“People who give you their food give you their heart.” – Cesar Chavez
Vegan Persian Love Cake
Love is literally in the air; this Persian Love Cake smells amazing. With cardamom and rosewater, it is so aromatic even my children were commenting how good it smelled. It is moist, and the lemon zest adds a nice balance to the sweetness of the cake and the glaze. The Persian love cake is apparently…
Adas Polo with Tofu
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…
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie
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.…
Vegan Cardamom Persimmon 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…
Vegan Sholeh Zard (Saffron Rice Pudding)
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…
Vegan Qottab (Walnut-filled Persian Pastry)
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…
Vegan Bastani (Persian Ice Cream)
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…
Summer Sprinkle Cookies
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…
Vegan Mirza Ghasemi (a Persian Eggplant Appetizer)
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…
Khoresh-e-Karafs with Jackfruit
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…
Vegan Kalam Polo (Cabbage Rice)
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…
Noon-e-Khamei (Persian Cream Puffs)
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…
Mast-o-Musir (Persian Shallot Dip)
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…
Vegan Haleem
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…
Iranian Halva
“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…
Vegan White Bean, Green Chili
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…
Gandom Patteh (a Sangesari Soup)
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…
Vegan Kashk Bademjan (Persian Eggplant Dip)
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…
Vegan Abgoosht (Persian Meat Stew without the Meat)
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…
Khoresh-e-Bamieh (Persian Okra Stew)
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…
Daisy Biscuits
I often feel nostalgic for my childhood. The simpleness of life. Great cartoons, toys, clothes, music, and movies from the 1980s that I enjoy sharing with my children now. I remember a cookbook that I had as a child that I LOVED. I never actually cooked anything in it other than the Tic Tac Toe…
Salad Shirazi
If Iran had a national salad, it would be this: Salad Shirazi! A no-lettuce salad, it originates from Shiraz in Southern Iran. It adds texture and flavor to any Persian (or even Indian) dish. It is particularly popular in the summer along with skewers of (plant-based) kabob. I personally love it with dry rice dishes…
Teaspoon Pancakes
Pancakes with berries and whipped cream, its my kids’ breakfast dream. A friend once asked me what I eat for breakfast as a vegan. I said anything you eat for breakfast, I can eat vegan. I love this teaspoon pancake recipe because it makes the perfect bite-sized pancakes for my kids. No cutting up my…
Tachin (Crispy Persian Rice Cake)
If you love Persian Tahdig, you will love Tachin, which is a crispy Persian rice cake. It is traditionally made with several animal products – eggs, dairy, and meat. In today’s world, however, anything can be made vegan, and this vegan Tachin is amazing. We used two of our favorite vegan alternatives, Just Egg and…
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Anybody else need an island vacation? Until then, this cake is a little slice of paradise. This recipe is inspired by one of my kids’ favorite books – Eight Animales. I first tried this vegan recipe a month ago, and I have made it three (3) times since! It is delicious and perfect for dessert,…
Persian Baghlava
Happy International Women’s Day! I recently heard someone call March “a mighty month.” She was referring to the celebration of women during the month, but I love that March is also a significant time for Baha’is around the world. In March, Baha’is fast for 19 days, abstaining from eating and drinking between sunrise and sunset…
Easy Rajma Masala
Rajma is the name for red kidney beans in Hindi. Rajma masala is a protein rich, kidney bean curry, traditionally made vegetarian if not vegan (depending on whether dairy or ghee is used). I got this rajma recipe from my law school friend 8 years ago when I first became vegan. She is a great…
