Golden and flaky, Zabaan is a delicious Persian puff pastry shaped like a tongue. Zabaan is from the Qazvin region of Northern Iran. It is traditionally made with honey, but our vegan version uses agave syrup and a plant-based puff 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 … Continue reading Vegan Qottab (Walnut-filled Persian Pastry)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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
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
