Mast-o-Moosir with Chips and Crudités 2 Aug 2021 12:39 PM (3 years ago)
موسیر Moosir (Persian shallots) is a native plant that grows naturally across the Zagros mountains in Iran. Moosir (Allium stipitatum) is a white-skinned oval bulb that after harvest is peeled, thinly sliced, and dried. Outside of Iran, it's one of those hard-to-find ingredients. You may be able to buy the dried moosir from Persian/middle eastern markets or online. Moosir is mainly mixed
Iranian Summer Drinks 19 Jul 2021 6:40 AM (3 years ago)
It's summertime and most days are hot and humid here in New York. One of the best ways to cool off and tolerate the heat is to drink refreshing summer beverages. Typically, these cold drinks are made in large batches and served throughout the year regardless of the weather conditions or season. However, they are best enjoyed in hot weather with friends and family especially after months of
Gheymeh Rizeh Nokhodchi - Chickpea Meatballs Braised in Tomato Sauce 8 Aug 2020 10:19 AM (4 years ago)
As is the case with many Iranians living abroad, trips to our home country tend to feel like an epic dream filled with nostalgia! Last year, three months after my trip to Iran with my daughters, I traveled to Iran again with my husband. We visited our families and traveled through Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd, and Kerman during our four-week stay. It was a memorable trip as I tried to capture
Happy Nowruz 2020! 27 Mar 2020 7:24 PM (5 years ago)
After a long blogging hiatus, I am back with a new post about Nowruz, my favorite holiday. This Nowruz is undoubtedly unlike any other in the past. As you all know, these are very difficult times for so many of us as we try our best to stay positive and get through this pandemic day by day. We are all coping with feelings of fear, anxiety, isolation and economic hardship. However, life
Happy Nowruz 2019! Persian New Year Traditions and Haft Seen Photos 19 Mar 2019 2:06 PM (6 years ago)
Nowruz, which translates to "new day" in Persian, is the celebration of the arrival of spring, nature's rebirth, and the new year. This year's sal-e tahvil (vernal equinox) falls on Wednesday, March 20 at 5:58 pm here in New York. This ancient Persian New Year festival dates back centuries ago and is celebrated by Iranians around the world as well as in countries such as Azerbaijan,
Esfahani-Style Pancake Recipe, Long-Awaited Trip to Iran and My 10 Year Blogging Anniversary 2 Jan 2019 7:06 AM (6 years ago)
After many years I went on a long-awaited vacation to Iran with my two daughters. It was an amazing trip with many incredible moments. Our trip was intended to visit our families, see the historic sites and spark the love of my home country and the rich Iranian culture in my daughters. We visited Esfahan, Shiraz and Tehran over a span of about three weeks and we had quite a packed itinerary
Dopiazeh Aloo 10 Jul 2018 7:46 AM (6 years ago)
A while back I received a comment on my blog from a reader asking about an Iranian potato recipe. She wrote that she had just come back from a trip to Iran and she enjoyed a wonderful potato dish in Shiraz. After cooking and eating Persian food for twenty years she had not come across this dish before and she knew that it wasn't a potato kookoo or cutlet. This potato dish was served at
Haft Seen Table - Nowruz 2018! 20 Mar 2018 5:23 AM (7 years ago)
Persian New Year (Spring equinox) has officially arrived! It doesn't quite feel like it where I live since it is still cold and the flowers have yet to bloom but I remember how the warmth of spring should feel, with the fresh emerald green grass covering the ground and vibrant flowers everywhere. I am grateful that I had experienced Nowruz back home in Iran where I grew up. The excitement
Khagineh - Iranian Sweet Omelette from Sofreh At'ameh - A Qajar Dynasty Cookbook 26 Jan 2018 9:24 AM (7 years ago)
