Modern Persian Food

Welcome to another engaging episode of Modern Persian Food, where we immerse ourselves in the art of Persian pickling! Join your hosts Bita and Beata, as we journey through the world of preserving through pickling, highlighting its crucial role in adding a zesty, acidic balance to the rich flavors of Persian cuisine. Discover the secrets of making Torsche pickles at home with tips on choosing the right ingredients and creating the perfect pickling brine to amplify the flavors of your dishes. 

Listen in as we share our personal experiences and lessons from our summer of recipe testing and pickling, from the unique Giardiniera style to the traditional Persian Torsi version. Get an insight into the use of Persian cucumbers in pickling and the added creaminess that certain vegetables like eggplant can contribute. Not just that, we also shed light on the growing trend of pickling and its health benefits, with special attention to the classic pickled garlic. Tune in and discover how you can add a tangy twist to your meals with these pickled delights!

Episode 118: Andy Baraghani Talks Torshi

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Opening and closing music composed by Amir Etemadzadeh, www.amirschoolofmusic.com

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Join us for an enticing journey into the art of preserving food, Persian style! This episode is all about the delightful world of jams, and we don't just stick to the fruity ones. We'll explore the vibrant colors, aromatic flavors, and natural pectin of various fruits that make Persian jams truly special. Learn with us how to create some traditional favorites, like rose petal, quince, fig, and sour cherry jams. You'll even discover an unusual but tasty carrot jam recipe straight from a previous podcast guest's cookbook. 

We share ideas on incorporating jams in a variety of meals, from breakfast to dessert. We'll guide you through adding a sweet twist to rice dishes, Mediterranean mezze boards, cheese boards, and even cake toppings. Join us in reminiscing about our childhood desserts made with jam and coffee grounds, adding a nostalgic touch to the episode. 

Listen in as we turn our attention to our favorite summer foods and preserving techniques. Beata shares her favorite summer dish - saffron braised lamb shank. We also discuss Noon Barbari, a Persian bread that's similar to Italian focaccia, and share ideas on creating a unique dish with it. Don't miss out on this flavor-packed episode!

Episode 27: Persian Breakfast

Episode 48: Figs

Episode 56: Quince | Beh

Episode 83: Persian Brunch

Episode 148: Navigating Identity through the Art of Persian Cooking, A Conversation with Author Homa Dashtaki

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Opening and closing music composed by Amir Etemadzadeh, www.amirschoolofmusic.com

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Get ready for an enriching journey as we take you through the significance and celebration of the ancient Persian festival, Mehregan. Listen in as we discuss how this autumnal harvest celebration is all about embracing love, kindness, friendship, and nature. We share our plans on commemorating this timeless tradition, from partnering with an Orange County organization for a live event to creating a Sofreh - a traditional Persian table setting. We explore how these ancient festivals, celebrated for thousands of years, are gaining popularity once again and are helping people appreciate the earth and the changing seasons. 

Moving into the specifics of Mehregan, we chat about the beautiful aspects of this festival. From the warmth of the autumn season, the joy of harvest, to the tradition of showering each other with kindness and love, Mehregan is truly a celebration of harmony and the gifts of nature. We describe the symbolic table setting for Mehregan, the significance of each element placed on it, and the traditional foods and drinks associated with this celebration. As you tune in, you'll also learn about the crossover similarities with American Thanksgiving, the role of gratitude in the celebration, and our excitement to incorporate this beautiful tradition into our lives. Also, stick around for our Ask the Beat segment where we answer a fun question about our favorite Persian sweets!

Reference to illustrated copy of the Shahnameh by Hamid Rahmanian at: https://kingorama.com

Podcast Episode 128 - Setting Sofreh 

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Opening and closing music composed by Amir Etemadzadeh, www.amirschoolofmusic.com

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Listen in as we journey through the world of Persian cuisine in our latest podcast episode. We start with an exploration of the delicious and iconic eggplant dish, Mirza Ghassami, from the northern region of Iran known as Shomal. We discuss its distinct smoky flavor, thanks to charred eggplant, and the ample use of garlic. Discover the versatility of this dish, as we share ways to make it vegan or vegetarian, and how to add it to your weekly meal plans or brunch spread.

In the second half of the episode, we answer this week’s Ask The Beats question regarding Persian food pantry staples and shed light on the accessibility of its ingredients. Submit your question to be featured on a future episode!

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Opening and closing music composed by Amir Etemadzadeh, www.amirschoolofmusic.com

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Welcome to a memorable conversation with the dynamic Jian Ghomeshi, a Roqe Media podcast host with a deep love for food, particularly Persian cuisine. His journey, from being intimidated by Persian cooking to mastering the art of creating the iconic dish, Ghormeh Sabzi, is not just inspiring but also filled with interesting culinary nuggets. In this chat, we touch upon the formidable influence of Iranian mothers in the kitchen, the importance of supporting the people of Iran, and Jian's unique approach to learning Persian cooking by emulating his mother and remembering her tips and advice.

As we navigate the intricacies of Ghormeh Sabzi, Jian opens up about the cultural and culinary significance of herbs in Persian cuisine. His tips on the herb preparation process, the nuances of adding the right spices, and the game-changing role of fenugreek in the stew pave the way for a rich understanding of this iconic dish. This episode is your ticket to unravel the secrets behind the unique flavor profile of Persian cuisine, whether you're a novice or a seasoned cook.

Last but not least, we delve into a detailed discussion on the ingredients that bring Ghormeh Sabzi to life. From uncovering the best beans to use to the need for a large cooking pan, Jian leaves no stone unturned. Our chat also highlights his experimentation with chicken in the recipe during his vegetarian phase. So, get ready for an enlightening culinary journey through the vibrant world of Persian food with Jian Ghomeshi, one that promises to up your Ghormeh Sabzi game.

https://roqemedia.ca/

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Opening and closing music composed by Amir Etemadzadeh, www.amirschoolofmusic.com

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Today as part of our Fall Back to Basics series, we're discussing one of the most fundamental recipes in Persian cuisine, Basmati rice. We're sharing our go-to methods for getting rice on the table quickly and easily for weeknight meals. We cover what type of rice to use, the importance of washing it multiple times to remove starches or arsenic and the benefits of soaking it before cooking. Tune in to get our best tips for preparing perfect Persian rice and don't forget to check out our other episodes for more rice-related topics!

Episode 3: Rice

Episode 11: Tahdig | Bottom of the Pot

Episode 30: Tahchin

Episode 40: Damkoni

Episode 70: Kateh Persian Rice

Episode 72: Tahdig Art with Varta

Episode 134: Saffron with Special Guest Mersedeh Prewer

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Welcome to another exciting segment of Modern Persian Food! Listen in as we go 'Back to Basics' and explore the world of Persian Pantry Essentials. Join us as we take a playful and engaging twist on the essentials you need to cook Persian food right at home. Our fun-filled guessing game will surely test your knowledge on Persian spices like saffron, cinnamon, sumac, turmeric, and cardamom. But don't worry, we're here to guide you through it all. We'll also touch on how different households may have a preference for certain ingredients, like the debate of saffron over turmeric for tahdig. 

Continuing our journey, we further explore pantry ingredients that are the backbone of Persian cooking. Be it the flavorful rice, nutritious garbanzo beans, the tangy limoo omani/amani, or the savory tomato paste, we've got you covered. And, how can we forget the delicious figs and dates that are in season during late summer? So, whether you're a seasoned chef or a newbie to Persian cuisine, this episode is sure to enhance your culinary prowess and understanding of the beautiful Persian food culture. Join us for this fun-filled and educational culinary ride!

This episode is sponsored by PersianBasket.com. They are the one-stop shop for all your Persian needs. Use code MYFIRSTBASKET for 10% all grocery purchases (not including ready to eat meals). Free shipping is available for all orders over $60 or with 7+ meals. Thank you for supporting our sponsors! 

Reference too: Episode 19: Dates!

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Listen in as we embark on a culinary journey with Saghar Setareh, author of “Pomegranates and Artichokes, Recipes and Memories of a Journey from Iran to Italy”. Saghar shares her personal discovery of Italian cuisine and how it led to a renewed interest in her own Iranian roots. With Saghar, we explore the unexpected similarities between these two cuisines, delving into the historical basis of some of these parallels. We also challenge the concept of authenticity, uncovering that some recipes are much newer than we might think, even in countries with a rich history like Italy. 

Join us as we discuss the story of eggplant, and how its arrival in Europe was met with suspicion by medieval physicians. Moving on, we uncover the varying versions of Dolmeh, a traditional dish from Iran and Turkey. We explore how the recipe changes based on the cooking vessel and the ingredients used, and also share Saghar's unique apple dolma recipe. Wrapping up, Saghar enlightens us about the three basic recipes anyone interested in Iranian food must know. Don't miss out on this exploration of food, culture, and migration.

https://www.labnoon.com/

https://bio.site/labnoon

https://www.instagram.com/labnoon/

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Join us for a rich discussion with authors of Maman and Me: Recipes from our Iranian-American Family, Roya Shariat and Gita Sadeh. In this conversation, we explore the inspiration behind their book, celebrating the hybrid culture of Iranian-Americans and the innovative ways immigrants adapt their traditional recipes with available ingredients. Gita and Roya share their experiences of cooking as a form of love and respect for family and guests, and the challenges of sourcing Persian ingredients in the 1980s. Listen in as we explore the significance of food as a cultural lifeline for diaspora communities, connecting us to our roots, our ancestors, and our history.

With the loving storytelling and a beautiful blend of tradition and innovation in their cookbook, Roya and Gita provide a fascinating insight into the world of Iranian-American cuisine. Don't miss this captivating discussion!

Maman and Me - Website

Maman and Me (@mamanandme) • Instagram photos and videos

Roya Shariat (@royashariat) • Instagram photos and videos

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Listen in as we engage in an inspiring conversation with Nasim Alikhani, a celebrated author, entrepreneur, and chef. From helping cook for large groups as a young girl in Iran to creating menus for the Met Gala and the White House, Nasim's journey is nothing short of remarkable. In this episode, we unpack her path, her passion for Persian food, and the way she has managed to pursue her dreams and establish her own roots.

We explore Nasim's new cookbook, ‘Sofreh, A Contemporary Approach to Classic Persian Cuisine’. Discover how she guides both novice and experienced home cooks through a culinary journey of Iran, from her favorite eggplant dishes to her love of all kinds of aash soup. Finally, we learn about the vision behind her restaurant, Sofreh, and how she aims to bring Persian culture to life through food. Whether you're a food enthusiast or someone interested in Persian culture, this episode is a must-listen!

This episode is sponsored by Zaffrus Saffron. Check out their unique saffron honey, perfect for gift giving or adding a delectable sweetness to your next dish!

S O F R E H (@sofreh_brooklyn) • Instagram photos and videos

SOFREH

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Join us for a compelling conversation with author Homa Dashtaki, who takes us on a journey through her nine-year process of writing her book, Yogurt & Whey: Recipes of an Iranian Immigrant Life. The dialogue is rich with insights about food as a language and a tool to make sense of our identities and our place in this world. We are mesmerized by her tale of using her culinary heritage to navigate her Iranian history and to find her sense of belonging in America. 

In this episode, we also get a taste of Persian cuisine as Homa contrasts yogurt and whey, teaching us about kefir and the art of making homemade yogurt. We explore the special place of yogurt in Middle Eastern cuisine and the important role of liquid whey in these dishes. We also learn about the significance of paying homage to culture when discussing food, a theme that resonates throughout our conversation.

Lastly, we uncover the unique aspects of traditional Iranian cuisine as we learn about the process of making kashk, a form of fermented yogurt. We discuss how this practice is used in preserving milk and extending its shelf life. We also touch on the White Mustache, a yogurt company started by Homa and her father, and the original recipes inspired by traditional Persian flavors. This episode is a tasty ride through Persian cuisine, cooking methods, and the importance of food in shaping our identities. Listen in and be prepared to be inspired and, of course, hungry!

https://homadashtaki.com/yogurt-whey-book/

https://whitemoustache.com/

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Join us for a captivating discussion with Tabay Atkins, a prodigy and certified vegan chef. With an inspiring journey that started with yoga and transitioned to veganism, Tabay shares how these choices have shaped his life. Listen in as he talks about his mother's battle with cancer and how yoga played a crucial role in her recovery, inspiring him to become the world's youngest yoga instructor at age seven. He also shares his experiences as a plant-based nutritionist, a Reiki instructor, and a musician. We also explore the story of Beata, whose father transitioned from being a judge in Iran to owning a gas station in the US. 

Moving on to Tabay's venture into the culinary world, we delve into the beginnings of his food truck, Tabay's Mindful Kitchen. Tabay's passion for cooking and veganism led him to start teaching cooking classes and making cooking videos, ultimately leading to his dream of owning a food truck. Tune in as he discusses his near-purchase of a food truck in Hawaii, his decision to start a custom-made food truck business in Orange County, and the Persian-inspired vegan dishes he serves. Don't miss this enlightening conversation as we explore the world of Persian food, veganism, and much more!

https://www.tabaysmindfulkitchen.com/

https://www.instagram.com/tabayatkins/

https://www.instagram.com/tabaysmindfulkitchen/

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Join us as we explore the wonderful world of Persian fast food with Mandana and Patrick Lanteigne, the dynamic duo behind Zood, a modern California-style Persian fast food spot in Orange County. Listen as we discuss their creative venture, the mouthwatering food they serve, and how they're making Persian flavors accessible to many. We also chat about the unique aspects of Persian hospitality and how they're recreating that same experience through their business. They share with us the importance of having a starting point that feels familiar when introducing a foreign cuisine, and how they're using this approach to bring Persian food to a wider audience.

In the second part of the episode, we immerse ourselves in the tantalizing world of sauces and dips, as Mandana and Patrick share their unique recipes and how they bring high-end flavors to their food. We learn about their delicious pomegranate vinaigrette, cucumber herb yogurt, and red pepper feta, and their new catering venture. The couple's passion for Persian food is evident as they discuss the influence of Persian cuisine on their cooking and their desire to make it more accessible. Join us to get an insider's glimpse into the world of Persian fast food and how Mandana and Patrick are revolutionizing the way it is enjoyed.

Website: Zood

Zood (@eatzood) • Instagram photos and videos

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Join us on our second stop in the summer podcast series featuring Persian food trucks, stands, and fast foods as we welcome Joon Rice from the Queens Night Market in New York. Listen in as Jessica and Amir share their creative approach to serving Persian food in a way that is both accessible and appealing to a wider audience. They've crafted a unique dining experience by offering individual sized Tahdig cups and a variety of stews, making Persian cuisine enjoyable for everyone. From the Queens Night Market concept to the inspiration behind their menu, we explore everything that makes Joon Rice a standout in the food scene.

In the second half of the episode, Jessica and Amir take us behind the scenes of their delivery operations. Hear about their partnership with Shef.com and how they are spreading the flavors of Persian food far and wide. They share the success of their business, their summer market at the Queens Night Market, and their mission to connect people to their culture through food. Get ready to be inspired by their passion for Persian cuisine and their journey in the food industry.

Joon Rice website: Joon

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Join us on this exciting journey as we kick off our new series that shines a spotlight on Persian food trucks and fast food companies. Our first pit stop is at Tahdig Tacos, a woman-owned business bringing a fusion of Persian and Mexican flavors to Southern California. Listen in as Bayan Ghahramani, the passionate entrepreneur behind this culinary phenomenon, shares her personal journey of identity and culture. Discover how her Persian heritage and Mexican influences inspired the creation of Tahdig Tacos, and how she navigates the challenges and rewards of growing up in cultural diversity.

In this discussion, we further explore the delightful world of Persian cuisine and the concept behind Tahdig Tacos. Get an insider's view on how these unique tacos are made, the various toppings that can be used, and the array of drinks that pair perfectly with them. Listen in as we discuss how these unique flavors can become a gateway for people to explore more traditional Persian dishes. Whether you're a food enthusiast or simply someone curious about Persian cuisine, this conversation is sure to leave you hungry for more.

https://www.tahdigtacos.com/

https://www.instagram.com/tahdigtacosofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/persianskater/

https://www.instagram.com/foodieskater/

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Can you imagine a festival that combines vibrant colors, ancient legends, and delicious food? Join us as we explore the ancient Persian summer rain festival, Tirgan. We'll share how you can dance, recite poetry, and serve mouthwatering traditional dishes like spinach soup and sholezard to celebrate this unique event. Learn the significance of the rainbow-colored wristbands, the legend of Aarash, and making wishes, all while discovering how to incorporate Tirgan into your own summer celebrations!

In the second part of the episode we answer a listener Ask The Beats question about our favorite tunes to cook to, from lively Persian dance music to sultry Mexican melodies. We even share a hilarious story about a car wash pickup line and the enchanting music of Girl From Ipanema. Don't miss this colorful and entertaining episode that will leave you hungry for culture, celebration, and scrumptious food!

