Fesenjoon Stew
Posted: 1 April 2019 Filed under: Fesenjoon | Tags: Fesenjoon, pomegranate, pomegranate molasses, walnuts Leave a commentI cannot believe I have not included khoresh fesenjoon خورشت فسنجون in my Iranian stews yet! This traditional stew, made primarily with ground walnuts and pomegranate paste or molasses, with a sweet-sour taste, deep aroma and rich flavor is quite unique among other Iranian stews and is regarded a fancy dish served at special occasions and for special guests.
A specialty of Northern Iran, fesenjoon is traditionally cooked using duck meat. Nowadays people use chicken breast or tights instead. Or for a vegan version simply skip the meat step and still get a rich and flavorful stew. There are certainly more than one method in making a good fesenjoon, but below is just one of them! Read the rest of this entry »
Apple & Dried Apricot Stew (khoresh Sib o aaloo)
Posted: 21 September 2015 Filed under: Apple & Dried Apricot Stew (khoresh Sib o aaloo), Uncategorized | Tags: apple, apple_food, Fall_food 2 CommentsWhat comes to your mind first, when you see or think of an apple? Eve? Newton? Steve Jobs? Or Fall and pie ?? Amazing how omnipresent apple is, isn’t it? And how diversified, beneficial and of course delicious this “forbidden” fruit of wisdom is.
Iranian culture and literature is full of apple-related references as well, and culinary wise, we cook with apple not only in the Fall but also in spring when a particular type of small sour apple is in abundance in some of Iranian southern cities such as Shiraz. Read the rest of this entry »
Spinach-plum stew (khoresh aaloo-esfenaaj)
Posted: 17 August 2015 Filed under: Spinach-plum stew (aaloo esfenaaj), Uncategorized | Tags: aaloo-esfenaaj, alo siyah, dried _plums Leave a commentThis sweet-sour, aromatic and sophisticated-looking stew is actually among simple Iranian stews, as it requires only a few ingredients and a couple of easy cooking steps.
In this particular method, I use plums instead of more commonly used prune because I prefer sweet-sour over sweet; and I also add saffron at the very end to take away the dark and add to the richness of taste and aroma. Read the rest of this entry »
Pomegranate Stew, anaar-daneh mosamma: A Persian dish of fall & love
Posted: 9 October 2014 Filed under: Pomgranate stew (Anaar-daneh mosamma), Uncategorized | Tags: anaar-daneh_mosamma, Fall_food, Mehregan, Mehregan2014, Pesrian_fall_foods, Pomegranate_Stew 34 CommentsFall maybe associated with pumpkin & apple pies, Halloween and Thanksgiving if you reside in the northern hemisphere; and fall is certainly associated with a rainbow of colors no matter where you live. For me, as an Iranian, fall is also strongly linked to my Persian heritage and one of its most beautiful manifestations, Mehregan, or Fall Festival.
This 4000-year old tradition, originally celebrated for the six first days of autumn, has its roots in Zoroastrian religion as well as having cosmic and seasonal connotations: It is a festival to acknowledge the Autumn Equinox and honor the god of justice “Mehr”; it is also a celebration of the end of harvest season and a way to express gratitude for the gift of nature and gods. Today, Mehregan has gained even more significance, especially among Iranian expatriates as a means to familiarize the world with Iranian culture, and to preserve what some feel is being diminished by the current regime of Iran.
This year, a group of over twenty active and talented Persian Cuisine Bloggers and writers from around the world got together and decided to have a Persian Food Round Up for the occasion of Mehregan. I am honored and thrilled to have been invited to join this exciting initiative. Please scroll down to see the list of links to these blogs and find out about their selection of Fall-theme Persian dishes. Read the rest of this entry »
Okra Stew and a whole lot about it
Posted: 16 October 2013 Filed under: Okra Stew (Baamieh), Uncategorized | Tags: baamieh, Healthy_foods, lady finger, okra Leave a commentWhat do you know about Okra, also known as lady finger? Well, before doing some search for this post, I only knew that in Iran, especially in Khoozestan, it is used to make “khoresh-e Baamieh” or Okra stew with. Let’s get into some of the things I learned about Okra, before sharing the recipe I already knew for it:
Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family; an annual herb that is widely cultivated for its edible green seed pods in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate climates, and a hardy plant that can grow even with less water and in hot conditions. For full Botanical description check out wiki .
