We start pickling vegetables for the winter in late summer and autumn. Torshi Liteh – pickled vegetables ترشی لیته, which is very popular in Iran, is quite tasty. Torshi comes from the word torsh, which means sour, and so it is. If you like pickles, you’ll love my torshi recipe. The vegetables and spice mixes in torshi can vary depending on the region and preferences. The preparation is simple and quick as a flash.
Summer is salad time, so the kitchen stays cold, and a tomato salad with pomegranate sumac dressing is a welcome refreshment. Large, small, black, and colorful sun-ripened tomatoes, soft mild onions, and an oriental Dressing of pomegranate molasses, grated tomato, best olive oil, and tart sumac finish the taste. Tomato salad with a sweet fruity pomegranate dressing is not only refreshing, but it is also prepared in a snap and is even vegan. All these ingredients transform a simple tomato salad into a unique dish. Watch How to prep Video on Instagram
Tirgan Mobarak! Happy Tirgan! Like all our Persian festivals, at Tirgan, there is a lot of dancing, singing, and reciting poems. It’s tradition to splash water on each other (Ab Pashi) on this day. We also eat certain foods, such as my Soup-e Esfenadj – Spinach Soup for Tirgan. The recipe is super simple! The soup includes fresh baby spinach, potatoes, onions, and oriental spices. It’s vegetarian, as I made it with vegetable stock, but you can also use chicken stock. Add a blob of Greek yogurt, fresh mint, and a few drops of good olive oil to garnish. This creamy, healthy, and delicious soup is on your table in no time.
A birthday with the beloved retro classic Cold Dog was a must-have in my childhood. So who else has nostalgic feelings and childhood memories with this recipe? The Retro Food tastes great and is easy peasy to prepare. The preparation alone is a lot of fun, melt chocolate with coconut oil and cream, layer between crunchy butter cookies and cover with more chocolate. So where are the chocolate fans? Today, I present the cold dog cake yet in a modern version – Mini Triple Chocolate Cold Dog Cake. We have even in Iran a similar version of the Cold Dog we call Cake Yakhchali, which means fridge cake. The Persian version is quite different soft, and even more tender-melting on the tongue.
Vavishka is a quick and easy Persian skillet dish, a speciality from Gilan at the Caspian Sea. In Gilan it is called “Vavij” or “Vabij” which means steaming. There are various versions of Vavishka. I prepared Vavishka from minced meat, onions, tomatoes, and seasoned it with turmeric, lemon juice, Advieh – a Persian spice blend and topped it with eggs. The unique flavor of this dish is the spice blend Advieh – the jewel among the spices of the Persian cuisine. It gives the dish a warm, sweet floral flavor. If you don’t have Advieh use these ingredients: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp mixed cardamom, 1 tsp rose petal powder, 1/2 tsp mixed saffron, 1/2 tsp mixed coriander, 1 tsp dried lime powder and some nutmeg. Vary the ingredients according to your own taste. It goes best with Nan-e Barbari – Persian flatbread, Nan-e Taftoon – Persian pan-fried Nan bread, Salad Shirazi – Persian tomato and cucumber salad and Sabzi Khordan – Persian herb platter, Sir Torsi – pickled garlic, Torshi – pickled vegetables or …
Finally, spring is here, and from March to May is the wild garlic season. In fact, much too short, so I preserve the wild garlic as a delicious wild garlic pesto with roasted cashew nuts and spicy feta, and in a snap, you can spice up pasta, risotto, gnocchi, baked potatoes, grilled meat, or simply a sandwich or sandwich. You only need a few ingredients to whip up this delicious pesto in minutes. Ingredients like wild garlic, roasted cashews, spicy feta, some lemon juice, and the best olive oil are combined in this pesto to a perfect flavor.
With a ready-made puff pastry from the fridge, these golden crispy puff pastry carrots are quick and easy to prepare. You only need Cream Horn molds to shape them into perfect puff pastry carrots*. A spicy, creamy, and crunchy filling of a Turkish carrot-yogurt salad (Yoğurtlu Havuç salatası) gives the delicious finger food that special something. A stalk of dill provides great taste and replaces the carrot greens. A true eye-catcher on your buffet or Easter brunch and also truly tasty. Not only the vegetarians at the table will be delighted by the Puff Pastry Carrots with Turkish Carrot Garlic Yogurt Filling. A real feast for the palate!
Mash polo rice with mung beans and meatballs ماش پلو is a typical dish from the city of Isfahan. It is also known as Kate Mash or Dampokhte Mash. You need for mashpolo mung beans, rice, saffron and dried dill. Soak the mung beans overnight or for at least 4 hours in water, which makes them cook faster. Mash Polo is a delicious vegetarian and vegan dish by itself. I served meatballs as a side dish along with it, feel free to serve chicken, fish or even fried eggs instead. Give it a try with a topping of caramelized onions, raisins, cinnamon and walnuts. A tahdig of lava bread completes the delicious dish. If you like Adas Polo you will also like Mash Polo.
Ghorme Sabzi – Persian beef and fresh herb stew is a popular flavorful Persian dish. There are 7 different fresh herbs in Ghorme Sabzi, and each family uses its own favorite herbs. In my Ghorme Sabzi, I combine aromatic herbs like spinach, flat leaf parsley, cilantro, dill, chives, fenugreek leaves and scallions, also crunchy red beans, juicy beef and tart dried limes. Ghorme Sabzi tastes lemony, herby and much better the next day. Ghorme Sabzi smells to me like springtime in Persia. Perfect with Persian rice , Salad Shirazi and Dugh.
It’s Veganuary and I made vegan pinto bean burgers with smokey flavors. Now you probably think a burger without meat, but does it taste good at all? Well, everyone here in this house is absolutely blown away. The vegan option is made with very simple ingredients and lots of flavor. A savory patty made of pinto beans, mushrooms, walnuts, parsley and chickpea flour is packed into the burger buns. Special spices provide a wonderful smoky aroma. They are topped with crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, and sour burger pickles. They become juicy with pickled red onions or with a delicious onion jam. Add some ketchup or burger relish on top and the vegan delight in a healthier fast food version can begin. The vegan burger is plant-based, gluten-free, and simple and inspires vegans, vegetarians, and all those who find vegan not so great.