Persian Rosewater Bundt Cake
My grandmother enjoyed cooking and feeding her family, friends, and neighbors. She loved to host dinner parties and prayer gatherings, and every time, she made this rosewater bundt cake, dusted with powdered sugar. It was her signature cake, served at every “mehmooni” (which means a gathering or party in Persian). My grandmother is one of…
Saffron 101 – Brewed Saffron
Despite its high price, a pinch of saffron goes a long way. Saffron releases its flavor and aroma when wet. Our recipes on the blog generally call for “Brewed Saffron.” Brewed Saffron To prepare “Brewed Saffron” take a big pinch or two of saffron threads. Grind the threads using a mortal and pestle. Add 1/2…
KooKoo Sibzamini Muffins (Persian “Egg” and Potato Muffins)
A friend recently asked if I had 10 minute meal ideas! I laughed because it takes me 10 minutes just to make a salad. Since then, however, I have been thinking of quick and easy meal options for kids. These KooKoo Sibzamini muffins are very easy, and while they take longer than 10 minutes to…
Khoresh-e-Fesenjoon (Persian Pomegranate and Walnut Stew)
Khoresh-e-Fesenjoon is one of my favorite Persian dishes, and it is surprisingly one of the simpler recipes. It is made with pomegranate molasses and can be quite tart. This recipe adds pumpkin purée and maple syrup to add a hint of sweetness. Khoresh-e-Fesenjoon is traditionally made with meat (chicken or meatballs). While we typically replaced…
Aloo Gobi (Potatoes and Cauliflower)
I love Indian food. I was recently talking to someone who said that she is open to eating plant-based but does not know what to cook. I was a bit surprised considering she is Indian! Whether making home-made Indian food, heating a ready-made Indian dish (Saffron Road is my favorite brand) or ordering from your…
Holiday Chick’n Pot Pie
Who doesn’t love a pot pie? Marie Calendar’s frozen Chicken Pot Pies were my favorite in college. I remember eating them for lunch and dinner while studying for final exams and the Law School Admissions Test. Thankfully, I have a delicious, plant-based chick’n pot pie recipe that is easy and perfect for the holiday season.…
Torshi (Pickled Vegetables)
Torshi is a pickled vegetable side dish enjoyed in Persian culture. It is the hot sauce or chutney of Persian food. The word “torshi” is derived from the Persian word “torsh,” which means sour. Iran has hundreds of different types of torshi with variations in flavors and the vegetables and seasonings used. Making homemade torshi…
Vegan Persian Baklava Cake
Love trumps hate; let’s eat cake and celebrate. Today, I celebrate for women. Today, I celebrate for immigrants. Today, I celebrate for refugees. Today, I celebrate for children. Today, I celebrate for Black lives. Today, I celebrate for democracy. Today, I celebrate for science. Today, I celebrate for breaking barriers. Today, I celebrate for human…
Cinnamon Roll Scones
My 6 year-old daughter Layli loves to cook. Every Friday afternoon, we cook together. She is already planning to take over the blog and started to write recipes for us to share. 🙂 We enjoy making kale chips, cookies, lemonade, vegan Rice Krispies, and veganizing some of my own childhood recipes. These cinnamon rolls are…
Zereshk Polo (Persian Rice with Barberry)
“Zereshk” are barberries in Persian. Barberries are tiny, red, tart fruit. They add a hint of sweet and sour to the recipe. They are also rich in vitamin C. You can find them at Persian or Afghan stores. Zereshk Polo is traditionally a Persian rice dish made with chicken and barberries. We have removed the…
Khoresh-e-Karafs (Celery Stew) with Tofu
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…
Plant-Based Carrot Cake
This carrot cake recipe has a special place in my heart. It is the first vegan cake I ever baked. It was 8 years ago, and I had never even heard of flax seeds let alone used them as an egg replacer in baking. One of my first vegan friends (whom I met at a…
Sabzi Baghali Polo (Persian Rice with Herbs and Fava Beans)
Baghali Polo is a traditional Persian rice dish made with fava beans. Sabzi Polo is a separate Persian rice dish made with various herbs. Both are traditionally served with a side of meat. Sabzi Polo is commonly served with fish and is a classic dish to celebrate NowRooz (Persian New Year). We have combined these…