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Join us as we explore the world of tomatoes in Persian cuisine! From fresh salads to soups and stews, tomatoes are a staple ingredient in many delicious dishes. Discover the different forms tomatoes come in - fresh, stewed, sauce, and paste - and how they play a vital role in Persian cuisine. We'll be chatting about salad Shirazi, a refreshing Persian salad that's like a Persian salsa fresca. Plus, don't miss our discussion on grilling tomatoes - skewered and whole - on the barbecue or stovetop. And also our favorite layered rice dishes and khoreshes with tomato as one of the key ingredients. 

In the second part of the episode, we share our favorite cooking shortcuts and efficiency tips in the “Ask the Beats” segment. Learn how to save time with prepped ingredients like ground walnuts and cooked beets, as well as using ready-made Jarred khoresh. We also discuss the convenience of canned beans and a rice cooker to speed up the cooking process. Listen in to learn more about these time-saving hacks and how they can help you create delicious Persian dishes with ease.

Take our listener survey! It’s quick and a great opportunity for you to let us know how we’re doing and what you’d like to hear in the future. Here is the link: LISTENER SURVEY!

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Get ready to tantalize your taste buds as we bring you the exquisite flavors of Persian grilled corn, also known as Balal. Discover how the saltwater dipping creates a delightful mild salty taste, while the smoky flavor comes from the beautiful charring on the corn. We're excited to share our memories of enjoying it both in Iran and the US and guide you through our very own recipe for this mouthwatering dish. Learn how to make the perfect saltwater bath and master the grilling techniques to achieve that authentic taste that your summer barbecue has been missing! 

In this week’s Ask the Beats we explore our favorite go-to Persian dishes for our families, from a comforting yellow split pea stew Gheymeh to Beata’s easy Halim, made with rotisserie chicken and oats. Don't forget to send us your questions to be featured on a future episode! 

Take our listener survey! It’s quick and a great opportunity for you to let us know how we’re doing and what you’d like to hear in the future. Here is the link: LISTENER SURVEY!

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Have you ever bitten into a perfectly grilled, saffron and lemon-infused chicken kabob and wondered, "How can I make this at home?" That's exactly what we'll be exploring today, as we share the secrets behind the mouthwatering flavors of joojeh kabob. Discover how the perfect marinade with ingredients like saffron, lemon juice, onion, and salt not only adds incredible taste, but also tenderizes the chicken for that melt-in-your-mouth experience. Plus, learn about the etymology of "joojeh," which means young chicken or chick, and how it's become a term of endearment for us.

But that's not all! We also answer a listener's Ask The Beats question about the Gol Getter cocktail, a Persian-inspired creation that you can enjoy with or without alcohol. Find out the essential ingredients and how to mix them together for a refreshing drink that's perfect for summer. We even share a variation using Quince Jam instead of Rose Jam! So join us on this culinary adventure, and don't forget to reach out with your questions or stories – we'd love to hear from you!

Take our listener survey! It’s quick and a great opportunity for you to let us know how we’re doing and what you’d like to hear in the future. Here is the link: LISTENER SURVEY!

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Can love truly blossom through the art of cooking? Join us for an intimate conversation with Natalie Jahangiry, a food and design entrepreneur who has skillfully blended her passions and cultures into a thriving business, Modern Persian Kitchen (we love the name too!). Natalie takes us on a heartfelt journey of her parent's love story, and how her father's Persian culinary expertise won her mother's heart. Discover how Natalie's family introduced Persian food to their quaint British village, and how her own daughter is growing up with the rich flavors of Persian cuisine.

Dive into the world of Persian food as we discuss Natalie's innovative venture that marries her love for design with her culinary heritage. Natalie shares her experience in creating a bundle that allows individuals to easily explore Persian cuisine, from popular dishes like saffron chicken to more traditional fares like ghormeh sabzi . Learn how Natalie strikes a balance between her flourishing business and family life, while ensuring her children are immersed in the beauty of Persian culture. This heartening episode is a true testament to the power of food in connecting cultures and generations.

Take our listener survey! It’s quick and a great opportunity for you to let us know how we’re doing and what you’d like to hear in the future. Here is the link: LISTENER SURVEY!

This episode is sponsored by Exeer Botanical Sparkling Beverages.

https://drinkexeer.com/

Resources from this episode:

Modern Persian Kitchen

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Podcast Episode 138  Show Notes - Elevate Your Summer Picnics: A Persian Twist on Outdoor Gatherings

Get ready to elevate your summer picnics with a Persian twist! In this episode, we discuss everything you need to know about bringing culture and identity to your outdoor gatherings, from setting up a beautiful and functional space to packing the essentials and indulging in delicious Persian dishes. No matter the size of your gathering, our tips will ensure your picnic is unforgettable.

We'll dive into mouth-watering Persian-inspired dishes, such as herbed koo koo (kuku) wraps, kotlet, salad ooloovieh sandwiches, and fruit kebabs.  We share our favorite refreshing drinks like tea and sekanjabeen. Learn how picnics can be enjoyed at different stages of life, and how getting outside for some fresh air and good food can create lasting memories. Don't miss this episode, packed with inspiration to make your summer picnics truly special and uniquely Persian! And don’t forget the backgammon set!

This episode is sponsored by Exeer Botanical Sparkling Beverages. Pick up some of these fun non-alcoholic drinks for your next picnic! 

https://drinkexeer.com/

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tricks on throwing a party (while actually having a good time!) and giving a step-by-step tutorial for Persian style macaroni with crispy tahdig.  Get your notebook and tastebuds ready! 

Orly is a private chef turned influencer, well known in the Persian community, especially in the southern Cal region. She came up with her handle name, @MyGhostHost by setting up parties for friends and then leaving… hence the ghost host!  It’s clear that Orly has a true passion for food and sharing Persian culture through food.

Learn to make a perfect Persian Macaroni at home including an insider tip to use a rice cooker as the final step.

Tips for Hosting a Memorable Party

• Not only is Orly great at walking through recipes, she is an expert at hosting memorable parties.  Here are her tips:

• Set the mood. Create a welcoming atmosphere with candles, flowers, and music.

• Plan ahead. Make a list of everything you need to do, and start planning early.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. 

• Focus on the food. Make sure you have plenty of delicious food to serve your guests.

• Relax and have fun! Hosting a party should be enjoyable, so don’t stress about it too much.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of the Modern Persian Food Podcast! Thanks for listening.

This episode has been sponsored by Lavashak 

Promo Code: ModernPersian for 30% off your order

Persian Happiness Delivered

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It's almost Mother's Day, and what better way to celebrate moms than with a tea party? In this episode, we'll cover drinking tea in Persian culture, what a Persian tea typically looks like and tastes like, how to make it, and how it's served traditionally. We'll also share some of our modern ideas on bringing family and friends together with a fun tea party for any occasion.

A classic Persian tea is black tea, sometimes straight black tea (like an Earl Grey, Darjeeleen, or Jasmine), or sometimes a blend of different types of tea. It is dark, amber in color and has an aromatic, not spicy (not chai), sometimes hints of cardamom flavor.

• Steaming hot. In traditional Persian culture, it is considered an insult to serve lukewarm or weak tea!

• Dark and fairly high concentration of caffeine.

• How to serve tea to Persians at night, or to guests that are sensitive to caffeine.

• Hot water dilutes the tea but is perfectly fine to add to a tea that has already been served.

• Hot water served with fresh mint leaves.

• A decaffeinated Persian tea (some classic flavors of teas come in decaf tea bags).

Thank you to our sponsor: Sadaf Foods  

Sadaf is a trusted, high-quality brand that has been bringing exquisite & authentic tea experiences to customers for years.

We hope you enjoyed this episode on Persian tea! If you're looking for a fun and festive way to celebrate Mother's Day, or any occasion, consider hosting a Persian tea party. With its rich history and delicious flavors, Persian tea is sure to please everyone.

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In this episode, special guest Reza Jax talks about how to make a Persian meal happen as a bachelor. Reza is a dancer, fashion icon, and budding Persian home chef. He shares his tips on how to impress with his favorite Persian recipes that he makes at home.

Reza learned to cook Persian food from his mother, who is a great cook! 

Some of Reza’s favorite Persian dishes to make are zereshk polo (a rice dish with barberries and dried fruit), kabab digee (a pan-cooked kebab with tomato), tahdig (a crispy rice crust), macaroni with tahdig, and omelet.

Reza also shares his top two favorite Persian restaurants in the Los Angeles area: Kurosh Restaurant in Beverly Hills, and Raffi’s in Glendale.

If you're a bachelor who loves Persian food, this episode is for you! Reza's tips and recipes will have you eating and dancing in no time!

This episode has been sponsored by: Sheytoon App ​​https://www.sheytoonapp.com/

Sheytoon is the top platform for Persian matchmaking across the world.

Find Reza Jax on Instagram:  @reza_jax

TikTok:  Reza Jackson

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world, but it's also one of the most versatile and flavorful. In this episode, we'll talk to Mersedeh Prewer from Saffron and Herbs about the history, cultivation, and uses of saffron. We'll also share some of our favorite recipes that feature this delicious spice.

What is saffron?  Saffron is a spice that comes from the Crocus sativus flower. The stigmas (the female reproductive parts) of the flower are collected and dried, and then used as a spice. Saffron has a strong, earthy flavor and a bright yellow color. It's often used to add flavor and color to rice dishes, paella, and other Mediterranean dishes.

Why is saffron so expensive?  There are a few reasons why saffron is so expensive. First, it's a very labor-intensive crop. It takes about 75,000 saffron crocus flowers to produce just one pound of saffron. Second, saffron is very delicate and can easily be damaged. Third, saffron is only grown in a few specific regions of the world, such as Iran, Spain, and Morocco.

What flavor and effect does saffron give to cooking?  Saffron has a strong, earthy flavor and a bright yellow color. It's often used to add flavor and color to rice dishes, paella, and other Mediterranean dishes. Saffron can also be used to make tea, desserts, and other foods.

Forms of saffron for cooking:  Saffron is available in a few different forms, including threads, powder, and liquid. Threads are the most traditional form of saffron, and they have the strongest flavor. Powdered saffron is more convenient to use, but it doesn't have as strong of a flavor. Liquid saffron is made by dissolving saffron threads in water or oil.

This episode has been sponsored by Zaffrus Saffron - The True Taste of Saffron

Find them at Zaffrus.com or Amazon.

Mercedes site:  Saffron and Herbs

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Bita and Beata are deep diving into the controversial Persian ingredient called Kashk. They are honored to have Omid, The Caspian Chef as a special guest today to help them demystify the origination, different forms, and flavor notes of kashk. Omid even teaches Bita and Beata how to make kashk at home! Lastly, the trio share some of their favorite dishes to serve with a drizzle of kashk plus some new and innovative ideas for adding kashk in non-expected soups and sides.

This episode has been sponsored by Oyna Natural Foods. Fresh, authentic Persian Flavors. 

San Francisco Bay delivery or order from GoodEggs. 

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Reference to MPF Episode 31 Caspian Sea Regional Foods

Kashk recipe by The Caspian Chef: Kashk - Persian whey sauce - The Caspian Chef - Omid Roustaei

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Special guest Jaleh Arabian, also known as Maman Jaleh (Bita’s mother-in-law) and MJ for short, joins the podcast today to shed light on old customs and traditions around Persian superstitions. One of the ways to ward off evil and cleanse the air is to burn esphand/esfand or wild rue. Wild rue seeds are burned in a special vessel stovetop and the smoke and aroma are spread around the room for cleansing. Listen to the episode to also hear how eggs play a role in Persian superstitions.

This episode is sponsored by Sadaf Foods,  Find them online at Sadaf.

Use special offer code:  Modern15

For 15% off of esfand

Modern Persian Food podcast references:

MPF episode 26, Flowers | Gol in Persian Culture

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Cohosts Beata and Bita reflect on spring time and how they have celebrated Easter, both growing up Persian in the US and also as adults in their Iranian-American families. They share their favorite Easter and springtime foods and recipes which include:

• Deviled eggs

• Steamed fava beans 

• Baghali Polo | Layered Persian dill rice with fava beans 

• Lamb including braised lamb shanks maycheh and lamb chops

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Bita’s recipe for Deviled Eggs 

Bita’s recipe for Baghali Polo

Beata’s recipe for Thanh's Classic Deviled Eggs – BeatsEats

Beata’s post on Bagheleh Polo bah Maycheh – Braised Lamb Shank Over Fava Bean and Dill Rice – BeatsEats

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Born in Iran and raised in California, Penny is the first Persian Jewish chef and businesswoman to be featured on hit culinary and reality television shows.  Beata and Bita learn about Penny’s hybrid, mixed culture family and Persian Passover traditions old and new.

Listen and learn what green onion beatings are all about in Persian Passovers, as well as Penny’s family tradition of playing hide and seek with Matzo crackers!

Feel free to submit a question for our Ask the Beats segment of our show and we will feature it in a future episode!  Email us with your question, [email protected] or leave us an audio message through Instagram @modernpersianfood

Modern Persian Food podcast references:

Episode 107:  The Persian Medicine of Hot & Cold Foods with Candice Walker

Episode 124:  Vegan Persian Food with Elham

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Co-hosts Bita and Beata are joined by special guest, pastry chef and culinary expert Tara Omidvar of Made of Sugar and Saffron.  Jump into this episode to hear about the many forms of halva in Iran and all around the world.  There are 100s of varieties from different regions.  Listen to the end and get a recipe walkthrough for how to make the very traditional version of halva found in Iran including tips and tricks to make it luscious and smooth.

This episode has been sponsored by Zaffrus Saffron - The True Taste of Saffron

Find them at Zaffrus.com or Amazon.

Tara’s recipe for Traditional Persian Halva

Tara’s site:  Made of Sugar & Saffron

IG handle @madeofsugarandsaffron

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Setting a sofreh or special table setting is the first step in honoring the ancient traditions of our ancestors on several holidays. In this week’s episode, Bita and Beata dive into what goes on each of the sofrehs, what they represent, and also common themes amongst them. These happy occasions include the following seasonal transitions and also when people get married:

Norouz/Norooz | the Persian New Year with setting a haftsin; 

Mehregan | celebration of fall and special setting 

Yalda | the Persian winter solstice celebration

Sofreh aghd | Persian wedding setting

This episode is sponsored by Sadaf Foods, award winning home-made Persian sauces. Find them online at Sadaf.

Use special offer code:  Modern15

For 15% off of kashk, esfand, and norouz collection

Free shipping on all orders over $100

Feel free to submit a question for our Ask the Beats segment of our show and we will feature it in a future episode!  Email us with your question, [email protected] or leave us an audio message through Instagram @modernpersianfood

Modern Persian Food podcast references:

Episode 75:  Norooz Haft Seen

Episode 51:  Mehregan

Episode 114:  Yalda Winter Solstice

Episode 20:  Persian Weddings with Nilou

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

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Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Beata and Bita get thirsty talking to special guest, Zahra Tabatabai, owner and founder of Back Home Beer. The Beats love the tagline, “born in Iran, brewed in New York”.  This interview is a great story of a family history of fermenting and brewing - a passion that turned into pandemic project that turned into a budding business!

This episode was first broadcast on the International day of the Woman.  Beata and Bita are happy to support all Persian women and especially to honor the Zan Zendeghi Azadi movement in Iran.  Listen and learn about Back Home Beer’s flagship product as well as some very unique varieties using Persian ingredients and influences.  Incidentally Back Home Beer has a special beer called Yalda Queen!

This episode is sponsored by Spice of Life, award winning home-made Persian sauces. Find then locally in select DC stores or online at: https://www.enjoyspiceoflife.com/

Modern Persian Food podcast episode 127: Persian Beer with Zahra becomes a cultural spotlight getting into some of the history of beer and brewing in Iran.

Can you guess who the originators of barley brewed beer and fermentation is thousands and thousands of years ago??

Back Home Beer

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

The biggest Persian holiday of the year, the Persian new year, is called Norooz (also spelled Nowruz) which translates to a new day.  Beata and Bita covers the whole gamut of the 2+ week festivities from spring cleaning (Khoneh Takooni) and Chahar Shambeh Soori, growing spring grass (Sabzeh), and setting a symbolic table setting (Haft-seen setting), all the way through the picnic day that closes things out, Sizde Bedar!

This episode has been sponsored by Zaffrus Saffron - The True Taste of Saffron

Find them at Zaffrus.com or Amazon.

Now that the Beats have given a great overview of the traditional customs and events, what modern day versions will you incorporate into springtime fun?  Will you set up a haft-seen, grow spring grass, or give cash aidees?  We hope we’ve inspired you to join in any aspects of the Persian new year that meets your current lifestyle.

Ask the Beats!  Do you know that we have a segment in most of our episodes where we take in your questions?  Submit a question or comment through Instagram (try the audio feature!), email ([email protected]) and we’ll do our best to incorporate it into a future episode.  You may choose to include your name and handle or to remain anonymous.

