Rice puddings are known in nearly every part of the world, but the recipes vary in different countries. In Iran it is served as a dessert, but some people may serve it as a light dinner too. Here is the recipe for the rice pudding which is most common in Iran, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan.
Leek soup is very healthy and easy to cook. It’s not originally a Persian dish but it’s a soup that is very popular in Iran and fits the Persian taste buds very well. I changed the original recipe a bit to make it taste more like Persian soups. I call these changes Persianizing. There is also a category in this blog called Persianized where I’ll be posting more international recipes changed according to Persian tastes.
Börek is originally a Turkish invention dating back to Ottoman empire. However, like many other Turkish dishes such as Doner kebab, Pide and Iskender kebab, Börek is popular among Iranians too. The reason might be that flavors in Turkish cuisine bear a resemblance to Persian cuisine. Börek refers to any dish made with Yufka (filo) dough. Filo is a kind of very thin unleavened dough used for making pastries such as Baklava and Börek. The secret to making these stuffed pastries is to brush a mixture of beaten egg and oil over the top before baking. The top of the rolls are often sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Salad Olivier is known all over the world, it is also called Russian salad in some countries. It was originally created by the French Chef, M. Olivier, but claimed by the Russians as one of their dishes. In Iran they call it Salad Olivieh and the ingredients are rather different from the original recipe. This salad is delicious when served fresh but even better when it has been refrigerated for a few hours or even overnight.
Falafel is a vegetarian dish consisting of deep-fried balls or patties made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. It is originally an Arabic (Egyptian) food and since 2% of Iranian population are Arabs, this food has found its way to Iran. Obviously the best Falafel in Iran is made in southern provinces which have significant population of Iranian-Arabs such as Bushehr and Khuzestan. The word Falafel is derived from the Arabic word falāfil, a plural of the word filfil, meaning “pepper.” Falafel was traditionally made with fava beans and continues to be made that way in Egypt and other Arab countries, but Iranian Falafel is made from chickpeas and is wildly popular […]
Kotlet is a delicious Iranian version of ground meat patty. This is a kind of dish that can be served warm or cold, plain or with bread, at home or at a picnic. It is the kind of food that moms usually have to hide it while cooking, cause otherwise half of the patties will be eaten by the kids before serving them on the table. It is a labor intensive food since you have to spend the whole cooking time standing in front of the oven and taking care of the patties and flipping them over, but trust me it’s worth […]
Persian Halva is a sweet dense paste made of flour and butter, mixed with a syrup of sugar, saffron, rosewater and cardamom that gives it a pleasant taste and smell. Halva is originally an Arabic dessert literally meaning “sweet”, but it has found its way to many Asian and north African countries, and in every region it is prepared and served differently. In Iran it is usually served at funerals or during Ramadan(fasting) month, garnished with shredded coconut or slivered almonds.
The word Khoresh or Khoresht is a generic term for stew dishes in Persian cuisine. There are multiple different stew dishes in Iran and the most popular ones are Gheymeh, Ghormeh Sabzi and Fesenjan (check their recipes and compare!). Khoreshs are usually served with Persian rice which I have posted its cooking method before in a detailed recipe. Khoresh Bamieh is a common stew dish in many middle eastern regions. In Iran it is traditionally from southern provinces. This recipe is for the Persian version of Khoresh Bamieh which is a spicy stew of meat and okra. Okra, also known as “lady’s finger”, or “bamia” is one of the […]
In Iran, we call all types of pasta, Macaroni! It can be spaghetti, fusilli, penne, farfalle, or any other type of pasta, for us they are all Macaroni in different shapes! For example, farfalle is called butterfly macaroni and fusilli is called spiral macaroni. Also, we treat pasta like rice! To prepare it we go through the same procedures as we do to prepare rice which means that pasta is not only simmered in boiling water, but also steamed after being cooked. Another thing is that the sauce prepared for different kinds of pasta is always the same. It is a mix of meat, onions, bell pepper, mushroom […]
The origin of stuffed vegetables is unknown, although the Turks and Greeks claim possession. Originally, they were served in palace kitchens to the wealthy and ruling class. Nowadays, there are various recipes for stuffed zucchini, but this one is an Iranian version of it.
