Appetizers

Persian Appetizer Platter is a great choice for gatherings and parties. This platter can be served as an afternoon snack too, it’ll be great with a cup of tea!

But it’s very hard to define Iranian appetizers, main dishes and side dishes in the Iranian cuisine. Since appetizers were light, many are eaten as light main meals too, so it’s difficult to draw a line between the categories.

• Mirza Ghasemi

One of the most famous Persian cuisines is Mirza Ghasemi’s North Food, which is considered an Iranian vegetarian cuisine. To prepare Mirza Ghassemi, grilled eggplant mix with garlic and crushed tomatoes should be blended to make tomatoes and garlic, complete with eggplants. Add the egg and mix the ingredients until the whole egg is spread and cooked.

• Kashk Bademjan

The Kashk e Bademjan is also a Persian Cuisine that you can eat in a vegan diet. To prepare the Kashk e Bademjan first add the onion, then add some grated garlic to the onion and add, then add the mint and add a bit of it and remove the material from the gas. Now add grilled eggplant on a frying pan and with oil, add the hot onion that you have prepared to the eggplant, then turn it on. Boil the whey in advance, then add the ingredients. Let it be dry, then turn off the stove.

• Ash Reshteh (Vegetable and Noodle Soup)

Ash Reshteh is a thick vegetable and noodle soup which is traditionally prepared to welcome the Persian New Year and noodles are believed to bring good fortune for the following year. There are many different kinds of Ash in Iran but Ash Reshteh is the most famous and popular one among all. It is mostly served with whey and sometimes with vinegar.

• Adasi (Persian Lentil Soup)

Adasi is a Persian soup that can be served as a warm dish for breakfast or a light dinner. Adas is the Persian word for lentil and Adasi is an appetizing dish made with lentils.

Since 8000 years ago that archaeologists found lentils in ancient cities of Central Asia and the Middle East, lentils were used as edible seeds. Being easy to cook, make lentils an important cooking staple around the world.

Tiny but Mighty, ranging from brown and green to red and yellow, lentils are versatile healthy legumes. Lentils are all cooks favourite as they are available throughout the year and they easily match with various flavours.

These tiny lens-shaped legumes are highly beneficial nutrition. Lentil is known as a meat alternative because it is an excellent source of plant protein. Interestingly, lentils have a greater amount of protein than beef.

The high amount of magnesium, iron, and folate in this tiny legume protects the heart against diseases. Consuming lentils also helps to cure diabetes. Lentils are also a main source of B vitamins and minerals such as zinc, potassium, and phosphorous. This legume has low in calories but it’s rich in fibre and has a direct effect on balancing cholesterol and blood pressure level. Studies prove that lentil has antioxidants that can inhibit cancer cell growth.

This appetizing gluten-free Persian dish is usually included in menus of breakfast buffet, soup shops or traditional teahouses.

• Kuku Sabzi (Vegetable)

Kuku also spelled as kookoo, is an egg-based and often vegetarian Iranian dish made of whipped eggs folded in various ingredients. It is similar to the Italian frittata, the French quiche, the Arabian eggah, or an open-faced omelette, but it typically has less egg than a frittata, and it cooks for a shorter amount of time, over a low heat, before turned over or grilled briefly to set the top layer.

Kuku sabzi is an aromatic Iranian dish resembling an omelet or the well-known frittata. It consists of finely chopped herbs combined with lightly beaten eggs and a variety of spices. The mixture is usually pan-fried on both sides until golden brown.

The herbs, most commonly parsley, cilantro, dill, and chives, play a crucial role and prevail over the amount of eggs used in the dish. Occasionally, plain versions can be complemented with other ingredients such as walnuts and barberries. Even though it is considered to be an everyday treat in Iranian households, slices of this fragrant treat are a staple at special occasions and Iranian holidays.

Whether it is served fresh from the oven or chilled, kuku sabzi can be enjoyed as the main course or a filling appetizer. It is often accompanied by yogurt dips, bread, and pickles.

• Falafel

is a vegetarian dish consisting of deep-fried balls or patties made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. It is originally an Arabic (Egyptian) food and since 2% of Iranian population are Arabs, this food has found its way to Iran. Obviously, the best Falafel in Iran is made in southern provinces which have significant population of Iranian-Arabs such as Bushehr and Khuzestan. The word Falafel is derived from the Arabic word falāfil, a plural of the word filfil, meaning “pepper.” Falafel was traditionally made with fava beans and continues to be made that way in Egypt and other Arab countries, but Iranian Falafel is made from chickpeas and is wildly popular

• Zeytoon parvardeh

Hailing from Iranian Gilan province, this simple dish consists of a flavorful combination of pitted olives and pomegranate molasses. The additional ingredients include ground walnuts, garlic, and various fresh herbs such as cilantro or mint, as well as pomegranate seeds, and generous amounts of olive oil.

Zeytoon parvardeh is usually served well chilled and is traditionally enjoyed as an appetizer or a snack that is accompanied by lavash bread.

• Mast o khiar

Mast o khiar is a simple and refreshing Iranian dip made with yogurt and diced cucumbers. In its original form, it is generously seasoned with mint, but it can be easily adapted with other ingredients such as garlic, walnuts, raisins, and various herbs and spices.

Served chilled, mast o khiar is a staple side dish of every Iranian meal but also a quick and nutritious snack when accompanied by crispy flatbreads.

• Sabzi khordan

It is impossible to eat Iranian food and do not have a cup of fresh vegetables along with food. In this container of vegetables such as tarragon, mint, basil, coriander with radishes, onions and walnuts, along with white feta cheese. Eating is simple! Just remove the slice of bread, add some green and some cheese to it, and, like a regular sandwich, cook it and then do it. The vegetable dish stays on the table all the time, and you can use it during meals. Both fresh and dried vegetables are found in Iranian food culture. For example, in the traditional Iranian New Year’s Eve dishes, vegetables cooked with dried herbs are among them.