Baku Kitchen! An independent reference of traditional food

Iran

Ask what Iran eats and the answer starts with this: elegant Persian cooking balancing sour and sweet: saffron rice, slow herb stews and coveted crispy tahdig. Look for Chelow kabab (saffron buttered rice with charcoal kababs and grilled tomato; national dish), Ghormeh sabzi (deep-green herb stew with lamb, kidney beans and dried limes) and Fesenjan (velvety walnut-pomegranate stew with chicken or duck). Iran’s national dish, pairing saffron-buttered rice with skewered lamb and a grilled tomato; kabab houses spread through Qajar-era Tehran. This atlas has 55 Iran dishes catalogued below, from everyday cooking to food kept for festivals and special occasions.

55 dishes.

Persian teaPersian teaamber tea from the samovar, sipped through sugar cubesPoolakiPoolakiPaper-thin discs of hard sugar candy dropped into tea to sweeten it.RanginakRanginakdates stuffed with walnuts under toasted flour, cinnamon and butterSalad ShiraziSalad Shirazidiced cucumber, tomato and onion in lime-mint dressingSangakSangakwhole-wheat sourdough flatbread baked on hot pebblesSarshirSarshirclotted cream skimmed from milk, eaten with honey and hot breadSekanjabinSekanjabinmint syrup of honey and vinegar, diluted with water and scooped with lettuceSharbat-e albalooSharbat-e albalooSour cherry syrup diluted with iced water, deep red and tart.Shir BerenjShir BerenjSlow-simmered milk and rice pudding scented with cardamom, eaten coolSholeh zardSholeh zardsaffron rice pudding decorated with cinnamon and almonds; votive offeringSohanSohansaffron and pistachio brittle, snapped in pieces from a copper trayTaftoonTaftoonthin round bread with a dimpled crust, baked against a hot oven wallTahchinTahchinsaffron-yoghurt rice cake layered with chicken, cut in golden slabsTahdigTahdigcoveted golden crust from the rice pot, sometimes potato or lavashTorshiTorshisalt-brined turnips, carrots, limes and peppers, stained pink with beetrootTorshi litehTorshi litehDark aubergine pickle pounded with herbs, garlic and vinegar into a rough paste.Torshi seerTorshi seerWhole garlic heads aged in vinegar until soft, sweet and nearly black.Zereshk poloZereshk polobarberry-jeweled saffron rice served with chickenZoolbia bamiehZoolbia bamiehsyrup-soaked fried batter in spirals and finger shapes, orange and sticky

  • Ghalyeh mahi

    Southern fish stew heavy with tamarind, coriander and fenugreek. Ready in 35 minutes prep and 50 minutes cooking. Serves 6.…

  • Gheimeh

    Split-pea and lamb stew with dried lime, crowned with fries. Ready in 25 min prep and 1 hr 30 min…

  • Golab

    Rosewater distilled from Damask roses, splashed into sweets and tea. Ready in 30 min prep and 2 hours cooking. About…

  • Haleem

    Slow-beaten wheat and turkey porridge with cinnamon and sugar. Ready in 15 min prep and 5 hr cooking. 6 servings.…

  • Jigaraki

    Lamb liver, heart and fat grilled on skewers, eaten with bread and salt. Ready in 30 minutes prep and 20…

  • Joojeh kabab

    Saffron-lime marinated chicken grilled on skewers. Ready in 30 minutes prep and 20 minutes cooking. Serves 6. A main recipe…

  • Kaleh pacheh

    Sheep’s head-and-trotter soup traditionally eaten at dawn. Ready in 1 hour prep and 8 hours cooking. Serves 6. A soup…

  • Kashk-e bademjan

    Fried aubergine dip with fermented whey, fried mint and walnuts. Ready in 25 min prep and 40 min cooking. 6…

  • Kashk

    Dried fermented whey, soaked and beaten into a tangy grey cream. Ready in 30 min prep and 40 min cooking.…

  • Khakshir

    Tiny seeds soaked in iced water with sugar or rosewater, drunk as coolant. 10 minutes to prepare. Serves 4. A…