I recently received a copy of سفره اطعمه Sofreh At'ameh, a delightful cookbook written in 1881 by Mirza Ali Akbar Khan Kashani, the royal head chef to the court of ناصرالدین شاه قاجار Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (1831-1896), the fourth king of the Qajar dynasty. The French Dr. Joseph Desire Tholozan was the chief physician to the king
Yalda Night Celebration - 2017 20 Dec 2017 6:46 AM (7 years ago)
شب عاشقان بیدل چه شبی دراز باشد تو بیا کز اول شب در صبح باز باشد
~سعدی
شب یلدا Shab-e yalda or شب چله shab-e chelleh (winter solstice) is here. The Iranian celebration of yalda (December 20-21) starts on the eve of the last sunset on the last day of autumn. The yalda festivities proceed into the night and it officially ends at the sight of the first sunrise of
Khoresh Gheymeh Kadoo Sabz - Iranian Lamb and Yellow Split Pea Stew with Zucchini 11 Nov 2017 7:04 AM (7 years ago)
Here's my favorite خورش قیمه کدو سبز khoresh-e gheymeh kadoo sabz: a combination of the delicious and popular khoresh gheymeh and khoresh kadoo. Recently, I posted a picture of this dish on my Instagram, and I was asked for the recipe. So I made it again and this time I measured the ingredients instead of eyeballing everything and wrote a new blog post! Traditionally,
Ash-e Goje Farangi with Koofteh Ghelgheli - Hearty Iranian Tomato Soup with Tiny Meatballs 1 Sep 2017 1:06 PM (7 years ago)
Early this summer we planted two rows of different types of tomatoes in our vegetable garden. We are so pleased with the results that we are now planning to only plant tomatoes next summer along with some basil. Tomatoes are easy to grow and are very nutritious. They turn out incredibly tasty and harvesting them is truly gratifying. Many Iranian recipes call for tomatoes, tomato sauce or paste.
Vegetarian Ghormeh Sabzi 21 May 2017 6:53 AM (7 years ago)
Over the years I have received many requests for vegetarian recipes from my readers. I was somewhat hesitant to write vegetarian recipes because I believe that Iranian cuisine is vegetarian-friendly and has many vegetarian dishes. If you search my recipe index you'll see that there are many vegetarian options on my blog, such as bean-based dishes like Ash Reshteh, and the 
Celebration and Traditions of Nowruz - The Seven S's of Sofreh-ye Haft Seen -1396 19 Mar 2017 10:23 AM (8 years ago)
نرم نرمک میرسد اینک بهار
خوش به حال روزگار
ای دریغ از تو اگر چون گل نرقصی با نسیم
ای دریغ از من اگر مستم نسازد آفتاب
ای دریغ از ما اگر کامی نگیریم از بهار
~فریدون مشیری
نوروز Nowruz (New Day), the traditional 13-day Iranian celebration of the first day of spring (spring equinox), dates back to the Achaemenid Empire 6th century B.C. Nowruz is a celebration of nature and its
Ash-e Jo - Barley Soup with Spinach and Cilantro: A Safavid Era Recipe 16 Feb 2017 5:00 AM (8 years ago)
I was gifted an Iranian cookbook titled آشپزی دوره صفوی - Ashpazi Doreh-ye Safavi (Cooking during the Safavid Dynasty). This cookbook is a compilation of two separate books (Karnameh and Madat-al- Hayat) about cooking and recipes from the era of Shah Ismail I ( 1501-1524) and Shah Abbas I (1588-1629). According to the author, Iraj Afshar, many of the recipes in this book were dishes served at
Shab-e Yalda (Winter Solstice) 2016 and a Recipe for Apple and Pear Faloodeh 19 Dec 2016 7:43 AM (8 years ago)
Yalda, the ancient Persian festival of the winter solstice is celebrated on the eve of the longest night of the year which also marks the beginning of the winter season in the northern hemisphere. شب یلدا Shab-e yalda (yalda night) festival dates back several thousands of years ago to the birth of Mithra, the light of the world and the god of justice and victory. It's a wonderful night when
Kookoo Khorfeh - Purslane Kookoo 19 Sep 2016 4:10 AM (8 years ago)
Every year from mid-spring to late summer I eagerly await the appearance of dark-green خرفه (purslane) sprouts in my backyard, vegetable garden, flower borders, and in between the cement cracks. The often under-appreciated and ignored purslane has always been a favorite of mine. You can throw a handful of fresh purslane in almost any dish and make it taste better with its slightly tart and
