Salad Olivieh - Recipe #2

There have been culinary contributions from other cultures that were well received when they made their way into our culture, such as macaroni, salad olivieh and in the recent years, pizza. As I understand it, salad olivieh was first introduced to the Iranian cuisine somewhere between the late 60's and the early 70's and it easily became one of our popular dishes. It is said that "salad

How to Brew the Perfect Persian Cup of Tea (Chai)

When you walk into an Iranian home after the customary greetings, the first thing you would be offered as soon as you sit down is a well brewed hot cup of tea.  Tea is the hot beverage of choice in Iran where it is served for breakfast, lunch, dinner and in between with at least one or more refills. There's more to drinking tea than meets the eye. It's about being together with family and

Kookoo Ghandi - Sweet Saffron Potato Patties

This dish consists of  fried potatoes and eggs, blended with some sugar and saffron. Usually, I like having my meals and sweets separate and each in its own place. However, there are those sweet but occasional dishes such as the sweet rice, beet and yogurt dip and kookoo ghandi that I like to cook once in a while or for special occasions. However, in general we Iranians like our food more on

Guest Post: Simmered Fried Eggplant & Tomato

I'm so delighted and honored that Rebecca of Chow and Chatter has asked me to do a guest post on her wonderful blog. It has been a great opportunity to be able to share one of my favorite dishes with Rebecca and her readers. Rebecca is a registered dietitian, freelance writer, food blogger and a mom to the most adorable little girl that you get to see while reading her blog. If you would like

Ash-e Jo - Barley Stew with Beans and Herbs

Barley is an ancient grain with an obscure origin. However, as old as barley is, it has never gotten to be a popular grain for cooking in our culture. In the land where wheat bread (taftoon, lavash, barbary and sangag) is the staple of Iranian food, barley has never had a chance to compete for first place. Barley may be nutritious, versatile, and economical to buy but the only recipes that

The Art of Making Persian Tah-Dig

Rice Tah Dig






This unplanned post was brought about due to a reader's question regarding tah-dig. Chantalle asks: "Is there something I can do to get a better crust?" Great question! I've been blogging about Iranian food for months now but it didn't occur to me to write about tah-dig, the tastiest and most sought after part of a rice dish. If only tah-dig could speak it would

Tah-Chin - Persian Upside Down Layered Saffron Rice & Chicken

This is a divine dish of  layered saffron rice and cooked chicken breasts bound together by seasoned yogurt and egg yolk mixture. We Iranians love our rice and love to layer it with different types of vegetables and meat. However, the most tasty and desired part of this dish is the bottom layer of the rice (tah-dig). Tah-chin is the tah-dig lovers galore! Since the rice is served upside

Haleem: A Wheat and Meat Persian Breakfast

Haleem/Halim is a favorite traditional meal in Iran and it's usually served for breakfast. The main ingredients for haleem are wheat and meat ( lamb, turkey). Haleem is a hearty and filling morning meal that is cooked slowly and requires some patience. In Iran there are also restaurants that serve haleem in the early hours of the morning or sell it as take-out. There are cooks who insist on