Middle Eastern food being my favourite, due to its flavoursome yet mild qualities, I decided to search for vegetarian Persian food. Iranian friends had produced many Persian delights at Baha’i Holy Days and I even knew of a vegetarian Baha’i who produced the most sumptuous Persian dishes in which the absence of meat was not an issue. So there had to be a vegetarian Persian cookbook somewhere!
Bingo! God bless Sally Butcher for her books ‘Persepolis’ and ‘Veggistan’. I do not even hope to come anywhere near my friends’ level of expertise, but at least I can create a variety of interesting flavours. So here I begin with a recipe inspired by Persepolis, by Sally Butcher. By making some rice, I managed to make the Khoresh last for 3 additional portions to follow the delicious chips:
Cup Split peas
2 red peppers
Onion
Coconut oil
Teasp. Ground turmeric
Black pepper
Salt
3 dried limes
Cherry tomatoes
Water
Tomato paste
Potato
Coconut oil for frying
- Soak split peas for 30 minutes
- Fry onions and peppers
- Add spices, limes and tomato paste
- Add water and split peas
- Bring to the boil, add the tomatoes and then simmer for 30 minutes
- Prepare and shallow fry chips in the coconut oil – the coconut oil makes the chips crispy and delicious.
Butcher, S., 2016, Persepolis, Vegetarian recipes from Peckham, Persia and beyond, Pavilion Publishing, Shoreham by Sea.
Butcher, S., 2011, Vegistan, a Vegetable Lover’s tour of the Middle East, Pavilion Publishing, Shoreham by Sea.