Khagineh - Iranian Sweet Omelette from Sofreh At'ameh - A Qajar Dynasty Cookbook

I recently received a copy of سفره اطعمه Sofreh At'ameh, a delightful cookbook written in 1881 by Mirza Ali Akbar Khan Kashani, the royal head chef to the court of ناصرالدین شاه قاجار  Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (1831-1896), the fourth king of the Qajar dynasty. The French Dr. Joseph Desire Tholozan was the chief physician to the king for more than 30 years. He asked the آشپزباشی ashpazbashi (chef) of the royal court to put together a guide detailing the king's diet, eating habits, and his typical daily menu, to be able to serve him better. Sofreh At'ameh is filled with bits and pieces of information that give one a glimpse into the past. This book is a compilation of recipes, ingredients, and virtually everything that was served in the royal palace for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including sharbat (sweet drinks), khoresh (stew), ash (soup), polow (rice), moraba (jam), and torshi (pickles).

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar

Joseph DésiréTholozan

There are many timeless recipes in this book that I think most Iranians know by heart as well as new recipes that are definitely worth trying. There are also a few dishes that I had forgotten about and reading this book helped refresh my memory. One of those recipes was خاگینه khagineh. I remember Maman serving a delicious fluffy sweet omelet that could also be eaten as a dessert. Back then I never thought to ask her how she made it and the recipe never made it into my handwritten recipe journal. Yet, when I saw it in the book I knew I had to make it. However, like many old cookbooks, most of the recipes in this book lack exact measurements. Therefore, the following is my adaptation of its khagineh recipe. 

Khagineh - Sweet Omelette
Adapted from Sofreh At'ameh 

Ingredients

Serves 2

-3 large eggs
-1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
-2 tablespoons butter
-A little dash of salt (optional)

Sugar Syrup

-1/2 cup water
-1/2 cup sugar
-Pinch ground cardamom
-Pinch ground saffron

Method

1. In a small pot, combine water and sugar, bring water to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Add the cardamom and saffron. Stir well and let simmer uncovered on low heat for another 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth.
3. Add in the flour and mix well.
4. In a nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat until it has melted. Pour in the egg mixture all at once. Cook over low heat for about 2 minutes or until eggs are almost set but not hard, and gently flip the eggs using a thin spatula and cook for another two minutes. Slice the eggs and slowly pour the syrup over the eggs, and cook for another minute or until the syrup is fully absorbed. You may use other sweeteners such as honey or grape molasses. 

Transfer onto a platter and serve warm or at room temperature. I added a tiny pinch of dried, crushed rose petals and a little powdered sugar for dusting.

*Historical Cookbook recipes:

Borani Kangar-Yogurt and Cardoon Dip - A Qajar Era Recipe
Sholeh Maash - Green Mung Bean and Kohlrabi Soup - A Qajar Era Recipe
Ash-e Jo - Barley Soup with Spinach and Cilantro -A Safavid Era Recipe

Enjoy!

Shab-e Yalda (Winter Solstice) 2016 and a Recipe for Apple and Pear Faloodeh

Yalda, the ancient Persian festival of the winter solstice, is celebrated on the eve of the longest night of the year, which also marks the beginning of the winter season in the northern hemisphere. شب یلدا Shab-e Yalda (Yalda night) festival dates back several thousand years to the birth of Mithra, the light of the world and the god of justice and victory. It's a wonderful night when family and friends gather together to celebrate, laugh, eat, drink, and read the poetry of Hafez and tell stories late into the night. For me, besides the memorable Yalda nights of my childhood, which involved delicious food, ruby red seeded pomegranates, small round watermelons, ajil, sweets, and tea, it's remembering how adamant my mother was to instill the appreciation for Shab-e Yalda and all other Iranian celebrations in me.

I came across this faloodeh recipe a few years ago. I was so intrigued by its simplicity and the availability of the ingredients that I made it right away, took a photo, and posted it on my Facebook page. Ever since then, I have had this recipe on my mind, and I wanted to post this fresh fruit-based faloodeh/paloodeh on my blog. I like the combination of fresh apple and pear flavors in this Iranian-style faloodeh/paloodeh. The term faloodeh also refers to the Iranian frozen rice noodle dessert that is served with sour cherry syrup.

There are many different types of apples and pears. They vary in color, texture, and taste, and since everyone has their own favorites, you may choose whichever type of apple or pear you prefer for this recipe. This recipe was adapted from the British Museum website a long time ago, and the direct link seems to be broken. Here's the link to the Apple and Pear Sherbet post on my Facebook page, 5 years ago.

