Modern Persian Food

In Episode #9, co-hosts Bita and Beata talk about Persian tea (chai) as a cultural ceremony and discuss how to prepare it, occasions to drink it, and modern versions of having tea.

How to Make and Serve Persian Tea | Chai

• Traditional 2 kettle method - one with tea leaves, strong concentrated brew; one with hot water for diluting and keeping tea hot
• Pour the concentrated brewed tea in a clear glass first and top it off with plain boiling water
• Drinking plain hot water or hot water with mint leaves (to avoid caffeine and still drink a pleasant hot beverage at tea time)

Modern methods for preparing Persian tea and Types of tea

• Boiling water electrically and modern receptacles for brewing
• Types of tea: any black tea; Earl Grey, Darljaleen, Irish Breakfast, English Breakfast, pre-mixed Persian blends with Cardamom

Differentiation between Indian Chai and Persian Chai

• Persian Chai typically has only one spice, cardamom and no cream or dairy

Enjoy with Sweets

• Sugar, sugar cubes, cookies, any sweets | shirini
• Persian cookies: 2 very common cookies often packaged together; Persian rice flour cookies and Persian chickpea cookies

B&B's tea bag varieties

• Bita enjoys sweet teas such as cinnamon apple and healthy teas for example turmeric ginger
• Beata prefers riboos, orange, and tea with fresh ginger or turmeric elixir

Ask the Beats! Today's question is from Kathy of Simple Good Foods. Kathy asks, "Where does Persian food become a fusion with other cultures and other foods?"

B&B's answer: Sicilian food, Indian, Moroccan, other middle eastern, Greek & Turkish

Recipe links from this episode:

• Bita's Persian Rice Flour Cookies | Naan Berenji
• Beata's Persian Tea Cookies with Aunt Pari Joon

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #9, co-hosts Bita and Beata talk about Persian tea (chai) as a cultural ceremony and discuss how to prepare it, occasions to drink it, and modern versions of having tea.

How to Make and Serve Persian Tea | Chai

• Traditional 2 kettle method - one with tea leaves, strong concentrated brew; one with hot water for diluting and keeping tea hot
• Pour the concentrated brewed tea in a clear glass first and top it off with plain boiling water 
• Drinking plain hot water or hot water with mint leaves (to avoid caffeine and still drink a pleasant hot beverage at tea time)

Modern methods for preparing Persian tea and Types of tea

• Boiling water electrically and modern receptacles for brewing
• Types of tea: any black tea; Earl Grey, Darljaleen, Irish Breakfast, English Breakfast, pre-mixed Persian blends with Cardamom

Differentiation between Indian Chai and Persian Chai

• Persian Chai typically has only one spice, cardamom and no cream or dairy

Enjoy with Sweets

• Sugar, sugar cubes, cookies, any sweets | shirini
• Persian cookies:  2 very common cookies often packaged together;  Persian rice flour cookies and Persian chickpea cookies

B&B’s tea bag varieties

• Bita enjoys sweet teas such as cinnamon apple and healthy teas for example turmeric ginger
• Beata prefers riboos, orange, and tea with fresh ginger or turmeric elixir

Ask the Beats!  Today’s question is from Kathy of Simple Good Foods.  Kathy asks, “Where does Persian food become a fusion with other cultures and other foods?”

B&B’s answer:  Sicilian food, Indian, Moroccan, other middle eastern, Greek & Turkish

Recipe links from this episode:

• Bita’s Persian Rice Flour Cookies | Naan Berenji
• Beata’s Persian Tea Cookies with Aunt Pari Joon

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In 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 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 Ghemeh | Persian Split Pea Stew

• Ghemeh 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?" - answer, no, not in a 'heat', burning way. It is mildly spiced with interesting spices but not 'hot-spicy'.

Recipe links from this episode:

Khoresh Ghemeh

• 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

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In 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 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 Ghemeh | Persian Split Pea Stew

• Ghemeh 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?” - answer, no, not in a ‘heat’, burning way.  It is mildly spiced with interesting spices but not ‘hot-spicy’.

