Modern Persian Food

Join us as we delve into the ancient mid-summer rain festival called Tirgan. Tirgan is a non-secular Zorastrian festival full of opportunities to make wishes! Typically celebrated in the first few days of July, customs include splashing water, dancing, reciting poetry, and serving spinach soup and sholezard, as well as wearing rainbow-colored bracelets.    Tune in for some modern ideas and ways to...

Beata and Bita welcome language specialist Leyla of Chai and Conversation to diverge from Persian language lessons and to explore, break down, and demystify the Persian cultural concept of "tarof", a form of politeness, etiquette, and respect as it relates to food, having guests, and eating in restaurants. They reflect on raising kids in the US, especially in blended/cross cultural families, and b...

Have you ever tried making a Persian-inspired charcuterie board? The Beats love building boards or platters mound high with a variety of cheeses, meats, nuts, fruits (fresh, dried, or jam), honeys, herbs, and sometimes dips.     Get creative with your charcuterie board pickings to make the perfect sweet or savory bite!   Remember, there's no right or wrong way to do it and enjoy the process and th...

The Beats welcome Mitra Golnazar of Gol Ice Cream to talk about Persian ice cream, what makes it so delicious, and how Gol's philosophy of sourcing quality and fresh ingredients is their secret weapon for creating gourmet bastani.   Get ready to crave so many interesting and delicious flavors!   Subscribe+ to the Modern Persian Food podcast for a new episode every Wednesday! And tell a friend you...

Today we're exploring modern versions of an old classic, Persian kotlet! Kotlet is a fan-favorite fried potato patty and we've covering off with tips and tricks for making a lighter, healthier version, including ingredient substitutions, and ways to serve it. Today's "Ask the Beats" comes from Bita's hubby, Bobby.  He wants to know how do you keep the kotlet from falling apart and what makes it st...

Warning: be sure to eat something before listening to this episode all about Persian Kababs!  Your mouth will be watering as we explore all of our personal favorites and beyond including joojeh kabab, koobideh, barg, chengeh, shishleek, fish, veggies, and more. These delicious, decadent kababs are chargrilled directly over a hot flame, can you smell it yet?   The "Ask the Beats" in this episode co...

It's wedding season on the Modern Persian Food podcast! Bita and Beata bring back their first ever guest episode with wedding officiant and planner Nilou Nouri from Nilou Weddings as they talk about the role of food in Persian weddings and what makes Persian weddings unique. They explore modern takes on old traditions and some personal memories and stories of Beata and Bita's own weddings.     Enj...

The Beats break down the ins and outs of chickpeas also known as garbanzo beans (or nokhod in Farsi) in Persian food and beyond! Chickpeas are fabulous in soups & stews, salads, dips, and as snacks. Chickpea flour is used in an iconic cookie called Nokhodchi and is gluten free. The easiest way to work with garbanzo beans is to use the canned bean variety, although the duo go over how to cook them...

Ideas and inspirations for a sweet and savory Persian brunch to enjoy on Mother's day, hanging out with friends and family, or just indulging on your own! Beata and Bita build off their Persian Breakfast episode #27 with some new ways to bring on the weekend and have a leisurely brunch with some Persian flair and flavor.    The "Ask the Beats" covers off on a fun brunch cocktail sure to get anyone...

Today's episode is a true podcasting collab. Co-hosts Beata and Bita are joined by Mikey and Rinne who are the hosts of another podcast, called Mikey and Rinne Eat In.   Mikey is a culinary innovation consultant and helps companies make all new delicious products nationwide. Bita and Mikey connected through an opportunity with Dinnerbell, a heat and eat food service company based out of Palo Alto,...

Make Tahdig Not War!  A T-shirt, a movement, and so much more. In today's episode co-hosts Bita and Beata are joined by a creative expressionist, Parisa Parnian. Special guest Parisa puts passion and meaning behind everything she does. She is the inspiration behind #maketahdignotwar and the growing, peaceful Persian foodie community. We learn the story behind the origination of said shirt as well...

Cohosts Beata and Bita reflect on spring time and how they have celebrated Easter, both growing up Persian in the US and also as an adult in their Iranian-American families. They share their favorite Easter and springtime foods and recipes which include:   Deviled eggs Steamed fava beans  Baghali Polo | Layered Persian dill rice with fava beans  Lamb including braised lamb shanks maycheh and lamb...

Listen to our insightful and motivating conversation with chef Beeta Mohajeri with the following topic: How to conquer culinary challenges by diving right in and taking the bull by the horns with a say yes, try everything attitude! We hope you have fun with our triple Beat power…triple Bita/Beata/Beeta action including co-hosts Bita Arabian, Beata Nazem Kelley, and special guest Beeta Mohajeri. Ch...

Join us as we explore Persian dishes that are full of vegetables, herbs, legumes, and fruits. Persian cuisine is often plant-based protein rich without needing any meat substitutes. In this podcast episode we cover off on some of our favorite vegetarian appetizers, soups, rice dishes, and luscious khoreshts plus some of our tips and tricks to get the most flavor out of your ingredients.    Learn a...

Round out your Norooz/Nowruz season by taking the popular Salad Olivier to Sizdeh Bedar! Sizdeh Bedar is the 13th day of the Persian New Year where it is tradition to get out of the house and have a picnic or spend time outdoors.   Salad Olivier (pronounced ooloovieh or olivieh) is a potato, chicken, and egg salad with a tangy twist – pickles add crunch and a punchy tartness.  We serve Salad Olivi...

An inspiring conversation with Chef Nadia Deljou of Delle Dining on preserving culture through the sounds, smells, and tastes of Persian food and music.    Background - raised in an Iranian-American family with a father being of Jewish faith.  Family and extended family were involved in art, creation, and food with family at the foreground of everyting.  Nadia has been able to identify with her cu...

Get inspired to set up your own Norooz/Nowruz Sofreh Haft Seen this year! Co-hosts Bita and Beata give an overview of the Persian New Year and encourage everyone to set up the traditional place setting with 7 symbolic items (or with whatever items you can get your hands on!)   Highlights of Norooz (also spelled Nowruz) It is the biggest Persian holiday and celebrated by other nationalities and cou...

In this podcast episode Beata and Bita explore Persian cookies which are often presented on the Persian New Year Norooz sofreh haft-seen table spread, weddings, and special occasions. They also include a simple recipe for Naan Berenji Persian Rice Flour cookies to inspire their listeners.    What makes Persian cookies unique: Many of the cookie varieties Often ornately decorated, colorful and beau...

Does growing your own sabzeh give you an anxiety attack?  Worry no further!   Co-hosts, Bita and Beata are honored to be joined on the Modern Persian Food podcast by a special guest Naz Davarian in a special tutorial where Naz teaches how to grow sabzeh, also known as Persian grass, from start to finish.  Sabzeh is one of the 7 symbolic items arranged on the Haft-seen table for Norooz, the Persian...

Do you like carbs?  How about Fried carbs?? Today's guest on the podcast, Varta Ariaban, describes tahdig as the ultimate fried carb. Varta is a talented food artist specializing in both sweet and savory. On the sweet side she makes beautiful bite-sized modern persian treats. On the savory side Varta loves preparing tahdig with fun designs    Tahdig tips It's all in trial and error, learning and k...

Can we live better, healthier lives, and in some cases, maybe even extend our lives by enjoying the medicinal properties of Persian spices in foods?  Maybe!     Join the Beats as they explore the depths of knowledge in an insightful chat with Dr. Mahtab Jafari and explore  Persian spices highlighted for medicinal health benefits include saffron, turmeric, cinnamon and rose.  Dr. Mahtab is a doctor...

In today's episode, you will learn to make the easiest one pot, no strain rice, in Farsi called "kateh". What is the "kateh" method? A specific, one pot rice technique with no straining required Steps: Use Indian long-grain, white Basmati rice Wash and rinse the rice until the water rinses out clear Transfer the rinsed rice to a pot General rule of thumb, fill up the pot about an inch and a half a...

Make your first Persian stew or "khoresh", an easy Persian celery Stew | Khoresh/t Karafs!  This healthy stew is a great dish to start with, including ingredients that are easy to find. Guess what, it's home chef, Beata's joon's very first Persian dish she made herself!  For co-host Bita, she grew up eating it on regular rotation as a healthy choice, made with chicken.     What we like about it: R...

Have you heard of smoked rice?  Smoked basmati rice is just one of the smoky flavors the Beats explore in ingredients, dishes, and beyond.  There are so many delicious and unique smoky flavors in Persian cuisine, the most notable one being smoked fish.   Fish Purchase smoked from a store or a restaurant Smoke it yourself Open invitation to join us as a special guest on the podcast!   Smoked rice A...

Are you ready to get nutty?! In this single ingredient episode, co-hosts Bita and Beata get excited about "pesteh" which is Farsi for pistachios, specifically how to add vibrance, texture and color to everyday dishes and beyond.     Before the Beats dive into ways to incorporate this rich, decadent nut into Persian recipes and beyond, let's explore a few questions.   Why are Persian pistachios spe...