The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Iranian Foods. If you manage to be in an Iranian restaurant or you are visiting Iran, I recommend the following:
1. Kebab
It is the country’s star product, so wherever you go you will find a kabadi (the name of the establishments where kebabs are sold) on every corner. There are various types of kebab depending on the area where you are, the most typical being boiled rice with lamb and roast chicken. In general, kebabs in Iran are usually served with rice, roasted tomatoes, beetroot or grated carrots and are usually eaten with bread and served with raw onion, parsley and mint.
2. Zereshk Polow With Tah-Dig
This is Iran’s most colorful dish and the one served on grand occasions. It is the last crispy golden layer of fried rice at the bottom of the pot and tastes like a combination of popcorn and fried potatoes, but with the delicate flavor of basmati rice. At Iranian family gatherings, there are always plenty of leftovers, but the one dish that disappears completely is usually tahdig. Iranians use many herbs and spices to enhance the flavor of this typical meal.
3. Iranian Samosa
Samosas are triangular-shaped dumplings originally from India. They are prepared with a very thin dough similar to filo pastry, which becomes very crispy when fried. They are usually filled with vegetables seasoned with a mixture of spices such as curry, turmeric and ginger among others, and there are also meat varieties. They are usually served with a sauce, which can be a chutney, yogurt sauce, spicy sauce, etc. Samosa can also be sweet, in which case they are eaten as a snack or dessert.
4. Fesenjan
A top of Persian cuisine, fesenjan is a typical Persian dish with pomegranate juice and ground walnuts as special and distinguishing ingredients. The dish is therefore sweet and, depending on the type of pomegranate used, slightly sour. It is usually made with chicken meat and is usually accompanied with plain rice, or polo as the Iranians call it, or with a tah dig, crusted rice presented as a pie.
5. Shirini Nargili
Coconut cake or coconut bread is one of the traditional Iranian sweets. Coconut, icing sugar and egg white are used in this sweet. The homemade type of this sweet consists of only the three ingredients mentioned above and contains no oil so it is very healthy; it is soft, moist, tender and chewy on the inside and crunchy and golden on the outside.
6. Carrot Jam
Moraba Havij or Carrot Jam is one of the most delicious and popular jams in Iran. Nothing can replace colorful, delicious and jam-filled dishes on the breakfast table. For the carrot sauce to be good, it must be boiled for two hours at a very low temperature. This jam is very healthy because carrots are rich in biotin, which is necessary for fat metabolism, and also contain potassium, which is important for the functioning of the heart and blood pressure.
7. Kashk-e Bademjan
Kashke Bademjan is one of the most delicious and popular Persian snacks you will find anywhere. Bademjan is Farsi for aubergine, and kashk is curd, a yogurt by-product. This snack can be eaten warm or at room temperature with toasted pieces of bread, nan or Iranian bread. It’s simply delicious and one of the must-eat dishes in Iran.
8. Doogh
It is a carbonated yogurt-based drink very popular in Iran but also in Afghanistan, Syria, Armenia, as well as in other Middle Eastern and Caucasian countries. It is usually drunk with salt and even ground garlic and chopped fresh mint and is served cold as an accompaniment to meals (with meat kebabs, for example.) It is a very popular drink, especially in summer as it is very refreshing.
9. Halva
This is one of the best known sweets in the Middle East. Its preparation basically consists of a mixture of flour, butter and sugar. It is sometimes supplemented with rose essence to give it a more flavourful aroma. Once the dough is freshly mixed, it is poured evenly into a bowl and allowed to cool. The top is then decorated in an eye-catching way until it hardens. Finally, it is usually cut into slices and served with tea or coffee as snacks.
10. Haji Badam
Haji Badam biscuits, one of Iran’s traditional sweets and can be enjoyed with tea. Because of the cardamom and nutmeg, this sweet biscuit has a great taste, especially when made with freshly ground almonds. This biscuit has many followers and as it does not produce any oil (solid or liquid), it is even more valuable for health.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Asian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.