From stylist.co.uk
These recipes by Mana Shamshiri (AKA the Iranian Vegan) are proof that Middle Eastern cuisine can be every bit as healthy as the typical Med Diet
Every YouTuber and their dietitian will tell you that, for a long, healthy life, your plate should be filled with foods straight from the Mediterranean. But the side of the Med that gets less PR sits east. It may not get the extensive health focus that Italy and Greece enjoy, but the Middle East is where a diverse blend of spices, herbs, fruits and veggies are stewed, fried and boiled into tasty, gut-friendly dishes.
We know all about the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet because there’s been so much funding and research into it, claims Amaeze Madukah, registered nutritionist and founder of The Diverse Nutrition Association. “But there hasn’t been as much funding for diets from places like the Middle East – even though traditional ways of eating rely heavily upon plants, vegetables and spices which are full of health benefits.
“A diverse mix of fruits and veggies should be a focus in any diet, and combining the different spices we eat together in one dish can increase the amount of antioxidants we consume,” she adds.
One place with nutrient-packed dishes that gets more air-time for its politics than its foodie culture is Iran. With a rich and ancient history, those who know, know that – done right – Persian food never fails to serve up mouth-watering goodness.
For a vegan take on some of the country’s traditional favourites, we turned to Mana Shamshiri, AKA The Iranian Vegan. She’s come up with three plant-packed recipes that are as good for your gut as your taste buds.
Borani bademjan: Persian aubergine, tomato and garlic
Serves 4 (main dish or starter)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
This tasty borani bademjan recipe, popular in Iranian and Afghan cuisine, makes a quick weeknight dinner or impressive starter to show off to your pals. It’s also packed with health benefits.
“The purple skin of the aubergine has antioxidant properties, which are protective compounds protecting you from excessive free radical damage, which contributes to certain illnesses and can lead to signs of ageing,” says Madukah. “And tomatoes have a compound called lycopene, which is more accessible for our digestive systems when cooked.”
If you’re using fresh garlic for this recipe, use just two cloves in the onion mixture so the flavour isn’t overly strong. You might use three cloves if your garlic is a little older. It all depends on your personal preference – and maybe whether or not it’s date night. Mana suggests having this one for mains or rustling it up with some fresh Barbari bread as a tasty appetiser to impress guests.
Top tip: If you grill aubergines in the oven on each side before frying, or air fry them, they’ll absorb less oil. Or you can slice them and leave them out overnight for the same effect.
Credit: The Iranian Vegan
Ingredients
2 aubergines
2 potatoes (optional)
10 cherry tomatoes
2 onions, thinly sliced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
Vegetable oil
200g vegan yoghurt (soya, coconut, oat, etc.)
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp turmeric
Cayenne pepper (to your taste)
Method
1. Fry the sliced onions in 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil. When translucent, add the turmeric and 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. Fry for a minute, then add the tomato paste, the whole cherry tomatoes, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and cook on a medium-low flame with the lid on for 5 minutes longer or until the tomatoes are roasted and soft. Add more oil or a small amount of boiling water if it is dry.
2. Meanwhile, cut the aubergines into 1-inch thick slices. Cover a frying pan with a thin layer of vegetable oil and fry until browned on both sides. When removing from the pan, place them on a paper towel lined plate to absorb the excess oil. (To make the aubergines absorb less oil, grill them in the oven on both sides first; this dehydrates them slightly.)
3. If desired, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch slices. Fry them in an air fryer for 10 minutes, or in a pan on both sides until crispy.
4. Mix 200g yoghurt with a small amount of water to make it a thinner, pourable consistency. Add in the lime juice, ½ tsp salt and one minced clove of garlic and stir well.
5. To serve: Start with a layer of yoghurt, then aubergines, tomato, garlic and onion mixture and potatoes, then repeat in a random fashion. Sprinkle cayenne pepper to your taste throughout while assembling.
6. Top with dried mint and extra virgin olive oil (optional). Enjoy with warm bread.
Kokoo sabzi: Walnut, barberry and fresh herb frittata
Serves 4 - 6 (main dish or starter)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook times: 40 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Often eaten with sabzi polo (herby rice) and fish on Nowruz – Persian New Year – kookoo sabzi is traditionally made with eggs and stuffed with herbs like parsley, coriander, chives and dill and makes a tasty weekend breakfast or evening meal all year round. This savoury frittata is usually vegetarian, but Mana uses milled flaxseed for a vegan twist.
It’s a nutritious, melt-in-the-mouth dish which packs sourness and a satisfying walnut crunch. “You can eat it with warm bread, pickles and fresh salad vegetables, or with sabzi polo and mahi [fish],” suggests Mana. “As a general rule, for any recipe which calls for 1 egg, use 1 tbsp flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water. Once left to set for a few minutes, the ‘flax-egg’ mixture has the same gelatinous consistency as egg.”