Modern Persian Food podcast references:

Episode 22:  Norooz Part 1

Episode 23:  Norooz Part 2

Episode 75:  Norooz Haft Seen

Episode 64: Aash Reshteh

Beata’s Ash Reshteh | Persian Noodle Soup and Asheh Reshteh – Persian Noodle Soup – Original Recipe Post

Beata’s Persian Frittata Koo Koo Sabzi

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Persian pizza?  What??  Yep, the Beats are getting creative with some cross-cultural Italian-American-Iranian pizza ideas.  Beata reflects on pizza culture in current day Iran, what makes a cut above (hint, hint, hot dogs, sausages, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions and more), Persian pizza conceptions in the US, and making pizza from scratch at home for a fun Friday night.

Listen to the end to hear Roya’s Ask The Beats question, “Bita, how did you make the work of art, double layer tahchin cake I spied on Instagram?!”

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Bita and Beata have been looking for a Persian vegan food enthusiast to support you with recipe substitutions while keeping classic flavors and nutritional balance in mind. They found her in Elham!  Special guest Elham shares her journey into the vegan lifestyle. The interview covers tofu, beans, and legumes as excellent protein-rich meat substitutions in stew. Beata is desperate to experiment with the can of jackfruit! What will she do with it?! Does Elham miss eating kabab? Listen on to find out. 

Elham asks the Beats, “cooking Persian food can be a labor of love and very time consuming - do you have any strategies to cook Persian faster and easier?”  The Beats love this question and each give insights on how to take shortcuts to make Persian food happen even on the witchiest of busy nights.

Find Elham at:

Plant-Based Persian

Elham الهام (@plant_basedpersian) • Instagram photos and videos

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Recipes references:

Episode 78: Vegetarian Persian Food

Bita’s Lentil and Date Rice recipe (vegetarian) | Adas Polo

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #123, co-hosts Bita and Beata chat about all things dates! Persian dates that you eat, dates in recipes both traditional and modern, and dates that you go on. They also share experience and stories around Persian matchmaking and getting set up on dates Iranian style.

Persian dates are dates in dried form which taste sweet and buttery/caramel-y.

Hot dates

• Heat in microwave with almond butter for a healthy snack
• Wrap in bacon or prosciutto as an appetizer

Recipes with dates

• Pitted and filled with nuts 
• Blended with nuts and other dried fruit and rolled into energy balls
• Used in Persian Lentil and Date Rice | Adas Polo and Reshteh Polo
• Khormah Maloos - cooked with eggs and served for breakfast

Occasions for eating dates in Persian culture

• With tea
• Blended with nuts and other dried fruit and rolled into energy balls
• Memorials
• Breaking fast - start with hot water and dates

Match-making in old Persian culture and personal stories around growing up in Iranian-American families.  Introductions for potential marriage.

Ask the Beats!

Question from email: Are there any vegetarian recipes that include pomegranate?

We cover some strategies to leave meat out of Khoresh Fesenjoon | Persian Pomegranate and Walnut Stew.  In addition pomegranates make great garnishes to many dishes including salads, cooked vegetables, and mixed rice dishes (shirin polo).  Modern ways to add pomegranate to dishes include sprinkling the arils in a morning oatmeal and enjoying mixed into plain yogurt.  

Recipe and resource links from this episode:

Bita’s recipe for Date and Nut Balls

Bita’s recipe for Lentil and Date Rice | Adas Polo

Bita’s recipe for Fruited Pomegranate and Kale Salad

Youtube video for How to Deseed a Whole Pomegranate Underwater

Beata’s recipe for Walnut and Pomegranate Stew – Khoreshteh Fessenjoon

Beata’s recipe for Khormah Maloos - Persian Dates and Eggs

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Bita and Beata are joined by guest Rachel Kashef from Little Persian Learning to share insights and inspirational resources on how to blend Persian culture into today’s modern families. Rachel is a former school teacher and has founded a learning kit and greeting card company in response to what she felt was lacking in today’s cross-cultural communities.

The conversation rounds out with the role of food and the incredible flavors of Persian cuisine. Listen, get inspired, and try your hand at a Persian weekend noshing breakfast routine!

If you liked this episode, give us a 5 star rating and review on your favorite podcast player!

References made in the episode:

Little Persian Learning

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

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Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

The Beats uncover the top 5 things to grab next time you find yourself in a Persian or middle eastern market!  Whether you have a market near you or you stumble into one on an adventure, Bita and Beata share their favorite things to shop for that are unique and specialty items.

Don’t forget to submit a question or comment for us to address live on the show.  Simply shoot us an email:  [email protected] or leave us an audio message on Instagram!  @modernpersianfood

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

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Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In today’s episode, Beata and Bita dive into the classic Persian layered rice dish Adas Polo. The medley of lentils, onions, raisins and dates along with the steamed rice provides a nutritious, comforting, and delicious wintry wintery dish.  Learn some recipe shortcuts including some modern twists on this staple Persian dish.  Are you ready for an umami, savory dish with hints of sweet and cinnamony notes?  Which version will you try?

Stay tuned to the end to hear strategies for warming up Persian food leftovers in the Ask the Beats segment!... and keep those questions comin’, we love to hear from our listeners.

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Recipes references:

Bita’s Lentil and Date Rice recipe (vegetarian) | Adas Polo

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Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In today’s episode, Beata and Bita take a deep dive into a single ingredient, oranges, and the many forms they are used in Persian cuisine - orange as a fresh fruit, the rind or peel of oranges, and orange blossom water.

Orange you glad you listen to this episode?

Ask the Beats!

Amy from Veggies Save the Day wants to know, what gluten-free and vegan options are there in Persian restaurants?

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by  Alvarez Audio

Beata and Bita, collectively known as the Beats, are honored to be joined by the culinary expert, Andy Baraghani!  Tune it to learn about how growing up in a Persian American family influenced and shaped Andy’s life in food.  Learn how to make a basic Persian “torshi” and have some adventures in pickling.  Find out the best ways to eat sour, tart flavors in Persian cuisine, and finally,

Support Andy by grabbing a copy of his new cookbook, “The Cook You Want to Be”

Andy’s Instagram handle: @andybaraghani

Andy Baraghani asks the Beats live on the show for the “Ask the Beats” segment, “What is the Iranian dish you can’t live without and what is the Iranian dish that you never need to eat again!” and listen to Bita, Beata, and Andy all answer the question.

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In this episode we are gifting you with 5, fun Persian-inspired cocktails! With our unique ideas you’ll have festive cocktails twists to ring in the new year.

• Pomegranate fizz
• Sekanjabin mojito
• Watermelon slushie
• Gohl Getter
• Cardamom Hot Toddy

Disclaimer: all of these drinks can easily be made without any alcohol as mocktails.  If you choose to drink, be sure to drink responsibly and have a designated driver.

Cheers to a healthy, hopeful new year ahead, beh salamaty!

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

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Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

How about a fun and unique twist to holiday baking?  Bita and Beata share recipes, inspiration and short-cuts to create delicious and easy Persian-ish desserts to add new flavors to your holiday treats.

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Recipes references:

Bita’s digital download cookbook, Modern Persian Desserts

Bita’s Persian Walnut Cookies

Bita’s Orange Cardamom Tea Cake

Beata’s Jeweled Cinnamon Rolls – BeatsEats

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Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Learn more about the #CookForIran global movement of dinners, restaurants, and chefs. Beata and Bita are joined by Layla Yarjani in an insightful conversation about an opportunity to help spread awareness about the situation and people in current events in Iran.

For more information check the website:

Cook for Iran

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Recipes references:

Beata’s Ash Reshteh | Persian Noodle Soup – BeatsEats

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Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Beata and Bita are eager to share about Yalda (also known as Shab-e Yalda), the longest darkest night of the year, which happens on the Winter Solstice. They want to inspire you to celebrate Yalda, in whatever form you can, this year. 

Listen to get ideas of incorporating elements from this ancient festival to your holiday gatherings, end-of-year events, or on the actual night of Yalda.

In the spirit of Yalda, this episode includes three special family music and poetry clips to get listeners in the mood to celebrate.

The song “Ghoghaye Setaregan” by Parvin is sung by from Bita’s mom, Maman Minoo.

Santoor music is played by Beata’s Maman Joon.

Excerpts from “The Symbols of Love” by Salak (Mojtaba Kashani) is recited by Beata’s late Baba Joon, and includes a translation by Beata herself. 

Modern Persian Food podcast references:

Episode 63: Yalda

Episode 10: Yalda Winter Flavors

Hamid Rahmanian Shahnameh Book - The Epic | شاهنامه فردوسی

Special Yalda song: Shabe Yalda by Kalmast

Recipe: Beata’s Walnut and Pomegranate Stew – Khoreshteh Fessenjoon – BeatsEats

Recipe: Bita’s Ajeel | Persian Trail Mix Recipe - Oven Hug

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

What makes a Persian steakhouse different than a regular Persian restaurant or chelo kababi.  Join Bita, Beata and Fera Hashemi as they explore the nuances of a modern approach to eating out Persian style with a twist.  It’s all in the in-house aged meats, the quality of the meat, the presentation and special Persian hospitality.  The chef is Fera’s husband who is in the kitchen making his version of fesenjoon on meatballs and eggplant dip molded into elegant designs.

Join us in a culinary feast of Fera and Mike’s modern Persian steakhouse approach dining.

Arya Steakhouse

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

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Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and share this episode with a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio 

Have you had Haleem, known by some as Persian porridge? If not, definitely give this episode a listen. Bita & Beata break down traditional and modern recipes of a classic, rich and delicious Persian food made with primarily wheat and meat. Much more delicious than it sounds, it’s creamy and luscious and super comforting. Also spelled Halim.  

Don’t have time to boil, strain, simmer, and mash?  Not to worry, Beata has a quick and easy solution using oats and store-bought chicken.  Bita joon shares tips for using Thanksgiving turkey leftovers to keep the savory flavors going.  Both the Beats share tips and tricks including substitutions for hard to find ingredients.  Dig in!

This week’s “Ask the Beats” comes in the form of an audio message about Mexican and Iranian food fusions. Listen to hear more!

Episodes referenced:

Episode 59:  Persian Thanksgiving

Episode 60:  Persian Thanksgiving Leftovers

Episode 81: Make Tahdig Not War with Guest Parisa Parnian

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

What is Ask the Beats?  Dial in by leaving an audio message through Instagram messaging (@modernpersianfood) or emailing Bita & Beata [email protected]

Bita & Beata act as Persian Food Pros and answer your food-related questions and beyond.

Episodes referenced:

Episode 57: Zereshk Polo | Barberry Rice

Episode 58: Lubia Polo | Green Bean Rice

Episode 59:  Persian Thanksgiving

Episode 60:  Persian Thanksgiving Leftovers

Recipe links:

Lubia Polo – BeatsEats

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Join us, Bita and Beata, for a candid conversation as we share our thoughts and feelings around the uprising revolution in Iran and the worldwide demonstrations supporting women and human rights. 

We reflect about growing up in the U.S. as an Iranian American, what that was like, and how finding confidence in self-identity helped shape who we are and what we do now.

We’ve been inspired by a recent Roqe podcast episode which left us hopeful for change and a sense of Iranian pride.

The “Ask the Beats” brings it back to food with a question about what we’re cooking up these days. 

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend. 

References:

This is the Roqe media discussed in the episode: Roqe Media Episode 209 The Uprising:  The Rebirth of Iranian Pride

Intro and Outro Song, “Baraye” by Shervin Hajipour

Lyrics and translation below and  HERE

Video of Baraye song by Shervin Hajipour HERE

Translation of “Baraye” or  "Because of" by Shervin Hajipour

Because of dancing in the street

Because of fear while kissing

Because of my sister, your sister, our sister

Because of changing rotten minds

Because of shame for moneyless

Because of yearning for an ordinary life

Because of the scavenger kid and his dreams

Because of a command economy

Because of air pollution

Because of ‘Vali Asr’ Avenue, and its dying trees

Because of a cheetah (Pirouz) that may go extinct

Because of innocent, outlawed dogs

Because of the incessant crying

For the image to repeat this moment

Because of the smiling face

For students, for the future

Because of students, for the future

Because of this forced paradise

Because of the imprisoned elites

Because of Afghan kids

Because of all (Because of...) non-repetitive

Because of all these empty slogans

Because of the rubble of fake houses

Because of the feeling of peace

Because of the sun after a long night

Because of the nerve pills and insomnia

Because of man, country, rebuilding

Because of a girl who wished she was a boy

Because of woman, life, freedom

Because of freedom [3x]

podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Have you tried Persimmons?  It’s one of the Beats most beloved fruit.  Who do you think loves it more?  Join us as we explore the two types of persimmons including fun ways to gobble them up.

Now for a listener quiz:

• Which are you going to try first?  Hachiya or Fuyu?
• Time for a quiz - which is good for baking?  Which version can be eaten like an apple without further ripening?
• Will you be adding them to your fall natural table decor?

This week’s “Ask the Beats” comes from Bita’s daughter, Leyla joon.

Leyla wants to know… what is your favorite fall or winter dish to make?

Beata:  Fesenjoon | Persian Poultry Walnut and Pomegranate Stew;  Haleem | Persian Oat and Poultry Porridge

Bita:  Soups!  Creamy Soup eh Jo | Persian Barley Soup;  Chilis

Episodes referenced:

Episode 7: Persian Fall Flavors

Recipes referenced:

Walnut and Pomegranate Stew – Khoreshteh Fessenjoon – BeatsEats

Persimmon French Toast – BeatsEats

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the Modern Persian Food podcast email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Ready to get a sugar rush? Join the Beats as they break down 5 original, Persian-inspired candies and treats and how to make them!

Unique twist on Halloween Candy and Treats

• Sohan | Persian Brittle (made in a modern way with Saltine crackers, would work in mini version with oyster crackers too)
• Chocolate-covered Pretzel rods garnished with pistachios and zereshk (also try with dried, candied orange peel)
• Toot | Marzipan (try shaping as candy corn or spooky finger nails)
• Ajeel in cute halloween treat baggies
• Dates dipped in Chocolate (be sure to take the pit out of the dates)
• Saffron Caramel Candy (Persian tootsie roll!)

This week’s “Ask the Beats” comes from Sahar from Walnut Creek

We are gathering in my home before and after trick-or-treating on Halloween.  What is a good recipe I can serve to everyone?

Bita:  Stuffed Bell Pepper Jack-o-Lanterns

Beata:  Tortilla Soup and Salad Olivieh

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Bita’s post:  Persian Pistachio Brittle recipe

Bita’s post:  Ajeel | Persian Trail Mix

Bita’s post:  Stuffed Bell Pepper Jack-o-Lanterns

Bita’s post:  Easy Home-made Hummus

Beata’s recipe: Persian Salad Olivieh

Sign up for the Modern Persian Food podcast email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

The Beats are joined by special guest, Candice Walker of the Proportional Plate.  Together they break down and define the ancient Persian philosophy of Warm vs Cold Foods (in the Persian language “garm” vs “sard” foods).  Through Candice’s world travels she found commonality and crossovers with Ayurveda and ancient Chinese herbal medicine. 

Listen to this intriguing conversation and learn how our ancestors' warnings and advice, the words of our mothers, grandmother, and great-grandmothers were wiser than we may have wanted to believe.

Balancing Hot and Cold foods can help with:

• Nutrition
• Strength
• Circulation
• Digestion

This week’s “Ask the Beats” 

Candice asks the Beats, what was a moment on the podcast that was an “ah-ha” moment or an eye opening moment for each of you?

Bita: The Medicinal Properties of Persian Spices, specifically saffron and rose;  also the Cooking with Rose episode

Beata: Persian Thanksgiving episode - blending of our cultures

Website: Proportional Plate

Article: Garm or Sard? Balancing Warm and Cool Foods in Persian Cuisine

IG: Candice Walker ✨ (@proportionalplate)

Tik Tok: Candice Walker (@proportionalplate) TikTok

Pinterest: Candice Walker (proportionalplate) - Profile | Pinterest

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In light of the Zan, Zendegi, Azadi movement (Women, Life, Freedom) we are not broadcasting new content this week. Instead, we are “re-beating” an earlier episode about Khoresh (original episode #8).

Co-hosts Bita and Beata talk about their favorite Persian stews which are served with rice - what’s in them, how to prepare them, short-cuts (Beats Cheats) and favorites. 

What is Persian Stew (khoresh or khoresht) and is it really a stew?

More of a hearty sauce made with delicious braised meat, vegetables, herbs, nuts, beans, and/or legumes served over a mound of rice.

