Sholeh-Zard - Sweet Saffron Pudding

Ingredients: (4 servings)

rice, 500 grams
sugar, 1 kg
cooking oil
saffron, 1/2 teaspoon
rosewater (Gol Ab), 1/2 cup
pistachio, crushed
almond, crushed
cinnamon, one teaspoon

Directions:

Wash rice a few times until the water is clear, then drain. Add six times water and bring to a boil, removing the foam. When rice softens completely, add sugar and stir well.
Dissolve saffron in half a cup of hot water and add to the mix. Heat up oil and also add to the mix. Add in most of the almonds and the rosewater. Stir well and cover. Cook in oven at low temperature for half an hour. Serve with pistachio, almond and cinnamon sprinkled on top.

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Samanu - Wheat Pudding

Ingredients: (4 servings)

wheat, 500 grams
wheat flour, 2 kg

Directions:

This dish is made for Noruz and placed on the Sofreh Haft Sin. It is one of the seven "s's" required for the New Year's spread.

Wash wheat with cold water, then rinse. Add cold water until there is 2-3 cm of water over the wheat. Leave for about two days, changing the water after the first day. The wheat should begin to germinate. Rinse thoroughly.Hold a thin piece of cloth under cold water until it is completely wet. Pour wheat inside and wrap the cloth around it. Place it in a bowl and leave the bowl in a warm place. Once or twice a day, sprinkle a bit of cold water over the cloth to make it wet but not soggy.
When roots appear, spread wheat on a large plate, then spread the cloth over it and sprinkle with water. Continue sprinkling with water once or twice a day until silvery sprouts appear. Wheat should be used before the sprouts turn green. Grind the wheat, add two glasses of cold water, and mix well. Filter out the excess water. Press the wheat hard to squeeze out the extract. Add wheat extract to flour while mixing. The mix should become thin.
Place the mix over medium heat, stirring frequently until the mix starts boiling and thickens. Continue heating until water disappears. Fry the mix without any oil or sugar for about 10-15 minutes.
Gradually add 1-2 glasses of hot water and mix well. Allow to boil slowly, stirring occasionally until the mix slightly thickens. Place in the oven for about 30 minutes at low temperature.

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Fereni - Rice Cream Custard

Ingredients: (4 servings)

milk, 1/2 litre
rice flour, 50 grams
sugar, 100 grams
rosewater, 2 spoonfuls

Directions:

Dissolve rice flour in milk. Add sugar and rosewater. Stir regularly over medium heat until it comes to slow boil and thickens. Serve cold.

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Salad-e Miveh - Fresh Fruit Salad

Ingredients: (4 servings)

1 cup of fresh red apples
1/2 pineapple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup seedless green grapes, quartered
1/2 pint raspberries, sliced in half
1/2 mango, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
Honey (optional)milk, 1/2 litre
rice flour, 50 grams
sugar, 100 grams
rosewater, 2 spoonfuls

Directions:

Experiment with different kinds of fruit, depending on the season and your tastes. You can always add oranges, peaches, bananas, and any kind of berry for some variety. Just be sure to use good, fresh fruit.
Combine pineapple, grapes, raspberries, and mango in a large bowl. Squeeze lime juice over the fruit. Sprinkle chopped mint over the top, and drizzle with honey, if desired. Gently toss to combine, and transfer to individual dessert bowls or plates.

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Crème Caramel

Ingredients: (4 servings)

5 Tbs. water
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Although traditionally a french desset, this one has a place in every Iranian's heart. It is served in every restaurant and like cafe glace, considered a local creation. When cooking sugar to make caramel, it is important to brush the inside edge of the pan with a clean pastry brush dampened with warm water. This will dissolve the tiny granules of sugar that form around the edge. If these granules form, the sugar is more likely to crystallize before it caramelizes.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 3 Tbs. of the water and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, for 3 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking, brushing the inside of the pan with a dampened pastry brush, until the mixture is light amber in color, 3 to 5 minutes more. Keep a close eye on the sugar so it doesn’t burn. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. water and stir until smooth. Divide the caramel among four 6-oz. ramekins and cool to room temperature.

Position a rack in the center of an oven and preheat to 350°F. Have a pot of boiling water ready. In a bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks until just blended. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the milk until steam begins to rise. Add the milk a little at a time to the eggs, whisking constantly until blended. Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve set over a clean bowl or large measuring cup and stir in the vanilla.

Divide the custard among the prepared ramekins. Set the ramekins in a roasting pan or baking dish 2 to 3 inches deep and add boiling water to fill the pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake until the custard is set, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Just before serving, run the tip of a paring knife around the inside edge of the ramekins to loosen the custard. Invert an individual dessert plate over each ramekin, hold the plate and ramekin together and invert again. Lift off the ramekin, shaking it gently, and let the caramel fall out onto the plate and the juices run down and around the custard. Serve immediately.

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Noon-e Berenj - Rice Cookies

Ingredients: (4 servings)

fine rice flour, 500 grams
very fine sugar, 200 grams
cooking oil, 250 grams
rosewater, 1/2 cup
eggs, two small

Directions:

Naan-e Berenji or Noon-e Berenji is a great snack for holidays. Mix oil, sugar and egg yolks and beat until soft. Beat egg whites separately until they thicken. Add rosewater, flour, and eggwhites to the mix and stir well. Pour the mix in a plastic bag and keep in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Spread the dough on a flat non-stick surface to a thickness of 0.5 cm. Cut with a cookie-cutter, and cook in the oven at 300F for 15 to 20 minutes. The cookies will come out almost still white and ready to enjoy.

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Noon-e Nokhodchi - Chickpea Delight

Ingredients: (4 servings)

fine chick-pea flour, 500 grams
fine sugar, 250 grams
cooking oil, 300 grams

Directions:

Mix sugar and oil and beat until the mix is very smooth. Add chick-pea flour and mix very well until the dough is smooth and thick. Pour the dough in a plastic bag and leave for several hours.