High in fibre and omega-3, flaxseeds make the perfect healthy addition for a vegan take on this traditional dish. Plus, Madukah says that “barberries are something you don’t often see in a lot of global cuisines, but they have lots of health benefits with a high amount of vitamin C, iron and fibre. Vitamin C and iron work well together in food because vitamin C helps your digestive system absorb the iron better.”
Top tip: Mana advises washing the herbs before using them, adding: “My family usually makes kookoo on the stovetop by frying it. However, I have found that, when using flax-eggs, using the oven gives the best results.”
Credit: The Iranian Vegan
Ingredients
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp turmeric
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped spring onions
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 cup chopped fresh dill
½ cup chopped walnuts
⅓ cup barberries
1 potato, finely grated
4 tbsp chickpea/gram flour
6 flax-eggs (1 tbsp flaxseed, mixed with 3 tbsp water = 1 flax-egg)
Vegetable oil
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Make your flax-eggs by mixing 6 tbsp milled flaxseed and 18 tbsp water (3 tbsp water per 1 tbsp milled flaxseed) and leave it in the fridge to set for several minutes.
3. Grate a large potato and squeeze the excess water out with a cloth or colander.
4. Finely chop the herbs, and mix together with the chopped walnuts, minced garlic, flour, barberries, grated potato, baking powder, salt, pepper and turmeric and 4 tbsp oil. Mix in the flax-eggs which have now set.
5. Pour the mixture into an oiled round cake tin or small cupcake tins and bake in the oven at 180C for 40 minutes, or until no longer soft (wet) in the middle.
6. Gently stir-fry handful of barberries with 1 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp water for the garnish. Scatter on top of the kookoo, with walnuts, before serving.
7. Enjoy with warm bread or sabzi polo.
Khoresht Fesenjoon: Walnut, pomegranate stew with oyster mushrooms
Serves 4 - 6 (main course)
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
Usually cooked with duck or chicken, this vegan version of fesenjoon stew uses oyster mushroom for their large, flat, ribbed and meat-like texture. One of the oldest recipes in Iran (and the world), it’s known as the ‘Godfather’ of the curry, as fesenjoon dates back as far as 515 BCE.
“Pomegranates are another food that is often quite specific to cuisines in the Middle East, but which are great for us and packed with antioxidants,” says Madukah. “Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties. When you combine black pepper and turmeric together, the absorption of that curcumin is enhanced.”
Traditionally served with yoghurt and rice, the star of this sour and rich stew is chunky oyster mushrooms which are packed with protein and fibre, helping support the normal functioning of your gut.
Credit: The Iranian Vegan
Ingredients
2 cups/250g walnuts
1 cup/125 ml pomegranate molasses
500g oyster mushrooms (shiitake, king oyster, or any other kind are OK too)
1 large yellow onion
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp concentrated tomato paste
Pomegranate seeds (for garnish, optional)
Method
1. Grind the walnuts as finely as possible in a food processor, until the ground walnuts are starting to stick together like a dough.
2. Finely slice the onion and fry in 2tbsp oil. Once slightly golden, add the turmeric and fry for another couple of minutes.
3. Add the ground walnuts to the onions and add the pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, salt and pepper and pour over 3 cups of cold water. On a high heat, allow the mixture to come to a boil. When boiling, turn to a low flame and put the lid on.
4. Simmer the walnut mixture with the lid on for 90 minutes. Check on it and stir occasionally throughout to make sure the walnuts don’t stick to the bottom of the pot. If the water completely evaporates, add a little more in. After 1 hour and 30 minutes, the walnut sauce should have significantly thickened and darkened in colour. You will know it’s ready once the walnut oil has separated and risen to the top.
5. Next, add the oyster mushrooms to a separate pan and fry for 3-4 minutes with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
6. Now, add the oyster mushrooms into the Fesenjoon sauce. Leave to simmer on a low heat for at least 30 minutes so that the mushrooms are tender and can be bitten into. You may leave it for longer, but not too long, as the mushrooms will become too soft.
7. Remove the lid for the last 10 minutes of cooking to allow some water to evaporate and for the sauce to thicken. At this point, stir in 2 tbsp sugar. Adjust the sweetness to your liking – some like it sour and some like it sweet.
8. Garnish the dish with a handful of pomegranate seeds and serve with steamed basmati rice. Enjoy.
Recipes and images courtesy of The Iranian Vegan
https://www.stylist.co.uk/fitness-health/nutrition/3-persian-recipes-iranian-vegan/915135
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