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395 recipes

Helado de dulce de leche (Buenos Aires dulce de leche ice cream)

Dulce de leche is the flavour Buenos Aires heladerías are judged by, and on a summer night the queues at neighbourhood ice-cream shops stretch out onto the pavement well after dinner. Locals order it plain, with a ripple of extra dulce de leche (dulce de leche granizado adds chocolate flakes), often by the kilo to take home. It is dense, chewy and deeply caramel. This home version is egg-free with no custard: a little cornflour cooked into the milk thickens it the way yolks would, and the dulce de leche itself is milk and sugar cooked down, its sugar and milk solids keeping crystals tiny so it stays smooth and scoopable. Churn it, or still-freeze and stir it every 45 minutes. Chef's tip: chill the extra dulce de leche before rippling it in; the common mistake is folding in a warm one, which melts into the ice cream instead of leaving ribbons.

295 minArgentinianDessertsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Reshteh khoshkar (Gilani rice-flour walnut rolls in syrup)

Reshteh khoshkar is the pastry of Gilan on Iran's Caspian coast, made in Rasht and Lahijan homes and bakeries for Ramadan, when a plate of it with tea breaks the fast at iftar. A thin rice-flour batter is drizzled in a lacy criss-cross over a hot griddle to make a fine net, which is filled with walnuts, sugar, cardamom and cinnamon, folded into a neat roll, fried until crisp and soaked in rose-scented syrup. It is crunchy, then soft and sticky, with a fragrant, nutty filling. Serve it at room temperature with strong black tea. The dish has always been egg-free: the rice-flour batter sets on the hot griddle into a net by itself, and the sugar in the filling and syrup glues the rolls together, so there is no need for any other binder, and nothing in it contains gluten. Chef's tip: test the griddle with a few drops of batter first; the common mistake is a griddle that is not hot enough, which lets the batter spread into a pancake instead of setting into a lacy net.

75 minPersianDessertsVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Dal adasRed lentil curry with dried lime

Along the Persian Gulf coast in Bushehr, Bandar Abbas and the towns of Hormozgan, centuries of trade with India gave rise to dal adas, a red lentil curry that is now a favourite lunch and a popular vegetarian dish in Muharram nazri cooking. The lentils cook down with onion, garlic, turmeric and warm curry spices into a thick, golden stew, sharpened with tamarind and the musky sourness of dried lime, and are eaten with rice or flatbread. A portion gives about 21 g of protein from the red lentils, with a little more from the potato. The most common mistake is leaving the dried limes in too long or uncracked: they turn the dal bitter, so pierce them and lift them out once the sourness is right. Chef's tip: fry the spices in the oil with the onions for a full minute before the lentils go in; the curry flavour depends on it.

50 minPersianCurriesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ab doogh khiarChilled yogurt and cucumber soup

On the hottest afternoons in Tehran, Shiraz and Isfahan, ab doogh khiar is lunch: thick yoghurt thinned with iced water, packed with crunchy cucumber, walnuts, raisins and dried mint and rose petals, then filled at the table with torn pieces of dried flatbread that soften like croutons in a cold soup. It is cooling, tangy and faintly sweet, and is eaten with a spoon and plenty of fresh herbs alongside. A bowl gives about 12 g of protein from the yoghurt and walnuts, so it is a light meal rather than a high-protein one; strain the yoghurt yourself or use thick Greek-style yoghurt to push it a little higher. The common mistake is adding the bread too early: it turns to mush, so serve it on the side and let everyone add their own. Chef's tip: rub the dried mint between your palms over the bowl; the warmth releases its oils and the flavour is twice as strong.

15 minPersianSoups
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Torta de ricotaLemon ricotta tart

Italian families brought ricotta tarts to Buenos Aires and Rosario, and torta de ricota is now as Argentinian as mate: every panadería has one in the window, with a lattice of sweet, crumbly masa frola over a pale, lemon-scented ricotta filling. It is cut into wedges for the merienda, the late-afternoon snack, or for a birthday where nobody wants a heavy cake. The texture is light and slightly grainy rather than silky, and the pastry tastes of butter and vanilla. Wet ricotta is the biggest risk, giving a weeping, soggy tart. Chef's tip: drain the ricotta overnight in the fridge in a sieve lined with a cloth, and add a few raisins only if they have been soaked, or they draw moisture from the filling.

