Iran Recipes
Persian kitchens of herbs, saffron, and dried limes. Not sure what to eat in Iran? Start with Ash-e Reshteh, Chelo Kabab Koobideh, Sholeh Zard and Adasi. Here are 9 authentic Iran recipes, each from a specific region, with cultural context and dietary substitutions for every table.
9 recipes
Ghormeh SabziTehran, Iran · medium · 2 h 30 minIran’s beloved herb stew: mountains of sautéed greens, kidney beans, dried limes, and lamb over saffron rice.
Ghormeh Sabzi AdasiTehran, Iran · easy · 1 hA warming Persian lentil breakfast stew spiced with turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon.
Ash-e ReshtehTehran, Iran · medium · 2 h 30 minOne of Iran’s best-loved thick soups: legumes and a mountain of herbs simmered with reshteh noodles, finished with tangy kashk, sizzled mint, and caramelized onion.
Chelo Kabab KoobidehTehran, Iran · medium · 50 minGrilled skewers of seasoned minced meat with saffron buttered rice and grilled tomato, Iran's national dish.
Sholeh ZardTehran, Iran · easy · 1 h 15 minA fragrant saffron and rose rice pudding decorated with cinnamon, an Iranian dessert of celebration and charity.
Zereshk Polo ba Morgh (Barberry Rice with Chicken)Tehran, Iran · medium · 1 h 40 minSaffron chicken simmered in a tomato sauce, served with fluffy basmati layered with tart-sweet barberries fried in butter.
Kashk-e Bademjan (Persian Eggplant and Kashk Dip)Tehran, Iran · medium · 1 h 50 minFried eggplant mashed with golden onions, garlic and turmeric, enriched with tangy kashk and walnuts, and finished with fried onion, sizzled dried mint and swirls of kashk.
Salad Shirazi (Persian Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad)Tehran, Iran · easy · 20 minCucumber, tomato and red onion cut into a fine, even dice and dressed simply with verjuice or lime juice, olive oil and crushed dried mint, the bright side salad for rice and kebabs.
Laboo (Persian Hot Beetroot Street Snack)Tehran, Iran · easy · 1 h 50 minWhole beetroots boiled slowly until tender, peeled, cut into wedges and tossed hot in a glossy syrup made from their own cooking liquid, the steaming winter snack of Iranian street carts.
📋 Teaching Iran?A free, printable Country of the Week guide for the classroom: geography, a kid-friendly recipe, and discussion prompts.
← Browse all collections