Sohan Asali - Persian Honey and Saffron Almond Candy

This past weekend marked my third year anniversary blogging about Persian cuisine, which is the kind of food I grew up with and to this day love to make all the time and gladly share it with you. When I ventured into the world of food blogging I never thought that one day I would be celebrating my blog's 3rd anniversary! The title of my blog, "Turmeric and Saffron" best describes my late

Moraba-ye Beh - Persian Quince Jam with Cardamom and Rose Water

Recently a reader left a comment on my blog asking for the quince jam recipe and that's when I decided to make this gorgeous colored, delicious and fragrant jam while quinces are still available in the market. Quince jam was part of the typical Persian sobhaneh (breakfast) back home in Iran and it included freshly baked warm bread (barbari, taftoon or sangak) right out of the tanoor, fresh

Borani Kalam Ghomri - Persian Kohlrabi and Yogurt Dip

I have been planning to make this super delicious recipe for quite some time now. Borani is a Persian side dish/appetizer that's made with plain yogurt and the vegetable of your choice such as borani esfenaj, borani bademjan and borani laboo, which are the most well known and popular among other borani recipes.




 A week ago I made my usual early morning visit to the vegetable market. Most

Turkish Coffee - Persian Armenian Style

As a kid I used to see my mother drinking ghahveh turk (Turkish coffee) in small coffee cups with her friends and neighbors during their gatherings while talking about almost anything under the blue sky. They usually would meet for an hour or two in the morning in between sending their kids off to school, tidying up the house and preparing lunch for their husbands who would come back home for

Morgh-e Torsh - Sour Chicken Stew with Fresh Herbs and Yellow Split Peas

I've been wanting to make morgh-e torsh for quite some time but somehow I never got around to it. However, I recently received a very kind email from a reader asking for this recipe along with a couple of other dishes from the northern province of Gilan and I was inspired to write a post about it. This is a relatively easy dish to make but the taste is just superb and every bite is so full of

Sholeh Maash - Persian Green Mung Bean and Kohlrabi Hearty Soup

Ever since I saw the recipe for shole maash online in the 19th century Qajar Women Cookbook, I have been thinking about giving it a try. Mung beans with kohlrabi make a tasty and nutritious autumn soup. This recipe, like the others in the book, consists of a brief description of what the necessary ingredients are, and the word yek-meghdar (some) is frequently used to describe the amount

Kateh - Persian Style Plain and Simple Rice

We are in the last days of summer and even though I am savoring each and every day that's left I am very grateful and excited for the beginning of fall season and yet another school year. The days of holding my daughters little hands and joyfully walking them to the line outside of their classrooms have been long gone. I vividly remember my eldest daughter's first day of first grade when she

Salade Khorfeh - Shirazi Style Purslane Salad

Wouldn't it be nice to walk into your local farmers' market and find bunches of fresh khorfeh (purslane) bundled up and stacked neatly next to the basil and mint on the shelf? I am hopeful that one day purslane will no longer be considered as just an annoying garden weed that's neglected.  Perhaps if instead of sprouting in every corner purslane was sowed and watered in vegetable gardens

Kabab Koobideh - Persian Grilled Ground Lamb On Skewers

I just couldn't let my third summer of blogging pass by without posting a recipe for the internationally-known Iranian dish: kabab koobideh/kabob kubide. In addition to this popular kabab there's also the well known kabab barg (grilled skewered lamb tenderloin) and the delectable joojeh kabab (grilled chicken) as well as many other types of kababs, which are served with chelow, the parboiled

Dami Baghali -Turmeric Rice With Yellow Fava Beans and Caramelized Onions

Dami baghali is a combination of rice and dried yellow fava beans cooked together slowly over low heat. The result is a flavorful rice and beans dish that is best served with a bowl of mast-o-khiar, salad Shirazi or torshi (my favorite). Nothing beats having this delicious home-cooked meal on a summer day with your family. Dami baghali is one of my husband's favorite dishes and he is usually

Persian Koofteh Berenji - Rice Kufta (Guest Post)

I am very pleased and honored to be sharing one of my favorite recipes with Heidi Noroozy and her co-authors of the wonderful  Novel Adventurers blog. Koofteh berenji (rice kufte/rice ball) is a one-meal dish made with rice, meat, yellow split peas and finely chopped fresh herbs shaped into balls and simmered in fried onion and tomato sauce.  Please head on over for my Koofteh Berenji

Mint Cucumber Sekanjabin Ice Pops - Ancient Persian Drink Meets the New World

Summer is almost here, with its typical hot and humid weather and the all too familiar music of the ice cream truck driving through the neighborhood followed by the excited screams of the neighbor's kids. So, I thought what better way to welcome the summer than with a mint and cucumber sekanjabin - but not the usual ancient cool beverage or the syrup dip served with fresh lettuce, but as ice

Sharbat Rivas - Rhubarb Sherbet

Sharbat is a sweet drink made with fruit or vegetable juice that is usually served cold over ice during hot summer days. Sharbat-e rivas (rhubarb sherbet) may not be as widely known or as popular as sharbat limoo (lemon sherbet) however it's equally refreshing and visually beautiful with its stunning pink color!  Rhubarb's season is very short and each year I only spot them a few times in the

