Atoosa Sepehr - From a Persian kitchen : authentic recipes and fabulous flavours from Iran

Flower Man, Isfahan, Iran (April 2017)

I would like to dedicate this book to my parents, Maryam and Daryoush and to my grandmother Nahid and aunt Lili, who have always supported me and encouraged me to do the things that make me happy.

I would also like to thank my best friend Brian, who is a constant source of inspiration

In Iran, everything is about food, and people take great pride in the dishes they prepare, offering at least two or three at every meal. Growing up in Iran I took all this for granted. My mom is an amazing cook and was always very particular about using the best ingredients, even if it meant driving out of the city to the farms or village markets on the outskirts of Isfahan to get the ingredients she needed. This meant that we always had good food on our table.

I was born in the city of Shiraz in south-central Iran, but at the age of four I moved with my family to Italy, where my father worked for several years as an engineer in the cities of Genoa, Massa and Reggio Emilia. We all enjoyed the new flavours that Italian cooking offered. After that, discovering new kinds of food and experimenting with cooking became a big part of the way I experience each new country I visit.

When we returned to Iran, I rediscovered the pleasures of traditional Persian food. I spent the rest of my childhood and teenage years in Isfahan in central Iran, and when I left Isfahan to attend university in the city of Tabriz (north-west Iran), without my mom to cook for me, I began to recreate her dishes for myself. Soon, I was cooking for all my friends, and making and sharing food became an important part of the community we formed; I would cook and we would talk about our studies, our lives and our futures. For me, eating Persian food has always been a social act, a coming together of the people I love, enjoying a meal in each others company.

Going out into the real world after university meant there was less time for cooking. After completing my MBA I worked in the import and export business in Tehran, eventually establishing my own company. Life wasnt always easy and I missed the simple sense of happiness that cooking gave me and so I decided that something needed to change. In 2007, I relocated to London, working for an Iranian steel company while studying for my ACCA accountancy qualification. I have never felt so welcome anywhere as I have in London and it is a place where I feel truly at home. When I became a British citizen in 2014 it was one of the proudest moments of my life. It is a real privilege to live in the great city of London and I feel compelled to give something back to my adopted country by sharing my love of Persian cooking.

I was first inspired to write this cookbook after a summer party at my home in London. There were approximately 60 guests, most of whom grew up in Europe and the US and had not tasted Persian food before. I served mostly Persian food because I wanted to introduce my friends to the cuisine of my country. Both during and after the party, my guests commented on how wonderful the Persian food was, with its astonishing range of flavours and textures. Some of them requested recipes and after a few months I had compiled a collection of recipes, many of which have made their way into this book.

What makes Persian cuisine so special is the variety and combinations of ingredients, including spices, fresh and dried herbs, saffron, rose water, aubergines, dried fruits and nuts. The history of Persian cooking can be traced back to the sixth century BC, when Cyrus the Great established the first Persian empire. At its height, the empire stretched from India to Egypt and parts of Greece. Persian ingredients, such as saffron and rose water, spread throughout the lands of this vast empire. Persians also conducted trade with the kingdoms of the Far East; caravans travelling along the Silk Road from China to presentday Syria brought not just silks, but also spices, citrus fruits, aubergines and rice from Asia to the Middle East. When I cook Persian food, I feel a sense of connection to this long and fascinating history and I take comfort in knowing that despite changing geographical and political boundaries, Persian cuisine has survived and thrived, and is increasingly enjoyed in the west.

In this book, I have included many of the most popular Iranian dishes and some of my own personal favourites. The recipes reflect regional differences, from the garlic, fresh herbs and pomegranate molasses of northern Iran by the Caspian Sea to the spicier palate of the south. Many recipes combine Persian rice, lamb, chicken or fish with a wide variety of herbs. There are also plenty of dishes suitable for vegetarians. I have tried to make the recipes as authentic as possible, but I am aware that certain ingredients, such as kashk (a thick white dairy product with a strong umami flavour), can be difficult to find in the UK and I have suggested alternatives.

The recipes are organized into nine sections: Mezze, Starters and Sides is a collection of small dishes that can be served singly or as mixed mezze, where three or more dishes are served together as an attractive appetizer; most of the Salads could also be served as starters or side dishes; Kookoo and Kotlet covers some of Irans best-loved egg-based dishes; Persian Soups are substantial affairs that make a meal in themselves, rather than being served as a first course; there is a huge variety of Rice dishes in Iranian cuisine their distinguishing feature is the tahdig, the delicious crispy layer that forms at the bottom of the pan; Stews are typically slow-cooked dishes based on lamb or chicken, often combined with fruit, vegetables or herbs; Kebabs, Roasts and Grills are some of Irans most popular dishes; Persian Bread, Pizza and Pasta have their own unique personalities; and the Desserts and Drinks are subtle and scented.

When I began working on this book I decided to style and shoot all the photographs myself. Drawing on my lifelong love of stilllife painting helped me to capture the wonderful textures of Persian food as well as the atmospheric bazaars in the cities of Isfahan, Yazd and Shiraz.

My mother instilled in me a passion for Persian food, which she and her sister inherited from my grandma. They still live in Iran and while researching this book I consulted them all: their guidance made this collection of recipes possible. I hope that this book will contribute to the growing interest in Persian cuisine in the UK, and that you, the reader, will be inspired by all the things I love about Persian food.

Atoosa Sepehr

With my father at Maharloo lake in Shiraz, Iran (March 2017)