31 Persian Recipes for Nowruz and Beyond
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Yasmin Khan, the author ofThe Saffron Tales, tells me that at Nowruz, the Persian New Year, "Iranians eat lots of fresh herbs and greens, which symbolize the renewal and rebirth of spring." There's often a mixed-herb frittata, called kuku sabzi, and a platter of fish, plus a pilaf with many more herbs. Whether you're celebrating the arrival of spring or just looking for some delicious Persian recipes (or Persian-inspired recipes), here's a collection of our favorites, fragrant with citrus, rose water, and all the green herbs.
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Photo by Bobbi Lin1/31
Roasted Black Bass with Orange-Flower Water
The combination of the fish andherb riceis believed to bring good luck in the new year. This is one of our favorite Persian recipes for fish, which starts with butterflied whole black bass or branzino.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce2/31
Persian Rice With Fava Beans and Dill (Baqala Polow)
Frozen fava beans make easy work of this fragrant rice dish, and you could also replace them with shelled lima beans or edamame instead.
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Photo by Bobbi Lin3/31
Persian Herb and Leek Frittata
Kuku sabzi tends to have fewer eggs than the typical omelet. You really can use whatever hearty greens and herbs you like. It’s the ideal clean-out-the-fridge recipe that's often a part of the Persian New Year feast.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell4/31
Sumac Baked Fish With Saffron Quinoa
Quinoa pairs well with the tangy and earthy taste of sumac, lime juice, and garlic in this Persian-inspired dinner.
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Photo by Bobbi Lin5/31
Herb Rice with Green Garlic, Saffron, and Crispy Shallots
This rice dish is based on one of the most famous Persian polos (pilaf), known as sabzi polo.
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Photo by Matt Russell6/31
Fragrant Mixed Herb and Flatbread Salad (Domaaj)
This recipe comes from Yasmin Khan, who tells us: “This fragrant salad epitomizes the Iranian love affair with fresh herbs, which are always eaten at Nowruz to symbolize the renewal and rebirth of spring.” It appears in her book,The Saffron Tales.
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Photo by Alex Lau7/31
Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice With Barberries
This fantastically crispy baked Persian rice is often layered with meat, dried fruit, spices, and presented in a rectangular shape. We omitted the meat to keep things simple and went with a round shape to change things up.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell8/31
Persian Celery Stew With Mushrooms (Khoresh-e Karafs)
This khoresh (braise) is traditionally made with lamb, which is replaced here with cremini mushrooms to create a vegetarian version. Cremini mushrooms have an earthy taste and keep their shape when cooked, but you can use any other kind of mushroom. We learned about this recipe from acclaimed cookbook author Najmieh Batmanglij, who shareda collectionof her favorite weeknight Persian recipes.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce9/31
Qaliyeh-e Khorma (Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Salmon With Dates)
Fish is often a part of the Persian New Year menu. Locals make this dish with grouper, but this version of the recipe works very well using Atlantic salmon fillets.
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© 2013 by Sara Remington10/31
Fresh Herb Platter (Sabzi Khordan)
“This is less of a recipe,” says Yasmin Khan, “and more of an introduction to one of the cornerstones of Persian cuisine, eating fresh herbs at every meal.”
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell11/31
Pistachio and Pomegranate Meatballs (Kufteh-Ye Pesteh-o Anar)
Pistachios add their signature flavor to these turkey meatballs. Serve them as wraps with flat bread and plenty of fresh herbs.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell12/31
Torshi Tareh (Persian Sour Herb Stew With Marbled Eggs)
Home cookMaddi Behzadi taught us how to makethis Northern Iranian dish, which traditionally features wild greens. With a texture similar to saag paneer or green shakshuka, her version is made with braised spinach and herbs, and gets a vibrant boost of flavor from lime juice.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell13/31
Potato Tahdig
People usually know tahdig as the layer of crispy rice at the bottom of the pot; however, potato tahdig may get you even more fans.
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Photo by Bobbi Lin14/31
Yogurt with Raisins, Cucumber, and Walnuts
Mast, which translates to yogurt in Farsi, is a staple side dish on most Persian tables. The yogurt can be mixed with shallots, grated cooked beets, cooked spinach, or, most commonly, with Persian cucumbers, mint, and dried rose.