Khoresh Gheymeh | Persian Split Pea Stew

• Gheymeh in English means to shop into small pieces (usually when referring to meat)
• Split Peas in Farsi are called ‘lapeh’
• Ingredients in Persian Yellow Split Pea stew:  meat of choice (traditionally beef or lamb), yellow split peas, tomato paste, limou amoni (sour dried lime) topped with French fries!
• Beats Cheats:  using store-bought French fries, shoestring potatoes, or potato wedges cooked in the air fryer as the topping;  using ketchup substituted for tomato paste

Khoresh Bademjoon (Bademjan) | Persian Eggplant Stew

• Strategies for cooking it - frying, broiling, air frying, or simmering the eggplant
• Ingredients:  meat of choice, eggplants, ‘ghoreh’ - unripe grapes

What to cook Khoresh in - a shallow pot or flat, deep pan with a lid, an Instant Pot, or a pressure cooker

Khoresh Bamieh | Okra Stew

• Cheat:  use frozen okra

Herb based Stews:  Karafs and Ghormeh Sabzi

Khoresh Karafs | Persian Celery Stew

• Ingredients:  celery, mint, parsley, and meat of choice (in some regions tomato paste)

Ghormeh Sabzi

• Ingredients - braised meat, loads of herbs, kidney beans, and Limoo Omani
• Cheat: use pre-packaged dried or frozen mixed herbs (found at Middle Eastern or Persian Markets with the label, Ghormeh Sabzi)
• Variations - regional variations, try with blackeyed peas

Fessenjoon (Fessenjan) | Persian Walnut Pomegranate Stew

• A fan favorite made with ground walnuts, pomegranate molasses, and chicken or duck.  
• Rich, delicious and sweetly tart.  Looks like mole sauce can be shades of tan through dark brownish-red in color.

Ask the Beats!  Today’s question is from Ray from San Francisco.  Ray asks, “Is Persian foods spicy?” 

Recipe links from this episode:

Khoresh Gheymeh

• Bita’s Persian Yellow Split Pea Stew | Khoresh Ghemeh

Khoresh Bademjoon

• Beata’s recipe: Persian Vegetarian Eggplant Stew – Khoreshteh Bademjan

Khoresh Karafs

• Bita’s recipe: Persian Celery Stew | Khoresh Karafs
• Beata’s recipe: Khoreshteh Karafs Celery and Herb Beef Stew

Khoresh Fessenjoon

• Beata’s recipe: Walnut and Pomegranate Stew – Khoreshteh Fessenjoon

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

One Beat loves rose, the other is not so sure but willing to try. Which camp will you join? The fragrance of rose can be associated with mood lifting qualities. It also adds classic flavors to desserts, drinks, and even savory foods. Bring more joy to your life and add some culinary rose to your cooking!

This week’s “Ask the Beats” uncovers Beata and Bita’s favorite non-Persian dishes to make during the week.

Episodes referenced:

Episode 71:  The Medicinal Properties of Persian Spices with Dr. Mahtab Jafari

Episode 26:  Flowers | Gol

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Recipe for Rose Petal Jam

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Upgrade your party dip with creamy and nutritious Persian Borani (also spelled Boorani). It’s a cooked vegetable and yogurt dish that can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or light meal. Beata and Bita share the most common versions of Borani, plus their go-to recipes so you can make some tonight!

This week’s “Ask the Beats” covers favorite ingredients to cook with.

Episodes referenced:

Episode 5:  Yogurt

Episode 4: Onions

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

It’s almost fall and the Beats have apples top of mind!  Bita & Beata explore the role of apples in Persian culture, some of the symbolic meanings behind the representation of apples in traditional sofrehs (table settings) and occasions, and of course how apples are used in Persian cuisine.

This week’s “Ask the Beats” takes a peek into what Bita & Beata make for dinner that’s not actually Persian! 

Episodes referenced:

Episode 51:  Mehregan

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Sign up for the email newsletter here!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Special guest actor/comedian Payam Banifaz joins Beata and Bita on the podcast to talk about Persian food, favorite LA restaurants, and building community within the Iranian-American community. Payam confides he was a picky eater growing up, and shares the dish he dislikes the most!

Find Payam on Instagram at: Payam Banifaz (@pbani) 

Restaurants Referenced:

Sadaf in Encino

Raffi’s in Glendale

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Beata and Bita have fun talking about beets in this week’s podcast episode. They uncover their favorite beet recipes, cooking techniques, and nostalgia with beet street food in Iran. 

The “Ask the Beats” dives into the question: “When did you first start cooking Persian Food?”

Episodes referenced:

Episode 55: Persian Nuts

Episode 32: Maz Jobrani on Persian Food

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Bita and Beata celebrate the 100th episode of the Modern Persian Food podcast by sharing their top most memorable moments since first launching the show in 2020. The co-hosts give a sneak peek of a stellar guest line up, modern recipes to come, as well as offer new ways to listen and learn including YouTube and live broadcast shows for more listener engagement. Stay tuned for 100 more!

Episodes referenced:

Episode 71: Medicinal Properties of Persian Spices with Dr. Mahtab Jafari

Episode 66: Persian Food with Stand Up Dan

Episode 64: Aash Reshteh - Modern Persian Food

Episode 63: Yalda - Modern Persian Food

Episode 4: Onions - Modern Persian Food

Episode 1: What Is Persian Food?

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Bita and Beata get energized drinking and talking about coffee, coffee houses, and types of coffee in Persian culture and cuisine. Learn how to make strong Turkish coffee or easy stir in instant “nescafe” coffee and get your boost for the day! The duo reminisce about getting their “faal” read from coffee grounds and what their daily coffee rituals are.

The “Ask the Beats” is from Elika from Organizing with Elika asking about easy go-to Persian dinner recipes.

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Bita and Beata are chatting about suitcases full of soghati! Giving and receiving soghati souvenir gifts are part of Persian culture and often include golden saffron, savory nuts, delicate sweets, and other Persian specialties and extravagances! Hear about their stories growing up and what this cultural gift giving tradition looks like. 

The “Ask the Beats” this week is about popular Persian dishes and was asked by Beata’s daughter.

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Get ready to get hungry! Beata and Bita are covering what and how to order in a Persian restaurant. From delicious appetizers, savory kababs, and khoresh stews to mixed rice dishes and addictive desserts, the Beats help you navigate the extensive menu at your local Persian eatery. 

This week’s Ask the Beats is from a listener in Iran about trying new ingredients. 

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Learn more in these podcasts episodes:

Episode 8: Persian Stews | Khoresh

Episode 36: Persian Drinks | Nooshidani

Episode 86: Persian Kababs

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

The Beats are breaking down a simple, classic Persian salad recipe, Salad Shirazi!

Bright, light, crispy, crunchy! The salad staples include tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions in a simple citrus dressing. Play with the ratios to suit your taste!

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Bita’s recipe for Salad Shirazi | Persian Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Beata’s recipe for Maast-o-Khiar with Shallot and Salad Shirazi

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Oh anar, Persian for pomegranate, how we love you!  A classic, iconic Persian fruit that is both beautiful and sensual, prevalent in dishes both sweet and savory.  We hope you enjoy listening to the last of our summer Re-Beats series! 

Original episode: Episode 53: Pomegranates | Anar

Additional episodes referenced:

Episode 16: Khoresh Fesenjoon | Persian Pomegranate and Walnut Stew

Episode 31: Cultural Spotlight: Caspian Sea Regional Foods with Special Guest The Caspian Chef

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend or write a review!

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Recipes:

Walnut and Pomegranate Stew – Khoreshteh Fessenjoon

Pomegranate Glazed Chicken Wings

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Breaking bread together is so lovely. That’s why the Beats are happy to bring back Persian Breads, the 3rd in a 4 part series of repeating or as they like to call it, the “Summer Re-Beats”.  Be sure to share your favorite “loghmeh” or perfect bite of something wrapped in bread with us!

Original episode: Episode 49: Persian Breads

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend or write a review!

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Are you ready to spice things up?  Persian spices are subtle and sophisticated.  Elevate your dishes with saffron, turmeric, cinnamon and more.  The beats are “re-beating” a fan favorite episode - one of the very first broadcasts. Hold on to your seats, and take a listen to Aromatic Spices!  This is the 2nd in a 4 part series of re-broadcasting listener favorite episodes over the summer.  We hope you are inspired to sprinkle some royal magic on everything.

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend or write a review!

Original episode: Episode 2: Aromatic Spices

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

What’s for dessert?  If you are looking for something new, aromatic, and unique, look no further - the Beats have you covered.  This is a re-broadcast of a fan favorite MPF episode we decided to bring back for your summer listening pleasure.  It’s the first of a 4-part series we are calling “Summer Re-Beats”.  We hope you think it's as sweet as zoolbia bahmieh!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend or write a review!

Episode 34: Bastani | Persian Ice Cream

Episode 88: Persian Ice Cream with Gol

Episode 74: Persian Cookies

Original episode: Episode 6: Shirini | Persian Sweets

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Join us as we delve into the ancient mid-summer rain festival called Tirgan. Tirgan is a non-secular Zorastrian festival full of opportunities to make wishes! Typically celebrated in the first few days of July, customs include splashing water, dancing, reciting poetry, and serving spinach soup and sholezard, as well as wearing rainbow-colored bracelets. 

Tune in for some modern ideas and ways to bring Tirgan into your summer fun and activities!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast for a new episode every Wednesday! And tell a friend you think might be interested!

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by: Alvarez Audio

Beata and Bita welcome language specialist Leyla of Chai and Conversation to diverge from Persian language lessons and to explore, break down, and demystify the Persian cultural concept of “tarof”, a form of politeness, etiquette, and respect as it relates to food, having guests, and eating in restaurants. They reflect on raising kids in the US, especially in blended/cross cultural families, and being flexible with some old traditions.

In the 2nd half of the episode the trio discuss food as the best way to break down barriers and introduce others to the Persian culture. 

Leyla’s “Ask the Beats” question is about the motivation behind the Modern Persian Food podcast and what future plans are in store.  

Learn Persian with Chai and Conversation

Learn Persian (Farsi) (@chaiandconversation)

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend or write a review!

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Get creative with your charcuterie board pickings to make the perfect sweet or savory bite!

Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to do it and enjoy the process and the company.

In lieu of the Ask the Beats segment, the Beats ask you, the listener, what would you like to hear more of?  Is there a topic or special guest you’d love to have us feature?  Send us a note [email protected] or shoot us a DM on Instagram @modernpersianfood

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend or write a review!

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Bita’s post How to Build a Mediterranean Mezze Board

Video How to Make a Beautiful Cheese Board

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Get ready to crave so many interesting and delicious flavors!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast for a new episode every Wednesday! And tell a friend you think might be interested!

References:

Modern Persian Food Podcast Episode 34 Bastani | Persian Ice Cream (released 5/26/21)

Website:  Gol Ice Cream

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Today we’re exploring modern versions of an old classic, Persian kotlet! Kotlet is a fan-favorite fried potato patty and we’ve covering off with tips and tricks for making a lighter, healthier version, including ingredient substitutions, and ways to serve it.

Today’s “Ask the Beats” comes from Bita’s hubby, Bobby.  He wants to know how do you keep the kotlet from falling apart and what makes it stick together?  Tune in to hear what the Beats share about keeping it tight with kotlet.

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Bita's recipe link: Baked Persian Kotlet

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

The “Ask the Beats” in this episode comes from Beata’s hubby, Paul who asks: What is the difference between a kabab and a burger?

References:

Modern Persian Food podcast episode #4 Onions

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend or write a review!

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

It’s wedding season on the Modern Persian Food podcast! Bita and Beata bring back their first ever guest episode with wedding officiant and planner Nilou Nouri from Nilou Weddings as they talk about the role of food in Persian weddings and what makes Persian weddings unique. They explore modern takes on old traditions and some personal memories and stories of Beata and Bita’s own weddings.  

Enjoy and let’s celebrate love, culture, and partnerships!

Resource links and recipes from this podcast episode:

Episode 20: The Role of Food in Persian Weddings with Special Guest Nilou Nouri

Nilou Nouri:

Website:  www.nilouweddings.com

IG: Nilou Weddings (@nilouweddings) and Nilou Recipes (@nilourecipes)

Bita’s recipe for Persian Jeweled Rice | Shirin Polo

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend!

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

The Beats break down the ins and outs of chickpeas also known as garbanzo beans (or nokhod in Farsi) in Persian food and beyond! Chickpeas are fabulous in soups & stews, salads, dips, and as snacks. Chickpea flour is used in an iconic cookie called Nokhodchi and is gluten free. The easiest way to work with garbanzo beans is to use the canned bean variety, although the duo go over how to cook them from scratch, and also some easy go-to recipes. Listen to how chickpeas when mixed into Ajeel trail mix and packaged in a special way can help solve your problems!

This week’s “Ask the Beats” is close to co-host Beata’s heart and covers one off on a crunchy fan favorite food!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend!

References and recipes:  

Podcast Episode 3: Rice

Podcast Episode 11 Tahdigh | Bottom of the Pot

Podcast Episode 40: Damkoni

Podcast Episode 70: Kateh Persian Rice

Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, Persian food Where the Kebob is Hot

Bita’s Aash Reshteh | Persian Noodle Soup

Bita’s Vegan Moroccan Stew

Bita’s Instant Pot Okra Soup

Bita’s Easy Homemade Hummus

Bita’s Roasted Chickpeas

Bita’s Ajeel | Persian Trail Mix

Beata’s Ash Reshteh | Persian Noodle Soup – BeatsEats

Beata’s Asheh Reshteh – Persian Noodle Soup – Original Recipe Post – BeatsEats

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

The “Ask the Beats” covers off on a fun brunch cocktail sure to get anyone closer to their “Gols”!

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

References:

Modern Persian Food podcast episode 27: Persian Breakfasts

Beata’s recipe: Khormah Maloos | Persian Dates and Eggs – BeatsEats

For Bita’s cakes, cookies, and sweets go to Persian Desserts, a special bundle of recipes

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Today’s episode is a true podcasting collab. Co-hosts Beata and Bita are joined by Mikey and Rinne who are the hosts of another podcast, called Mikey and Rinne Eat In.

Mikey is a culinary innovation consultant and helps companies make all new delicious products nationwide. Bita and Mikey connected through an opportunity with Dinnerbell, a heat and eat food service company based out of Palo Alto, California.  Bita and Beata, together with Mikey and Dinnerbell curated a limited time menu offering of Persian food just before the Persian new year Norooz/Nowruz. Video and pics are available on the Modern Persian Food instagram page if you’d like to check them out!

The team put together the following menu:  Persian tahchin rice cups, a delicious cucumber yogurt dip, skewered chicken, grilled vegetables, pickled veggies, and amazing, aromatic, yummy buttercream Yazdi cupcakes!

Chef Mikey tips for cooking Persian food for the first time - 

• Be inventive
• Experiment with cooking techniques
• Do research to become a mini expert on a particular dish or technique

Ask the Beats:  Mikey and Rinne ask “We already have saffron now in our pantry and cooking repertoire, what other Persian ingredient would you suggest we add and try?”

• Limoo Amani, dried lime if you love sour flavors!  

Also catch the Beats on Mikey and Rinne Eat in episode:  Persian Food… with Bita and Beata!

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Mikey & Rinne Eat In podcast

Mikey And Rinne - Podcasters (@mikeyandrinne) • Instagram photos and videos

Dinnerbell

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend!

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Make Tahdig Not War!  A T-shirt, a movement, and so much more. In today’s episode co-hosts Bita and Beata are joined by a creative expressionist, Parisa Parnian. Special guest Parisa puts passion and meaning behind everything she does. She is the inspiration behind #maketahdignotwar and the growing, peaceful Persian foodie community. We learn the story behind the origination of said shirt as well as the history around Parisa’s spice blend, Perxican and her Mexican and Spanish inspired art.

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Savage Muse

Savage Taste

Perxican Spice Blend

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend!

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Cohosts Beata and Bita reflect on spring time and how they have celebrated Easter, both growing up Persian in the US and also as an adult in their Iranian-American families. They share their favorite Easter and springtime foods and recipes which include:

• Deviled eggs
• Steamed fava beans 
• Baghali Polo | Layered Persian dill rice with fava beans 
• Lamb including braised lamb shanks maycheh and lamb chops

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Bita’s recipe for Deviled Eggs 

Bita’s recipe for Baghali Polo

Beata’s recipe for Thanh's Classic Deviled Eggs – BeatsEats

Beata’s post on Bagheleh Polo bah Maycheh – Braised Lamb Shank Over Fava Bean and Dill Rice – BeatsEats

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend!

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Beeta’s strategy to success included trying everything in the culinary world (for the last 8 years) until narrowing down what she wants to do, as well as what the world wants her to do.  Lesson: try everything, figure out what you don’t want to do, then focus on what you love to do!

For more information on Beeta’s businesses:  Beetzeats.com

Instagram:  Chef Beeta Mohajeri (@chef.mbeetz)

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Learn about Bita and Beata’s favorite way to treat guests in this week’s “Ask the Beats” segment. 

Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast on your favorite podcast player, and tell a friend.

