Thinking about Persian food brings to mind the dazzling sabzi khordan, array of kebabs, magnificent naans & pilafs and also the saffron, pistachios, rose petals & rose water, preserved limes and barberries. I grew up in a house where Persian was just as common a language as Urdu, Kashmiri and English. Persian poetry couplets were interspersed into everyday talking and it was just a normal way of having a conversation. The Persian influence in Kashmir is not limited to arts, architecture and language. It also has been a huge influence on the food in the valley of Kashmir. This could …
Chicken with Saffron and Mushrooms – Khoresht-e gharch
Har kas ki dad tan ba bala iman az ballast Viran kuja zi mauj shavad khana-i-hubab ― Ghani Kashmiri (He who plunged into difficulties is free from difficulties, How can the house of a bubble be smashed by a wave) His full name was Ghani Kashmiri Mirza Muhammad Tahir, a Kashmiri Poet who was acknowledged in Iran as a great master of Persian Poetry. Persian was the language of the court in Kashmir in the 14th century. The Persian language is till date learned, mastered and spoken in Kashmir. I grew up listening to Farsi (Persian) poetry with my grandfather. …
Nan-e-Barbari – Persian Bread
I have been missing home, a lot, lately. That is one of the reasons why you are and will be seeing a lot of bread / Naan/ Indian bread related posts on Spiceroots. There is something in those not so distant mountains that I see from my kitchen window that speaks of home to me. Its almost hypnotic. How they change from the time the first rays of sun touch them to the time the sun hides behind them almost feels like a conversation. I do feel very blessed to live in Colorado. It feels like home and yet makes …
Mirza Ghasemi- Persian Grilled eggplant dip
It is a quintessential Persian dish from the Northern province based on its use of abundant garlic .