Acanthus stew (khoresh-e kangar)
Posted: 5 August 2013 Filed under: Acanthus stew (Kangar), Uncategorized | Tags: Acanthus, kangar, khoresh, Persian cuisine 7 CommentsAmong the wide range of vegetables, herbs and plants used in Persian stews or khoresh, in combination with chopped lamp or veal and usual suspects for spice, kangar falls in to the category of a region-specific and less known type – even among Iranians inside the country.
Kangar or acanthus, according to English and Persian Wikipedia, is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in native to tropical and warm temperate regions, and originated in Mediterranean, Basin and Asia. It has thick, spiny leaves, stalks not dissimilar to celery and flower spikes bearing white or purplish flowers. Kangar grows in central and southern Iran in mountains and in dry climate for a short period in March-April.
Split-peas stew, “khoresh-e gheymeh”
Posted: 6 February 2013 Filed under: Split-beans stew (Ghaymeh), Uncategorized | Tags: booteh_recipes, food_photography, khoresh, main_dish, Persian_cuisine Leave a commentIn Persian, we have a proverb that compares the “sacrificial lamb” to the benevolent scapegoat- both victims in happy and sad times.
Well, split-peas stew (khoresh-e gheymeh) brings to mind that proverb, as it is traditionally made and served at both weddings and funerals. No upcoming wedding or funerals planned, yet I have got to share this as one of my favorite stews.
Ingredients (serves 5-6) Read the rest of this entry »
Vegan stew, one type, three rules
Posted: 14 November 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized, Vegan stew, one type, three rules | Tags: food_photography, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian Leave a commentVegetarian, and vegan, stew-like dishes are healthy, easy and quick. Most important of all, when it comes to following a vegi recipe or inventing your own, sky is the limit! Having said that, there are certain “rules” I always follow to in order to come up with a delicious AND pretty looking vegetable-based dish.
Use at least one type of grains to supplement meat/protean.- Use potatoes or one type of pasta to make the dish thick and filling
- Consider the cooking time of the vegetables being used and add each one to the main pot appropriatly. Mixing everything together at the same time will certainly destroy the look of the dish
Pumpkin Stew
Posted: 3 November 2012 Filed under: Pumpkin Stew (Kadoo), Uncategorized | Tags: booteh_recipes, Bushehr, food_photography, kadoo-savaaheli, main_dish, Persian_cuisine, Pumpkin 3 CommentsHave you got lots of pumpkins sitting around? I have got a solution! Add this delicious meal to the list of your Halloween season dishes! It is a unique Persian dish particular to the southern province of Bushehr, called khoresh-e kadoo savaaheli.
Ingredients (serving 3):
Celery stew with saffron
Posted: 3 May 2012 Filed under: Celery stew with saffron (Karafs2), Uncategorized | Tags: booteh-recipes, celery, food-photography, khoresh_karafs, Persian cuisine, stew 1 CommentThis past winter (hopefully passed!) I had my sister in law over for a week or so. One day she volunteered to make celery stew for lunch while my husband and I had a long rough day out. I happily approved and we came home to a dizzying fragrance of steamed rice and perfectly settled hot stew with remotely detectable sent of fresh herbs and saffron.
At first I thought the thrill I felt upon sensing this welcoming food had to do with not having to cook when you are hungry, but rather coming to a homey and ready to be served meal. But when we started the meal I discovered that her method for making this particular stew was completely different than mine) which I have already shared here), and I must admit far too superior to it – to my taste anyway. The proof to this last claim is that I followed her recipe and came up with the exact same delight.
My Caldron 