If you are interested in trying new things and gain great experiences, I assure you, Persian food would be a brilliant choice. I myself as a person who barely gets full and never says no to a delicious meal, highly suggest you pick a day soon, and get yourself a tummy award! I am positive that you’ll be craving to learn the recipes and add it to your weekly diet, afterwards. In this context, we have put together a list of amazing Persian main dishes, with a brief description about each of them, to help you decide which one of them you might want to try first.

One of the most important traits about Persian cuisine is their variety. We have all kinds of food perfect for every kind of taste from easy to hard, Rice and bread seem to be two inseparable parts of our meals beside chicken and meat, made several ways. Fried, roasted, grilled, charbroiled stewed and…

Let’s start with the most famous Persian cuisine; Ghorme Sabzi (unicorns in the kitchen)

This is what most people call Iran’s National Food. Persian food more than a meal, it’s identity.

Ghorme Sabzi probably is the favorite of almost all Iranian guys; and being able to make it perfectly, counts as an art. A mixture of fragrant herbs and spices makes this dish very special! People in Iran eat Ghorme Sabzi at least once a week. Before moving on to the recipe, I must add that Ghorme Sabzi isn’t the kind of food to make in a hurry, in order for it to be perfect, it’s essential that you leave it on fire for at least 3 or 4 hours.

 

Recipe:

Ghorme means fried, with an old fashioned Persian method, and sabzi means herbs.

1. Meat (lamb or beef), washed and cut into cubes
2. Red kidney beans or pinto beans
3. Fenugreek, finely chopped. Fresh or dry
4. Garlic chives, finely chopped (Tareh)
5. Parsley, finely chopped
6. Turmeric
7. Black pepper
8. Vegetable oil
9. Water
10. Dried limes, or lemon juice

erbs are the base and are sauteed on high temperature for a few minutes then mixed with the rest of the ingredients, then served with Persian style rice (kateh or chelo).

 

Moving on to Gheime:

Gheime is another amazing cuisine which is usually garnished with French fries and I personally am in love with the attractive dark orange color and the hypnotizing aroma, it has.

And if you are a fan of eggplants, I have good news for you, Gheime is a great match with fried eggplants as well.

This meal is often served in religious rituals, such as ashoora, as a vow ( nazri) and there are various types of this stew in Iran, but this recipe is for the classic Gheyme.

Here are the ingredients you need:

1. Stew meat (lamb or beef)???? cut into cubes
2. Yellow split peas, soaked in water
3. Onion, chopped
4. Tomato paste
5. Dried limes, or lemon juice
6. Saffron
7. Turmeric
8. Salt and black pepper to taste
9. Ground cardamom
10. Vegetable oil and water

 

chop the onion and then, fry them, Add meat and saute for 2-3 minutes, add the other ingredients and leave it on high heat for a couple of minutes. Then lower the heat, cover the lid and cook on medium to low heat for 60 minutes, add dried limes to the pot and cook on low heat for 30 more minutes, get the French fries ready, Serve warm with rice and garnish it with French fries on top.

 

Next in line is Adas Polo:

Before starting on Adas Polo, I must add that, most of Persian food, even stews, can be made without meat and be served as a vegetarian meal; here I’m going to talk about, and give the recipe of vegetarian Adas Polo, but keep in mind, you can of course make it with cubed or minced or any other type of meat that you prefer.

Adas Polo is a delicious combination of rice layered with lentils and a topping with raisins and onions; The good thing about it, is that it’s quite easy to make; also gets prepared quickly.

 

Ingredients:

1. Rice
2. Lentils, soaked
3. Onion
4. Saffron
5. Raisins ( optional)
6. Cinnamon
7. Turmeric
8. Vegetable oil
9. Salt

By the way, if you ask me, mix of Adas Polo with yogurt can create a heavenly taste!

 

It’s Kabob time!

There are so many different kinds of Kabob, made from different parts of a chicken and different kinds of meat! Such as Chicken Koobide, Beef Koobide, Beef barg and Jooje kabob (charbroiled chicken).

Here I have decided to give you more information about Jooje kabob, as it is one of the most popular dishes.

It’s usually served at parties; almost never eaten alone and a traditional meal for picnics and trips, such as Sunday pot roast or a Friday pizza, Jooje Kabob is suited for Persian weekends; whether homemade or at a restaurant.

 

Ingredients needed:

1. Boneless chicken
2. Onion
3. Saffron
4. Salt and black pepper
5. Lemon juice
6. Tomatoes
7. Oil

Grilled tomatoes are always included beside this dish, but other optional components are grilled peppers and fresh lemons.

Cut up the chicken into medium cubes, marinade it with onions, ground saffron, salt and pepper, Thread chicken pieces on metal skewers and brush them with the marinade. Also thread whole tomatoes on another skewer, charbroil them for about 8-15 minutes and turn them regularly to make sure both sides are equally cooked.

 

And finally Tahdig!

If you have an appetite for anything extra crispy, then you must try Tahdig!

Think of Tahdig as the Persian food soul! It is the panfried layer of crust at the bottom of the rice pot and it literally translates as the bottom of the pot in Persian. When made well, it looks like a perfectly caramelized disk, and can be detached and served whole, or broken into jagged, golden shards. I can tell you the first plate completely disappeared from the table in feasts, almost certainly is always Tahdig. No left overs, ever! Surely making it, is a skill worth practicing.

The basic way to make tahdig is by putting extra cooking fat in the bottom of the rice pot, it gets panfried while the rice above it gets steamed. There are a handful of approaches to make Tahdig. The simplest is to use plain rice. Another method is to mix the rice with yogurt to give it a thick texture before spreading it in the pot.

If you are interested in trying new healthy, delicious food made with fresh ingredients by professional chefs, here in Las Vegas we have provided a friendly environment for you to try other nation’s cuisines with your family and friends and enjoy your time, we would be really honored to be your host in our family-owned restaurant “Hafez Persian Cuisine” in Las Vegas.