Recipe links from this episode:

Khoresh Ghemeh

• 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

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Co-hosts Bita and Beata share how they incorporate Persian dishes into Persian-AmericanThanksgiving, fall fruits, and fall flavors.

Favorite Fall Fruits - Pomegranate, persimmons, and quince

Pomegranate

• Deseeding strategies - by hand (traditional), underwater method
• Pomegranate trees

Persimmons

• Varieties - Fuyu and Hachiya (heart-shaped)
• Eating - slicing or by spoon
• Decorating fall tables with bright orange persimmons

Quince

• Quince Jam
• Slow cooking it with a damkoni transforms it to a ruby red color

Other jams

• Honey sweetened plum jam with cardamom - no pectin needed

Heat disperser (sholeh-pakhsh) - used to slow cook jams (and tahdig)

Persian-American Thanksgiving

• Loobia Polo | Persian Green Bean Rice and Tahdig
• Zereshk Polo | Persian Rice with Barberries but made with cranberries
• Turkey
• Pomegranate Apple Kale Salad
• Roasted Veggies with Sumac

Thanksgiving Leftovers

• Haleem made with leftover turkey meat - oats/porridge cooked down with leftover turkey, creamy nutritious breakfast
• Tahcheen | Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole - made with leftover turkey

Ask the Beats!

Question from Juliet from SE Mexico: What is a good substitute for limoo amani (dried lime). Answer: use fresh lemon/lime or lemon or lime juice with salt.

Recipe links from this episode:

• Pomegranate
• • Bita's video - How to Deseed a Pomegranate Underwater
• Quince Jam:
• • Beata's recipe: Persian Quince Jam – Morabah Beh
• Plum Jam
• • Bita's recipe: Fresh Red Plum Compote
• Lubia/Loobia Polo:
• • Beata's recipe: Lubia Polo for the Persian New Year Sezdeh be Dar Picnic
  • Bita's recipe: Persian Chicken and Green Bean Rice
• Tacheen:
• • Beata's recipe: Giti Joon's Famous Tacheen Recipe
  • Bita's recipe: Persian Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole; How to Parboil Rice
• Salad:
• • Bita's recipe: Pomegranate Kale Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
• Vegetables
• • Bita's recipe: Sumac Fall Roasted Vegetables

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Co-hosts Bita and Beata share how they incorporate Persian dishes into Persian-AmericanThanksgiving, fall fruits, and fall flavors.

Favorite Fall Fruits - Pomegranate, persimmons, and quince

Pomegranate

• Deseeding strategies - by hand (traditional), underwater method
• Pomegranate trees

Persimmons

• Varieties - Fuyu and Hachiya (heart-shaped)
• Eating - slicing or by spoon
• Decorating fall tables with bright orange persimmons

Quince

• Quince Jam 
• Slow cooking it with a damkoni transforms it to a ruby red color 

Other jams

• Honey sweetened plum jam with cardamom - no pectin needed

Heat disperser (sholeh-pakhsh) - used to slow cook jams (and tahdig)

Persian-American Thanksgiving

• Loobia Polo | Persian Green Bean Rice and Tahdig
• Zereshk Polo | Persian Rice with Barberries but made with cranberries
• Turkey
• Pomegranate Apple Kale Salad
• Roasted Veggies with Sumac

Thanksgiving Leftovers

• Haleem made with leftover turkey meat - oats/porridge cooked down with leftover turkey, creamy nutritious breakfast
• Tahcheen | Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole - made with leftover turkey

Ask the Beats!

Question from Juliet from SE Mexico:  What is a good substitute for limoo amani (dried lime).  Answer:  use fresh lemon/lime or lemon or lime juice with salt.

