#khoresh

Khoresh karafs 🥩🍋‍🟩🌿 & kvass

This weekend, I had the opportunity to travel home and learn how to prepare Fesenjan (فسنجان) from my mother. Fesenjan is a stew (khoresht, خورشت) made of walnuts, pomegranate, and chicken, and is served with Iranian polo: long-grain rice seasoned with saffron. The dish is of Northern Iranian origin and dates back several centuries (1). Fesenjan is not a food that my family eats on a regular basis, but rather on special occasions. In particular, this Sunday was the Iranian holiday of Jashn e Mehregan (جشنمهرگان), a celebration of the autumnal harvest (2). Fruits such as pomegranate and nuts such as walnuts are especially characteristic of this time of year, and so Fesenjan seemed like a natural choice to commemorate the holiday. This was my first time preparing a Persian dish, and while I held the preconception that Persian khoreshts are laborious and time-consuming to make, cooking Fesenjan proved to be a relatively simple process which anyone can do! Throughout the process, I learned that the key to Iranian cuisine lies in its subtle pairings of flavors— not necessarily spiciness— an approach which is meant to accentuate the natural characteristics of the ingredients. With Fesenjan in particular, the richness of the walnuts complements the tart sweetness of the pomegranate to produce a uniquely sumptuous flavor reminiscent of fall or winter. Overall, what I enjoyed most about cooking Fesenjan was its ability to bring my family closer together. Working in the kitchen with my mother, and later enjoying the meal with my whole family, I was able to learn more about my cultural heritage and my parents’ experiences. After all, cuisine is the centerpiece of Persian familial and social life. 

دانیال

Khoresh-e-Fesenjan: An Iranian Masterpiece. (2018, May 3). https://kitchensofhistory.wordpress.com/heirloom-recipes-2/khoresh-e-fesenjan/

Jashn-e Mehregan, Persian Harvest Festival. (2014, October 2). Financial Tribune. https://financialtribune.com/articles/travel/1757/jashn-e-mehregan-persian-harvest-festival

Below is the recipe (serving 4 people) used along with pictures:

Using a food processor, pulverize 4 cups of walnuts. Set this aside for later. 

Season eight pieces of deboned chicken thighs lightly in salt and pepper, as well as 2 tablespoons of flour to seal-in their juice. 

Sauté the chicken briefly in a pan until its exterior is golden-brown, then transfer it to a baking dish. Season with 1 teaspoon of turmeric.

In the same pan as before, sauté one diced onion. While the onion is still cooking, add the pulverized walnuts and sauté the mixture well. After about five minutes, add one tablespoon of flour and 2 minced cloves of garlic.

Transfer the onion and walnuts on top of the chicken. In the same pan as before, bring 32 oz. of pomegranate juice to boil. (Note: Alternatively, pomegranate paste, can be used.) While the pomegranate juice is being heated, add 1 tablespoon of honey. 

Pour the juice onto the chicken, onion, and walnuts. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 425 F for one hour. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.

Serve the final product with polo and enjoy!

Tonight's cooking adventure: Baghala Qataq, a dish of fava beans, garlic, dill, and poached eggs. I added extra liquid for more of a stew/soup and some Aleppo pepper on top for spice and some plain yogurt. Holy cow this is good.

From my Iranian cookbook.