31 Persian Recipes for Nowruz and Beyond
Yasmin Khan, the author of The 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.
Photo by Bobbi Lin1/31Roasted Black Bass with Orange-Flower Water
The combination of the fish and herb rice is 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.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce2/31Persian Rice With Fava Beans and Dill (Baqala Polow)
Photo by Matt Russell6/31Fragrant 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.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell8/31Persian 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 shared a collection of her favorite weeknight Persian recipes.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce9/31Qaliyeh-e Khorma (Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Salmon With Dates)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell11/31Pistachio and Pomegranate Meatballs (Kufteh-Ye Pesteh-o Anar)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell12/31Torshi Tareh (Persian Sour Herb Stew With Marbled Eggs)
Home cook Maddi Behzadi taught us how to make this 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.