Recipe links from this episode:

• Pomegranate 
• • Bita’s video - How to Deseed a Pomegranate Underwater
• Quince Jam:
• • Beata’s recipe: Persian Quince Jam – Morabah Beh
• Plum Jam
• • Bita’s recipe:  Fresh Red Plum Compote
• Lubia/Loobia Polo:
• • Beata’s recipe: Lubia Polo for the Persian New Year Sezdeh be Dar Picnic
  • Bita’s recipe:  Persian Chicken and Green Bean Rice
• Tacheen:
• • Beata’s recipe: Giti Joon's Famous Tacheen Recipe
  • Bita’s recipe:  Persian Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole;  How to Parboil Rice
• Salad:
• • Bita’s recipe:  Pomegranate Kale Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
• Vegetables
• • Bita’s recipe:  Sumac Fall Roasted Vegetables

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Shirini | Persian Sweets

This episode is all about Persian sweets and desserts, called Shirini. Co-hosts Bita and Beata share insights on Persian cold desserts, creamy custards, extra sweet fried delights, light and aromatic pastries, common Persian candies, and what's in them and how they are often enjoyed.

Cold desserts:

• Persian ice cream (bastani) is a favorite and includes saffron, rose water, and chunks of frozen cream (khameh)
• Falloodeh is another frozen treat made with rice noodles and fresh lime juice
• Makhlood is a mixed dessert consisting of half bastani and half falloodeh

Persian puddings or custards:

• Yakh-dar-behesht translated as "Ice In Heaven or Paradise" - made with wheat or corn starch, milk, sugar and rose water
• Fereni - a Persian custard made with rice flour, milk, sugar, rose water, and cardamom
• Saffron rice pudding (sholeh-zard) - made with Basmati rice, saffron, rose water, cinnamon or cardamom, sugar and water
• Milk rice pudding (sheer-berenj) - made with Basmati rice, milk, sugar, and water

Fried desserts:

• Persian Donuts: Zoolbia - swirly and crunchy, a deep fried pastry flavored with saffron, rose water and simple syrup
• Bamieh - a round shaped deep fried pastry flavored with saffron, rose water and simple syrup

• Halva - a dessert paste made with flour, butter or oil, sugar, saffron, rose water, and cardamom; served in ceremonial occasions

Pastries:

• Cream puffs - a large puff pastry filled with rose flavored cream and Napoleon - a layered custard filled pastry

Candies:

• Saffron brittle (sohan asali) - a soft oily brittle made with wheat, flour, egg yolk, sugar, saffron, and topped with almond slivers and chopped pistachio nuts
• Gaz - white Persain taffy/nougat with pistachio nuts dusted in flour
• Persian baklava and "Cake"-lava - specialty pastries often made with phyllo dough, nuts (walnuts and pistachios), honey and/or sugar syrup, butter, cinnamon, and cardamom

Ask the Beats! From Sabrina from Brooklyn: "Are there gluten free Persian desserts?" Answer: Yes! Most persian puddings and custards are gluten free including cakes and cookies made with almond flour

Recipe links from this episode:

Bita's Baklava Cupcakes

Bita's Flourless Almond Cake with Rose Frosting

Bita's Dairy-free Rice Pudding

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

Shirini | Persian Sweets

This episode is all about Persian sweets and desserts, called Shirini. Co-hosts Bita and Beata share insights on Persian cold desserts, creamy custards, extra sweet fried delights, light and aromatic pastries, common Persian candies, and what’s in them and how they are often enjoyed.

Cold desserts:

• Persian ice cream (bastani) is a favorite and includes saffron, rose water, and chunks of frozen cream (khameh)
• Falloodeh is another frozen treat made with rice noodles and fresh lime juice
• Makhlood is a mixed dessert consisting of half bastani and half falloodeh

Persian puddings or custards:

• Yakh-dar-behesht translated as “Ice In Heaven or Paradise” - made with wheat or corn starch, milk, sugar and rose water
• Fereni - a Persian custard made with rice flour, milk, sugar, rose water, and cardamom
• Saffron rice pudding (sholeh-zard) - made with Basmati rice, saffron, rose water, cinnamon or cardamom, sugar and water
• Milk rice pudding (sheer-berenj)  - made with Basmati rice, milk, sugar, and water

Fried desserts:

• Persian Donuts: Zoolbia - swirly and crunchy, a deep fried pastry flavored with saffron, rose water and simple syrup 
• Bamieh - a round shaped deep fried pastry flavored with saffron, rose water and simple syrup

• Halva - a dessert paste made with flour, butter or oil, sugar, saffron, rose water, and cardamom;  served in ceremonial occasions 

