If we have chopped and fresh vegetables, cooking Kookoo Sabzi is one of the easiest recipes of Persian food. For adding flavor in this meal, barberry and walnut is being usually used. Kookoo Sabzi is also suitable for travel and school recess times.

The ingredients of kuku sabzi are very simple and accessible, but the amount of use is very important and determines the flavor and smell of the food. The type and amount of used vegetable can be very different in different recipes and indeed it depends on your taste. In this article, you will read the preparation recipe of kookoo sabzi.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 cups chopped chives (Iranian tareh)
• 1 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons barberries (zereshk), rinsed
• 2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
• 6 large eggs
• 1/3 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder(optional)
• Vegetable oil or olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1

Beat eggs with a fork or whisk just until the yolks and whites are blended.

Step 2

Add all the chopped herbs, barberries, walnuts, turmeric, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper, mix until combined.

Step 3

For pan fried Kookoo Sabzi warm up a pan with some oil to a high heat and once the oil gets hot you add the mixture to the pan and cook for about 20 minutes on medium heat. Cut the kookoo into four pieces and carefully flip each piece and cook for another 20 minutes.

For oven baked Kuku Sabzi pour the herb mixture into a well-oiled baking dish. Place in a 350 F preheated oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes then turn upside down on to a flat serving plate. Cut Kuku into serving-size pieces.

Back to my brand new salad recipe! It’s the kind of salad I can never get enough of! Fresh and vibrantly colored! Eating it, makes me feel healthy and fresh. The dressing is so light and simple, with just a few ingredients. Fresh lime juice and a splash of oil. A pinch of salt and black pepper finish it off perfectly.

Shirazi salad (in Persian salad shirazi) is a popular and traditional Iranian salad. This salad originated from Shiraz city. Salad shirazi is made up of cucumber, tomato, onion and Persian garnish.

Ingredients

• 3 small Persian cucumbers or 1 English cucumber, unpeeled
• 3 ripe, firm Roma tomatoes
• ¼ medium red onion
• Dressing
• ⅓ tablespoon kosher salt
• ¼ tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 3 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice (about one medium lime)
• 2 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Step 1

Dice the cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion into small cubes. Add to a medium bowl.

Step 2

In a small bowl use a whisk to combine the lime juice, salt, and olive oil. Add to the salad ingredients. Toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Gheimeh is one of the best Persian foods that has many fans. There are some tips and tricks in cooking gheymeh, which if you follow them, your food will be very tasty and delicious. The recipe of this food requires observing points and details that will increase the quality of the stew. In the process of cooking this stew, it’s very common that the split peas stay raw or sometimes it’s over-cooked.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons oil
• 1 large onion diced
• 680 g good quality meat, cut into small cubes
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• pinch of saffron
• ½ cup fresh lime juice or 5 to 6 dried lime (limoo amani in Persian) pierced with a fork
• 3 cups water
• ¾ cup yellow split peas, picked over, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups water for yellow split peas
• ½ cup oil for frying the potatoes
• 2 large potatoes peeled and cut into matchsticks

Instructions

Step 1

Heat 6 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick medium size pan over medium high heat. Add onions, fry for about 5 minutes. Keep cooking and moving the onions around to keep the colour even or until golden brown. Add meat to the pan, increase heat to high. Wait for caramelisation to occur on the surface of the meat so that it comes loose from the frying surface all by itself. Fry until all juices evaporate, about 5 minutes.

Step 2

Add tomato paste, salt, pepper and turmeric. Mix the ingredients and cook for about 5 minutes or until the color of oil turns to orange . Frying the tomato paste deepens its flavour.

Step 3

Add 3 cups of water, cover and bring to boil. Lower heat to medium low and cook for 1 hour.

Step 4

While the meat is cooking, cook the split peas with 2 cups of water in a medium size saucepan for 15 to 20 minutes or until the yellow split peas are softened with a bite to them.

Step 5

When meat is half way cooked, add the yellow split peas, dried lime (limoo amani) and saffron. Cook for 30 minutes or until the meat is fork tender.

Step 6

Add Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Step 7

Heat oil in a large frying pan, fry the potatoes until golden brown.

Step 8

Place a portion of khoresht gheymeh in a serving bowl, top with fries just before serving. Serve with Persian rice.

Kotlet is great for lunch or dinner with some garnish and a fresh salad. Meat meals fans are going to love them for sure! Though it may seem complicated, making these isn’t difficult at all. See, I know your whole family is going to love it. The number one reason I love Kotlet? It’s so easy to prepare ingredients and also I love crispy texture of it. Here’s kotlet recipe! Hope you make it and enjoy it.

