All posts tagged: Autumn

Khoresht-e Kadu Halvai – Pumpkin and Chicken Pan خورش کدو حلوایی

Khoresht-e Kadu Halvai – Pumpkin and Chicken Pan خورش کدو حلوایی

Autumn is knocking on the door, and happily, it’s also the start of pumpkin season. If you’re looking for autumnal recipes with pumpkin, this is the place to be. In autumn, we crave colorful comfort food to beat the gray days. My Khoresht-e Kadu Halvai – Pumpkin Chicken Pan خورش کدو حلوایی is a feast for the eyes with its warm yellow-orange hue, makes your tummy feel good, and is great for the soul. In any case, it’s a quick and easy one-pan comfort food that you should try. Watch Video on Instagram 

Torshi Liteh – pickled vegetables ترشی لیته

Torshi Liteh – pickled vegetables ترشی لیته

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.

Shir-e Angoor - Sugar Free Grape syrup - شیره انگور

Shir-e Angoor – Sugar Free Grape syrup شیره انگور

Last week, I showed you the recipe for Shir Berenj – rice pudding with rose water and cardamom and served it with grape syrup. Today, I’ll show you how to make an easy Shir-e Angoor – Sugar Free Grape syrup شیره انگور. Shir-e Angoor is also called Doshab and is a grape syrup with a thick consistency made from grape juice with no additives. I used black grapes from the market, though it also works with white grapes or a mixture of white and black grapes. Shir-e Angoor tastes fruity and sweet, with a mild acidity similar to golden syrup (sugar beet syrup) but with a hint of caramel. When enjoyed in small portions, grape syrup has a lot of health benefits. The preparation is simple yet time-consuming.

Yatimcheh – Vegan Eggplant Stew یتیمچه

Yatimcheh – Vegan Eggplant Stew یتیمچه

Yatimcheh – Vegan Eggplant Stew یتیمچه is a vegan Persian recipe that you can prepare in no time. It is a popular and wide-spread traditional recipe from across the country in Iran. In addition, it is an inexpensive and tasty dish with simple ingredients, as we use everything from the fields and meadows. It tastes great in late summer with sweet, fresh tomatoes. Yatimcheh is a one-pot dish, and the ingredients are layered up in a pan or pot. The main ingredients are eggplants, tomatoes, multicoloured peppers, potatoes, onions and garlic. Turmeric provides for slightly sweet, spicy and tangy notes. The ingredients are similar to French ratatouille, but the taste is quite different. Well, do you like my healthy and shape-friendly dish now? Head to the kitchen and get started right away.

Vavishka – A Quick Persian Skillet Dish

Vavishka – A Quick Persian Skillet Dish

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 …

Valak Polo ba Mahi – Wild Garlic Rice with Marinated Salmon

Valak Polo ba Mahi – Wild Garlic Rice with Marinated Salmon

Finally, it’s wild garlic time, and you can only find it on the market a few weeks of the year, so I prepared several Persian recipes with wild garlic. I made Valak Polo today, a traditional Persian Rice Dish with Wild Garlic, Sumac, and Saffron. We serve Chicken or meatballs with this dish in Iran. I prefer to fish with Valak Polo, so I made it with salmon in a lemony marinade. The marinade is to die for and consists of rose petals, ground dried lime, bay leaves, sumac, cinnamon, grated zest of a lemon, lemon juice, and lemon pepper tossed in olive oil. Salmon tastes best when you marinate it for about 2 hours. If you like wild garlic, you might also like my creamy One Pot Past with green asparagus and wild garlic, as I also show you the place near my home where wild garlic grows. Watch Video on Instagram (Wild Garlic Rice Preparation) Watch Video on Instagram (Marinated Salmon Preparation)

Salt Baked Sea bream

Salt Baked Sea bream

*Ad book review The Breton Cookbook*. We are about to celebrate the Persian New Year Norooz, and for this special day we prepare fish and herb rice. I’m quite experimental in my kitchen, and every year I prepare the fish a little differently, see here, here and here. This year I decided to choose one of my favorite methods of preparing fish. I got inspiration from the Breton cookbook* with Commissioner Dupin’s favorite dishes by Jean-Luc Bannalac. I serve it with Mamie Fouesnant’s Shallot Cream Sauce. Salt Baked Sea bream and the Breton Cookbook are must-haves for Foodies and fish lovers. Cooking the whole fish in a salt crust inside an oven, the Dorade gets tender, juicy, flavorful and even low in calories. A healthy way of preparation, easy, with little effort and simply delicious. My husband and our youngest sit at the dining table and wait to see the salt crust cracking, and the tasty secret unveiled. Try this recipe, and you will be thrilled. Bon appetit!

Ghorme Sabzi - Persian beef and fresh herb stew

Ghorme Sabzi – Persian beef and fresh herb stew

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. Watch my preparation video on Instagram

Zereshk Polo ba Morgh - Persian Barberry Rice With Chicken

Zereshk Polo ba Morgh – Persian Barberry Rice With Chicken

Zereshk Polo ba Morgh – Persian Barberry Rice With Chicken is a simple, aromatic and traditonal persian dish, and a must have on a festive table. Zereshk Polo ba Morgh is a dish of tender chicken drumsticks braised in saffron and served with fragrant saffron rice and caramelized sweet and sour barberries. In Farsi Zereshk means barberries, polo rice, and morgh is simply chicken. Some Persians add tomato paste to the chicken drumsticks, but I personally prefer the pure flavor of saffron and bay leaves. This recipe can also be cooked with chicken breast or even a whole chicken.