Ingredients

Serves 4

-2 large apples
-2 large pears
-1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
-1 tablespoon superfine sugar (add more sugar if you prefer it sweeter)
-1/2 teaspoon rosewater

Method:

1. Thoroughly rinse the fruits in cold water, pat dry with a paper towel or cloth, and grate them using a handheld grater. If you prefer, you may remove the skin, but it's not necessary.
2. Place the grated apples, pears, lime juice, rosewater, and sugar into a bowl. Stir and mix it well.

Scoop the faloodeh into serving bowls/glasses and make sure you serve it right away since apples and pears turn brown quickly. You can spoon it over ice cream, yogurt, or simple cakes, or just eat it plain.

*You can turn the apple and pear faloodeh into a drink by simply adding a cup of cold water and 1-2 cups of ice.

Maman and Baba sitting around a korsi on shab-e yalda, circa 1970

Happy Shab-e Yalda!

Nan Panjarehi - Nowruz Window Cookies

Vernal Equinox - The first day of Spring is only a few days away, and one thing common among all Iranians is our shared passion for all things Nowruz, an ancient festival of Spring dating back 3000 years. In most households, there's a frenzied rush to complete the task of khane tekani (spring cleaning), growing sabzeh (seeds), shopping for haft seen items, and buying new clothes for the children, all before Sal-e Tahvil occurs. Nowruz is about feasting on traditional dishes such as kookoo sabzi, sabzi polow ba mahi, reshteh polow, and ash-e reshteh, among many other fresh, herb-based dishes. There's also a rich tradition of baking New Year's desserts, and each region has its own traditional shirini (sweets) to celebrate this traditional festival. Nowruz celebrations are a chance to nourish the body and the spirit by enjoying delicious meals with your family and friends.

Whether I engage in an all-out khaneh tekani or choose to minimize it down to the necessary basics, I must always remind myself of the greater message of this celebration: purifying the heart, mind, and soul. Nowruz is about starting a "New Day," rejuvenating the mind and body, purifying the heart, welcoming light and good health into your life, and getting rid of any negativity.

It has been a harsh winter here in the northeast, which makes the arrival of Spring all the more exhilarating. The force of life runs deep within the bare trees, hidden blooms, and all living things like a winding river on the way to its destination, touching, turning, and shifting everything in its path. The long-awaited joyous celebration of Nowruz (New Day) breathes optimism and joy into the world.

In our home, Nowruz was always celebrated with mouth-watering sweets, fresh seasonal fruits, and fancy ajil (Persian mixed nuts). One of my favorite Nowruz sweets that reminds me of home is nan panjerehi, crunchy and lightly sweetened cookies. نان پنجره ای  Nan Panjarehi/shirini panjarei translates to window cookies in Persian. Nan means bread, and panjareh means window, and making a window cookie is so befitting for springtime festivities. Nowruz holidays were the most beautiful time of year to be in Khuzestan province with its vast open fields of shaghayegh flowers and endless green hills.

This is an Iranian recipe with a touch of Scandinavian influence. I like that they use fewer eggs and add milk to the recipe. I opted to use 2 eggs and a cup of 2% milk. For this recipe, you'll need a rosette iron, a candy thermometer (highly recommended), and a bit of patience. Typically, the first couple of cookies will not come out right.

Nan Panjerehi

Ingredients

Makes about 40 pieces

-1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
-1/2 cup wheat starch
-2 large eggs
-1 cup milk (I used 2% milk)
-4 tablespoons rosewater
-1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
-Vegetable oil (canola oil)
-Powdered sugar

Method:

1. Place the starch in a large mixing bowl, add the rosewater, and stir to blend.
2. Break the eggs into a small bowl and beat lightly with a fork. 
3. Add the whisked eggs, sifted flour, milk, and ground cardamom to the mixture, mix with a wire whisk until well blended and smooth.
4. Pass the mixture through a sieve. 
5. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for an hour.
6. Heat 2-3 inches of oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit in a deep pot.
7. Heat the rosette iron in the hot oil for one minute, remove, and tap on a paper towel.
8. Deep the iron into the batter just up to the edges, remove and place into the hot oil for 30 seconds or until golden. Remove from hot oil and place on a paper towel-lined large plate to remove any excess oil. 

Dust nan panjerehi with powdered sugar and serve.

