Our previously posted vegan Adas Polo recipe used plant-based meat alternatives, but I love this healthier version with seasoned, baked tofu crumbles. Adas Polo is an Iranian rice recipe with brown lentils, and it is traditionally served with meat. Tofu is a nutritious, healthy, whole food that is high in protein. Tofu will take on … Continue reading Adas Polo with Tofu
Wild Rice with Tofu
One of my kids' favorite recipes is this vegan Shepherd's Pie. Made with lentils in lieu of lamb, there is no shepherd needed for this holiday meal. This Shepherd's Pie is a casserole with a layer of lentils, vegetables, and topped with mashed potatoes. It is baked in the oven until the potatoes are golden. … Continue reading Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
A twist on the traditional; spice up the season; dare to be different with this Cardamom Persimmon Pie. This dessert is a new take on the traditional apple pie. It calls for Fuyu Persimmons, which originate from Asia. They are a popular fruit in Iran and called "Khormaloo," which translates into "date-plum." The recipe also … Continue reading Vegan Cardamom Persimmon Pie
Sholeh Zard is a Persian saffron and rosewater rice pudding. Sholeh means a pudding-like texture and Zard means yellow in Persian. The dessert gets its color from saffron, the most expensive spice in the world, and a staple of Persian cooking. Sholeh Zard is a very popular and simple Persian recipe. It is also very … Continue reading Vegan Sholeh Zard (Saffron Rice Pudding)
Qottab is one of Iran's most popular desserts. Outwardly, they resemble powdered donut holes, but they are traditional Persian pastries filled with walnuts and infused with cardamom and rosewater. This dessert originates from the Yazd region in central Iran. Recreating Persian recipes without meat, dairy, and eggs and sharing the recipes on the blog has … Continue reading Vegan Qottab (Walnut-filled Persian Pastry)
There were two recipes that I wanted to veganize when I started this Plant-Based Persian blog. The first was Noon-e-Khamei (Persian Cream Puffs) and the second was Bastani (Persian Ice Cream). I can retire from blogging now. 🙂 It is really exciting to recreate Iranian desserts without diary and eggs and without losing the delicious … Continue reading Vegan Bastani (Persian Ice Cream)
Rainbow sprinkles remind me of summer; childhood memories of soft serve ice cream covered in specks of color. Desserts always seems more joyous, fun, delicious, when covered in rainbow sprinkles. It is no wonder then that the first recipe I tried from my vegan Italian cookbook, Mangiamo, were the sprinkle-covered Italian Love Knots. I of … Continue reading Summer Sprinkle Cookies
Mirza Ghasemi is a delicious roasted eggplant and tomato dish. It is eaten with Persian bread as an appetizer or with Persian rice as a main dish. It is traditionally made with eggs, but our vegan version uses "Just Egg," which is a fantastic egg replacer made from mung bean. Mirza Ghasemi is a dish … Continue reading Vegan Mirza Ghasemi (a Persian Eggplant Appetizer)
Karafs is “celery” in Persian. Khoresh-e-Karafs is a celery stew that is flavorful, tangy and delicious. Even my kids like this dish! It is very similar to Khoresh-e-Ghormeh Sabzi as it is also made with cilantro and parsley. This dish, however, also has mint leaves. Like every Persian Khoresh, this dish is traditionally made with … Continue reading Khoresh-e-Karafs with Jackfruit
If tofu in Persian food is wrong, then I don't want to be right. Kalam Polo is a mixed Persian rice dish. Kalam is cabbage and polo is rice in Farsi. It is traditionally made with meat, but our vegan version is made with tofu for that added protein. The cabbage is sauteed and cooked … Continue reading Vegan Kalam Polo (Cabbage Rice)
Growing up, my aunt made Noon-e-Khamei, and it was my favorite Persian dessert as a child. It is a Persian recipe I have wanted to veganize for many years. I had no idea how challenging it would be as the traditional Persian recipe calls for 4-5 eggs. Then I discovered Just Egg. It is a … Continue reading Noon-e-Khamei (Persian Cream Puffs)
Spring is near. Make vegan kabob and Mast-o-Musir! Mast-o-Musir is a traditional Iranian side dish, commonly served with kabob. I personally enjoy this Persian dip with a bowl of potato chips. It is prepared with yogurt (called "mast") and dried wild shallots (called "musir"). It is similar to French Onion dip. Our version of Mast-o-Musir … Continue reading Mast-o-Musir (Persian Shallot Dip)
Haleem is a meat and wheat porridge popular in India, Iran, and other parts of the Middle East. There are many different varieties based on the different countries and regions. In Iran, Haleem is traditionally served for breakfast and can be enjoyed savory or sweet with traditional oatmeal toppings. It is similar to cream of … Continue reading Vegan Haleem
“Where there is love, nothing is too much trouble and there is always time.” - Abdul-Baha Persian cooking is a labor of love, and my grandmother was the epitome of selflessness and love. She enjoyed cooking for her family, and she regularly made Iranian Halva. Only later, when I made Iranian Halva myself, did I … Continue reading Iranian Halva
I have not blogged very much lately. Life's stresses and exhaustion has drained my creative energy, but when my kids jumped up and down when I made this green chili last week for dinner, I knew I had to share the recipe. This recipe is adapted from my very first vegan cookbook that I got … Continue reading Vegan White Bean, Green Chili
Iran has over 30 provinces. In Northern Iran, there is the Semnan province. My family is from a city in the Semnan province called Sangesar (now called Mehdishahr). Sangesari people have their own language, culture and food. Gandom Patteh is a Sangesari dish, and this is my grandmother's recipe. Patteh is a Sangesari word that … Continue reading Gandom Patteh (a Sangesari Soup)
Kashk Bademjan is a flavorful Persian eggplant dip that is served as an appetizer with warm bread. Kashk is a dairy product made of drained yogurt and has a salty and tangy flavor. Bademjan means eggplant. This dish is traditionally made from the combination of these two ingredients. Our version skips the dairy and creates … Continue reading Vegan Kashk Bademjan (Persian Eggplant Dip)
Abgoosht translates into "meat water" in English. It is an easy one-pot Persian dish traditionally made with tender meat, potatoes, legumes, and spices. This dish, however, is wonderful without the meat, and I have had people tell me they prefer this vegan version. This past weekend, I enjoyed a four-day family reunion on a ranch … Continue reading Vegan Abgoosht (Persian Meat Stew without the Meat)
Bamieh is “okra” and Khoresh-e-Bamieh is a Persian okra stew. I remember my aunt's Koresh-e-Bamieh growing up! While it is traditionally made with beef or lamb, my aunt made it vegetarian, and it was delicious. Okra is a fruit but is utilized as a vegetable in cooking. While it is often overlooked, it actually has many nutrients and … Continue reading Khoresh-e-Bamieh (Persian Okra Stew)