Form small (2 cm) balls from the dough. Texture the surface of each ball using a fine comb. Cook the balls in the oven at 300 F for 20-30 minutes. The balls should turn slightly golden but the colour should not change much. This is also known as Naan Nokhodchi.

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Noon-e Gerdui - Walnut Cookies

Ingredients: (4 servings)

egg yolks, six
vanilla, one teaspoon
sugar, six spoonfuls
crushed walnuts, 300 grams

Directions:

Mix egg yolks, sugar and vanilla and beat well until the mix is quite thick and white. Add crushed walnuts and mix well. Take small portions with a teaspoon and make round. Bake in the oven on baking paper. Serve with nice Persian tea.

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Bastani Akbar-Mashti - Rose Water Ice Cream

Ingredients: (4 servings)

vanilla ice-cream, one litre
extra thick double-cream, 100 grams
rose-water, 2 spoonfuls
Pistachio bits for Garnish
Whipped Cream (Optional)

Directions:

Persian ice-cream is thick and creamy. The double-cream used to prepare Bastani Akbar-Mashti should be extra thick. Leave the double-cream in the freezer until frozen. Cream or ice-cream should not be very hard. Cut frozen double-cream into small pieces and mix with ice-cream. Add rose-water and mix well. Place the mix in the freezer for at least one hour. Serve with whipped cream or sprinkle pistachios on top for garnish.

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Baghlava - Iranian Baklava

Ingredients: (6 servings)

almonds, 500 grams
fine sugar, 250 grams
sugar, 500 grams
cardamom powder, one spoonful
egg yolks, two
milk, 1/2 cup
cooking oil, 2 spoonfuls
flour, 150-200 grams
baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon
rose-water, 1/2 cup
small metallic boxes

Directions:

Also known as Baaghlava or Baklava, this sweet dessert is served with tea or coffee often times. To make it, mix milk, baking powder, oil and egg yolks. Add flour gradually while mixing. Mix the dough well for a few minutes. Pour in a plastic bag and leave for 2-3 hours.

Peel and ground the almonds. Add fine sugar and cardamom powder and mix well. Spread some flour on a table-top. Take a small ball from the dough and flatten into a sheet on the table-top as much as possible with a roller. Use a brush to remove the flour from the sheet. Place a box on the sheet and cut the sheet at 0.5 cm away from the edges of the box. Place the cut sheet at the bottom of the box. Repeat this procedure three times.

Add the almond-sugar mix on top of the sheets to fill the box. Press using the back of a large spoon to obtain a flat surface. Spread a bit of rose-water on the mix. Cover with another three sheets of the dough. Cut along a grid. Heat up 150 grams of cooking oil and spread on top of the boxes. Add sugar to 1/2 cup of hot water and bring to boil. Add rose-water and continue boiling for 2-3 minutes. Keep this syrup warm.

Pre-heat the oven to 300 F. Place the boxes in the lower part of the oven and leave for 15-20 minutes. Remove and add a bit of the syrup. Return to a higher part of the oven and leave for another 15 minutes until Baagh-lava turns slightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Add a bit of syrup over Baghlava 2-3 times at 5 minute intervals. Enjoy with Iranian tea.

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Paloodeh-ye Shirazi - Rice Noodle Sorbet

Ingredients:

fine sugar, 2.5 CUPS
WATER, 1 cup
rose-water, 1/2 cup
sorbet, vanilla or otherwise
rice noodles (vermicelli) or chinese rice sticks, 2 inch pieces
garnish: pistachios, sour cherry syrup, any berries, fresh lime juice

Directions:

This very traditional sorbet is often referred to as Faloodeh-ye Shirazi and is very popular in the heat of the summer. It is a delicious dessert that traditionally calls for rose-water and pistachios. Our recipe also offers a more modern variation.

Boil the rice noodles in hot water for no more than 20 seconds. Take the noodles out of the water, run under cold water and set to the side. Place the sugar and water into a pot and bring to a boil. Remove the pot and add the rose-water to the mixture. Set aside.

Pour this mixture into an ice cream maker and add half of the noodles. Set aside for half an hour. Add the rest of the noodles to the ice cream maker. Use the machine to mix the sorbet in, on sorbet setting.

For garnish: Traditionally, sour cherry syrup, mint, and pistachios are used in the Paloodeh recipe. Also, fresh lime juice is optional as a topping. For a healthier variety, we recommend garnishing the Paloodeh with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries or any other fresh fruit you desire. You may also make this with newer flavors of sorbet to make your own creation. Enjoy.

Note: To prepare your own noodles at home, mix 3 cups of rice starch and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil in a pan and stir constantly to make a smooth and consistent paste. Set aside for half an hour. Strain the mixture using a cheesecloth over a bowl of cold water. Add the final result to your ice cream maker instead of the rice noodles. Follow the steps of the recipe from that point forward.

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Jelleh Anar - Pomegranate Jello Surprise

Ingredients:

5 cups pomegranate juice
3 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups sugar

Mix 2 cups of pomegranate juice with the unflavored gelatin. Place the remaining 3 cups of pomegranate juice in a small sauce pan and bring to boil over medium heat. Add the sugar, stirring the mix to dissolve everything.

Immediately remove pan from heat as soon as the sugar dissolves, and stir in the juice and gelatin mixture.

Pour into serving dishes, and set aside to cool. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 2- 3 hours. Garnish with whipped cream and mint as desired.

This every day delight is easy to make, healthy and a great unique dessert with a Persian twist.

Special thanks to our Persian Cuisine expert Azar Kamarei. For more about Azar, visit the Persian Pantry.

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