Category: Ingredients
Get to know the ingredients that give Persian food its distinctive character, from saffron and dried limes to herbs, pulses, fruits and pantry staples.
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Walnuts
Walnuts are used extensively in Persian cuisine, most famously in the rich pomegranate stew fesenjan. Freshly cracked walnuts have the best flavour, but good packaged kernels save a great deal…
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Dried Sour Cherry – Albaloo
Albaloo has a special tartness that makes both Persian sweets and savoury dishes come alive. When I first tasted sour cherry jam in London, it reminded me of the rosella…
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Broad Beans – Baghali
Baghali, or broad beans, are best known for their delicious partnership with dill and rice. I usually keep frozen broad beans in the freezer because they are convenient, dependable and…
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Adas – Green Lentils in Persian Cooking
Adas—green lentils—are an inexpensive, dependable ingredient in the Persian pantry. They are best known as the heart of Adas Polo, where their earthy flavour sits beautifully beside fragrant rice, caramelised…
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Zereshk – Barberry
Zereshk are the tiny ruby-red berries that make a Persian rice platter instantly recognisable. Their bright sour flavour is a lovely surprise against buttery saffron rice, and only a small…
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Yoghurt
Plain yoghurt is one of those ingredients I always like to have in the fridge. In Persian cooking it can be a cooling side dish, a creamy dip, a refreshing…
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Spinach
Spinach is one of the easiest greens to use in a Persian kitchen. Fresh English spinach, baby spinach or frozen chopped spinach can all work, depending on the recipe. It…
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Salep
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,…
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Rose Water
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,…
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Tomato Paste
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…
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Dried Lime
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…
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Khiar Shoor: Persian Pickled Cucumber
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…