DAY 6: 31 Day Aspiring Polyglot Challenge – Learning Persian (Fārsī)

 هر آن‌چه که ذهن انسان بتواند تصور و باور کند، دست‌یافتنی است.

har aanche ke zehn-e ensaan betavaanad tasavvor va baavar konad, dastyaaftani ast.
Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

Cooking Persian Food

I don't know when this happened, but apparently, I already had plenty of spices used in Persian cuisine right on my spice rack! Of course, I was missing a few including saffron, but I really surprised myself. Upon searching for spices used in Persian cuisine, I came across Persian Mama, a website dedicated to Persian cuisine using nothing but the best and freshest ingredients. Now that's something I can get aboard with! You have the option to translate the site to Persian (Fārsī), a bonus for us learning Persian (Fārsī).

Oh by the way, before you decide to head over to your local supermarket (I could have used this days ago!), you can check out the Persian Mama's post All About Spices, to give you a rundown of spices used in traditional Persian cuisine.

Since I didn't have saffron, I couldn't make tahdig ( ته دیگ‎ ) tonight and I'm pretty bummed out. I opted for mast-o-khiar ( ماست و خيار ), a cucumber-yogurt dip that pairs nicely with what else but more cucumber, tomatoes, and my favorite beet chips. Mast-o-khiar is similar to tzatziki (although the Persian recipes I've seen omit the olive oil) and Turkish cacik. I topped mine with rosebuds. YES, ROSEBUDS! It's a nice added touch and I feel hella fancy!

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Mast-O-Khiar (Elizabeth's Version)

2 cups of yogurt (I used Fage Nonfat Greek Yogurt)

1/2 teaspoon of salt (I used Trader Joe's Himalayan Sea Salt with the grinder)

1/2 teaspoon FRESHLY GROUND pepper (I put it CAPS because it's THAT important)

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder (prefer the Sadaf brand)

2-3 Persian cucumbers

1-2 tablespoons of dried mint

Crushed Gol Mohammadi rosebuds for garnish

Fresh mint for garnish, optional

Grab the Persian cucumbers and chop them. How finely? That's up to you. I like my dips and sauces on the chunky side. Then, you basically grab the remainder of the ingredients and fold. Garnish with Gol Mohammadi rose buds. Serve with cucumber slices and tomato wedges.

My Day 6 Worksheet

*Hey, this page contains affiliate links. There’s no extra cost to you, but I receive a small commission when you decide to use them. They help me keep this party going.

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