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Recipes referenced include::

Bita’s recipe for Salad Shirazi

Bita’s recipe for Persian Yogurt Dip | Mast-o-khiar

Bita’s recipe for Kashk Bademjan | Persian Eggplant Dip

Bita’s recipe for Salad Olivier | Persian Potato Salad

Bita’s recipe for Sabzi Khordan | Persian Herb Appetizer

Bita’s recipe for Kookoo Sabzi

Bita’s recipe for Aash Reshteh | Persian Noodle Soup

Bita’s recipe for Soup eh Joe | Persian Cream of Barley Soup

Bita’s recipe for Lentil and Date Rice | Adas Polo

Bita’s recipe for Baghali Polo

Bita’s recipe for Khoresh Karafs

Beata’s recipe for: Ash Reshteh | Persian Noodle Soup

Beata’s recipe for: Asheh Reshteh – Persian Noodle Soup – Original Recipe Post

Beata’s recipe for: Maast-o-Khiar with Shallot and Salad Shirazi

Beata’s recipe for: Persian Salad Olivieh

Beata’s recipe for: Persian Frittata Koo Koo Sabzi

Beata’s recipe for: Vegan Khoresh Karafs – Celery Stew With Mint and Parsley

Beata’s recipe for: Persian Jeweled Tahchin

Beata’s recipe for: Giti Joon's Famous Tacheen Recipe

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Salad Olivier (pronounced ooloovieh or olivieh) is a potato, chicken, and egg salad with a tangy twist – pickles add crunch and a punchy tartness.  We serve Salad Olivier as an appetizer or side dish at gatherings.  It is a wonderful compliment to kabab at barbecues, potlucks, and picnics - always a crowd pleaser!

Similar to Russian version - both have potatoes, carrots, peas, pickles, and mayo

Persian potato salad has boiled eggs and chicken. However Russian potato salad has diced ham, onion and dill, the Persian version does not.

What we like about it:

• Easy to make ahead, batch cook, meal prep
• Travels well to parties and picnics
• Unique, fun twist to potato salad - a popular crowd pleaser

Basics of recipe:

• Cooked chicken breasts
• Cooked potatoes
• Peas & carrots (sometimes available frozen)
• Dill pickles (the crunchier the better!)
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Mayonnaise
• Salt, pepper, and lemon juice 

Recipe variations:

• Cut down on the mayo - possible substitutes:  light mayo, yogurt, or mustard (will alter the flavor)
• Traditional method to serve has an extra layer of mayo covering the salad as a canvas to then decorate the top with vegetables
• Scoop method - scoop it in the shape of a ball and decorate around it
• Serve in split top buns or rolls as a sandwich
• Experiment with your preference of different types of potatoes and whether or not to keep the potato skins intact

Ask the Beats

Bita wants to know, what is a special Sizdeh Bedar memory that you have and can share?

Beata:  Enjoying a big pot of Maman joon’s Loobia polo out in a big park at a picnic

References:

Ep 24:  Norooz Part 3:  Persian New Year Sizdah Behdar

Episode 58: Lubia Polo | Green Bean Rice

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Bita’s recipe for Salad Olivier Persian Potato Salad

Beata’s recipe for Lubia Polo for the Persian New Year Sezdeh be Dar Picnic

Beata’s recipe for Persian Salad Olivieh

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

An inspiring conversation with Chef Nadia Deljou of Delle Dining on preserving culture through the sounds, smells, and tastes of Persian food and music. 

Background - raised in an Iranian-American family with a father being of Jewish faith.  Family and extended family were involved in art, creation, and food with family at the foreground of everyting.  Nadia has been able to identify with her culture in a multi-faceted way.

Nadia’s approach and mission:  To develop greater meaning for self (feeling empowered by culture, confident, and dominant - “wearing my Iranian-ness as loud as I can”), and then package it and expose it to the world in both a traditional and non-traditional way.

Deljou - interpretation and meaning of Nadia’s chosen family name (chosen by father’s side of the family):  someone who is always in search of the goodness in others

The Farsi word “Del” - an extension of who she is;  two references - the heart and the stomach, heart, stomach, and soul

Nadia also has a background in music!  With concentration in independent music

The cross-over and communality among cultures

• Persian and Moroccan food culture, specifically with spices
• Hospitality and offering food in the home and for guests
• How one cooks and eats

Food etiquette (like a dance)

• Integrating fresh herbs as an integral part of the eating experience - fresh, cooked, and/or fried

Nadia is involved in many facets of integrated Persian cuisine and culture:

• Private dining
• Cooking classes
• Store:  pastries, breads, scented candles, apparel (shirts, aprons, hats)

Dining events - pairing food with music for an overall immersive experience

“Food is so much more than food”

Nadia’s candles - a tangible product that evokes place, culture and flavor through scent.  An interactive quality including aroma (taste/smell) and music to create a mood and feeling

• At Mamani & Baba’s: smoky citrus + earthy cedar-wood:  “Limoo Amani” (Persian dried lime), a powerful flavor which Nadia loves - each candle comes with a recipe (ghormeh sabzi) and a song pairing (referenced in podcast) for a global experience.
• Stay For Chai: soothing jasmine + bright bergamot - the aroma that brings people together
• Poetry & Perfume: warm vanilla + sweet rose - royalty and sweet comfort
• Black peppercorns and rose petals paired with akbar mashti, Persian ice cream, rose water, cardamom, saffron

The intuition of cooking -

“Cooking is primitive and so much easier than what people think”

Using fire at the end of the day is very primitive

Where to find Nadia

Website:  Delle

Instagram handle:  @delledining

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Get inspired to set up your own Norooz/Nowruz Sofreh Haft Seen this year! Co-hosts Bita and Beata give an overview of the Persian New Year and encourage everyone to set up the traditional place setting with 7 symbolic items (or with whatever items you can get your hands on!)

Highlights of Norooz (also spelled Nowruz)

• It is the biggest Persian holiday and celebrated by other nationalities and countries as well
• It means new day and a time of renewal and rebirth
• Celebrated at the Spring Equinox for 13 days
• Youngers pay respect to elders, and in exchange the elders give them money or “Aid-e”
• Ends with “Sezdeh Bedar” - get out of the house on the 13th day for a picnic. 

Learn more about Norooz in the Modern Persian Food podcast 3-part series episodes 22, 23, and 24 (see links below).

The sofreh Haft Seen is a special place setting with 7 symbolic items starting with the Farsi letter which has the sound of “s”

Items on the Haft-seen place setting or sofreh can include:

• Seeb - apple, representing health
• Seer - garlic, representing good health
• Somagh - sumac, the color of sunrise 
• Sombol - fragrant flower, the Hyacinth flower
• Serkeh - vinegar, patience and aging
• Sabzeh - the Persian grass or sprouted legumes/lentils, representing growth and renewal
• Senjed - dried jujube, representing love
• Samanou - wheat germ pudding, representing patience, power, and bravery
• Sekeh - coins; representing prosperity
• Shirini - sweets

Additional, optional items often found on a haft-seen setting

• Mirror
• Candles
• Termeh or beautiful old fabric
• Colored, decorated eggs
• Fish - live or a representation of them
• Fresh flowers of any form
• A special book of poetry or a holy book (tradition being that at the moment of Norooz, clean, new bills are taken from the holy book by elders and gifted to youngers)
• Framed photos to commemorate deceased family members

Setting up a haft-seen can take different forms. There is a lot of flexibility with how one chooses to set it up. It can be big or small.  It can even be portable! Beata’s strategy is to start out with a mirror and then build the haft seen from there. Often Beata will start out with a larger haftseen set up on a table then make it smaller on the days following Norooz. A tray is a clever addition which can be used to move the table setting up if needed, or to even transport it to another place or home altogether.

We encourage you to set up your own haft-seen! Send us your Haft Seen pics and we will share them on IG!

Ask the Beats!

Manijeh from Germany asks: “What are you going to eat for Norooz this year?”

Sabzi polo - herb rice

Mahi - fish

Aash eh reshteh - Persian Herb and Noodle Soup

Kookoo sabzi

Resource links and recipes from this episode:

Modern Persian Food podcast 3-part Series-

Episode 22:  Norooz Part 1

Episode 23:  Norooz Part 2

Episode 24:  Norooz Part 3

Episode 26:  Flowers | Gol

Episode 64: Aash Reshteh

Episode 73:  Growing Sabzeh with Naz 

Recipes:

Beata’s Ash Reshteh | Persian Noodle Soup

Asheh Reshteh – Persian Noodle Soup – Original Recipe Post

Bita’s Aash Reshteh | Persian Noodle Soup

Beata’s Persian Frittata Koo Koo Sabzi

Bita’s Kookoo Sabzi | Quiche Muffins

Bita’s Easy Marinated Salmon

Haftseen for Norooz post

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In this podcast episode Beata and Bita explore Persian cookies which are often presented on the Persian New Year Norooz sofreh haft-seen table spread, weddings, and special occasions. They also include a simple recipe for Naan Berenji Persian Rice Flour cookies to inspire their listeners. 

What makes Persian cookies unique:

• Many of the cookie varieties
• Often ornately decorated, colorful and beautiful
• Naturally gluten-free;  rice flour (naan berenji), chickpea flour (nokhodchi), nut-based
• Flavors - rose water, cardamom, cinnamon

Occasions and traditions to serve and enjoy Persian cookies:

• On the sofreh/table setting for special occasions
• Parties, with tea particularly
• Any occasion!
• Often presented in a variety of multiple types of cookies

Naan Berenji | Persian Rice Flour Cookies recipe share

• Equipment - a bowl, a spoon, and hands; a cookie press (optional), thimble, or small spoon
• Ingredients - oil, powdered sugar, rice flour, egg yolks, rose water (cardamom, optional)
• Recipe notes - rice flour produces a delicate cookie batter; refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, overnight preferable
• Decorate with chia seeds or poppy seeds

• To elevate the decor, add edible gold glitter or edible gold paint

Ask the Beats

The Beats ask each other about their favorite type of cookie

Bita’s response - Naan berenji | Persian rice flour cookies, Russian tea cakes, any home-baked cookie that is made using powdered sugar.

Beata’s response - Naan nokhodchi, naan gerdooee (crunchy exterior, soft walnut interior), kaak - diamond shaped delicate layered cookie

Podcast episode references:

Episode 6 Shirini | Persian Desserts 

Episode 9 Persian Tea | Chia

Modern Persian Food Podcast: 3 part series about Norooz/Nowruz

Episode 22: Norooz part 1: Prelude to Persian New Year and Charshambeh Souri

Episode 23: Norooz Part 2, Persian New Year Haft-Seen and Food

Episode 24: Norooz Part 3: Persian New Year Sizdah Bedar

Bita’s recipe for Naan Berenji | Persian Rice Flour Cookies

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Does growing your own sabzeh give you an anxiety attack?  Worry no further!

Co-hosts, Bita and Beata are honored to be joined on the Modern Persian Food podcast by a special guest Naz Davarian in a special tutorial where Naz teaches how to grow sabzeh, also known as Persian grass, from start to finish.  Sabzeh is one of the 7 symbolic items arranged on the Haft-seen table for Norooz, the Persian New Year, the sprouting of new life!  

Sabzeh represents life, new life, renewal, rebirth, new beginning, celebration

What is growing sabzeh?:  It’s germinating sprouts from dry seed

What are the seed options for growing sabzeh?:  Lentils (looks like clovers), barley, wheat (looks like grass), mung beans, chia seeds (looks like clovers). Naz’s preferred seed to sprout is lentil.  

Timing:  start counting 14 days back from the turning of the season, Norooz this year is March 20th.  The timing will vary depending on the climate you are in.  If you want your sabzeh to stay fresh and green through the entire 13/14 day celebration, start a couple days “late”

Potential challenges:

• Not sprouting (too dry)
• Getting stinky or moldy (two wet)
• Growing in different climates - too hot or too cold, too much sun or too little; adjusting heat source, light, and amount of water

What do you need?

• 1 cup lentils
• Bowl

• Thin dish cloth
• A flat dish with a rim like a pie plate
• A spray bottle or spritzer (optional)

How to grow sabzeh:

• Soak the lentils for about 3 days or so (until you see the sprout, cracking through)
• Rinse the water once a day by gently tipping the bowl 

• After 3 or 4 days pour all of the water out
• Line a plate or platter with a damp dish cloth or paper towel
• Pour all of the sprouted lentils onto the lined plate/platter (does not need to be a single layer)
• Cover with another dish cloth or paper towel
• Keep it damp - you will begin to see little green shoots growing! - will happen between 5-7 days
• When lentils have started growing little roots on the bottom, transfer the lentils on another platter with nothing on the bottom but a cloth or paper towel on the top
• Spray water on top or use your hand to sprinkle, sprinkle over the top - damp, not soaked and not dry
• Don’t put it in the sun or in a hot spot at this point
• When there are plenty of green shoots, start “chasing the light”, move them around to sunny spots in the house - sprouts will start bending and reaching towards the sun
• Drain out/tip out the excess liquid very carefully and use the spray feature in the sink to refresh the water
• Continue spritzing and watering the sabzeh all the way until the 13th day, Sizdah bedar

What to do with the sabzeh:

• Make a wish by tying two shoots together (grass works too if you don’t have sabzeh)
• Traditional method: Lift the sabzeh which is now one big clump, rooted together, out of the dish and release the sabzeh into a running body of water
• Alternatively, compost the sabzeh

Referenced podcast episodes:

Episode 22: Norooz part 1: Prelude to Persian New Year and Charshambeh Souri

Episode 23: Norooz Part 2, Persian New Year Haft-Seen and Food

Episode 24: Norooz Part 3: Persian New Year Sizdah Bedar

Episode 44: Lentils

Dishes referenced:

Persian Frittata Koo Koo Sabzi

Ash Reshteh | Persian Noodle Soup

Article about Haft Seen Salad: Berkeley chef's childhood memories inspire dish for the Persian New Year

Follow Naz Davarian’s Instagram @bottomofthepot daily tutorials on growing your own sabzeh

Twitter: @bottomofthepot1

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Do you like carbs?  How about Fried carbs?? Today’s guest on the podcast, Varta Ariaban, describes tahdig as the ultimate fried carb. Varta is a talented food artist specializing in both sweet and savory. On the sweet side she makes beautiful bite-sized modern persian treats. On the savory side Varta loves preparing tahdig with fun designs 

Tahdig tips

• It’s all in trial and error, learning and knowing your cookware and your stove/burner. 
• Go low and slow
• Use a small, sauce pan pot
• Dark, non-stick pots give good results
• Find a perfect size platter, plate or cake stand for the flipping out of the crispy rice tahdig - Varta likes using a cake stand from Crate and Barrel that fits perfectly over her sauce pan/pot
• Tortilla tahdig is fool-proof, easy method
• Use enough oil - about a quarter of an inch
• Press the rice in tightly for the tahdig part
• Making a version with the yogurt mixture can be easier than going for some of the more complex, easier to burn versions, but may not be as crunchy
• For tahdig art use a kitchen designated Exacto knife and a pattern (cut out shapes and patterns from parchment paper); for side tahdig butter the sides

Type of tortilla for “bread” tahdig art

• White, flour tortilla, most basic and inexpensive - Varta likes the white Aldi brand

Varta’s shop: Vartamelon.com 

• Varta’s why - got tired of picking up same old fruit tart/fruit cake and same old Persian cookies for her parents parties over the years and was inspired to make something different, fun and modern
• Modern, Americanized, more relatable desserts like baklava poptarts, saffron rice krispies, yazdi cake pops and fun thematic candies like the golden fish “nabat” for Norooz, Persian New Year

Do you have a question for our Ask the Beats segment?

Contact us at [email protected] or Instagram

Resources and recipes from this podcast episode:

Varta’s IG handle is @vartamelon

Vartamelon.com

Tahdig Art template can be found at: https://modernpersianfood.com/episode-72-Tahdig-Art-with-Varta/

All Modern Persian Food podcast episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio 

Can we live better, healthier lives, and in some cases, maybe even extend our lives by enjoying the medicinal properties of Persian spices in foods?  Maybe!  

Join the Beats as they explore the depths of knowledge in an insightful chat with Dr. Mahtab Jafari and explore  Persian spices highlighted for medicinal health benefits include saffron, turmeric, cinnamon and rose.  Dr. Mahtab is a doctor, a professor, a research scientist, an author, and a director… and so much more.  She currently teaches Life 101 in the School of Pharmacy at UCI (see complete bio here in the reference section of the show notes).

Dr. Jafari does research in a lab studying fruit flies.

Fun factoid:  we share 75% of our disease genes with fruit flies!

Philosophies - as long as there are no inherent dietary deficiencies, you can get what you need in terms of vitamins and minerals from proper nutrition in fresh, healthy food sources!

The spices, herbs and fresh produce, beans, and legumes used in Persian foods provide great health benefits.

• Saffron - from the stigmas crocus statimus, in the crocus family

• Fun Factoid:  Need 4,500 flowers to make one ounce of saffron!
• Medicinal properties include possible anti-cancer properties (preliminary studios done in vitro)
• Antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties and positive impact on mood - studies done in Iran, showing that saffron can work as well as drugs such as prozac, and similar drugs
• Saffron has 150 compounds in it including antioxidants and vitamins
• No conclusive evidence, however the studies are promising

• Turmeric - curcumin

• Testing on fruit flies
• Medicinal properties - anti cancer and anti inflammatory
• Challenge - right dose and high standard properties
• Fresh turmeric root is preferable for medicinal properties
• No conclusive evidence, however the studies are promising

• Cinnamon

• Currently testing on fruit flies - improving health span and increasing life span
• Cinnamon has thermogenic properties - can help keep us warm!
• The data is not conclusive on claims that cinnamon aids with weight loss

• Rose

• Studying on fruit flies - increases life span, potentially from the scent of rose!
• Medicinal properties - the scent of rose oil can improve mood and decrease signs of anxiety and depression
• Conclusion:  stop and smell the roses!

References:

Dr. Mahtab Jafari

• Doctor of Pharmacy with residency at clinical pharmacy from UCSF
• Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UCI
• Botanical Sciences. The focus of her research lab at UCI is on the impact of botanicals and dietary supplements on lifespan and healthspan
• Author - newly published award winning book, “The Truth about Dietary Supplements: An Evidence Based Guide to a Safe Medicine Cabinet”.
• • Book has received 3 awards: Firebird Award, Royal Dragon, and a runner up at Southern California Book Festival
• Director of UCI’s Center for Healthspan Sciences

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines a spice as an “aromatic vegetable substance, in the whole, broken, or ground form,” whose significant function in food is “seasoning rather than nutrition” and from which “no portion of any volatile oil or other flavoring principle has been removed” (Food and Drug Administration 2007:205-208).

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Bita’s recipe for Tahcheen

Bita’s recipe for Adas Polo

Bita’s recipe for Loobia Polo

Bita’s recipe for Yazdi Cakes

Beata’s Recipe Links:

Persian Jeweled Tahchin – BeatsEats

Giti Joon's Famous Tacheen Recipe – BeatsEats

Lubia Polo for the Persian New Year Sezdeh be Dar Picnic

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In today’s episode, you will learn to make the easiest one pot, no strain rice, in Farsi called “kateh”.

What is the “kateh” method? A specific, one pot rice technique with no straining required

Steps:

• Use Indian long-grain, white Basmati rice
• Wash and rinse the rice until the water rinses out clear
• Transfer the rinsed rice to a pot
• General rule of thumb, fill up the pot about an inch and a half above the level of rice in the pot - visual trick, use a finger dipped into the water - almost up to middle knuckle of pointer finger
• Bring to a boil, uncovered
• Reduce heat, cook until most of the water is absorbed - rice should be al dente
• If going for tahdig, add oil, partially cooked rice mixed with saffron, a little water, and rest of rice… may need to add more water and oil/and or butter
• Cook low and slow for the “damming” steaming portion, about 30 minutes depending on amount of rice
• Put a cover on the lid of the pot once the rice starts to steam - called a “damkoni” in Farsi
• Make vertical tunnels or steam vents in the pot of rice
• Finish cooking

Strategies for keeping rice intact and the rice grains as separate as possible

• Rinsing rice initially until the water comes out clean and clear
• Steam holes and damkoni right before steaming 

Ask the Beats:

Ava from San Luis Obispo asks “what is the one Persian dish you can’t live without?”  

Bita: bread and butter; bread tahdig - crunchy, greasy bread tahdig

Beata: sabzi khordan - a platter of fresh herbs, especially enjoyed with breakfast!

Episodes referenced:

Episode #3 Rice

Episode #11 Tahdig

Episode #40 Damkoni

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Recipes: 

Kateh Persian Rice with Tahdig – BeatsEats

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Make your first Persian stew or “khoresh”, an easy Persian celery Stew | Khoresh/t Karafs!  This healthy stew is a great dish to start with, including ingredients that are easy to find.

Guess what, it’s home chef, Beata’s joon’s very first Persian dish she made herself!  For co-host Bita, she grew up eating it on regular rotation as a healthy choice, made with chicken.  

What we like about it:

• Readily available ingredients
• Easy to make
• Can easily make it vegetarian/vegan

Basics of recipe:

• Celery, onions, herbs (parsley and mint)
• Fried onions with turmeric
• Add chopped fresh herbs and chopped celery
• Cook meat along side and add later

Recipe variations:

• Artichoke version
• Tomato sauce or tomato paste
• Meat of choice or vegetarian
• Addition of dried sour lemon, limoo omani or lemon juice 
• Fresh, frozen or dried herbs

Interesting to note, there is a hot debate between Khoresh/t Karafs and Ghormeh Sabzi!

Ask the Beats

Sara from Burlingame, California wants to know, “I’m allergic to tomato based products, what’s a substitute for tomatoes in Persian stews?”

Well, you can simply omit tomato paste/sauce/tomatoes from most Persian stews. Try adding lemon juice for sourness, or “ab eh aloo” (sour plum juice) to experiment with adding sour notes and more color.

Link to Episode 8: Persian Stews | Khoresh

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Beata’s recipe for: Vegan Khoresh Karafs – Celery Stew With Mint and Parsley

Beata’s recipe for: Khoreshteh Karafs Celery and Herb Beef Stew

Bita’s recipe for: Khoresht Karafs | Persian Celery Stew Recipe - Oven Hug

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Have you heard of smoked rice?  Smoked basmati rice is just one of the smoky flavors the Beats explore in ingredients, dishes, and beyond.  There are so many delicious and unique smoky flavors in Persian cuisine, the most notable one being smoked fish.

Fish

• Purchase smoked from a store or a restaurant
• Smoke it yourself
• Open invitation to join us as a special guest on the podcast!

Smoked rice

• Available in middle eastern or Persian markets or online

Char-grilling on the grill, in the oven under the broiler, straight on the burner, or on an indoor grill pan

• Kababs
• Tomatoes and onions
• Corn | Balal
• Eggplant

Modern ingredients

• Smoky salt
• Smoky butter

Ask the Beats

Rebecca from Canada asks, “Beats, where are you from?”

Bita’s response - born in Iran, grew up in Michigan, college in Wisconsin, born into a Persian family and married into a Persian family. Live in the SF bay area, 2 young adult daughters and 4 pets, also a part time residence in Orange County.  Founder and manager of Ovenhug.com

Beata’s response - born and raised in SF/Marin, lived in NY city for 4 years where she started beatseats.com, Now lives back in SF, has 2 young children.

Link to: San Francisco Salt Company

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Bita’s recipe for Balal | Persian Street Corn

Bita’s recipe for Kaskh Bademjan | Persian Eggplant Dip

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Are you ready to get nutty?!

In this single ingredient episode, co-hosts Bita and Beata get excited about “pesteh” which is Farsi for pistachios, specifically how to add vibrance, texture and color to everyday dishes and beyond.  

Before the Beats dive into ways to incorporate this rich, decadent nut into Persian recipes and beyond, let’s explore a few questions.

Why are Persian pistachios special? 

Roasted and seasoned - marinated in citrus, salt, and saffron 

How do Persians eat them? 

Plain, served in a big bowl or with ajeel, garnished on foods/rice dishes and desserts 

Garnish on savory dishes 

• Tahchin
• Jeweled rice | Shirin polo
• Adas polo
• Reshteh polo
• Salads
• Roasted veggies

Garnish on desserts 

• Persian ice cream, akbar mashti
• Persian milk pudding, shir berenj
• Ice in Heaven, yakh dar behesht
• Baklava
• Halva
• Sholeh Zard

Roasting pistachios

• Marinate in citrus (optional)
• Add saffron and or spices
• Be careful not to burn!

Ask the Beats!

What are the top 3 things you pick up from the Persian market?

Bita’s response: Jam (cherry, rose, and quince), Dough, and Ready made food such as kebabs and khoresh

Beata’s response: Sour Cherry (Albaloo) Jam, barbari bread, and dried omani lemons (limoo omani)

Episodes referenced:

Episode 34: Bastani | Persian Ice Cream

Episode 55:  Persian Nuts

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Recipes:

Beata’s: Persian Jeweled Tahchin

Beata’s: Pomegranate Glazed Chicken Wings

Bita’s:  Tah-cheen Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole

Bita’s:  Persian Crispy Rice Cups | Tahchin Bites

Bita’s:  Persian Jeweled Rice | Shirin Polo

Bita’s:  Milky Persian Rice Pudding | Shir Berenj

Bita’s:  Ajeel | Persian Trail Mix

Bita’s:  Persian Nice Cream | Bastani

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

The Beats have so much fun geeking out about Persian food with Dan Ahdoot, a comic actor/writer, and most recently, very first Persian with his own show on Primetime TV!  Dan will be the host of a new show that follows “Chopped” on the Food Network (first show airing on Dec. 28th) called “Raid the Fridge”.  Help us support Dan in what is sure to be a hit show - with Dan’s wit and energy, this is going to be a cooking show like no other.

What Dan, doesn’t like to eat in terms of Persian food:

• Quince!  He doesn’t like the way it sounds in Farsi, “beh”... and he is not a fan of too much sweet mixed into his savory meals, specifically as in Khoresh eh Beh, Persian stew made with quince fruit
• “Garagharoot”!  The most sour lavashak you can get, made from cooked down kashk.  In Dan’s terms, it’s sour in a weird, bovine way, resembling bile (!)

Side note:  Dan is a huge fan of most Persian foods - an under-represented food cuisine with delicious flavors and a rich history, coming not from poverty but from royalty.

What Dan, does like, and in fact, loves eating in terms of Persian food:

Essentially anything that consists of mashed up beans and meat (Dan has a type!), what he refers to as Persian truck driver food.  Dan loves the expression “meechaspeh” which is used to describe rib sticking comfort foods and literally is translated from Farsi as meaning “sticking”.

• Dizi/ Deezi - Ab Ghousht
• • Loves the paste made when the beans and meat are mashed together along with some sangak bread into a type of delicious, comforting paste
• Kaleh Paacheh - organ soup
• • A super viscous soup made from cooked down head and hooves - in Iran most often prepared with lamb.  In the U.S., often made using beef.  Cooked with standard Persian base of friend onions and turmeric.  Traditionally also has Seville oranges (sour oranges).  
  • Dan prefers it cooked fresh by his mom vs from a restaurant
• Aasheh Sholeh Ghalamkhar…to Dan, the most comforting of all Persian soups
• • The ‘ugly step-sister’ of the more popular, iconic Persian soup or aash, Aash Reshteh
  • Made with meat, beans, and herbs

Tie in to Dan’s new show on Food Networks, Raid the Fridge (first show Dec. 28th)

What is the show - Four chefs and four mystery refrigerators.  Chefs will choose a fridge and create a meal, for example an omelet, using only the ingredients that are in their chosen fridge.  The winner is awarded $10k bucks!

• Use the ingredients you have to create Persian flavors and dishes
• Normalize Persian ingredients by incorporating them into other dishes - example, Dan loves to sprinkle ground limoo amani (Persian dried limes) on just about everything, especially on his ramen noodles!

References:

Joon Rice Truck - mini tahchin in Queens Night Market

Tahdig Tacos

Vartamelon

Reference to Chef Beeta Mohajari of Orange County Beetz Eats

Find more about Dan at https://www.standupdan.com and Dan Ahdoot (@standupdan)

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In this episode we are gifting you with 5, fun Persian-inspired cocktails!

• Pomegranate fizz
• Sekanjabin mojito
• Watermelon slushie
• Gohl Getter
• Cardamom Hot Toddy

With our unique ideas you’ll have festive cocktails twists to ring in the new year.

Disclaimer: all of these drinks can easily be made without any alcohol as mocktails.  If you choose to drink, be sure to drink responsibly and have a designated driver.

Pomegranate Fizz - a fun, pinkish, fizzy drink - make with pomegranate juice, club soda or ginger ale, and pomegranate arils as garnish.  Optional to spike it with gin.

Sekanjabin mojito - sekanjabin syrup (cooked down sugar/honey, vinegar, and mint), mixed with muddled fresh mint and grated cucumber.  Optional to spike it with rum. See Sekanjabin micro episode for more info on how to make the syrup.

Watermelon Slushie - blended frozen innards of fresh  watermelon, and sugar, garnished with a small wedge of watermelon.  Optional to spike it with vodka. Can use the watermelon from Yalda winter festival, learn more in the Yalda episode.

Gohl Getter - a play on words, as in “goal getter” - go get your new year’s resolution goals!  Made by mixing rose petal jam with Brut rosé, lime juice, garnished with rose petals and/or rose buds.  To make this drink non-alcoholic, use a Martinelli’s sparkling apple cider in the place of the rosé. We talk more about flowers in the Gol episode.

Cardamom Hot Toddy - Tea bag with Persian black tea flavored with cardamom, honey, lemon, hot water.  Optional to spike it with whisky or bourbon 

Ask the Beats - 

In their last Ask the Beats segment of 2021, the Beats as each other, do you have any goals/intentions for the new year?

• To double the number of Modern Persian food listeners!  To help us reach our goal, please ask one person you know who you think would love hearing this episode to listen!
• Drink more water and stay hydrated!
• Spread love and positivity around the world

Other episodes referenced:

Episode 35: Sekanjabin Persian Syrup

Episode 63: Yalda

Episode 26: Flowers | Gol

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Do you want to make warm, delicious, comforting, nutritious iconic Persian soup,  Aash Reshteh, also known as Persian Noodle and Bean and Herb Soup?!

Join the Beats as they walk through their recipes including short-cuts and techniques, and a fun modern take on blending American and Persian cultures - making and eating it for the Western calendar new year on January 1st of the Gregorian calendar (vs the traditional time aash reshteh is enjoyed, the Persian New Year Norouz/Norooz which falls on the first day of spring in March).

Ingredients:

Noodles:

• Persian Reshteh, reshteh is Farsi for the special noodles that go in this soup - reshteh noodles are long, a bit flat, and slightly saltier and starchier than Italian pastas 
• • Can be found in Persian or Middle Eastern markets or ordered online
• Italian linguine, fettuccine, or spaghetti can be substituted for reshteh noodles

Herbs 

• Fresh - parsley, cilantro, dill, mint
• Dried - Mint, dill 
• • Used both in the soup as one of the primary ingredients as well as part of the topping (fried onions with dried mint, garlic and turmeric)

Vegetables

• Onions
• Spring onions
• Leeks
• Spinach (optional)

Spices

• Turmeric is the main flavor note
• Cinnamon (in Beata’s recipe version)

Kashk 

• Fermented dairy product
• • Texture is thicker than yogurt;  flavor is salty and a little umami
  • Used drizzled on top as part of the garnish and/or mixed into the soup

Beans

• Use cooked dry beans, frozen beans/peas, or canned beans
• Lentils 
• Chickpea /garbanzo 
• Red beans or kidney 
• White or cannellini beans 
• Blackeyed peas
• • Clever blending of cultural traditions - use black eyed peas, a southern new year’s tradition, in this soup to serve on American new year, Jan. 1st

Garnish or topping for the soup

• Kashk
• Fried onion, fried mint
• Modern options:  yogurt, vinegar, lemon juice

Episode 12, 3 Persian Soups

Episode  Norooz Part 3:  Persian New Year Siz Dah Behdar

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Bita’s recipe for Aash Reshteh | Persian Noodle Soup

Beata’s short-cup recipe: Ash Reshteh | Persian Noodle Soup

Beata’s traditional recipe: Asheh Reshteh – Persian Noodle Soup – Original Recipe Post

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In this heartfelt episode, co-hosts Bita and Bita share 3 ways to celebrate the Persian Winter Festival this year, Shabe Yalda, including 1. How to set it up (the sofreh or special table setting), 2. What to do (traditions and our modern takes), and of course, 3. what to eat (traditionally and what they plan to eat)!

Before jumping into the 3 ways to celebrate ShabeYalda, what exactly is it and when is it celebrated?

What is Yalda?: A winter solstice festival, falling on the longest/darkest night of the year, the turning of the seasons from fall to winter

When is it?: Typically falls on either Dec 20th and 21st - this year the winter solstice is the morning of the 21st where we are in western hemisphere

Ok, now let’s get into how to celebrate this very historical and symbolic occasion, the Persian winter solstice festival!

How does one celebrate Yalda?: A family gathering to set a spread or special table setting, to gather with family, eat a delicious meal, drink (mostly tea!), read and recite poetry, and stay up late! Stay up ward off evil and to welcome light and love in the days following and leading up to the next season, spring!

A song!  Leila Fourohar, famous Iranian pop and classical singer. The title of the song is: Madar Bozorgh (which means Grandmother) 

In the song Leila sings about Yalda….spend time with elders, stay up late telling stories, learning life lessons ….