Enjoy! Sale-e No Mobarak! Happy Nowruz!

Ranginak - Persian Date Dessert (Recipe #2)

We are in the midst of خرما پزان - khorma pazan season, a term used by locals in the south of Iran when the temperature reaches its peak of 100+ degrees Fahrenheit with humidity levels over 60 percent. The air becomes heavy, and outdoor activities are almost unbearable. thus making outdoor activities unbearable. Yet, this intense heat is also a blessing. It's during khorma pazan that dates ripen fully, almost "cooked" by the sun, and become ready for harvest. 

This recipe is an ode to the traditional Khuzestani-style رنگینک ranginak, a luscious date and walnut dessert. It's simple to make, requiring only a bit of patience to stuff plump, pitted dates with lightly toasted walnuts, arrange them neatly on a platter, and then pour over a warm mixture of melted butter and flour infused with cardamom and cinnamon. The sweet taste of ranginak always brings back memories of home.

Dates have been a part of Persian cuisine for centuries. Date palms grow all along the southern coast of Iran, from Ilam and Bushehr to Fars, Khuzestan, Sistan and Baluchestan, and Kerman. To most, the pomegranate may symbolize Iran, but to me, dates are the true fruit of Khuzestan. 

Many years have passed since I lived there, but the images remain vivid: Khoramshar's vast fields of date palms, the stacks of tin buckets filled with dates stacked in small shops, the half-ripe clusters spread out on woven mats to dry under the sun, and, of course, my mother's ranginak. 

Dates were our after-school snack when we got home, and they still hold that simple comfort today. Whether they are fresh, dried, large, or small, dates pair perfectly with your hot cup of tea at any time of day. They're so addictive that you'll find yourself reaching for one with every sip, letting the sweetness of the dates mingle with the aroma and slightly bitter taste of the strong, freshly brewed loose-leaf chai. 

Naturally sweet and far more flavorful than any other fruit, dates come in many varieties. Depending on when they are harvested, they can range from unripe and crisp to partially ripe and soft, or fully ripe, each stage offering its own unique taste.

Ranginak - Khuzestani Date and Walnut Dessert

Ingredients

Makes about 24 pieces

-1 pound dates, pitted

-1/2 cup walnuts halves
-2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter
-3 tablespoons powdered sugar

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon cardamom 
-2-3 tablespoons finely crushed pistachios, for garnish

Method:

1. Toast the walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Gently stuff each pitted date with a walnut half and set aside.
2. In a medium-sized skillet, toast the flour over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the edges turn a light golden brown. 
3. Add the butter to the toasted flour and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly and turns golden brown. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and sugar, stirring well to combine. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, then remove from heat.
4. Spread 1/2 of the warm flour-butter mixture evenly on th bottom of the serving platter. Arrange the stuffed dates in a single layer over it.
5. Spread the remaining mixture over the dates, smoothing the top gently and pressing down lightly.  sprinkle with crushed pistachios. Let cool for a couple of hours before serving..

Serve with strong loose-leaf chai.

Enjoy!

Loze Nargil - Persian Coconut Sweets with Rosewater and Pistachios for Nowruz

It's that time of the year when Iranians from the four corners of the world celebrate the vernal equinox, the first day of spring and the arrival of نوروز (literally meaning the "new day"). This ancient جشن - festival of Nowruz originally began as a Zoroastrian celebration during the Achaemenid dynasty, dating back 3,000 years, welcoming the rebirth of nature with all its radiance, blooms, colors, warmth, and glory. For those of us who celebrate, Nowruz preparations are already underway with khaneh-tekani - cleaning the house, getting rid of the clutter, and making it shine. With this long and freezing winter finally coming to an end I feel a surge of energy and excitement to celebrate nature's new life.

This post was written as part of a collaboration with many of my lovely fellow Persian food writers. This has been an amazing joint effort that brought all of us together for this happy occasion and I would like to thank each and every one of these outstanding bloggers who, through their efforts, made this collaboration meaningful and more delicious! My special thanks go to Sanam joon of My Persian Kitchen for her effort in putting together this fun project and on a more personal note, I'm so grateful for her generous spirit and support over the years. For the complete list of all the food bloggers/participants and their contributions to this round-up please see the bottom of the page.

