Author: Margaret Shakibaie

Salep is the unusual thickener behind the delightfully stretchy texture of Persian ice cream. It is used in tiny amounts, but it changes an ordinary frozen mixture into something elastic,…

Rose water is used extensively in Persian and Middle Eastern cooking, particularly in sweets, syrups and celebratory desserts. Its perfume can be beautiful, but it can also overpower a dish,…

Tomato paste is a small ingredient that does a great deal of work in Persian cooking. A spoonful gives stews, soups and rice dishes a deeper colour and a concentrated…

Dried lime, known as limoo amani, is one of the flavours that makes a Persian khoresh immediately recognisable. Whole or ground, it gives stews a deep sourness with a slightly…

Khiar shoor is the salty, crisp Persian pickle that brings a lively bite to sandwiches, salads and family platters. It is quite different from a sweet pickle, and in our…

Kashk is one of those ingredients that gives Persian food its unmistakable character. This fermented dairy product is salty, tangy and creamy, and a small amount can transform a bowl…

Ghee, or clarified butter, is butter that has been gently cooked so most of the water and milk solids are removed. The result is a rich golden cooking fat that…

Okra is a vegetable people tend to love once it is cooked well. Its tender green pods are especially suited to tomato-based stews, where they absorb the sauce and help…

Almonds appear in Persian cooking in almost every form: whole and salted in adjil, slivered through fragrant rice, and ground into delicate biscuits and cakes. Their mild flavour works beautifully…

Adjil is the bowl everyone gathers around. This Persian mix of nuts, seeds and dried fruit can be sweet, salty or somewhere in between, and every family seems to make…