The set up:

• The Yalda setup includes a sofreh or special table setting - red, candles (some slight cross over with Christmas in terms of color and light); winter fruits (pomegranate, apples, persimmons, and watermelon), and nuts/Persian ajeel, a book of poetry (often Hafez or Rumi)
• Some possible symbolic meanings behind the sofreh - ward off evil of the longest darkest night, bring in love and light
• Side notes about the book of Hafez and “fall eh hafez”...a sort of fortune telling, interpreting the opening of the book specific poem and interpreting the meaning as a prediction of the future
• Ideas of sharing Ajeel, Persian trail mix as holiday gifts
• Watermelon crafts and cookies as a modern theme to shabeh Yalda

What to do:

• Gather with family, listen to music, read poetry

What to eat:

• Traditional dishes include aash, mahi polo, and bademjan/bademjoon, also fesenjoon!
• Modern ideas of what to cook on this night include Persian meatball Koofteh, quick and easy fesenjoon meatballs
• Drinking tea!

Poetry readings: 

• Bita reads a Persian poem by Hafez
• Recording of Beata’s dad reciting a poem called the The Symbols of Love by Salak (Mojtaba Kashani)
• Beata translats parts of the poem her father read

References to the following two previous MPF podcast episodes include the following:

Episode 62 Persian Christmas Traditions

Yalda Winter Flavors episode reference

Episode 16: Khoresh Fesenjoon | Persian Pomegranate and Walnut Stew

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Bita’s post Ajeel Persian Trail Mix

Bita’s recipe for Fesenjan Persian Pomegranate Chicken

Beata’s recipe for Walnut and Pomegranate Stew – Khoreshteh Fessenjoon

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Looking to start some fun new winter holiday traditions? The Beats share several Persian inspired cross-cultural menu ideas to bring Persian flavors to your table this Christmas.

Breakfast/brunch

• Jeweled Cinnamon Rolls - using a dried fruit and nut spread along with Persian spices, this is a unique delicious twist to easy cinnamon rolls.  Use Ajeel, a Persian trail mix that can also be used for Yalda.
• French toast casserole versions - try with challah bread, Persian barbari bread, vanilla, cardamom, persimmon or quince, top with whipped cream and/or powdered sugar and fresh fruit, pomegranate arils or berries

Appetizer and snack ideas

• Baked brie bites
• • Use puff pastry or crescent rolls, brie, jam (a peppered jam is great here!), nuts (pecans or walnuts, and fresh herbs (rosemary looks festive) - serve warm
• Cheese board or platter

Main meal/dinner

• Standing prime rib roast served with a pomegranate horseradish sauce
• Roast beef with mixed roast vegetables
• Roast lamb with garlic cloves and dijon mustard
• Sumac roasted vegetables
• Christmas enchiladas - green salsa or enchilada sauce and red salsa or enchilada sauce
• Seafood - saffron roast shrimp or salmon
• Jeweled Rice, Shirin polo - Persian fruit and nut layered rice or Tahchin

Dessert

• Cookies!  The annual cookie exchange...mix cookie platter with Persian cookies
• Jeweled Cinnamon rolls

Yalda Winter Flavors episode reference

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Bita’s recipe for Persian Jeweled Rice | Shirin Polo

Bita’s recipe for Easy Marinated Salmon

Bita’s index of Cookie Recipes

Beata’s recipe for Jeweled Cinnamon Rolls

Beata’s recipe for Persian Jeweled Tahchin

Beata’s recipe for Persian Tea Cookies with Aunt Pari Joon

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Join Bita and Beata in today’s culinary conversation about connecting to our culture with special guest Cynthia Banafsheh Samanian.  Cynthia is an expert in experiential marketing, teaches cooking class business school, and runs a podcast.  Cynthia is a great example of a woman who has built on her bi-cultural up-bringing to help others come together at the table, both literally and figuratively.

What is your mission with regards to experiential marketing with regards to your culture?

• “At the end of the day I am all about helping people share their culture and share their stories around food”

Is there a MPF podcast episode that you particularly connected with and why?

• Yes!  Episode 31, Caspian Chef
• • Mom is from “shomal”, Farsi for the northern region of Iran and I had never heard anyone speak of the specialty foods of this region that I grew up eating

Favorite family foods - Cynthia’s folks used to overnight the following Persian foods to her!

• Mirza ghassemi (and fresh eggs to cook and enjoy along side)
• Seer torshi
• Khoresh bademjoon

Persian foods Cynthia likes to cook:

• Sabzi polo
• Salad shirazi
• Cotlet
• Ghormeh sabzi
• Loobia polo
• Kookoo seebzamini

What do you hope to pass down to your young kids with regards to Persian-French (husband is French American) food culture?

• A rice cooker that makes perfect tahdig!
• A remembrance of Cynthia’s mom’s saying, “you can tell that a house is warm when the kitchen is busy”
• Side note:  Cynthia’s parents (like many of ours) were immigrants - food was a way to bring people into their home and introduce them to Persian culture and to connect

Ask the Beats

Cynthia asks the Beats:  If you could teach someone one thing, what dish would it be and why?

• How to make the perfect tahdig, tahchin, and an appetizer sampling platter
• Let us know if you are interested in Bita and Beata hosting their own cooking class!

Contact us at [email protected] or Instagram

Resources and recipes from this episode:

Episode 31:  Cultural Spotlight Caspian Regional Foods with Special Guest The Caspian Chef

Find Cynthia at:

The Experiential Table Podcast | Food Marketing Podcast

Hidden Rhythm: Teach Online Cooking Classes

Culinary Marketing Coach (@hiddenrhythm) • Instagram photos and videos

Bita’s recipe links:

Salad Shirazi | Persian Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Persian Tahdig

How to Prepare Persian Rice in a Rice Cooker

Tah-cheen Baked Persian Chicken and Rice Casserole

Tahchin Bites

Beata’s recipe links:

Persian Salads: Maast-o-Khiar with Shallot and Salad Shirazi

Katte Persian Rice with Tahdig

Persian Jeweled Tahchin

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

What are you going to do with all your Thanksgiving leftovers?  Looking for inspiration?  Seek no further - the Beats have 3 great ideas for fast and easy Persian recipes utilizing Thanksgiving feast leftovers;  haleem, tahchin, and salad olivier!

Haleem

• Ingredients in simplified recipe: old fashioned oats or barley, leftover turkey, broth, butter, sugar, and cinnamon
• Easy, shortcut preparation steps: cook oatmeal in turkey stock (chicken or vegetable broth may also be used), add shredded turkey, blend using a hand immersion blender, top with butter, sugar, and cinnamon
• Modern way of enjoying haleem and leftovers - try it with a side of cranberry sauce!

Tahchin

• Ingredients in simplified tahchin recipe using pre-cooked leftovers:  cooked turkey meat cut into pieces, cooked plain rice or zereshk polo, combined with yogurt, eggs, and spices (turmeric, salt and pepper, saffron)
• Steps:  marinate the turkey meat pieces in yogurt, egg, spice mixture time permitting, combine with cooked rice, oil a glass pyrex casserole dish, and pat down the chicken and rice mixture into the pan, bake until a golden brown edge forms on all of the sides of the glass dish - invert to serve or keep it simple and serve straight from the pan casserole style
• Muffin tin option - bake in muffin tins following the same steps but adjusting the time (less time); invert and top with zereshk (dried barberries), rose petals, nuts (optional)

Salad Olivier

• Ingredients in simplified versions:  cooked turkey, cooked potatoes, hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise, cooked peas and carrots
• Enjoy has a side dish or in a pita for an easy sandwich

Note:  Refer back to episode #59 for Persian Thanksgiving dish ideas and inspiration

Ask the Beats

Jordan in Chicago wants to know, “what’s the deal with chai nabat?”

• Chai nabat is Persian tea and Persian rock candy consumed in combination
• Cultural meaning and symbolism behind offering chai nabat for ailments - 
• • Medicinal, healing, homeopathic qualities of tea and of the rock candy...put the two together and Persians of old custom believe it can cure almost anything (somewhat of old wives tale)

Contact us at [email protected] or Instagram

Resources and recipes from this episode:

Episode #59 for Persian Thanksgiving 

Epsiode #30 for Tahchin 

Bita’s recipe links:

Persian Crispy Rice Cups | Tahchin Bites

Tah-cheen Baked Persian Chicken and Rice Casserole

Salad Olivier | Persian Potato Salad

Beata’s recipe link;

Persian Jeweled Tahchin

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #59, co-hosts Beata and Bita share ideas and inspiration to bring Persian flavors to the Thanksgiving table.  The duo covers some of their favorite side dishes and desserts to enjoy along with the traditional Thanksgiving day turkey, gravy and stuffing. 

Rice

• Plain rice as a gluten-free and vegan side dish offering
• Lubia Polo | Persian green beans and rice as a way to incorporate and blend Persian culture with an American cultural tradition (having green beans as a side dish on Thanksgiving)
• Zereshk Polo | Barberry Rice
• Modern cranberry zereshk polo

Side dishes

• Pomegranate apple salad
• Root vegetables seasoned with sumac
• Lentil butternut squash soup
• Roasted brussel sprouts or roasted butternut squash garnished with pomegranate seeds/arils
• Loobia polo as a “khorak” - just the seasoned and saucy green beans of loobia polo served separately from the rice and meat as a side dish

Table decor

• Bringing the beauty of nature and the outdoors in and onto the table
• Seasonal whole and fresh fruits such as pomegranate, persimmons, and pumpkins
• Succulent pumpkins as a centerpiece
• Fall leaves and branches

Note:  Refer back to episode 7:  Fall Flavors for more great content and ideas around celebrating a Persian American Thanksgiving

Desserts

• Pie - experiment with using quince and/or quince jam in a pie, perhaps mixed with apples
• Cheesecake drizzled with a delicious Persian fruit jam
• Sholeh zard - saffron rice pudding

Ask the Beats

Reza from Tehran wants to know, “how do you keep happy?”

• Keeping a gratitude journal and a list of 3 Good Things that happened that day; finding balance in order to take care of self and others;  celebrating the little things;  looking for the positives

Contact us at [email protected] or Instagram

Resources and recipes from this episode:

Episode 7:  Fall Flavors

Episode 58: Lubia Polo | Green Bean Rice

Episode 57: Zereshk Polo | Barberry Rice

Beata’s recipe links:

Lubia Polo Recipe

Bita’s recipe links:

Loobia Polo | Green Bean Rice

Pomegranate Kale Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing

Lentil Butternut Squash Soup

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #58, co-hosts Bita and Beata talk about one of their all time favorite Persian dishes, Lubia Polo! Also spelled Loobia Polo. They uncover what it is, how to make it (both traditional methods and modern, fast and easy tips and tricks), pairings, and lastly the duo wraps up the episode with a touching Ask the Beats question and response.

After listening to this episode, you will have the tools to make Lubia Polo tonight, or on a future special occasion!

What is in lubia polo?

• Basmati rice
• Traditionally a red meat - stewed/cubed or ground
• Variety of spice options that may include the following
• • Turmeric
  • Cinnamon
  • Saffron
  • Advieh (spice blend or mix - sometimes including cumin, cardamom, rose, ginger, cloves)
  • Every family and person puts their own spice twist on this dish!
• Modern versions may include different types of meat such as chicken, tofu crumbles or other vegetarian meats like beyond meat or incredible burger meat

How do you prepare it?

• Always start with piyaz dagh (fried onions)
• Add spices
• Add meat
• Add green beans and tomato paste and cover the pan to cook and simmer down
• Traditionally - layer in a large baking dish or a large pot the parboiled rice with the mixture of onion, green bean, meat mixture and some sprinkles of cinnamon, cover the pot and simmer
• Modern versions with short cuts - make lubia polo toppings as a “khorak” use pre cut/pre washed green beans or canned green beans and mix with rice cooked in a rice cooker

Occasions to make and enjoy lubia polo

• Incorporating green beans cleverly for Thanksgiving dinner
• Siz dah Bedar Persian New Year Picnic
• Potluck
• Taking food to friend or family member to share and/or to help out

Pairings

• Plain yogurt
• Mast-o-khiar | Persian Yogurt and Cucumber Dip
• Salad Shirazi
• Torshi | Pickled Vegetables
• Sabzi Khordan | Fresh herb platter

Ask the Beats

• Leyla in San Diego asks, What is the one thing you hope to pass on to your Persian children with regards to Persian cooking?
• • Bita:  Try some of our easy Persian recipes and bring people together and to the table.  Know that we are a loving, warm, welcoming culture - Share love through food!
  • Beata:  Just try it.  Try not to waste food, use what you have and try not to be wasteful.  Feel free to make substitutions and experiment in the kitchen until you find something you like

Contact us at [email protected] or Instagram

Resources and recipes from this episode:

Episode 3: Rice

Episode 46:  Persian Meal Planning

Bita’s recipe links:

Loobia Polo | Persian Green Bean Rice

How to Parboil Rice

How to Prepare Persian Rice in a Rice Cooker

Persian Yogurt and Cucumber Dip | Mast o Khiar

Beata’s recipe links:

Lubia Polo for the Persian New Year Sezdeh be Dar Picnic

Katte Persian Rice with Tahdig

Persian Salads: Maast-o-Khiar with Shallot and Salad Shirazi

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #57, co-hosts Beata and Bita breakdown the iconic Persian dish called Zereshk Polo (Barberry rice), and walk through how to make it. They reference other recipes made with barberries, and offer subsitions and storage methods. 

What is zereshk?

• Dried barberries
• Similar in appearance to a goji berry only smaller and brighter
• Pinkish, reddish in hue - almost like a pinkish, red, smaller raisin
• Tart or sour in flavor

How is it used in Persian cuisine?

• Most traditionally used in an iconic Persian rice dish known as zereshk polo
• Almost always paired with chicken - Zereshk Polo Bah Morgh which means Barberry Rice with Chicken
• Mixed into koo koo sabzi, Persian herb quiche frittata
• Mixed into tahchin
• Used as a garnish for koo koo, tahchin, and sometimes jeweled rice dishes
• Modern uses - as a topping on cooked vegetables for example brussel sprouts

Preparing Zereshk Polo bah Morgh

• Wash and rinse the barberries before using - they sometimes have small stems
• Shortcuts - use precooked rice and chicken and prepare the zereshk as a topping
• Authentic version - cook chicken with preferred spices (turmeric, saffron, onion/garlic), saute zereshk in butter and sugar, layer rice with zereshk topping on a platter and arrange chicken around the rice
• Some folks add slivered almonds and or pistachios

Substitutions for zereshk

• Note - authentic is best!  Try to find zereshk in Persian or middle eastern markets or ask a friend or family member to bring some back from Iran as a souvenir on their next trip
• Dried cranberries - gives the same aesthetic of green with red.  Works well as a substitution for a “fake zereshk” polo would be thematic as a fall dish for American Thanksgiving for example
• Dried sour, tart cherries which mimic the color, are larger, but are also sour and already sweet in flavor (no sugar needed for the sweet and sour essence)

Note:  Storing Zereshk - store in a cool place or in the refrigerator or freezer

Ask the Beats

• The Beats ask each other, what is your favorite and least favorite Persian flavor or ingredient in Persian cuisine?
• • Bita:  favorites include anything with rose water or saffron; least favorite are unique cuts of meat such as tongue, liver or kaleh pahchen
  • Beata - favorites include a kick of sour from fresh squeezed lemon, vinegar, or torshi pickled vegetables

Contact us at [email protected] or Instagram

Resources and recipes from this episode:

Episode 30: Tahchin

Episode 3: Rice

Beata’s recipe links:

Persian Frittata Koo Koo Sabzi

Persian Jeweled Tahchin

Giti Joon’s Famous Tacheen Recipe

Bita’s recipe links:

 Tah-Cheen | Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole

 Persian Crispy Rice Cups | Tahchin Bites

Kookoo Sabzi | Quiche Muffins

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #56, co-hosts Bita and Beata un-cover quince is an exotic, unique ingredient used in Persian jams and stews.  Quince is a fall and winter fruit.  It looks like a pear-apple but a blown up version...bigger, harder than pears and apples, mostly used in a cooked version.  The most interesting aspect is that it transforms from a pale color to a bright vibrant color.  Has a strong aroma or fragrance.  

Cooking technique to prepare Quince jam, moraba yeh beh

• Use a damkoni - simmer and hold the steam in, helps with color transformation
• Chop into slices
• Add sugar and optional cardamom and cook down

Beh in Persian cuisine

• Khoresh beh | quince stew - sweet and sour made with quince, tart plum, tomato sauce, cinnamon or saffron, sometimes meat
• Jam
• Quince seeds (beh dooneh in Farsi) - make a tonic to aid with a cough, home remedy
• Sharbat - a syrupy drink or soda

Ask the Beats

• Bita asks Beata, name the last two Persian dishes you cooked or partially cooked and how did it go?
• • Beata recently made kookoo and mast-o-khiar and it went well - likes to snack on mast-o-khiar as a dip for potato chips!
  • Bita made khoresh ghemeh and it was fine but not as good as Maman’s!  Also fesenjoon meatballs using pre-made pre-cooked meatballs and a homemade easy fesenjoon sauce.