I vividly remember my last Nowruz in Iran. Together with my parents and two of my brothers, we drove to Abadan to visit my dear aunt and uncle and my two lovely cousins (Yasi and Ladi). The precious memories of our visit to the beautiful city of Abadan during the Nowruz holiday will forever remain in my mind. As well as driving through the charming little towns and visiting the roadside attractions. For us, even the sight of a little stream at a distance in the middle of nowhere was exciting. Throughout our travels, we would stop at any little body of water anywhere in Khuzestan just to wet our feet and wash our faces!

My last Nowruz in Khuzestan

As we are getting ready to gather around our haft-seen table at the time of سال تحویل - sal-tahvil to celebrate the New Year with our loved ones, let us remember those who are less fortunate and pray collectively and globally for a better world.

Poems from Divan-e Shams Tabrizi

Cleaning, cooking, and baking may not be high on your list of priorities these days, but to get into the mood for this beautiful festive occasion, this no-bake and fragrant, melt-in-your-mouth لوزنارگیل loze nargil treat is just perfect for spring.

Loze Nargil

Ingredients:

2 cups coconut, shredded (I used unsweetened shredded coconut to keep the sugar level down)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons coconut milk, unsweetened (I used organic)
2-3 tablespoons rosewater
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
1/2 cup pistachios, crushed

Method:

1. Combine water and sugar in a heavy medium pan, bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Continue to simmer for another 8-10 minutes or until the syrup thickens a little bit. Remove from heat and let cool a little, beat well with a whisk for a couple of minutes. Return the pan to the stove. Add the coconut, rosewater, and coconut milk, mix well over very low heat for about 5 minutes or until well blended. Pour the mixture into an 8 x 8-inch lined pan. Evenly sprinkle crushed pistachios on top. 
2. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until firm. With a knife, cut the loz in diamond-shaped pieces or use a diamond-shaped cookie cutter.

Place the loz pieces on a plate and serve with chai.

Participating Bloggers in The Nowruz Recipe Round-Up - 2014

Afsaneh’s Persian Kitchen: Koloucheh Ahwazi Cookies for Nowrouz
Ahu Eats: Norouz 2014 Recipe: Toot - Persian Mulberry Marzipan Candy
Café Leilee: Northern-Iranian Style Herb-Stuffed Fish

Fae’s Twist & Tango: Naw-Rúz, A New Year Recipe Round-up! 

Family Spice: Norouz Twist on Kookoo Sabzi (Persian Herb Quiche with Chard and Kale)
Fig & Quince: A Norooz ‘a Palooza
Lucid Food: Persian Raisin and Saffron Cookies for Norooz

My Persian Kitchen: Naan Gerdooee ~ Persian Walnut Cookie 
Simi’s Kitchen: New Blog for Nowruz
Spice Spoon: Noon Berenj - Thumbprint Rice Flour Cookies with Saffron & Rosewater for Persian Nowruz

The Pomegranate Diaries: Nowruz Inspired Pistachio, Rosewater and Cardamom Shortbread Cookies 

West of Persia: Happy Nowruz, Recipe Roundup, and a Classic: Kuku Sabzi on TV
Zozo Baking: Nane Nokhodchi Nowruz Iran

Enjoy! سال نو مبارک  - Sal-e No Mobarak!

Persian Saffron Butternut Squash Dessert and My 5 Year Blogging Anniversary

Five years ago, on a typical cold day in December, I created my little blog. The whole idea of a Persian food blog- its name and format swept over me like a Fall breeze and snowballed into a heightened sense of urgency and passion, and that's when "Turmeric and Saffron" was born. I began my new blog with borani esfenaj, a favorite of mine, followed by other amazing Persian recipes such as ash reshteh, loobia polow, and ghormeh sabzi, in that month alone. All I wanted to do was write my mother's recipes and about my memories of growing up in Iran. Now, five years later, my blog has an archive of more than one hundred and seventy Persian recipes that are not only my mother's but from all over the country. I am utterly surprised and deeply grateful that I have continued blogging this far. I am grateful that through blogging I found solace and was able to hone my cooking skills in the kitchen, and through this experience I have developed my own culinary style. I came to appreciate Persian cuisine more than I ever have, and I have become a firm believer that authentic Persian cuisine must be preserved and remain as intact as possible. Now, I am an enthusiastic cook who has discovered the joy of photography as well. Throughout this process, I have also had the great pleasure of getting to know many wonderful and supportive blog readers and fellow bloggers.