You can serve kotlet with a variety of raw and cooked vegetables such as broccoli or carrots and pickled cucumbers. You can also use yogurt and a variety of sauces. You can also serve french fries with cutlet, but it is not recommended because of high-calorie intake.

Ingredients

• 300gr of minced meat
• 4 medium-sized potatoes
• 2 eggs
• 1 medium onion
• 100gr Bread crumbs
• Salt
• pepper
• turmeric

Instructions

Step 1 

Grate onion into a bowl with a hand grater. Extract the juice out of the onion by squeezing it.

Step 2

Grate potato and add it to bowl.

Step 3

Finally, add minced meat, eggs, salt, peppers and turmeric to potatoes and onions.

Step 4

Knead ingredients perfectly.

Step 5

If you feel mixture is not firm enough to hold its shape when cooked, then add about 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs or chickpea flour.

Step 6

Take a small amount of mixture and shape it using your hands.

Step 7

After preheat a frying pan with some oil in it. Put the Kotlets onto the frying pan. Fry them over medium heat until golden brown. Turn Kotlets over and finish frying until Kotlets are golden brown from both sides. If you have a large frying pan, you can fry 5-6 Kotlets at a time

Fesenjan or Fesenjoon is a famous and classic Persian food. It is traditionally made with chicken. In Fesenjan stew chicken (sometimes tiny meatballs) is cooked with walnut and pomegranate paste and has a great taste. you can change this stew flavor with your taste by choosing some sugar. Are you ready for a delicious Fesenjan recipe?

Ingredients

• 450g ground meat (beef or lamb)
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts, finely ground
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 cup pomegranate paste, plus more if needed
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus more if needed
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons hot water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil
• Water

Instructions

Step 1

In a heavy skillet, heat walnuts over medium heat for about a minute or two. Stirring frequently. Set aside.

Step 2

In a mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, turmeric, salt and pepper. Shape into small meatballs and set aside.

Step 3

In a large pot, saute onions until golden brown in 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add meatballs and fry until brown on all sides.

Step 4

Add the ground walnuts, cubed butternut squash and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat add pomegranate paste, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Step 5

Add sugar, saffron and a little more water if needed. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and cook for another 30 minutes on low heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If you prefer a sweet fesenjoon add more sugar to make it sweeter, if you like it more sour add more of the pomegranate sauce to the stew. However, the taste should be a wonderfully well balanced mix between sweet and sour.

Ghormeh sabzi is one of the most popular Persian foods which no one can be found who do not like it. In preparing Ghormeh sabzi ingredient such as lamb or veal, Coriander, Parsley, Fenugreek, Spinach, black-eyed peas, or Red Beans, Olive oil, dried lime, Onion, Pepper, Turmeric and Saffron are utilized of which each of them has their own beneficial characteristics.

Ingredients

• 1 kg lamb or beef stew meat, cubed
• 1 cup red kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 bunches parsley
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 4 scallions (green stems only)
• 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek (or 1 bunch fresh fenugreek)
• 4 dried limes (limoo amani) , or 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Vegetable oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

Step 1

Wash the herbs in a large bowl, then dry and chop finely.

Step 2

In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat and sauté the fresh herbs for about 15 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Step 3

In a large pot, sauté the chopped onions in 2 tablespoons of oil for about 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Step 4

Add the meat, turmeric, salt, pepper to the onions and fry for about 6 to 8 minutes.

Step 5

Add the soaked dried beans, the fried herbs and the dried limes.

Step 6

Cover with water and bring to a boil on high heat. Then, lower the heat, cover and simmer on low to medium heat for about 2 hours.

Step 7

Taste and add salt or pepper if needed. Add water and continue to simmer if the meat is not tender enough.

Step 8

Serve over Persian steamed rice.

Jujeh Kabab (Joojeh Kabab) is one of the most common Iranian kebabs made with chicken meat and also is one of the most popular Iranian cuisines, which is served in many restaurants. The ingredients of this delicious kebab include chicken meat and flavors for making chicken meat softer and more delicious. With the ingredients listed in this recipe, you can prepare kebabs for 4 people.

Ingredients

• 5 chicken breasts
• 2 onions
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/3 cup bloomed saffron
• 5 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 4 big tomatoes
• Butter
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

Step 1

Cut chicken breasts into thin strips and shreds each strip into smaller pieces. Chicken pieces should not be too large and not very small. Pour chopped chicken breasts into a bowl.

Step 2

Slice the onions and add them to chicken breasts.

Step 3

Add the oil to chicken and onion chips. Stir some salt and pepper and grated ginger (if you wish) over them. Mix thoroughly until chicken pieces are completely soaked. The use of oil avoids the chicken to harden when left in lemon juice.

