Iran: Recipes and Cuisine
The culinary traditions of Iran reach back to the time of the ancient Greeks, when Persia was the most powerful civilization in the world. Through time, Persian cuisine has grown and influenced the culinary traditions of the Middle East, Central Asia and India. Persian cooking is renowned for its elaborate rice dishes, nourishing soups and hearty stews. Iranians delicately flavor their food with herbs, spices and dried fruits. A variety of naan-like breads supplement rice. Pomegranates and dates provide a sweet finish to meals.
Persian Recipes
Ash-e Jow
(Persian barley bean soup)
This thick soup, or ash, is chock full of nutrients and fiber. A mix of beans, lentils, barley and vegetables, ash-e jow is slow simmered to make a rich, nourishing, rib-sticking dish. Eliminate the meat and use vegetable stock or water for a great vegetarian meal. Read more »
Fesenjan
(Persian chicken in pomegranate-walnut sauce)
Fesenjan, also known as khoresht-e fesenjan or fesenjoon, is special occasion food in Iran. It is traditionally made with duck or pheasant in the north of the country along the Caspian Sea. A thick, rich, sweet-sour dish, fesenjan improves in flavor if served the next day. Read more »
Halva
(Persian rose-scented sweet)
Halva is a popular sweet found throughout the Middle East. Many varieties are made with tahini or semolina flour. This Persian version uses a simple mixture of flour, sugar and butter with the sweet perfume of rosewater. Read more »
Kalam Polo
(Persian rice with meat and cabbage)
Kalam polo is a hearty, filling pilaf scented with cinnamon and saffron. Sometimes spelled kalam polow, or kalam pollo. Kalam is Farsi for cabbage. Read more »
Khoresht Ghaimeh
(Persian lamb and split pea stew)
Khoresht ghaimeh, sometimes spelled khorest-e ghaimeh, is a hearty, warming Persian stew that is in the repertoire of every Iranian cook. The lamb and split peas melt together in flavor and texture during the long simmering period. Read more »
Khoresht-e Aloo
(Persian lamb stewed with prunes)
This khoresht, or stew, takes hearty chunks of lamb and melds them together with the deep flavor of dried plums to create a rich dish with a sweet bent. A variation, khoresht-e esfenaj aloo, adds spinach to the stew. Sometimes spelled khoresh alu. Read more »
Kookoo Sabzi
(Persian herbed omelet)
A kookoo — also spelled kookoo-ye, kuku, or kou-kou — is a Persian-style egg dish that is similar to an Italian frittata or an open-faced omelet. Iranians make many, many different types with a variety of flavorings. The kookoo sabzi, flavored with a variety of herbs and tinted a deep green, is probably the most popular. Read more »
Mast-o Khiyar
(Persian yogurt-cucumber spread; see Tzatziki variations)
Rob-e Anar
(Persian pomegranate molasses)
Known in variously in English as pomegranate molasses, pomegranate syrup and pomegranate concentrate, this ruby red syrup with its deep, luxurious flavor is popular in the cuisine of Iran. It is an indispensible ingredient in fesenjan, a famous Persian dish. Read more »
Sabzi Polo
(Persian herbed rice)
Sabzi polo is a brilliant green version of the famous Persian "polo," or pilaf, rice dishes. The green comes from a variety of herbs that give an otherwise plain dish a sublime flavor. Pair sabzi polo with fried fish, and you have sabzi polo va mahi, the traditional Nowruz Persian New Year meal. Read more »
Tah Chin
(Persian layered rice and chicken casserole)
Tah chin — also spelled tah-chin or tacheen — is a dramatic Persian rice dish. Partly cooked rice is flavored with saffron, yogurt and egg yolks and then layered in a dish with chicken or lamb. The whole dish is baked and then turned out onto a platter, forming a mound of deliciousness with a golden, crispy crust. Read more »