I write so much about my mother, and so to balance the attention I give to the memories of my parents on this blog I am going to share one of my favorite photos of Baba. The image below is of his bicycle license that was issued in the city of Abadan, Iran, more than seventy years ago. I remember him saying that one of the tests required him to ride his bike over a large figure 8 that was drawn on the ground without getting out of line!

To celebrate my fifth year of blogging, I chose to make دسر کدو حلوایی - butternut squash dessert, which is great to make while they are still in season. For this dessert, you'll need to buy butternut squash with a long neck. I have grown to know this recipe as a dessert from Hamedan, which is where my mother was from. However, she lived most of her adult life in Khuzestan, and I am not certain which culinary experience was more dominant in her cooking or if both had influenced her equally. While I, too, have moved away from my birthplace, my roots remain where I was born. I traveled, moved to a different continent, went about my life, and started my own family, but my roots remain intact and have reached the water level in the dried lands of Khuzestan, where it was planted.

For an added flavor and a southern touch, you may make this dessert with شیره خرما - date syrup, or for a Hamedani-style pumpkin dessert, you may use شیره انگور - grape syrup as a sweetener instead of using the regular sugar.

Saffron Butternut Squash Dessert

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

-1 large butternut squash with a long neck, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick (will yield approximately 15 slices)
-2 tablespoons butter
-1 tablespoon vegetable oil
-1/2 cup sugar (adjust to your liking)
-1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons of hot water

Garnish:

1 tablespoon pistachios, slivered or chopped
2 tablespoons walnut halves or crushed

Method:

1. In a large frying pan, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add the butternut squash slices to the pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until just tender.
2. In a small pot, over medium heat, combine sugar and a cup of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for another 5 minutes. 
3. Arrange the butternut squash slices in a large pan, pour the syrup and saffron evenly over them. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, leave the lid ajar, and cook 20-30 minutes or until the butternut squash is tender and all syrup is absorbed.

Serve on the platter and garnish with walnuts and pistachios.

Enjoy!

Father's Day Tribute - !کیک عشق - My Version of Persian Love Cake

A few years ago, when I was just starting to blog about the food of my heritage, I came across an image of something called a Persian Love Cake, a chiffon cake adorned with a few pink rose petals. My first reaction was: no way! How come I've never heard of this before? Where was I all that time growing up in Iran when everyone else was eating کیک عشق - cake-e eshgh? 

After my initial surprise, I realized there was no need to worry. This so-called Persian Love Cake was a modern creation, a sweet new take on the aromatic and flavorful ingredients that have long defined Persian desserts. I figured that if the combination of saffron, rose water, cardamom, and lemon zest transforms a simple cake into "love cake,"  then we Iranians have been feasting on love for centuries! 

I may have been startled to discover that there's such a thing as Persian Love Cake, but I wouldn't be surprised if Persian food, in general, were called a love cuisine. So much love goes into mastering the art of simmering stews into glorious deliciousness using fresh, seasonal ingredients, just the right amount of salt, pepper, and spice, and steaming rice to a fluffy perfection with a golden, crunchy tahdig - crust.

 I can easily call salad shirazi a love salad, fesenjoon a love khoresh, or zereshk polow a love polow, and I think we should call it a love menu!

In addition to my passion for Persian food, which is clearly evident in this very personal blog of mine, I've also developed a deep love for Persian poetry over the years. Persian poetry is as fragrant as drops of rose water in the air, colorful as saffron threads, and flavorful as cardamom nestled in its pod. That's what happens when an Iranian food blogger writes about Persian poetry! 

Among many poems that I grew up with, a few that have left an everlasting impression on me and remain my favorites to this day. I am a firm believer that love is the force that connects and holds all things together in this world, even in the darkest and most challenging times.

روزی که می گرفتند پیمان ز نسل آدم       عشق از میان ذرات در جست وجوی ما بود

~ غمام همدانی   

On the day of making a covenant with Adam's generation, "Love" among all other particles was looking for us.

My next favorite poem is a line from a tale in the book: منطق الطیر - The Conference of the Birds by Attar. It tells the story of an old woman who wanted to buy یوسف - Joseph when he was being sold to the highest bidder at a market in Egypt. All she had to offer was a handful of yarn. Knowing she couldn't afford him, she replied to the merchant's ridicule:

لیک اینم بس که چه دشمن چه دوست       گوید این زن از خریداران اوست

~ عطار

"This is enough for me, that everyone, friend or foe, will say: this woman was among his bidders."

The next poem, or rather a line of a poem, is by Hatef Esfahani, known for his ghazals (ode) and tarji-band (recurrent verse) style of poetry. However, I would like to take the liberty to say that for me this poem stands alone by itself as the best of the best to describe the mood and the feeling of someone's love and devotion. It has to be read several times to feel the rhythm and the beat embedded in the words. Perhaps, one day I'll come back to this post and write a translation for it, but so far, I am at a loss for words to capture the essence of it. Therefore, I'll leave it without the English translation. My sincere apologies.

تو کمان کشیده و در کمین که زنی به  تیرم و من غمین      همه ی غمم بود از همین که خدا نکرده خطا کنی 

~هاتف اصفهانی

I haven't written about my father as much as I have written about my mother. Perhaps because I didn't spend much time with him growing up, or rather, he didn't have much time to spend with us, always working so hard and often away from home. By the time he retired. I was long gone. Most of what I know about Baba's childhood and family history, I learned through my mother. Baba was a quiet man who had suffered from many physical ailments throughout his life.

I clearly remember my last long-distance phone conversation with Baba right before his passing. I had gotten the terrible news about my father's deteriorating condition. Devastated, I called home and asked to have a few words with him, even though I was told he couldn't speak coherently. Still, I needed to hear Baba's voice. I asked my mother to place the phone next to his ear, and I started to plead with him to say something, anything, that I just wanted to hear him. His last few words were: work on your heart and polish it into a jam-e jahan nama (a crystal globe that reflects the world). These were Baba's last words, a short message of a self-realized life lesson that spoke volumes and showed me the depth of his love for his child on his last breath, and for that alone, I am forever indebted to him.

For this recipe, I had a couple of options; the first one was the chiffon cake with rosewater icing and candied rose petals. The second option was a simple almond cake. I chose the second version simply because it tastes more like the kind of sweets I grew up with, no-frills and downright delicious. I've tweaked the recipe a little bit. Please see my Pinterest link for more Persian Love Cake recipes.

Persian Love Cake - کیک عشق پارسی

Ingredients

Serves 8

-2 1/2 cups almond flour

-1 cup all-purpose flour
-1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
-3 large eggs, room temperature

-1 cup strained yogurt

-1 cup of sugar

-1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-2 teaspoons baking powder

-Zest of 1 lemon/lime

-1 tablespoon rosewater

-A pinch of salt

Powdered sugar for sprinkling

-2-3 tablespoons chopped pistachios

-1 tablespoon sliced almonds
-1 teaspoon dried rose petals (crushed) 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly by hand or pulse it a few times in a food processor.
3. Generously butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
4. Beat the eggs lightly, then add yogurt, lemon zest, cardamom, and rosewater. Combine with the flour mixture until well blended.  
5. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. 
6. Bake on the middle rack for 35-40 minutes or until the center is set.
7. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan.
8. Transfer to a serving platter and decorate with powdered sugar, chopped pistachios, sliced almonds, and rose petals on top, or however you hear desire. 
9. Serve with ice cream or fresh fruit and chai.

Enjoy! Happy Father's Day!

Persian Love Cake 

My Baba and I



Halva-ye Haveej - Persian Carrot Halva with Saffron and Rose Water

For my first post of the fall season I have chosen this tasty and perfect for every occasion حلوای هویج halva-ye haveej (carrot halva). I also wanted to share this recipe for more reasons besides it being simply delicious. In our house we are big fans of carrots. We like plain and raw carrot sticks and the idea of cooked carrots never appealed to me since my daughters have always disliked mushy carrots.  However, this time I decided to do something different with some of the 10-pound bag of carrots in my refrigerator. For inspiration, I went to my feel-good, old Iranian cookbook! There may be many beautifully illustrated and well designed cookbooks with high-gloss covers out there but for me this unpretentious cookbook by Mansoureh Amir Ebrahimi that my mother gave me many years ago gives me a rare glimpse into the past where the traditional recipes could feed an army and kitchen gadgets such as measuring tools and scales were unheard of. I like to find those rare home-style recipes that were made in real kitchens by home-makers that simply wanted to feed their families healthy and delicious meals. As I leafed through the loose pages of the cookbook I was drawn to the simplicity of this healthy recipe that warms your heart on chilly autumn days. This is my second post from this cookbook. My first post was ash-e somagh (sumac soup).

The most popular halva in Iranian cuisine is made with wheat flour (preferably whole wheat). However, carrot halva is gluten free and dairy free but has the creamy texture of pudding. You can reduce the amount of sugar and butter further for a  healthier dessert. I have more or less stayed true to the recipe but I had to reduce the amount of ingredients the recipe calls for and make a few minor changes. This is one of those recipes that is meant to be shared by sending a plate over to a friend, relative or neighbor.

Halva-ye Haveej - Carrot Halva

Ingredients:
Serves 6-8

2 pounds carrots, peeled and shredded
1 1/2 cup rice flour, sifted
1 1/2 cup sugar
4-5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2-3 tablespoons rose water
1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron dissolved in 3-4 tablespoons hot water
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
Water

Garnish:

2-3 tablespoons pistachios (crushed)
2-3  tablespoons almonds (slivered) *optional
1 teaspoon crushed dried rose petals *optional

Method:

1. Combine the sugar and 1-1/2 cups of water in a small pot, bring to a gentle boil on medium heat stirring well until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside.
2. Place the shredded carrots in a pot, add 1-1/2 cups of water, cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 30-40 minutes or until carrots are soft.
3. Mash the carrots using a hand masher, electric mixer or a fork for a smoother consistency.
4. In a large sized skillet with a cover melt the butter over medium heat, add the sifted rice flour, stir frequently until the flour turns light golden brown. 
5. Add the mashed carrots to the rice flour. Mix well.
6. Gradually pour the sugar syrup over the carrot and rice flour mixture. Add saffron, rose water and cardamom. Combine thoroughly. Cover and cook over low heat until the flavors come together for another 30 minutes.

To serve, scoop the halva onto a serving platter and smooth out the surface with the back of a spoon and sprinkle the top with pistachios.

Enjoy!

Baghlava - Persian Baklava

I do miss the days when my father would come home from work carrying a ja'beh shirini (box of sweets) freshly baked from our local bakery store. He'd almost always walk in through the doors with either some seasonal miveh (fruits), naan (bread), or shirini (sweets). And those delicious sweets would be just as enjoyable for my father as they were for the kids. How could the taste of baghlava make such an everlasting impression upon my mind? Was it that it was brought home by my father, usually for Nowruz (Persian New Year), and I would get to eat it while sitting next to him, hearing him make his usual "mmm" sound with every bite? Was it that most desserts tasted delicious as a kid, let alone the most traditional desserts that were made to perfection? Or is it the nostalgic memories of childhood that turn the flavors and aromas into a wonderful experience?  باقلوا Baghlava (baklava) was a favorite in our home back then and happens to be a favorite among my own family now. Who doesn't love the decadent taste of baklava, followed by sips of hot tea or coffee?

You can use a combination of any finely ground nuts for the filling, make stacks of several layers of dough and fillings to bite into, or make it as syrupy as you like. However, Persian baghlava is neither chunky nor too gooey and is usually made with pistachios and skinless almonds along with ground cardamom the sugar, rose water, and saffron syrup. The best baghlava in Iran is from the city of Yazd.

Baghlava - Baklava

Ingredients

-1/2 pound skinless almonds, lightly toasted, finely ground (I used slivered almonds)
-1/2 pound shelled pistachios, finely ground
-1 package of phyllo (thawed overnight if frozen), I used 20 pieces of  9" x 14" phyllo pastry sheets
-1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
-2 tablespoons sugar
-1 cup of unsalted butter, melted

Syrup:

-1 cup of sugar
-2 tablespoons honey (optional) 
-1 cup of water
-1/2 cup rose water
-1/8 teaspoon powdered saffron

Method:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the chopped almonds, pistachios, two tablespoons of sugar, and the ground cardamom. Mix well and set aside.
2. Combine sugar and water in a small pot and bring to a boil on medium heat for about 15 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Add the saffron to the syrup, lower the heat, and simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, add the rose water, and allow to cool.
5. Lightly butter the inside of the baking pan.
6. Place the first phyllo dough sheet down and lightly brush the melted butter across, covering the entire surface.
7. Add four more pieces of phyllo dough and lightly brush each with melted butter.
8. Add a layer of ground almonds/pistachios.
9. Add five more phyllo dough sheets. Lightly brush each sheet of phyllo dough with melted butter. 
10. Add another layer of chopped nuts covering all areas.
11. Place five more pieces of phyllo dough, lightly brushing each with butter.
12. Cover the phyllo dough sheets with another layer of the crushed nuts.
13. Place the last five layers of the phyllo dough sheets and brush the surface with butter.
14. With a sharp knife, cut across diagonally to make diamond shapes.
15. Place the baking pan on the center rack of the 350 degrees Fahrenheit preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden.
16. Take the tray out of the oven and turn the oven off.
17. Pour half of the cool syrup all over the baklava and place it back in the oven for 5-7 minutes.
18. Remove the pan from the oven and pour the remaining syrup over the baklava, and let it cool for at least a couple of hours before serving. (It tastes much better the next day, so you may want to make it ahead of time.)
19. To sum it all up, this recipe has 4 layers of 5 phyllo dough sheets and 3 layers of ground almonds and pistachios. It keeps well for a few days, but more than that, I couldn't tell you!