Khoresh Chaghaleh Badoom - Green Almond Stew 28 Apr 2016 6:51 PM (9 years ago)
Iranian cuisine is known for its slow-simmered, flavorful, and savory stews that are served with a platter of long grain aromatic saffron rice. One of the most famous stews from Iran is the herb-filled ghormeh sabzi. Another favorite is the sweet and sour walnut and pomegranate khoresh fesenjoon. However, this خورش چغاله بادام - chaghaleh badoom khoresh is one of the
Haft Seen Photos Nowruz 2016 19 Mar 2016 12:38 PM (9 years ago)
It's Nowruz and it's nature's time for renewal and rejuvenation. I wish you and your family a very happy, healthy, and prosperous new year filled with joy and love. To continue my annual tradition of sharing photos of our haft seen table, here are pictures of the sofreh (the spread of seven S's) representing a symbolic meaning such as rebirth, patience, beauty, health, prosperity
Quick & Easy Shirini Zaban - Zaban Puff Pastry (Nowruz 1395) 17 Mar 2016 4:52 AM (9 years ago)
The air is thick with excitement in anticipation of نوروز - Nowruz. Preparation for Persian New Year starts weeks before the spring equinox with khaneh tekany (spring cleaning) and growing sabzeh (seeds) for the haft seen table. It has been many years since I have lived in my home country. Yet all it takes is a smell or a taste to bring even those long-forgotten memories back into my mind's
Ash-e Anar - Persian Pomegranate Soup with Fresh Herbs and Mini Meatballs 23 Jan 2016 8:51 PM (9 years ago)
I've let many winters and pomegranate seasons go by without writing about آش انار ash-e anar. However, this time as I watch the icy snowflakes rapidly hit the windows and pile up all around the house I'm thinking it's time to post a recipe for this hearty and tasty ash-e anar. The idea of making warm ash on a cold day or when you feel a little under the weather and need a
Yalda Night (Winter Solstice) 2015 and Shami Haveej - Carrot Shami Kabab with Sweet & Sour Tomato Sauce 20 Dec 2015 6:21 AM (9 years ago)
شب چله/شب یلدا Shab-e Yalda/Shab-e Chelleh, the ancient Persian celebration of the longest night, dates back thousands of years ago to the birth of میترا Mithra the god of light who was born on the eve of yalda (winter solstice). After the longest night of the year, the days will gradually become longer symbolizing the victory of light over darkness. The word یلدا 
Khoresh-e Holu - Persian Peach Stew with Chicken 1 Oct 2015 5:40 AM (9 years ago)
I was planning on making this savory peach khoresh during the summer when the lush peaches were at their peak but somehow I just didn't get around to it. Now, several days past the autumnal equinox, I think this savory peach chicken stew is the perfect farewell to summer as well as a delicious way to celebrate the beginning of fall and مهرگان - Mehregan. Mehregan is the annual
Yakh dar Behesht - Ice in Paradise 6 Aug 2015 9:06 AM (9 years ago)
The other day I sat down under the pear tree in the back of our garden to take a brief break from the intense summer heat and to also enjoy the refreshing sweet creamy taste of یخ دربهشت - Yakh dar Behesht. Ice in Paradise is rice flour and milk dessert recipe infused with cardamom and rosewater and topped with pistachios. This dessert's intriguing name is a combination of the term
Chicken Koobideh - Grilled Ground Chicken Kabab 15 Jun 2015 6:11 AM (9 years ago)
With the arrival of warm weather, it's finally time to take my cooking outside to my backyard surrounded by ivy-covered trees, tall shrubs and evergreens, and get my grill going to make some delicious کباب کوبیده مرغ - chicken koobideh for my family. The entire process of making کباب - kabab from preparing the meat mixture, shaping it on long metal skewers with evenly spaced ridges, to