FRESH HERBS
Preparing Fresh Herbs for Persian Cooking
Fresh herbs are part of the character of many Persian dishes. A little care before chopping keeps them pleasant to handle and ready for the pot or table.
Wash and sort
Follow the Cleaning Your Greens guide to remove grit and sort leaves and stems. Different recipes use herbs in different amounts and forms, so check the dish before chopping.
Dry before you chop
Drain and dry the herbs so they do not clump together on the board. Gather what you need before cooking, especially for herb-heavy rice, soups, and kuku.
Try them at the table
Fresh Herb Appetizer, called Sabzi Khordan, is a lovely way to experience herbs directly. They also bring freshness to Salad Shirazi and depth to Ash Reshte.
Common questions
Why dry herbs before chopping?
Dry leaves are easier to chop and less likely to clump together.
Which Persian recipes use lots of herbs?
Herbed rice, Ash Reshte, Kuku Sabzi, and fresh herb plates are good places to explore.