Challah-Inspired, Homemade Bread
A challah-inspired, homemade bread perfect for a season filled with delicious stews and comfort foods. Happy Fall, y’all. Challah bread has a distinctive braid, which symbolizes the coming together of family and friends. It is a bread of celebration in Jewish tradition. I love the slightly-sweet flavor, the golden crust, and the symbolism. A perfect…
Vegan Adas Polo (Persian Rice with Lentils)
Lentils are a legume and a nutritional powerhouse. They are an excellent source of iron and protein. Lentils were traditionally called the “poor man’s meat.” I like to think of it as the “more mindful meat alternative.” Thankfully, my kids enjoy lentils, and we eat it often; yellow lentils, green lentils, brown lentils. This Persian…
Macaroni – A Persian-style Pasta
Tahdig makes everything better, even pasta. Macaroni is the Persian version of Italian pasta. The pasta is steamed similar to Persian rice to create a delicious crispy crust (tahdig) at the bottom of the pot. The tahdig can be a potato tahdig as in this recipe or made from the pasta itself. While Macaroni still…
Shirini Donmarki (for my Grandma with love)
During difficult times, I often think of my grandfather and my grandmother. The challenges they faced. Their strength and resilience. This post is part recipe, part reflection. I had never heard of Shirini Donmarki (a Persian Danish pastry) until my mom made it for my grandma a few months ago. It was delicious, and, like…
KooKoo Sibzamini (Persian Potato Frittata)
I always ask people what is the hardest food to give up when trying to eat more plant-based. I often hear dairy products like cheese or yogurt. Persians, of course, love their kabob. For me, it was definitely hard to give up eggs. I quickly and easily gave up meat. Dairy was initially challenging, but…
Khoresh-e-Gheymeh Bademjan (Split Pea and Eggplant Stew)
In Persian cuisine, this khoresh (Persian stew) is typically prepared as two separate dishes – Khoresh-e-Bademjan (eggplant stew) and Khoresh-e-Gheymeh (split pea stew). Each is made with meat and is a tomato-based stew. Each are incredibly popular dishes. To be honest, however, I did not like Khoresh-e-Bademjan as a child. The texture of the eggplant,…
Veggie Thai Red Curry
Last week, my kids and I made a gratitude list. We have been reading the book “30 Days to a Better World Starting with Me.” One of the days was to make a gratitude list because gratitude brings happiness, and happy people try to make others happy. When I asked my 3 year old son…
Kotlet (Persian Cutlet)
Kotlet is a Persian pan-fried meat patty. It is generally made with ground meat, egg, and potato. It is eaten warm or cold, plain or in a sandwich, on a picnic or at a dining table. I remember my grandmother often making Kotlet for picnics or as a side to a warm bowl of Ash-e-Reshteh…
Tofu Daal Aloo Mattar
My mom created this recipe after tasting one of the frozen meals I would buy to eat during lunch at work. 🙂 This recipe, of course, is a better, fresher, healthier version and is now one of my favorite dishes. When my mom cooks for my family, I often ask her to make this dish.…
Dolmeh (Stuffed Vegetables)
Dolmeh is a stuffed vegetable dish enjoyed in many cultures. I remember growing up, my grandmother always made Persian dolmeh with stuffed tomatoes, bell peppers, and cabbage. My favorite was the stuffed cabbage. The stuffing in Persian dolmeh is generally made with rice, yellow split peas and meat. The meat can be easily excluded for…
Lubia Polo (Green Beans & Rice)
Lubia means “green beans” and Polo means “rice.” This Persian rice dish is traditionally made with meat. The meat can easily be excluded for a plant-based rice dish. The recipe below includes the option to include a plant-based meat alternative. We have used the Beef-less Ground Beef from Trader Joe’s, but you could use other…
Vegan Impossible Kabobs
Happy Friday, everybody! Does that mean much anymore? 🤨 For me, Friday is “Fitness Friday.” A reminder to make time for the (garage) gym today. I like setting goals by association. How do you set goals and reminders? If you are doing a “meat-free Friday,” below is how we prepared our Impossible Kabobs on the…
Mini Apple Cinnamon Muffins
