Persian for the soul

New cookbook Persian feasts is a collection of Iranian comfort food for the whole family, gathered from generation-old recipes. Recipes and notes by Leila Heller. Photographs by Nico Schinco.

Leila Heller (right) with Nahid Joon and brother Mamady. Photography courtesy of Leila Heller.

Herb platter

Sabzi Khordan

Preparation time: 15 minutes

plus overnight soaking

Serves 6-8

This medley of fresh herbs, spring onions, walnuts, radishes, and feta accompanies every Persian meal. It can even be served as a starter or a replacement for salads. It is always served with at least one type of Persian bread. 

My mother served this at every lunch and dinner when we lived in Iran. I would combine a piece of naan lavash with feta, walnuts, and a bunch of herbs to make into a sandwich. My mother would roll a thin lavash (flatbread) with all the ingredients for our school lunches. These days, I serve them as hors d’oeuvres at dinner parties: I simply wrap the ingredients in small squares of lavash, then tie them with chives.

Ingredients

1–2 cups (120–250 g) walnuts, soaked in salted water overnight (see Note)

Bunch of basil

Bunch of coriander

Bunch of tarragon

Bunch of mint 

Bunch of radishes

Bunch of spring onions

Bunch of chives (optional)

225 g feta

Flatbread (Persian breads such as barbari bread, sangak, taftoon, or pita bread)

Method

Drain walnuts and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange all the ingredients on a large platter.

Note: Soaking walnuts in salted water aids digestibility and removes the tannins.

Yogurt & Beets

Borani Laboo

Preparation time: 10 min

Cooking time: 1 hour

Serves 4-6

Borani laboo is beautiful — the combination of red beets (beetroots) with yoghurt makes the most stunning pink colour. My husband, Henry, loves this dish, so I always make it for him on Valentine’s Day. I put a heart-shaped mould on the beet slices to turn the beet cubes into beet hearts. And the chopped mint adds a fresh contrast. 

This vegetarian dish also has all the benefits and probiotics of yoghurt and nutrients of beets, both of which are great for the gut. Serve it as a dip, side, or mixed with cooked lentils for a satisfying meal.

Ingredients

5 beets (beetroots), unpeeled

1½ cups (250g) greek yoghurt

½ cup (30 g) coarsely chopped mint, plus extra for garnish, very finely chopped

1½ teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted

¾ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Tarragon leaves, for garnish (optional)

flatbread, to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

Place the beets (beetroots) and 3 cups (750 ml) of water in a deep oven-proof dish. Bake for 1 hour, or until the beets can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove and let cool. 

Peel skin off beets. Chop the beets into 1-cm cubes. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients together, except for the olive oil and mix well. 

Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle the oil on top, and garnish with mint or tarragon leaves. Serve with flatbread.

Herb Fritatta

Kookoo Sabzi

Preparation time: 30 minutes,

plus 20 minutes soaking  

Cooking time: 55-60 minutes

Serves: 8-10

The Persian frittata is similar to an Italian frittata or crustless French quiche and a blank canvas made for herb, spice, and flavour embellishments. It can be made with mostly herbs (as in this recipe); eggplant and zucchini; green beans and meat; or chicken and saffron. While it can be prepared on a stovetop, it is more commonly baked in an oven and then cut into small squares or pie slices. It can be served hot or cold as an appetiser, side dish, or main course.

Ingredients

For the frittata:

6 cups (350 g) finely chopped coriander

6 cups (350 g) finely chopped parsley

3 cups (350 g) finely chopped chives or spring onions

2/3 cup (150 ml) virgin olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

8 eggs

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon Persian spice mix (available online from Herbie’s Spices)

1 tablespoon plain flour

2 cups (250 g) walnuts, coarsely chopped

For the garnish:

1 tablespoon butter

4 tablespoons dried barberries, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon rosewater

Method

Make the frittata. Preheat the oven to 260°C.

In a large bowl, combine the herbs and mix well.

Heat 6 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the herb mixture and saute for 4 to 6 minutes, until shiny.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 7 to 10 minutes, until softened and lightly golden. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, salt, pepper, baking powder, turmeric, and Persian spice blend. Add the cooled herbs, onion mixture, flour, and walnuts. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold themixture and take care not to overmix.

Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to a nonstick ovenproof dish, about 25 × 40 cm. Tilt the dish to coat the base in oil. Add the herb mixture and gently smooth the top using a silicone spatula. Bake for 10 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C and cook for another 30 minutes, until golden. If you would like it to be crispier, reduce the heat to 150°C and cook for another 10 minutes.

Make the garnish. Combine all the ingredients in a medium frying pan. Saute over medium heat for 4 minutes, until the barberries are soft. Barberries burn very easily, so stir frequently.

Garnish with the caramelised barberries. Slice, then serve.

Whole roasted fish with herbs

Mahi Ba Geshniz Va Pooneh Koohi

Preparation time: 20 minutes,

plus 1 to 2 hours chilling  

Cooking time: 25 to 30 minutes

Serves 4

One summer, my brother Mamady and I had caught 40 blue fish off the coast of Montauk in Long Island, New York. We brought them all home and Nahid Joon immediately marinated them with what she had available in her kitchen. We barbecued them for lunch, and it became one of her best dishes.

She concocted this dish with ginger, coriander, lemon, and thyme. The blend works well with meaty fish such as sea bass, snapper, halibut, or salmon.

Ingredients

1 cup (55 g) finely chopped coriander or (115 g) chives, plus extra for garnish

½ cup (10 g) oregano or thyme, plus extra sprigs for garnish

2 tablespoons grated ginger

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Zest of 3 limes

Zest of 2 lemons

½ cup (120 ml) virgin olive oil or butter

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 × (900 g) fish such as salmon, sea bass, snapper, or halibut, cleaned

Lemon or lime wedges, for garnish (optional)

Dried barberries, rinsed, for garnish (optional)

Method

In a blender, combine all the ingredients except for the fish. Blend until the sauce is semi-smooth.

Rinse the fish under cold running water, then pat dry with paper towels. Pour some of the sauce in a large roasting pan, add the fish, and pour the remaining sauce on top. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Remove the fish from the refrigerator. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes.

Transfer the fish to a large serving platter. Decorate with sprigs of fresh herbs and chopped coriander. Serve immediately with lemon and barberries, if using.

Kebabs with rice

Chelow Kebab

Preparation time: 10 min

Cooking time: 10 min

Serves 8-10

Chelow kebab transcends regional boundaries and culinary traditions across Iran. It is a meal served in kebab houses, fancy restaurants in metropolitan centres, and modest eateries in villages across the country. And it is often the sole offering at restaurants known as chelow kebabi. Families who rarely venture outside their homes for Persian meals make special outings (and queue) for chelow kebab.

It’s an exquisite dish of skewered charcoal-grilled beef or ground (minced) lamb kebabs, sprinkled with sumac and served with saffron rice, grilled tomatoes, raw onions, fresh herbs, and Persian chutneys (torshi).

Ingredients

½ teaspoons ground saffron (optional) 

8 medium-small tomatoes

2 cups (500g) chelow (Persian white rice, or basmati)

1 tablespoon butter (optional)

1 egg yolk (optional)

Flatbread 

Beef or lamb kebabs (make your own, or buy readymade from good butchers)

For the accompaniments:

Onions, quartered 

Chutney (optional)

Herb Platter (see page 73)

Ground sumac, for sprinkling

Cucumber-mint yoghurt (optional) 

Method

In a small bowl, bloom the saffron in 3 tablespoons of hot water, if using. Set aside. 

Preheat a grill over high heat. Thread the tomatoes onto a skewer and grill for 6 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. 

Place the rice in a bowl. Sprinkle the bloomed saffron water on top and gently mix, until the rice absorbs the saffron and takes on a deep golden colour. Traditionalists will mix butter and egg yolk into the rice. Set aside. 

Place the flatbread on top. Place the grilled tomatoes, around the kebabs. Serve the accompaniments and the rice on a separate platter. 

