Celebrate Nowruz With a Menu Full of Fresh Herbs, Pistachios, and Saffron
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Nowruz, the Iranian new year and celebration of the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere (also celebrated in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and other countries), means “a new day.” It is a 13-day holiday that celebrates the reawakening of nature, new life, and peace. This year, these sentiments resonate significantly as Iranians courageously fight for their freedom and for their right to a peaceful life.
Food and gathering around a Nowruz meal plays a significant role in this holiday steeped in symbolism and ritual. Each ingredient and dish sings with the scents of spring, and the promise of hope and new beginnings. The mountains of fresh green herbs in sabzi polo symbolize spring; the eggs in kookoo sabzi represent fertility; endless varieties of nuts and dried fruits are set out for luck and prosperity; and the rose-scented sweets that are passed around pre- and post-meals are said to fill the new year with sweetness.
This Nowruz brings with it the gift of a few beautiful new Iranian cookbooks. This menu is a compilation of recipes (some old and some new) that capture the joy, light, and symbolism of this holiday. Saghar Setareh shares the tradition of snacking on nuts during Nowruz (and beyond) from the heart of her home in Rome. Homa Dashtaki celebrates the Iranian love of yogurt and importance of community, as done so for thousands of years by Zoroastrians. Roya Shariat and Gita Sadeh joyfully continue the tradition of preparing rose-scented sweets for the holiday with family, and Andy Baraghani pays homage to the most beloved dishes with a touch of his own Iranian American upbringing.
As my heart continues to be with the people of Iran, I’m also reminded that these ancient traditions have persisted for thousands of years. And they will continue to do so. With that spirit in mind, I hope you will join me in welcoming spring with heaps of fresh herbs and the scents of saffron, orange blossom, and rose water.
Photo by Saghar Setareh1/8Saffron and Lemon Toasted Pistachios
Ajeel is a fixture in many Iranian homes. Whether this bowl of nuts is served as an all-day snack alongside dried fruits, or accompanying a fresh herb and cheese platter. Nuts at the Nowruz table symbolize prosperity. As Saghar Setareh suggests in her forthcoming book Pomegranates and Artichokes, her saffron and lemon pistachios are also a perfect match for pre-dinner refreshments. Saghar’s recipe is pleasantly tart, salty, and delicately perfumed with saffron. Set a bowl out and keep coming back for more.
2/8Maast-O-Moosir (Savory Leopoldia Yogurt)
An Iranian meal isn’t made up of separate courses—sides and main dishes grace the table simultaneously, like a well tuned orchestra. Plain yogurt or yogurt-based dishes are a mainstay of every meal. Homa Dashtaki, owner of White Moustache Yogurt, recounts the Iranian love and devotion for yogurt in her book Yogurt and Whey. Homa’s recipe for maast-o moosir can be served alongside a Nowruz meal, or as a dip for chips, which are really the optimal vehicle.
3/8Kookoo Sabzi
A Nowruz meal is synonymous with an abundance of green leafy vegetables. Herbs such as parsley, cilantro, and dill represent spring and new life. Kookoo sabzi (or kuku sabzi) is an Iranian-style herb-laden frittata which is typically served for Nowruz. What sets a kookoo apart from a frittata is that only just enough eggs are used to bind the vegetables. Eggs also symbolize fertility and life.
Photo by Bobbi Lin5/8Roasted Black Bass With Orange-Flower Water
Fish symbolize life, and a Nowruz meal would be incomplete without a fish dish. Typically, sabzi polo is served with fried and smoked white fish. In different regions of Iran, you can also find a variety of fish preparations to be served alongside sabzi polo. This herb-stuffed whole black bass from Andy Baraghani is beautifully scented with orange blossom water which is reminiscent of the scent of sour oranges, another herald of Nowruz and spring.
6/8Sabzi Khordan (Fresh Herb Platter)
A typical Iranian meal, be it a celebration or a regular weeknight meal, includes a small (or extravagant) platter of fresh herbs to balance out the meal, and add a little something fresh and crisp to every bite. Sabzi khordan means “greens for eating” and that’s exactly what you do. Each perfectly constructed bite of sabzi polo, fish, and kookoo sabzi includes a little fresh mint and basil, and a crunch from radishes and green onion. You can also add briny feta, walnuts, and flatbread to complete your platter.
Photo by Farrah Skeiky7/8Toots (Soft Almond Flour Cookies)
Sofreh haft seen is the symbolic Nowruz table decorated with meaningful foods and items. Nowruz baked goods, such as toot (Iranian marzipan sweets) are placed on the sofreh haft seen to represent sweetness in the new year. In their forthcoming book Maman and Me, Roya Shariat and her maman Gita Sadeh share their family recipe for toot. Roya fondly recalls rolling up these soft rose-scented cookies with her maman and shaping them like a toot (mulberry).
Photo by Bobbi Lin8/8Saffron–Rose Water Brittle With Pistachios and Almonds
Nowruz celebrations last 13 days and throughout the two week holiday, friends and family visit each other's homes for Eid Didani—the tradition of paying respect and wishing one another a happy new year. When you visit an Iranian home for Eid Didani, you are greeted with sweets and endless cups of tea. Andy Baraghani’s saffron-rose water brittle is perfect to have on hand to share.
