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 … Continue reading Saffron 101 – Brewed Saffron
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 … Continue reading KooKoo Sibzamini Muffins (Persian “Egg” and Potato Muffins)
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 … Continue reading Khoresh-e-Fesenjoon (Persian Pomegranate and Walnut Stew)
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 … Continue reading Torshi (Pickled Vegetables)
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 … Continue reading Vegan Persian Baklava Cake
“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 … Continue reading Zereshk Polo (Persian Rice with Barberry)
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 (Celery Stew) with Tofu
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 … Continue reading Sabzi Baghali Polo (Persian Rice with Herbs and Fava Beans)
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 … Continue reading Vegan Adas Polo (Persian Rice with Lentils)
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 … Continue reading Macaroni – A Persian-style Pasta
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 … Continue reading Shirini Donmarki (for my Grandma with love)
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 … Continue reading KooKoo Sibzamini (Persian Potato Frittata)
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, … Continue reading Khoresh-e-Gheymeh Bademjan (Split Pea and Eggplant Stew)
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 … Continue reading Kotlet (Persian Cutlet)
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 … Continue reading Dolmeh (Stuffed Vegetables)
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 … Continue reading Lubia Polo (Green Beans & Rice)
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 … Continue reading Vegan Impossible Kabobs
"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 … Continue reading Vegan Persian Khoresh-e-Ghormeh Sabzi
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) … Continue reading Vegan Biryani
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 … Continue reading Ash-e-Reshteh – Persian Noodle Soup