90 minArgentinianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nan-e badamiAlmond cardamom cookies

Tabriz and Yazd both claim the best nan-e badami, and in the weeks before Nowruz pastry shops across Iran fill trays with these small almond cookies for the new-year table. Made from ground almonds, sugar and egg white with no flour at all, they have a thin crisp shell and a moist, chewy middle, perfumed with cardamom and rose water and topped with a sliver of pistachio. Offer them with tea when guests make their Nowruz visits; they also keep well enough to make a week ahead. Over-whisking is the easy error: the whites only need to be frothy, not stiff, or the cookies puff and crack like meringues. Chef's tip: let the shaped cookies sit uncovered for 20 minutes before baking so a skin forms; that skin is what gives the neat, crackled top.

45 minPersianBakingGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nan-e keshmeshiSaffron raisin cookies

Ask an Iranian child which Nowruz sweet they reach for first and many will say nan-e keshmeshi, the little raisin cookies with crisp golden rims and soft, chewy centres. Confectioners in Tehran make them by the thousand in the run-up to the spring new year, and they turn up again whenever there is tea and company. The dough is a simple butter-sugar-egg batter warmed with saffron and vanilla, spooned out in small dabs that spread thin in the oven. Spooning them too big or too close is the common slip: they run into each other and bake into one sheet. Chef's tip: soak the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes and dry them well first; plump raisins stay juicy instead of burning on the surface.

44 minPersianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nan-o panir-o sabziBread, white cheese and fresh herbs

Nan-o panir-o sabzi, 'bread, cheese and herbs', is laid out on Iranian tablecloths from Tabriz to Mashhad for breakfast, for a light summer supper and before dawn during Ramadan: warm flatbread, salty white cheese, a big plate of fresh herbs, walnuts and crisp radishes, all wrapped into little bites. There is no cooking beyond warming the bread, so it is ready in ten minutes. The common mistake is serving herbs that are still damp from washing, which wilt and make the bread soggy; wash them earlier and let them dry fully. Iranian white cheese (lighvan) and most feta are made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian feta-style cheese if needed. Chef's tip: soak the walnuts in cold water for 10 minutes; it softens their bitterness the way Iranian cooks like.

12 minPersianBreakfast & Brunch
by KrazyBadal 0 views

NimrooHalf-set fried eggs

Nimroo, literally 'half-done', is what Iranian students in Tehran and families in every city cook when there is no time: eggs fried gently in a small pan until the whites set and the yolks stay soft, sprinkled with salt, pepper and sometimes a pinch of turmeric. It is eaten straight from the pan with torn lavash or sangak, fresh herbs and sweet black tea, for breakfast or a late supper. The common mistake is a fierce heat that burns the edges of the white while a raw film stays round the yolk; a lid for the last minute sets the top gently. For anyone pregnant, very young, older or with a weakened immune system, cook the yolks until firm. Chef's tip: serve it in the pan it was cooked in, on a board, so it stays hot.

8 minPersianBreakfast & BrunchGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Kak-e KermanshahiThin buttered sugar sheets

Kermanshah, in Iran's Kurdish west, is famous for its ghee, and kak is the sweet that shows it off: dough rolled so thin you can read through it, baked crisp in seconds, then brushed with melted ghee and showered with sugar before the sheets are folded and stacked. Shops in the city's bazaar sell them in tall boxes, and families bring them out for guests and at Nowruz with glasses of black tea. They are traditionally made with Kermanshahi ghee, a nutty sheep's-milk ghee; ordinary ghee or clarified butter works well. The classic mistake is rolling too thickly: anything over a millimetre bakes up like a cracker, not a crisp, glassy sheet. Chef's tip: roll on a lightly oiled counter rather than flour, and stretch the last bit over the backs of your hands, as the Kermanshah bakers do; excess flour scorches on the hot tray.

120 minPersianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Omelet-e gojeh farangiTomato and egg omelette

In Iran the word omelet means something quite different from a folded French one: ripe tomatoes are cooked down in oil with a little onion and turmeric until jammy, then eggs are stirred through so they set in soft streaks of red and gold. It is the classic quick dinner of Tehran apartments and student dorms, eaten from the pan with lavash and a plate of herbs. The mistake that makes it watery is adding the eggs before the tomato juices have cooked away; wait until the sauce is thick and the oil sizzles again. Chef's tip: grate the tomatoes on a box grater and throw away the skins, so the base melts down in minutes.

20 minPersianBreakfast & BrunchGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Tarta de coco y dulce de lecheCoconut and dulce de leche tart

Ask Argentinians for their favourite tart at a family birthday and this one often wins: a crisp shortcrust spread thickly with dulce de leche, then covered with a coconut, sugar and egg topping that bakes into a golden, chewy crust. Bakeries from Córdoba to Mar del Plata sell it by the slice for the merienda with mate or a café con leche. It is very sweet, so the slices are thin, and it is a good keeper for a few days. Ordinary spreading dulce de leche is the mistake: it runs and bubbles out at the edges. Use the thicker pastry-style kind, sold in Argentina as 'repostero'. Chef's tip: chill the case with the dulce de leche spread on it for 15 minutes before adding the coconut, so the two layers stay distinct.

75 minArgentinianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Fideos con mantecaButtered noodles with cheese

Ask anyone from Buenos Aires to Córdoba what they ate when they came home late or felt poorly as a child, and the answer is often fideos con manteca: short pasta tossed with butter and a snowfall of grated queso rallado. It is the plainest dish in the Argentine home kitchen and the one people cook for themselves on a tired weeknight. The mistake that ruins it is draining the pasta bone-dry and adding cold cheese to a hot empty pan, which leaves greasy strands and clumps; a splash of cooking water makes a light, creamy coating instead. Argentine reggianito and Parmesan are made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian hard cheese if needed. Chef's tip: grate the cheese very finely, like dust, so it melts on contact.

15 minArgentinianPasta & Noodles
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Salpicón de aveCold chicken salad

Salpicón de ave is the cold supper of Argentine summers, made in Buenos Aires flats and on estancias alike when it is too hot to cook much, and a favourite way to use the chicken from a puchero or Sunday roast. Shredded chicken is mixed with diced pepper, tomato, spring onion, sweetcorn and boiled egg, bound with mayonnaise sharpened with lemon and mustard, and served chilled with crusty bread or on lettuce. The common mistake is dressing it while the chicken is still hot, which melts the mayonnaise into an oily puddle; let everything cool first. Chef's tip: dress the chicken with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt before the mayonnaise goes in, so the meat itself is seasoned, not just its coating.

30 minArgentinianSaladsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Dopiazeh alooPotatoes fried with onion and tomato

Dopiazeh means 'two onions', and in Shiraz this potato dish lives up to the name: cubed potatoes are fried with a generous heap of golden onions, turmeric and tomato paste until the edges catch and the sauce clings to every piece. Shirazi families eat it as a side with rice and kebab or, on busy evenings, as the main dish rolled up in flatbread with yogurt or fresh herbs. The usual mistake is crowding the pan, so the potatoes steam and break up instead of browning; use your widest pan. Chef's tip: fry the tomato paste in the oil for a full minute before adding water, so it turns brick red and loses its raw edge.

30 minPersianSidesVeganGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

BizcochueloPlain whisked sponge cake

Nearly every Argentine birthday torta starts life as a bizcochuelo: a tall, plain sponge of eggs, sugar, flour and cornflour, with no butter and no baking powder, lifted only by long whisking. Grandmothers bake it on Sunday to split into three and fill with dulce de leche and whipped cream, or eat it plain in the afternoon with mate. The crumb is fine, dry-ish and airy, made to soak up syrup. Opening the oven in the first 20 minutes is the classic way to flatten it, so leave the door shut. Chef's tip: whisk until the mixture reaches 'punto letra', thick enough that a ribbon drawn on the surface holds its shape for a few seconds; that takes a good 8–10 minutes with an electric mixer, and warm eggs get there faster.

55 minArgentinianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Fereni for babies (Persian rice-milk porridge)

Fereni is one of the oldest Persian sweets, and in Iranian homes it is also a baby's first spoon food: rice flour cooked slowly in milk until it is soft, pale and silky. Mothers often make it for breakfast or for a winter afternoon. For babies under one it is served plain; older children get the rosewater, a little sugar and a dusting of cinnamon that the family enjoys. It contains milk; there is no egg, gluten, nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: stir with a whisk for the first few minutes, then switch to a spatula so you can scrape the bottom of the pan.

22 minPersianBreakfast & BrunchGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Persian kotlet (beef and potato patties)

Kotlet is the dish Iranian families make in big batches for school lunches, road trips and Friday picnics in the park: minced beef mixed with grated potato, onion, egg and turmeric, shaped into flat ovals and fried until deep brown and crisp at the edges. They are eaten tucked into lavash or a soft roll with tomato, cucumber pickles and herbs, warm at home and cold the next day. They contain egg and gluten (breadcrumbs). Chef's tip: squeeze the grated onion and potato hard in a cloth; that water is what makes kotlet fall apart in the pan.

50 minPersianMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Ash-e dandooni (Persian first-tooth soup)

When an Iranian baby's first tooth appears, the family cooks a big pot of ash-e dandooni and shares it with relatives and neighbours, who return the bowl with a small gift for the baby. It is a hearty, mild soup of whole wheat, chickpeas, beans and lentils, eaten by the whole family; in some homes the little one gets the soft, mashed grains without salt or toppings. It is free of milk, egg, nuts and soya and contains gluten (wheat). Chef's tip: soak the wheat and pulses together overnight, so everything cooks at the same speed.

120 minPersianSoupsVegan
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Nan-e khameiCream puffs

Tehran's pastry shops, the qanadi on every busy street, sell nan-e khamei by the boxful: small golden choux puffs split and filled with softly whipped cream, dusted with icing sugar. Families buy a box to take when visiting relatives, for birthdays and above all for the Nowruz new-year table, and they are eaten with glasses of black tea. The shells are crisp and hollow, the cream barely sweet and sometimes lifted with a drop of rose water, and a few chopped pistachios on top add colour. Filling them too early is the usual mistake, as the cream softens the shells within hours, so fill them shortly before serving. Chef's tip: whip the cream in a chilled bowl and stop at soft peaks with a little hold; it pipes smoothly and doesn't turn grainy.

80 minPersianBaking
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Khoresh-e rivasRhubarb and lamb stew

Rhubarb grows wild on the slopes of the Alborz and around Tabriz, and when the first pink stalks arrive in April, Tehran grandmothers make khoresh-e rivas, a spring tonic that also turns up at Nowruz visits. Lamb cooks soft, then a big pile of fried mint and parsley turns the sauce deep green, and the rhubarb is added at the very end so it stays in tender, sour pieces. Serve it with chelow and something sweet afterwards. The most common mistake is stirring once the rhubarb is in; it falls apart in minutes, so lay it on top and only shake the pot. Chef's tip: if your rhubarb is very sour, a teaspoon of sugar rounds it out without making the stew sweet.

125 minPersianCurriesGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Havij poloCarrot rice with chicken

Havij polo is a party rice in Tehran and Isfahan, its orange carrot ribbons and saffron grains making a bright centrepiece at birthday lunches and family gatherings. Carrot batons are fried with a little sugar and cinnamon, layered with parboiled basmati and pieces of braised saffron chicken, and steamed until the rice is fluffy with a golden crust below. Serve it with salad shirazi and yogurt. The common mistake is too much sugar, which makes it taste like dessert; it should be only gently sweet against the savoury chicken. Chef's tip: braise the chicken first and use its reduced juices to moisten the layers, so the rice tastes of it all the way through.

105 minPersianRice & GrainsGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Khoresh-e kangarCardoon and lamb stew

Kangar, a wild thistle, is gathered in the Alborz foothills above Tehran in April and May, and khoresh-e kangar is the stew people make with it in those few weeks; outside Iran, cardoons or artichoke stems stand in well. The peeled stems are fried, then simmered with lamb, mint, parsley and lemon until tender, giving a green, faintly bitter stew that tastes like artichoke. Serve it with chelow. The common mistake is skipping the peeling and the soak: the stringy outer skin stays tough and the cut stems blacken. Chef's tip: soak the cut stems in water with lemon juice for 30 minutes, which keeps them pale and pulls out much of the bitterness.

140 minPersianCurriesGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

Khoresh-e lubia sabzGreen bean and beef stew

Green bean khoresh is the stew Iranian children ask for, cooked in homes from Mashhad to Shiraz through the summer when beans are cheap; Tehran cooks often add a pinch of cinnamon that makes the tomato sauce taste rounder. Beef or lamb simmers until soft, the beans are fried briefly and then cooked in the sauce until tender but still green. Serve it with chelow and a spoon of tahdig on the side. The mistake to avoid is cutting the beans too fine, which turns the stew into mush; 3 cm pieces keep their bite. Chef's tip: fry the beans in a little oil for 5 minutes before they go into the pot, so they keep their colour and taste nutty.

100 minPersianCurriesGluten free
by KrazyBadal 0 views

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