My six year old daughter loves to cook. Since I can remember, she has always asked to help in the kitchen. This past school year, before the pandemic, she was enrolled in an after school cooking club. While I knew all the dishes she would prepare would be vegetarian, I was pleasantly surprised when the…
Egg-free Frittata
We are sharing another recipe using the awesome egg-replacer “Just Egg.” It has been so exciting recreating our favorite foods egg-free. Removing egg from our household was very hard not because we loved eating eggs, but because I did not know how to replace the eggs in our breakfast or some of our favorite Persian…
Easy, One-Pot Mac & Cheese
I am SO excited to finally have a plant-based Mac & Cheese that my kids will eat. Honestly, box Mac & Cheese was the only dairy product we still had in our home because my kids loved it soooo much. Being home over the last four (4) months, however, I have been able to try…
Vegan Persian Khoresh-e-Ghormeh Sabzi
“Khoresh” is a generic term used for stew dishes in Iranian cooking. Ghormeh Sabzi is my favorite Persian khoresh. When my husband and I got married 14 years ago, my mom cooked the food for our entire wedding of 175 people! I remember she was in the kitchen cooking at the venue until about 1…
Vegan Biryani
An Indian-Persian fusion Vegetable Biryani at the request of my Indian-Persian fusion family-in-law. 🙂 It makes us so excited when people have tried our plant-based food and loved it as much as we do! Biryani is a mixed rice dish from India (not a Persian dish), but my mom lived in India for nine (9)…
Ash-e-Reshteh – Persian Noodle Soup
I always think of Ash-e-Reshteh as the accidental vegan Persian dish. “Ash” means a thick soup and “reshteh” means noodles. Ash-e-Reshteh is a thick noodle soup, filled with herbs and legumes. It is often prepared during times of celebration. I remember my grandmother making Ash-e-Reshteh for Bahai gatherings or special occasions like Naw Ruz (Persian…
Vegan Persian Joojeh Kabob (Chick’n Kabob)
We got a new grill, and I am so excited to BBQ again. One of my favorite childhood memories is backyard grilling at my aunt’s house during the warm summer evenings, running through sprinklers and watching the thunderstorms from the deck. One of my favorite foods was joojeh kabob. Joojeh means “young chicken” in Persian.…
Persian Rice (Polo 101)
It is so exciting to see all the people following the blog who are new to Persian cooking! I am so happy people are interested in plant-based cooking and Persian cooking on top of that! So I wanted to go back to the basics of Persian cooking and share a recipe for making traditional Persian…
Vegan Beyond Beef Kabob
We are finally back in our home after living in an apartment the last 13 months, and I was so excited to start grilling, but when we pulled out the BBQ grill, it was covered in grease, fat, and leftover meat from prior Airbnb guests renting our home. Unfortunately, the grill was too disgusting to…
Vegan Egg and Potatoes
Between reading the news to moving across the country with 3 kids during a pandemic, I am mentally and physically drained. If you follow me on Instagram (@plant_basedpersian), you may know that my kids and I recently flew on United Airlines as we moved across the country. On the flight, the man sitting behind us…
Vegan Cardamom Rosewater Rice Cookies
I love the smell of rosewater and cardamom. These cookies do not last very long in our home. My son gives it “5 thumbs up.” The best part (for me) is that they are vegan and gluten-free (made with rice flour). I tested negative for Celiac disease, but when I cut gluten from my diet,…
Vegan KooKoo Sabzi (Persian Herb Frittata)
KooKoo Sabzi is one of my favorite dishes to eat. It can be made into a sandwich with fixin’s or eaten alone (similar to a frittata). I love it wrapped in warm lavash bread along side a bowl of Persian Ash-e-Reshteh. It is delicious and flavorful. Traditionally, KooKoo Sabzi is made with eggs. My mom…
Vegan Salad Olivieh (Persian Chick’n Salad)
We are excited to share our first recipe on our blog – Salad Olivieh. It is simple, delicious, and a great lunch option for kids. I grew up eating Salad Olivieh, but traditional Salad Olivieh has eggs and chicken. It is exciting to create a plant-based version that I can enjoy again and share with…