Iranian

This mashed eggplant spread is topped with saffron, blackened mint, caramelized onions, and savory kashk—a thick, salty Iranian yogurt whey.

Just as tasty as kuku sabzi, this frittata uses green beans instead of herbs. Keep it intact by flipping it onto a plate before returning it to the pan.

What makes these nuts irresistible is the sourness of lemon and a scent of saffron, in addition to the salt.

These soft, no-bake almond flour cookies called toots are popular for Nowruz.

Sabzi khordan translates to “herbs for eating,” so… just eat it.

The most common way you will see maast-o-moosir is in a large bowl served as part of a meal.

This Northern Iranian dish traditionally features wild greens. This version is made with braised spinach, herbs, and eggs—and gets a vibrant boost of flavor from lime juice.

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.

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.

This is a wonderful dip with a subtle flavor of caramelized onion and saffron and a silky texture offset by the lovely crunch of the walnut garnish.

Our version of this dip uses spinach, but it can be made with cooked beets or roasted eggplant, too.

This saffron-infused, vegetarian version of the traditional savory Iranian rice cake is made with earthy portobello mushrooms and meaty eggplants.

This brittle recipe is a riff on an Iranian candy known as sohan. Its snappy texture and fragrant flavor pair well with bitter tea.

This rice dish is based on one of the most famous Persian polos (pilaf), known as sabzi polo.

Cumin and turmeric give this 30-minute vegetarian stew smoky, warming flavor and vibrant, soul-satisfying color.

For this juicy, herbaceous salad, feel free to combine different varieties of cucumbers and tomatoes, which are at peak season around the same time.

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. To get a clear, unclouded soup broth, cook the gondi in a separate pot of chicken stock, and then add them to the soup broth when serving. For a more casual presentation, cook the gondi in the same pot with the other soup ingredients. You can make the gondi dough the day before, and store it in the refrigerator.

To make this creamy shake, blitz together Medjool dates, yogurt, vanilla, and cinnamon with ice and water, then top it with toasted nuts and seeds.

One of the most popular dishes in Parsi (Zoroastrian) cuisine and wonderful with basmati (or brown) rice, this is traditionally made with pomfret, a fish that is not always readily available here. Use pompano, if you can find it, or any fillets, from mackerel to sole. You can prepare the banana leaf packages up to 3 hours in advance—just cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.