Vegetarian. An English word. when you hear this word, may you think there is some problem with this world and middle east countries. I’ll tell you right.
Because everyone hears about famous foods in this area. Kabab, Kale Pache, Dizi and etc.
But now, I should tell you that Iran has a great history in vegetarian foods!
Persian culture has several unique types of vegetarian foods with special taste. it’s really really delicious and so popular in Iran.
When you ask about vegetarian foods or restaurant in Iran, maybe you don’t receive any answer, but this food is under your nose and you can find them in all Iranian restaurants.
In this post, I inform some Iranian vegetarian foods that you can find in any city of Iran. So let’s go.
1. Ash Reshte
This is the famous vegetarian food of Iran. Ash Reshte or Ashe Reshte is a traditional food in soup type (this isn’t a soup, soup is not a food. but my mom don’t believe that!) and have been eaten in Iran and Azerbaijan.
The ingredients used are reshteh (thin noodles), kashk (a whey-like dairy product), herbs such as parsley, spinach, dill, spring onion ends and sometimes coriander, chickpeas, black eye beans, lentils, onions, flour, dried mint, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper.
This food is used as the main food, especially in winter and Ramadan.
2. Kashke Bademjan
Kashke Bademjan is one of the most popular Persian appetizers. Bademjan is eggplant in Farsi, and kashk is a yogurt product that traditionally is made through a long process from very firm strained yogurt.
The final product is either formed into balls, or pressed through a large holed sieve into strips, and dried. When dried kashk is used in a recipe it has to be soaked in small amount of warm water and dissolved gradually to produce a light tan-colored, thick creamy liquid. Kash is also available in most Middle Eastern markets in liquid form.
Kashke Bademjan has found its way to almost every Persian restaurant in the U.S. This appetizer can be eaten warm or at room temperature with toasted pita wedges, flatbread, or baguettes. Just like most recipes, there are many different versions of Kashke Bademjan.
3. Mirza Ghassemi
Mirza Ghassemi is the famous vegetarian food in my motherland, Guilan in the north of Iran. but it’s available in all around Iran.
Mirza Ghassemi is a Northern Iranian appetizer or main based on tandoori or kabobed aubergine, distinct to the Caspian Sea region. The dish is consists of aubergines seasoned (eggplant) with garlic, tomato, turmeric, oil or butter, salt and pepper bound together with eggs. It can be prepared as a casserole dish and is usually served with bread or rice.
The variant made with zucchini instead of aubergine is called Kadoo Ghassemi.
4. Kuku Sabzi
Kuku also spelled as Kookoo is an egg-based Persian and Azeri dish. It is frequently a vegetarian dish, made with whipped eggs which they are folded in with various ingredients. It is similar to the Italian dish frittata or an open-faced omelet. Kuku 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.
For the typical Kuku Sabzi recipe (as pictured), the eggs and herbs are mixed and seasoned with salt, black pepper, walnuts, sometimes flour, sometimes barberries, sometimes baking powder and ground turmeric or advice spice mixture. The mixture is then poured into a preheated oiled pan, covered and cooked over low heat until set, sometimes flipped or finished in a hot oven. Some cooks saute the herbs briefly before adding the eggs. A number of herb ingredients usually greatly exceeds the number of eggs, which merely serve to hold the Kuku together, making the predominant flavor that of the herbs rather than that of a typical “egg omelet.” Walnuts and zereshk (barberries) are a favorite garnish for on top. It is often sliced and served hot or cold with bread or rice, yogurt, sabzi khordan (platter of fresh herbs) and torshi (pickled vegetables). Kuku can be a main dish or an appetizer
You can also find several vegetarian foods in Iran such as Baghla Ghatogh. also, Persians have several pieces of bread that can be used as a food.