Borani Kangar - Persian Yogurt and Cardoon Dip

A few weeks ago I came across an interesting online copy of an old and rare Iranian cookbook, dating back to the last years of the Qajar dynasty, written in beautiful Persian Nastea'liq handwriting. This cookbook may give us a tiny glimpse into the dynasty that ruled Iran from 1794-1925. Most of the recipes are brief and not easy to follow and some of them seem to be merely a translation of

Torshi Piaz - Pickled Red Onions and Pickled Small White Onions

This quick torshi-e piaz is easy to make and doesn't require a long aging process before they can be eaten. Torshi is a very popular condiment that is served along with meals at lunch or dinner. There are almost as many different torshi varieties as there are popular vegetables and some pickles are made with more than one kind of vegetable. For example, Iranian style vegetable pickle recipe

Ash-e Somagh - Persian Herb and Sumac Soup

It may officially be spring but the weather is still cold and windy. That means there's still plenty of time to make a warm pot of soup. This is also a good opportunity for me to use the recipe that inspired me in the only Iranian cookbook that I own! This cookbook was given to me by mother when I left home many years ago and  is called "Noosh-e Jan Konid" (Bon Appetit), by Mansoureh Amir

Sizdah Bedar - Persian Tradition of Getting Rid of 13 (Bad Luck) and Menu Ideas

The ancient annual tradition of Sizdah Bedar (getting rid of 13) is celebrated on the thirteenth day of Farvardin, the first month of the Persian calendar, which is also 13 days after Nowruz (Persian New Year). This ritual has been observed since the ancient times where family, friends and neighbors gather together and go out to parks, picnic areas and open fields to spend a fun and happy

Traditional Persian New Year Dinner in a Japanese-Style Bento Box!

Spring is here! Its signs are everywhere around us, from the tiny buds on the trees, to the tulip sprouts in the garden, the light breeze and the sounds of birds chirping early in the morning. I wish all of you an amazing year filled with joy, good health, prosperity and love. May this coming New Year bring tranquility and peace in all four corners of the world.

A while back, I came across

Ajil-e Chahar Shanbeh Suri - Persian Mixed Nuts

Chahar Shanbeh Suri is an ancient Persian tradition that celebrates the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz (Persian New Year). The festival usually starts as the sun sets by jumping over small bonfires in open fields and streets, singing, dancing, eating and spending time with friends and family. During the hours leading to the festivities, people gather dried tree branches, twigs and

Kookoo Sabzi with Walnuts and Barberries

This is a variation of the traditional kookoo sabzi/kuku sabzi recipe that is served for Nowruz (Persian New Year) and throughout the year! For the traditional recipe please see the kookoo sabzi that I posted a while back. For a New Year's meal my suggestion is to make the simple and basic kookoo that most of us grew up eating. A bite into a soft slice of aromatic fresh herbs with the right

Preparing For Nowruz 1390 - Persian New Year 2011!

Here are some suggestions and links to help you prepare for the coming Persian New Year (Spring Equinox)! The following links are a compilation of Nowruz customs, rituals, food, desserts and anything Persian New Year related that has been posted so far on my blog that might give you more information and insights into this ancient, joyful and extremely popular celebration! I hope that you'll

Spring Cleaning, Fruits and Ta'rof

It's still very cold and windy where I live, grasses are dried and brown buried underneath patches of ice and snow, trees are bare and my bird houses are looking very lonely and beaten by the cold. There's no sign of spring in the air, as if it will never arrive. I know this harsh winter and cold weather won't last for long and spring will be here very soon but, like other harsh and cruel

Masghati - Persian Rose Water, Cardamom Pudding with Almonds and Pistachios

There may be a few different ways of preparing masghati but this starch based recipe is the only one that I'm familiar with and love! This is a simple, quick, no fuss and yet decadent dessert recipe! This traditional recipe is infused with aromatic rose water, saffron, crushed pistachios, almonds and cardamom; a perfect treat for any occasion or to just enjoy with a fresh brewed cup of

Ash-e Mast - Hearty Persian Yogurt Soup

This is a fabulous recipe from Azarbaijan, the north western region of Iran, and it somehow found its way into our home. Ash-e mast is a warm and cozy soup perfect for chilly winter days or even hot summer days. This healthy soup is filled with rice, chickpeas, a mix of fresh herbs, yogurt and small meatballs, topped with sauteed onion/garlic and mint. The addition of yogurt during cooking

Toot - Mulberry (Persian-Style Marzipan Confection)

Toot (mulberry) is the sweet fruit of the mulberry tree. The black mulberry fruit is called shahtoot (king mulberry) in Persian. Toot confection is a Persian-style marzipan made of a mixture of ground almond and sugar molded into the white mulberry fruit. Toot is traditionally made for Nowrouz (Persian New Year) and wedding ceremonies to bring in the sweetness. This is a simple and quick

Javaher Polow - Persian Jeweled Rice

Jeweled rice (javaher polow) is a traditional rice dish for weddings, engagement parties and other joyous celebrations. I thought this would make a fitting first post for the new year. The combination of colors, textures, flavors and aromas of saffron basmati rice layered with slivered pistachios, almonds, raisins, barberries, julienne-cut carrots and skin is truly a cheerful feast for your