Garnish with chopped pistachios, almonds, or crushed rose petals and serve with hot tea or coffee.

Enjoy!

Sohan Asali - Persian Honey and Saffron Almond Candy

This past weekend marked my third-year anniversary of blogging about Persian cuisine, which is the kind of food I grew up with and to this day love to make all the time and gladly share with you. When I ventured into the world of food blogging, I never thought that one day I would be celebrating my blog's 3rd anniversary! The title of my blog, "Turmeric and Saffron," best describes my late mother's kitchen, with her spice jars and herb bottles everywhere on the counter and shelves, except for her small container of deep red saffron threads from Mashhad tucked away in a cupboard. Among the blend of intoxicating aromas in our ashpaz-khaneh (kitchen), there were various yellow turmeric-stained wooden spatulas, mismatched kitchen rags, her favorite plastic containers, and an array of oversized pots and pans. Then there she was, in the middle of the kitchen, meticulously preparing food for her family while beautifully humming a tune by one of her favorite singers, such as Delkash, Elaheh, and Marzieh.

Almost every meal that we ate at home was cooked by my mother from start to finish, since she would not allow any helpers to cook for us. She was very picky when it came to cooking and eating. Of course, baking was an exception to this rule. My mother would use zardchoobeh (turmeric) extensively to enhance the flavor and improve the aroma of meat dishes, stews, and any recipe that involved using lamb or chicken. When making the traditional abgousht/abgoosht (lamb stew), she would add a full teaspoon of turmeric to the boiling water before adding the lamb shanks and the other ingredients, a cooking technique that I only saw in her kitchen. Zaferan (saffron), on the other hand, was used in most rice dishes and some sweets such as shole-zard to give a bold flavor, gorgeous natural orange-red color, and a delicious aroma. She would usually pour a estekan (small tea cup) of saffron-water mixture over the parboiled rice in the pot before placing the towel-covered lid back on the pot to steam. My mother had a vast knowledge of herbal medicine, plants, food ingredients, as well as how to make healthy food choices. It is not only writing down my mother's recipes and my memories of growing up in Iran that bring me joy and keep me connected to my roots, but more importantly, it's the simple sharing of my mother's recipes that I find even more fulfilling.

For this sweet occasion, I'm making سوهان عسلی sohan asali (honey and almond candy). For best results, I recommend using butter instead of vegetable oil. Even though flavored honey is not used in making this candy, I like to use the orange blossom honey for an added flavor. I would also like to lightly toast the slivered almonds to improve the aroma and the taste. While cooking, the content becomes very hot, so it would be wonderful if someone could give you a hand at the end when you are dropping a spoonful of the hot mixture onto the parchment paper, since it dries quickly, and you still need to sprinkle the ground pistachios on top. Otherwise, you've got to be very quick.

Sohan Asali - Persian Honey and Saffron Almond Candy

Ingredients

Makes about 20 pieces

-1 cup sugar
-3 tablespoons honey
-1 cup slivered almonds
-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
-2 tablespoons rose water
-1/2 teaspoon saffron powder
-1/4 cup pistachios, crushed for garnish

Method:

1. Cover a large baking tray with parchment paper and leave the crushed pistachios nearby.
2. In a medium-sized heavy pot, combine sugar, honey, oil, and rose water on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved. Stir and swirl the pot around a few times.
3. Lower the heat and add the almonds to the sugar mixture, stir frequently, cook for another 7-10 minutes or until they turn light golden.
4. Add the crushed saffron and gently stir with a wooden spoon.
5. When the almonds are well coated with this caramel color syrup, start spooning out the mixture on the parchment paper as quickly as you can, and sprinkle the pistachios on top. Allow them to cool completely.
6. Remove the sohan asali from the tray, store it in an airtight container, and serve it the next day.

Serve with a hot cup of tea.

Enjoy!