Step 4

At the end, add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice and liquid saffron and make sure that all the pieces are fully covered with the sauce. Then cover the dish with a plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 8 to 3 hours to be tasted.

Step 5

Lay out all the pieces of chicken on the prepared baking sheet then thread the chicken pieces onto metal skewers.

Step 6

Cook the chicken pieces at least 5 to 7 minutes on each side.

Koofteh Tabrizi is one of the most famous and delicious foods in tabriz, the most populated city in northwestern Iran. Nowadays koofteh (Persian Meatballs) is cooked in almost all Iranian cities and you can see different recipes for the preparation of koofteh tabrizi. Koofteh Tabrizi is probably one of traditional persian foods that every visitor should try at least once when coming to this beautiful city. The perfect lunch or dinner to serve in weekends and it’s one of those dishes I just know you will love!

Ingredients

• 500gr ground beef(choose low fat meat)
• 1 cup yellow split peas
• ½ cup short grain rice
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small potato, boiled and peeled
• 5 tablespoon koofteh herbs(scallion, summer savory, tarragon, mint, parsley, coriander)
• Salt, turmeric, black pepper
• hard-boiled eggs(optional)
• yellow prunes
• dried barberry
• walnut
• 3 table spoon tomato paste
• 4 cups of hot water

Instructions

Step 1

Soak split peas overnight. Place peas in a pot and cover them with water about 2 inches above the peas. Soaking peas overnight in water shortens their cooking time.

Step 2

Drain yellow split peas water. Add a cup of water to yellow split peas and cook it with a small potato for 30 minutes on low heat. Then drain water and set aside.

Step 3

Place the rice with two glasses of water, no salt, and with an open lid on the heat the water is all soaked up.

Step 4

Transfer cooked potato, rice and yellow split peas to a large bowl. Mix them all together using a food processor until uniform.

Step 5

Grate one small onion and squeeze out the onion juice, this will avoid koofteh tabrizi falling apart while cooking.

Step 6

In a large bowl Mix the ground beef and grated onion thoroughly.

Step 7

Add rice and yellow split peas, egg, herbs, salt, turmeric and pepper.

Step 8

Knead ingredients for about 10 minutes. Kneading is very important and adds strength to the final mixture. If you feel that the mixture is a little bit soft you can place them in the fridge for a few hours before cooking them.

Step 9

Sauté the barberries for a few minutes and set them aside.

Step 10

Chop another Onion and put it and Sauté in a large pot. After 5 minutes add turmeric and Sauté until golden brown over medium heat.

Step 11

Add tomato paste, salt and pepper to onion and then add 4 or 5 cups of hot water and bring it to boil.

Step 12

Once it starts bubbling, cover the pot and bring down the heat to a simmer and let the sauce get thick.

Step 13

Flatten ½ cup of the filling in your palm, place dried fruits and one half walnut in to the center and form it into a ball. To prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands you can wet your hands with cold water.

Step 14

Place the meatballs into the pot. Don’t cover the pot for 30 minutes and cook them gently over medium heat.

Step 15 

After 30 minutes, reduces heat to low, cover the lid and let it cook for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Step 16

Sprinkle the top with fried onion and barberry mixture.

Rice is one of the most popular foods in the world and has many different types of cooking techniques. Especially in Asian countries, eating rice, whether white rice or brown rice is very common. Among all types of rice, Iranian rice is one of the most delicious and well cooked. We know that rice is the basic principle of Iranian cuisine, and most international chefs consider Iranians the most skilled people in baking this delicious and rich flavor grain.

Basically in Persian foods, rice is served with a stew or as a Tahchin, as well as other mixed rice dishes such as Baghali Polo and Sabzi Polo. It may be a bit difficult for some people to cook Persian rice. Persian rice is cooked with two techniques, Kateh and steaming.

Ingredients

• 3 cups long grain rice
• Vegetable oil
• Salt
• 8 cups of water
• 4 tablespoon bloomed saffron
• 1 lavash naan(optional)

Instructions

Step 1

Rinse rice until the water went clear. Place rice in a large pan filled with water. Add some salt and let it cook. The rise is done after 6 to 8 minutes when it begins to rise to the top and the water comes back to a boil. Check the rice is cooked at the end by trying a grain. Break one grain in half. Rice should be soft on the outside but hard in the middle. Pour rice into the colander to drain; then set aside.

Step 2

In a large pot heat 2 tablespoon of oil or butter. Arrange potato slices or Lavash naan. Pour the rice back into the pot.

Step 3

Add 1/2 cup water to the rice. Cover the lid with a clean dishcloth and put it on the pot.

Step 4

Cook over medium heat until the rice starts steaming, then lower the heat and let it steam for another 30 minutes until fully cooked.