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Photo by Bobbi Lin15/31
Saffron–Rose Water Brittle with Pistachios and Almonds
This brittle recipe is a riff on an Iranian candy known as sohan. Its snappy texture and fragrant flavor pair well with bitter tea.
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Photo by Alex Lau16/31
Spinach-Yogurt Dip With Sizzled Mint
Our version of this dip uses spinach, but it can be made with cooked beets or roasted eggplant, too.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne & Jason Schreiber17/31
Iranian Rice Cookies
The textured end of a meat mallet is gently pressed into the dough of these cardamom- and rose water–scented cookies to form a grid pattern.
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Jennifer Martiné18/31
Persian New Year's Soup with Beans, Noodles, and Herbs (Ash-e-reshteh)
This soup is often served in late March for the Persian New Year. With beans, vegetables, noodles, and yogurt, it is a meal in itself. If you can't find fava beans, you can use limas. Start this recipe the night before to soak the chickpeas, kidneys beans, and fava beans.
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Photo by Matt Russell19/31
Eggplant and Mushroom Tahcheen
This saffron-infused, vegetarian version of the traditional savory Iranian rice cake is made with earthy portobello mushrooms and meaty eggplants.
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Photo by Sara Remington20/31
Gondi
Gondi—the word is a bawdy Persian expression for a certain part of the male anatomy—is a favorite food in many Iranian Jewish homes. These light, cardamom-scented dumplings look like matzo balls, but instead of matzo meal, they're made from ground chicken or turkey and chickpea flour.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce21/31
Kateh (Persian Stove-Top Rice)
This is a very simple way to make wonderful rice in under an hour. It is a technique favored around the Caspian, where rice is eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton22/31
Shaved Carrot and Radish Salad With Herbs and Pumpkin Seeds
This gorgeous tumble of carrot ribbons and mixed herbs provides a crunchy, fresh counterpoint to any rich meat main.
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Photo by Kristin Teig23/31
Persian-Style Carrots and Black-Eyed Peas
We use lots of carrots in this recipe, so that it’s more about the carrots than anything else. For the best flavor, serve it cold the day after you make it. You can substitute chickpeas for the black-eyed peas, if you prefer.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton24/31
Saffron Quinoa with Dried Cherries and Almonds
Saffron rice is an indispensable accompaniment in Persian cuisine. But the dish is also delicious made with a fluffy quinoa. Crushing and steeping the saffron in hot water brings out its full flavor and color.
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Photo by Gentl & Hyers25/31
Cardamom Sharbat
References to Persian sharbats—sweet boiled fruit syrups—date back some ten thousand years. This one is infused with bright, floral, citrusy cardamom that complements lemon perfectly.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton26/31
Flourless Almond Cookies With Cardamom, Orange Zest, and Pistachios
Both cardamom and pistachios are essential ingredients in Persian dessert recipes. These cookies can be sprinkled with pistachios or drizzled with melted chocolate.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton27/31
Matzo Ball Soup with Cardamom, Turmeric, and Lime
This version of gondi, the Persian Jewish soup dumpling made from chickpea flour and ground chicken, is seasoned with cardamom, turmeric, and lime.
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Photo by Sara Remington28/31
Majoon (Date Shake With Toasted Nuts)
Yogurt gives this date shake a hint of lemony sourness. It's laced with cinnamon, vanilla, and sweet Medjool dates.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell29/31
Spiced Chicken with Spaghetti Squash, Pomegranate, and Pistachios
Spice-rubbed chicken legs get roasted alongside spaghetti squash and onion for an easy sheet-pan dinner that’s bursting with bright, comforting flavors inspired by Persian cuisine.
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Photo by Sara Remington30/31
Lamb Kebabs in Pomegranate-Walnut Marinade
A spring celebration like Persian New Year seems like just the right time to get your grill going, right?
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Photo by Marcus Nilsson31/31
Buttery Bejeweled Rice
You can fold all the toppings into the rice and it’ll still be delicious—but you’ll get maximum wow factor if you create a pattern with them on top.
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