Naan Nokhodchi, also known as Shirini Nokhodchi, are among the many delicious Persian cookies that are associated with celebration and hospitality. Flavored with cardamom and rose water, they are perfect with a cup of black tea or coffee, and are a great treat at any time of day. These small, delicate, and melt-in-your-mouth cookies are…
Tag: Rose water
Moraba Havij – Carrot jam
Who doesn’t love spreading a healthy dose of homemade jam on toasted and buttered crusty bread? For some, there may be something strange about jam that’s made without fruit, but I would encourage anyone to try this brightly orange-colored and flavorful carrot jam. Making jam is an age-old tradition in Iran (and the rest of…
Ferni – Rose water rice pudding
This is Ferni, one of the most comforting and familiar dishes in Persian cuisine; a smooth and creamy dessert that is loved by both the old and the young. Though to call it *just* a dessert really doesn’t capture the essence and significance of this dish. Ferni is so much more than a sweet rice…
Sholeh Zard – Saffron and rosewater rice pudding
Sholeh Zard is a beloved and popular rice pudding that has all the quintessential flavors of a Persian dessert. Fragrant Persian rice is slowly simmered in a large body of water until it begins to soften. One by one, saffron, rosewater, and sugar find their way into the pot and diligently do their part to…
Cake Baghlava – Baklava cake
It is that time of year: once again, Nourouz is here! With the arrival of Nourouz, the Persian New Year, every Iranian diligently gathers specific items to be elegantly displayed on their Haftseen table (see more details below). This is a lesser-known version of baklava that takes the form of a cake, instead of the…
Cake Yazdi – cardamom and rosewater cupcakes
Cake Yazdi is to Iranians what vanilla or chocolate cupcakes are to Americans! I have yet to serve this cake (“kayk” in Farsi also translates to cupcakes in English) without generating a twinkle in the eye followed by an ear-to-ear smile. For anyone of Iranian origin, this familiar little treat evokes a sweet and tender…
Cayk-e sheer berenji – Cardamom and rose water rice cake
It’ll be no surprise that rice dishes are cherished and consumed in Persian cuisine. Rice found its way to Iran from China via the silk road, and took root in the Caspian Sea region, where the climate and landscape are very hospitable to rice production. Recently I’ve been reading about the wide variety of rice…
Naan-e Keshmeshi – Rosewater and raisin cookies
Sometimes simplicity is the best approach, and these rosewater and raisin cookies are just that: simple. Cream the butter, add eggs, and then the rest, and you’ll have these lightly rose-flavored buttery raisin cookies.
Koloucheh, Fuman style -Sweet pastries with creamy walnut and rosewater filling
This beauty is another of the Caspian Sea region’s contributions to Persian cuisine. Not only is this pastry unique to this region, but also the two provinces that border the Sea – Gilan, and Mazandaran – each have their own versions. Though a walnut paste is the most common filling, possible alternatives include dates, bananas,…
Naan-e Berenji – Rice flour, rose water cookies with poppy seeds
These delicate and brittle little cookies were present at the tables and spreads of a Persian home for as long as I remember. But, most significantly, these cookies would have their place at the Nowruz table (Persian New Year), which would also meet the company of various other sweet treats, dried nuts, and fruits. These…