Tomato & celery stew with chicken

Khoresht Karads Va Gojeh

Preparation time: 1 hr 30 min

Cooking time: 2 hr

Serves 4-6

When my son Alexander was attending university in Scotland, he so missed Khoresht Karafs and would call his Nana for help with the recipe. Thanks to all those phone calls with her across the Atlantic, Alexander Mamady has now perfected the recipe. When Nahid Joon passed away, he wrote of this dish at her memorial:

“Nahid Joon would prepare Khoresht Karafs for the most elaborate of dinner parties or for her grandchildren on any given evening. The ingredients might project something more elegant, but in reality, this is a feel-good bowl of food over a mountain of white rice. Maybe it is the autumnal colours of the dish that remind me of her warmth inside and out, but there is something about this dish that was just so her. It was a staple at meals and parties with dignitaries, at a Persian Thanksgiving, or an evening after a big dinner at her home (along with a recap of the happenings of the evening before). Her dinners always culminated with storytelling, engaging discussions, and recounting the travels and adventures of her colourful life.”

Ingredients

2 teaspoons ground saffron

Generous ½ cup (130 ml) virgin olive oil

4 bunches celery (about 30 stalks), cut into 2 ½-cm segments

3 onions, thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half

4 skinless chicken thighs

1 x (800 g) can crushed Italian tomatoes

1 cup (85 g) candied orange peel

½ cup (95 g) sour grapes (ghoureh) (optional)

2 teaspoons Persian spice mix (available online from Herbie’s Spices)

2 cups (475 ml) chicken stock

½ cup (120 ml) Lemon juice, plus extra to taste

2 teaspoons salt, plus extra to taste

1 teaspoon black paper

1 cup (150g) cherry tomatoes

Chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

Chelow (Persian white rice) or basmati, to serve

Method

In a small bowl, bloom the saffron in 4 tablespoons of hot water. Set aside.  

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in large pan over medium heat. Add the celery and saute for 5 minutes, until softened. 

Heat 5 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Add the turmeric and chicken. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. 

Add the crushed tomatoes, orange peel, sauteed celery, sour grapes, if using, and Persian spice mix. Pour in the stock, lemon juice, and bloomed saffron water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour; or until the chicken is tender. Increase the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. 

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and saute for 3 minutes, until slightly softened. Season to taste with salt or lemon juice. 

Transfer the chicken and celery to a large serving dish, then pour the sauce on top and around the stew. Top with the sauteed cherry tomatoes. Garnish with parsley, if using. Serve warm with chelow (Persian white rice) or basmati. 

Pomegranate jelly

Jeleyeh Anar

Preparation time: 10 minutes

plus 4 hours to set  

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves 4 – 6

Pomegranates are a symbol of fertility, beauty, love, and vitality in Persian mythology. They appeared in abundance in Persian gardens, known as pardis, which is the root word of “paradise.” In ancient times, pomegranates were regarded as a medicinal food that cured many digestive and skin disorders due to their high polyphenol levels. They are also an incredible antioxidant.

I loved making this light and refreshing dessert with Nahid Joon when I was growing up — it was so easy and fun to make. We couldn’t wait for the pomegranates to ripen in our garden; we would pick them and roll them with our hand to release the juices. We then punctured the pomegranates and squeezed out the juice into a large bowl. Then, all that was left to do was mix the juice with plain gelatine and bring it to a boil with sugar.

Ingredients

6 × (25 g) packages unflavoured gelatine

6 cups (1.4 L) cold pomegranate juice 

1 tablespoon sugar

4 tablespoons pomegranates seeds, for garnish

1 tablespoon slivered pistachios (optional)

Method

In a bowl, whisk the gelatine with 1 cup (250 ml) of pomegranate juice until combined.

In a saucepan, heat the remaining 5 cups (1.2 L) of pomegranate juice over medium heat. Add the sugar and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Slowly add the pomegranate juice–gelatine mixture and stir until the gelatine has completely dissolved. Pour the mixture into a large dish or ramekins. Chill for 4 hours, or until set.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds and pistachios, if using, then serve.

PERSIAN FEASTS: RECIPES & STORIES FROM A FAMILY TABLE by Leila Heller, with Lila Charif, Laya Khadjavi, and Bahar Tavakolian

Published by Phaidon

On sale September 10, 2024 RRP $69.95  phaidon.com

This is an extract from an article that appears in print in our thirteenth edition, Page 70 of Winning Magazine with the headline: “Persian for the soul”. Subscribe to Winning Magazine today.