Those of you who watched my vegan Persian food “taste test” with Reza Farahan, know that I took both traditional Persian dishes and vegan versions of the same traditional dishes and had my friend Reza try to distinguish between the two. You’ll have to watch the IGTV for his reactions and for the results but ever since I posted it, I’ve been getting a lot of requests to post some of the recipes of the vegan Persian food.
To be completely honest even though I’m a health and food nut, I’m not the best cook 💁🏻♀️ so I reached out to @chefniki on Instagram (thank you social media 🙌🏻) and she made the most amazing vegan versions of Khoreshteh Bademjoon and Khoreshteh Gormeh Sabzi FROM SCRATCH.
You guys, these dishes were insanely good and I highly recommend trying to make them at home but if you’re like me and you don’t love to cook then definitely reach out to @chefniki on IG and she’ll hook you up :)
Hope you guys enjoy!
Vegan Khoreshteh Bademjoon
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Chopped chives or mint to garnish
Instructions:
Place the eggplant in a colander set over a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt, this will tame and bitterness. Let this rest for half and hour, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.In the meantime, heat the oil in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, stirring and shaking the pan for 7 to 8 minutes or until translucent. Add in the garlic, stirring to ensure that it does not burn.Stir in the eggplant and stir and cook for 10 minutes, until the eggplant softens and sweats.Add in the tomatoes, turmeric, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, black pepper and mix well. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, until the eggplants are nice and soft and sauce. Add 1/2 cup of water if it comes out too thick and let simmer. Garnish with the chives and serve of Basmati rice if desired
Vegan Khoreshteh Gormeh Sabzi
Ingredients:
2 large red onions, finely chopped
4 large cloves of garlic
1 cup spring onions, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups spinach, finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup coriander(cilantro), finely chopped
1/4 cup fenugreek finely chopped (you can also use 2 tbsp of dried fenugreek as an alternative)
1.5 cups cooked kidney beans
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp black lime powder
1 1/2 water or vegetable stock
2 tbsp coconut oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a large pot on medium heat, sautee the onions in 1 tbsp of coconut oil until slightly translucent. Add the garlic and turmeric and stir through for a few more minutes.Add the spinach, spring onions, herbs and fry with the remaining oil until wilted. Add the water, drained kidney beans and remaining spices and bring to a boil for a few minutes before covering and allowing to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Don’t be afraid to adjust water or seasonings as needed.In the mean time, prepare the saffron millet pilaf in a separate pot. Add the millet, water or stock and saffron strands then bring to a boil on medium heat. Lower the heat and cover, then cook until all water is absorbed and millet fluffs.Once the greens are stewed and fragrant and the vegetables are cooked through your sabzi is ready. Serve piping hot atop the saffron millet and garnish with fresh coriander.
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