata with barberries
Here is another dish in the Kuku series. But this Kuku is quite special, as it highlights a vegetable that has been called the potato of Iran: none other than eggplant. Eggplant is such a unique vegetable, and – as my beloved cooking teacher would say – eggplant is a prima donna ingredient, and I…
Kabob Torsh – Kebabs marinated in pomegranate and herbs
Kabobs are a quintessentially Iranian (and Middle Eastern) dish that’s widely available at Persian restaurants in Iran and abroad. It also takes center stage at dinner tables in Persian homes. Iranians have both a tendency and a capacity to elevate their dishes according to the availability of specific regional ingredients, and kebabs are no exception….
Khoresh Karafs – Celery and beef stew with fresh herbs
Khoresh Karafs, a popular celery and beef stew in Persian cuisine, is remarkably flavorful with very few ingredients. Celery is sautéed on its own to enhance its flavor, then combined with herbs, beef, and Limu Omani, which brings magic to this dish! Celery, oh celery! Let’s face it: celery probably isn’t the kind of vegetable…