Pastries:

• Cream puffs - a large puff pastry filled with rose flavored cream and Napoleon - a layered custard filled pastry

Candies:

• Saffron brittle (sohan asali) - a soft oily brittle made with wheat, flour, egg yolk, sugar, saffron, and topped with almond slivers and chopped pistachio nuts
• Gaz - white Persain taffy/nougat with pistachio nuts dusted in flour
• Persian baklava and “Cake”-lava - specialty pastries often made with phyllo dough, nuts (walnuts and pistachios), honey and/or sugar syrup, butter, cinnamon, and cardamom

Ask the Beats!  From Sabrina from Brooklyn: “Are there gluten free Persian desserts?” Answer: Yes! Most persian puddings and custards are gluten free including cakes and cookies made with almond flour

Recipe links from this episode:

Bita’s Baklava Cupcakes

Bita’s Flourless Almond Cake with Rose Frosting

Bita’s Dairy-free Rice Pudding

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #5, co-hosts Bita Arabian and Beata Nazem Kelley talk about yogurt and the role it plays in Persian food and cooking. They cover the impressive health benefits, popular uses, and their favorite recipes using yogurt.

• Plain white yogurt is a healthy addition to your food
• Yogurt is a delicious accompaniment to rich stews and soups
• How to make and drink "Doogh" Persian yogurt drink
• Stories and how to make yogurt at home
• Yogurt and cucumber dip "Maast p Chiar" and soup variations
• Garlic or shallot will work for "Maast o Mooseer"
• Breakfast smoothie recipe
• Freezing yogurt for frozen treats
• "Ask the Beats" - What to do with Quince? Email [email protected] to be featured
• Baked rice casserole Tacheen

Recipe links from this episode:

• Lubia Polo:
• • Beata's recipe: Lubia Polo for the Persian New Year Sezdeh be Dar Picnic
  • Bita's recipe: Persian Chicken and Green Bean Rice
• Yogurt dips:
• • Beata's recipe: Persian Salads: Maast-o-Khiar with Shallot and Salad Shirazi
  • Bita's recipe: Mast o' Khiar | Persian Cucumber Yogurt Dip
  • Bita's recipe: Strawberry frozen yogurt treats
• Quince Jam:
• • Beata's recipe: Persian Quince Jam – Morabah Beh
• Tacheen:
• • Beata's recipe: Giti Joon's Famous Tacheen Recipe
  • Bita's recipe: Persian Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole; How to Parboil Rice

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio

In Episode #5, co-hosts Bita Arabian and Beata Nazem Kelley talk about yogurt and the role it plays in Persian food and cooking.  They cover the impressive health benefits, popular uses, and their favorite recipes using yogurt. 

• Plain white yogurt is a healthy addition to your food
• Yogurt is a delicious accompaniment to rich stews and soups
• How to make and drink “Doogh” Persian yogurt drink
• Stories and how to make yogurt at home
• Yogurt and cucumber dip “Maast p Chiar” and soup variations
• Garlic or shallot will work for “Maast o Mooseer” 
• Breakfast smoothie recipe
• Freezing yogurt for frozen treats
• “Ask the Beats” - What to do with Quince? Email [email protected] to be featured
• Baked rice casserole Tacheen

Recipe links from this episode:

• Lubia Polo:
• • Beata’s recipe: Lubia Polo for the Persian New Year Sezdeh be Dar Picnic
  • Bita’s recipe:  Persian Chicken and Green Bean Rice
  •  
• Yogurt dips:
• • Beata’s recipe: Persian Salads: Maast-o-Khiar with Shallot and Salad Shirazi
  • Bita’s recipe:  Mast o’ Khiar | Persian Cucumber Yogurt Dip
  • Bita’s recipe:  Strawberry frozen yogurt treats
• Quince Jam:
• • Beata’s recipe: Persian Quince Jam – Morabah Beh
  •  
• Tacheen:
• • Beata’s recipe: Giti Joon's Famous Tacheen Recipe
  • Bita’s recipe:  Persian Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole;  How to Parboil Rice

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio