Recipes

The saltiness of the world’s current political climate cannot be overstated; here now, look beyond it with a touch of something sweet A recipe and story from The Saffron Tales: Recipes from the [...]

This refreshing summer salad is perfect for warm sunny days. Sekanjibeen is an ancient Persian syrup, concocted from vinegar, sugar and mint, which can be drizzled over salad leaves, or mixed [...]

Sour Cherry and Dark Chocolate Cookies Rich and decadent, these luxurious double chocolate cookies are the perfect tea time treat.  Sour Cherries (sometimes labelled Morello Cherries) can be [...]

According to Iranian legend, this soothing caramelised onion soup – known as Eshkeneh in Farsi  – is an ancient dish that was fed to soldiers fighting under the Parthian King Arsaces [...]

In ancient Persian mythology the human race is said to have sprung from the seeds of a rhubarb plant – a story I always loved as a child as it imparts some seriously ethereal qualities to this [...]

Your step-by-step guide to cooking perfect Persian rice with a crispy rice crust every time.

This warming winter crumble uses two of Iran’s most tantalising winter fruits – the pomegranate and the quince – combined in a classic British crumble. The deeply fragrant quince is a very [...]

This aromatic, tangy chicken recipe is a modified version of a popular chicken kebab from Northern Iran. My version includes few tablespoons of za’atar, Middle Eastern spice made from thyme, [...]

This rich and fragrant stew is one of the national dishes of Iran and epitomises the Persian love affair with green herbs. Traditionally made with lamb, my vegetarian version has an incredible [...]

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Iran was falling in love with date syrup – a dark, sticky, sauce made from cooked down dates. Sometimes labelled as date molasses, this incredibly [...]