Contact us at [email protected] or Instagram

Resources and recipes from this episode:

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Recipes:

Persian Quince Jam – Morabah Beh

Walnut and Pomegranate Stew – Khoreshteh Fessenjoon

Khoresh Fesenjan

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #55, co-hosts Beata and Bita explore the world of nuts in reference to Persian culture and cuisine.  There are many varieties of nuts and seeds seen in Persian appetizers, baked goods, and dried fruit and nut mixes.  They are enjoyed plain and simple as a snack and also used often to add color and texture to dishes as a sort of garnish or topping.  Nuts are a super nutritious snack and both the Beats love using them in many dishes.

Persian pistachios, in Farsi known as “pesteh”

• Extra large nut means
• Plain, roasted, marinated in citrus and/or saffron
• Shelled and slivered - can be found ready to use as a garnish, bright green color, in some Persian or middle-eastern markets
• Examples of dishes with slivered or chopped pistachios as a topping or garnish
• • Shirin polo/jeweled rice
  • Tahcheen
  • Adas polo
  • Persian ice cream sandwiches
  • Persian Trail Mix | Ajeel

Walnuts (gerdoo in Farsi) and Almonds (badoom in Farsi)

• Examples of dishes with walnuts and/or almonds
• • Part of Persian Herb Platter | Sabzi Khordan
  • • Water soaking technique - softens the nutmeats and allows skin to easily peel off
  • Techniques and tools for cracking whole walnut shells to get to the nut meat
• Almonds
• • Almond cookies
  • Toot/ Marzipan treats
  • Almond cakes
  • Chaghaleh Badoom - young almonds, green, sour/tart - enjoyed when they are in season eaten whole and raw with salt

Seeds

• Pumpkin seeds | Tokhmeh - Listen to Episode 41: Tokhmeh

Ask the Beats

• Bita asks Beata, if you could have tea with anyone in the world, who would you have tea with and why?
• • Beata - my late dad who passed away about 4 years ago.  I would enjoy spending time with him, talking to him, and getting his advice.

Contact us at [email protected] or Instagram

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #54, co-hosts Bita and Beata talk about squash, called “kadoo/kadu” in Farsi and its uses in Persian food and beyond.

Kadoo/kadu is the word in Farsi for squash. The most prevalent type of squash in Persian cuisine is probably zucchini.  Zucchini is great because it can easily be substituted for eggplant which is in many Persian stews, dishes, and dips.

Some Persian dishes using kadoo | squash as an ingredient:

• Kadoo borani - mixed with tomatoes, sauteed onions and yogurt
• Kadoo kookoo
• Stews made with squash

Modern uses of squash in Persian cooking and cuisine

• Pumpkin added to fesenjoon | Persian walnut and pomegranate stew
• Yogurt with raw zucchini - a version of mast o khiar

Fun with pumpkins

• Soups, stews, pumpkin seeds
• Table decor
• Hallowed out and used as a serving vessel for soups and stews

Beats Cheats - shortcuts for cooking with squash

• Chopped and frozen
• Prepped, chopped, refrigerated
• Canned pumpkin puree

Ask the Beats

Miriam from Sunnyvale asks

“Do you have any easy, vegan, Mediterranean lunch ideas or recipes?”

Yes, great for cooking meats, as well as for cooking Persian soups and stews.  Also helpful as a time saving tool when batch cooking and meal prepping.  

• Adas polo with lentils
• Veggie wrap with cooked, marinated veggies with hummus or a vegan butternut squash spread

Contact us at [email protected] or Instagram

Resources and recipes from this episode:

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Beata’s recipe: Persian Frittata Koo Koo Sabzi

Bita’s recipe: Kookoo Sabzi | Quiche Muffins

Bita’s instructions for making table decor: Succulent Pumpkins

Bita’s recipe: Butternut Squash Soup

Bita’s recipe and instructions on Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

Bita’s recipe: Gluten-free Pumpkin bread

Bita’s recipe:  Vegan Butternut Squash Dip

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #53, co-hosts Beata and Bita talk about many facets of how pomegranates are an important part of Persian culture from unique dishes to literature and art.  Tartly sweet and delicious, pomegranates are beautiful and delicious in many forms.

Fresh Pomegranates

How to Deseed a pomegranate

• Traditional method - cut/score the tough outer skin or peel, divide into the natural segments and pick out the fruit around the tiny seeds called arils
• De-seed with the underwater method (see video link in show notes)
• Purchase pre-packed and de-seeded - note, shorter shelf life

Other forms of pomegranate used in Persian cuisine

• Pomegranate molasses - more sweet
• Pomegranate paste - more sour

Dishes using pomegranate molasses and/or paste

• Fesenjan/Fessenjoon | Chicken Walnut and Pomegranate stew
• Asheh Anar | Pomegranate Soup
• Regional dishes (such as those touched on by Omid, The Caspian Chef)

Modern takes on using Pomegranate

• As a garnish to fesenjan/fessenjoon | Persian chicken walnut Pom stew, as a garnish to jeweled rice and shirin polo
• Arils sprinkled on oatmeal, yogurt cereal, saladsl
• Molasses turned into a sauce for chicken wings and meatballs
• Molasses drizzled over desserts, yogurts, and breakfasts
• Whole, fresh pomegranates as a natural table decor, added to table settings and sofrehs for fall holidays such as American Thanksgiving, and Persian Mehregan and Shabeh Yalda

Ask the Beats

Kat from Simple Good Foods asks,

“I love my Instant Pot, do you have one and do you use it for Persian cooking?”

Yes, great for cooking meats, as well as for cooking Persian soups and stews.  Also helpful as a time saving tool when batch cooking and meal prepping.  

• Hard boiled eggs
• Potatoes
• Beans from scratch
• Meats

Contact us at [email protected] or Instagram

Resources and recipes from this episode:

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Video:  How to De-Seed a Pomegranate Underwater

Recipes: 

Walnut and Pomegranate Stew – Khoreshteh Fessenjoon

Khoresh Fesenjan | Persian Pomegranate Chicken

Pomegranate Glazed Chicken Wings

Persian Jeweled Rice

Episodes referenced:

Episode 16: Khoresh Fesenjoon | Persian Pomegranate and Walnut Stew

Episode 31: Cultural Spotlight: Caspian Sea Regional Foods with Special Guest The Caspian Chef

Podcast Production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #52, co-hosts Beata and Bita explore the sour and acidic elements that elevate and balance Persian dishes.

List of sour and/or acidic ingredients in Persian cuisine include:

• Dried lime (in Farsi, Limoo Omani)
• Citrus 
• • Lemon
  • Lime
  • Oranges
  • Plums
• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Vinegar
• Ghoreh

Dried limes, Limoo Omani in Farsi

• Small, wrinkly, brown, hard, sometimes referred to as black limes
• Soaked and simmered directly into stews, then broken up when soft - can be either removed or consumed according to preference
• Also available in dried, ground form

Dishes the Beats prepare with lemon or lime juice

• Salad shirazi
• Loobia polo
• Fish and kababs

Dishes the Beats prepare with vinegar

• Garnish on top of aash
• With vegetables or on salad
• Dolmeh

Dishes the Beats prepare with ghoreh (tart, unripe grapes)

• Khoresh bademjoon/bademjan - eggplant stew
• Dolmeh

Dishes the Beats prepare with onions

• Most Persian dishes!
• Raw onions in sabzi khordan and as an accoutrement to meals

Dishes the Beats prepare with yogurt (See also: Episode 5: Yogurt)

• Plain
• Mast o khiar
• Mast o musir

Dishes the Beats prepare with sour plums

• Some Persian regional stews
• Lavashak (see episode Episode 38: Lavashak)

Dishes the Beats prepare with Seville oranges

• Some regional Persian stews

Ask the Beats

This week’s question comes from Farhad of Seattle:

Beats, what is your go-to spice?

• Saffron
• Turmeric
• Salt
• Garlic powder/onion powder
• EBTB - Everything But the Bagel Seasoning mix

Contact us at [email protected] or Instagram

Resources and recipes from this episode:

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Samin Nosrat, Salt Fat Acid Heat

Persian Vegetarian Eggplant Stew – Khoreshteh Bademjan 

Persian Salads: Maast-o-Khiar with Shallot and Salad Shirazi

Khoreshteh Karafs Celery and Herb Beef Stew

Lubia Polo for the Persian New Year Sezdeh be Dar Picnic

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #51, co-hosts Beata and Bita share about an old Persian (and Zorastrian) holiday they did not grow up celebrating personally but are excited and interested in sharing about and starting to participate in.

Main tenets of Mehregan

• Celebrated in the fall as a Persian Festival of Autumn - anywhere falling between early to mid October...this year it will be on Oct. 2nd or 3rd, 2021 in the U.S.
• Thankfulness, gratitude, abundance - Give to nature and it will give back to you
• A time to shower each other with kindness and with love
• Light over darkness; good over evil

Sofreh items for Mehregan

• A purple or violet fabric used as a table cloth or place setting for the symbolic items
• Mirror
• Candles
• Fruit 
• • Apples, pomegranate, grapes
• Nuts
• Esfand
• Holy book or other book of poetry
• Sweets

Traditions

• Gather around the sofreh and drink Tokhmeh sharbat (drink made with water and basil seeds)
• Shower each other with lotus seeds or marjoram - symbolic for showering each other with love and kindness

Resources and recipes from this episode:

Cover image of Sofre Mehregan used with permission from the book Mehregan with my Grandmother by Anahita Tamaddon available at: https://www.amazon.com/Mehregan-My-Grandma-English-Persian/dp/B09DJ3L97S

Reference to illustrated copy of the Shahnameh by Hamid Rahmanian at: https://kingorama.com

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #50, co-hosts Beata and Bita share gratitude towards the new and growing community of Modern Persian Food supporters and listeners.  They reflect on how far they’ve come, some of their favorite episodes to date, and what to expect if you’re new to listening in terms of types of episodes, the components in a typical episode and what to expect in the future.

Background - the early days

• The chaos of starting the endeavor at the brink of the pandemic
• Sharing a like passion for preserving the culture of Persian food and making it accessible to all in today’s modern lifestyles

Content - types of episodes

• Broader topics - examples include:
• • Episode 8: Persian Stews | Khoresh
  • Episode 2: Aromatic Spices
  • Episode 36: Persian Drinks | Nooshidani
• More narrow, single ingredient topics - examples include:
• • Episode 25: Fava Beans
  • Episode 45: Eggplant
  • Episode 33: Persian Cucumbers
  • Episode 38: Lavashak
  • Episode 35: Sekanjabin Persian Syrup

• Special guests 
• • Episode 32: Maz Jobrani on Persian Food
  • Episode 31: Cultural Spotlight: Caspian Sea Regional Foods with Special Guest The Caspian Chef
  • Episode 21: Food to Bridge Cultural Differences with Special Guest Mahsa Darabi
  • Episode 20: The Role of Food in Persian Weddings with Special Guest Nilou Nouri
• Cultural spotlights - example: 3 part series on Norooz
• • Episode 22: Norooz part 1: Prelude to Persian New Year and Charshambeh Souri
  • Episode 23: Norooz Part 2, Persian New Year Haft-Seen and Food
  • Episode 24: Norooz Part 3: Persian New Year Sizdah Bedar

• Summer micro episodes - short and digestible

Top 3 episodes/most listened

• Episode 1: What Is Persian Food?
• Episode 6: Shirini | Persian Sweets
• Episode 27: Persian Breakfast

Episodes include:

• Ask The Beats segment
• Beats Cheats
• Opportunity to participate or give us feedback - as a special guests, by submitting a question for us to answer, giving positive and/or constructive feedback

Co-hosts favorite episodes

• Bita’s favorites are Persian Spices and Special Guests The Caspian Chef
• Beata’s favorites are the Torshi episode fueled by conversations from Farhang Foundation and Gol Special Guests MJ

Halva reference in Episode 29: Cultural Spotlight – Ramadan Foods

Contact us at [email protected] or Instagram

Resources and recipes from this episode:

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #49, co-hosts Bita and Beata chat about delicious, Persian breads.  Persian breads come in several varieties.  Most of them are considered to be flatbreads.  The Beats have fun sharing which are their favorites as well as some memories of experiences with traditional bread bakeries in Iran as well as modern versions and substitutions available in the west.

Note:  Noon and naan are the Farsi words for bread and can be used interchangeably.

There are many varieties of Persian breads.  There are three or four varieties that are most common and familiar to Bita and Beata - lavash, barbari, sangak, and sheer mal.  Although all are flatbreads (typically quite long), each has unique ingredients, properties, and methods of preparation.

Lavash

• On the thinner side
• The type of Persian bread traditionally used to make bread tahdig (the bottom of the rice pot, crispy crunchy delicacy)
• Great for tucking herbs, nuts and cheese into for a perfect bite (in Farsi such a bite is called a “loghmeh”)
• Good for an herb platter Sabzi Khordan
• Nice to dip into yogurt dips like mast o khiar and mast o mooseer

Barbari

• Thicker and fluffier
• Often coated with sesame seeds (light and/or dark seeds)
• Enjoy with butter, jam and tea for breakfast; or with fresh herbs, cheese, and nuts for breakfast, appetizer, or snacking

Sangak

• Traditional bread, cooked on little pebbles (sang in Farsi means stone)
• Crispy on the outside, chewy and soft on the inside
• Delicious, unique flavor

Sheer Mal

• Sweeter, milk based bread made with Persian essences of rose water, cardamom, and saffron
• Almost like a pastry, lovely with breakfast

Substitutions for Persian bread:

• Flour or whole wheat tortillas
• Reference to Tahdig art and instagramer Vartamelon VartaMelon – Not your ameh's kitchen
• Pita bread 

Sweets and cookies that in Farsi contain the word Noon or nan (standing for flour based things)

• Noon o Gandi
• Noon Khormayee
• Noon Khameyee
• Naan Berenji

Ask the Beats!

Sam from San Francisco asks how one can make a lighter version of koo koo sabzi?

Koo koo sabzi is traditionally deep fried in a lot of oil and contains several eggs.

• Bake vs fry
• Reduce the number of eggs or use egg whites

Resources and recipes from this episode:

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Mast/Maast o Khiar recipe:

Bita’s recipe for Persian Cucumber Yogurt Dip | Mast o Khiar

Beata’s recipe for Persian Salads: Maast-o-Khiar with Shallot and Salad Shirazi

Tahdig:

Bita’s post on Persian Tahdig | Crispy Bottom of the Rice Pot

Beata’s post on Katte Persian Rice with Tahdig

Koo Koo Sabzi:

Bita’s recipe for Kookoo Sabzi | Quiche Muffins

Beata’s recipe for Persian Frittata Koo Koo Sabzi 

Bita’s recipe for Naan Berenji Persian Rice Flour Cookies Recipe

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #48, co-hosts Bita and Beata explore figs in Persian food culture.  Figs are enjoyed in fresh, dried, and cooked form.  Both Beats love fresh figs best however appreciate them in all forms.

Fresh figs

• Teardrop shaped
• Tiny seeds inside
• Soft and fleshy
• Thin skin or peel which can be easily be consumed

Dried figs

• Persian dried figs
• • Small, round, and cute; a bit tough or hard - often mixed into Persian trailmix | Ajeel
• Turkish dried figs
• • Flat, round, larger than Persian figs
• Great for a quick snack and an energy boost

Cooked figs - Jams

• Process for cooking fig jam
• • Prick the figs with toothpick
  • Cover with sugar
  • Cook down
  • Add Persian spices and essence (cardamom and rose water)
• Methods of enjoying Persian fig jam
• • Breakfast with bread and tea
  • On a cheese board as a sweet spread

Ask the Beats!

Katie in San Francisco asks, “What is your go-to meal when you have a last minute guest?”

• Bita often grills something, steams rice, and prepares a fresh salad.  A bowl of yogurt or a yogurt dip completes the meal
• Beata likes to make Persian rice with lentils, Adas Polo or a dish with eggs

Resources and recipes from this episode:

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Beata’s recipe for Persian Fig Jam – Morabah Anjeer

Beata’s recipe for Khormah Maloos | Persian Dates and Eggs

Beata’s recipe for: Persian Salads: Maast-o-Khiar with Shallot and Salad Shirazi

Bita’s recipe for Mediterranean Mezze Board (cheese platter)

Bita’s recipe for Ajeel | Persian Trail Mix

Bita’s recipe for Fig Oatmeal Cookies

Bita’s recipe for Lentil and Date Rice | Adas Polo

Bita’s recipe for Persian Cucumber Yogurt Dip | Mast o Khiar

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio