Persian Breads

In Episode #49, co-hosts Bita and Beata chat about delicious, Persian breads. Persian breads come in several varieties. Most of them are considered to be flatbreads. The Beats have fun sharing which are their favorites as well as some memories of experiences with traditional bread bakeries in Iran as well as modern versions and substitutions available in the west.

Note: Noon and naan are the Farsi words for bread and can be used interchangeably.

There are many varieties of Persian breads. There are three or four varieties that are most common and familiar to Bita and Beata - lavash, barbari, sangak, and sheer mal. Although all are flatbreads (typically quite long), each has unique ingredients, properties, and methods of preparation.

Lavash

• On the thinner side
• The type of Persian bread traditionally used to make bread tahdig (the bottom of the rice pot, crispy crunchy delicacy)
• Great for tucking herbs, nuts and cheese into for a perfect bite (in Farsi such a bite is called a “loghmeh”)
• Good for an herb platter Sabzi Khordan
• Nice to dip into yogurt dips like mast o khiar and mast o mooseer

Barbari

• Thicker and fluffier
• Often coated with sesame seeds (light and/or dark seeds)
• Enjoy with butter, jam and tea for breakfast; or with fresh herbs, cheese, and nuts for breakfast, appetizer, or snacking

Sangak

• Traditional bread, cooked on little pebbles (sang in Farsi means stone)
• Crispy on the outside, chewy and soft on the inside
• Delicious, unique flavor

Sheer Mal

• Sweeter, milk based bread made with Persian essences of rose water, cardamom, and saffron
• Almost like a pastry, lovely with breakfast

Substitutions for Persian bread:

• Flour or whole wheat tortillas
• Reference to Tahdig art and instagramer Vartamelon VartaMelon – Not your ameh's kitchen
• Pita bread

Sweets and cookies that in Farsi contain the word Noon or nan (standing for flour based things)

• Noon o Gandi
• Noon Khormayee
• Noon Khameyee
• Naan Berenji

Ask the Beats!

Sam from San Francisco asks how one can make a lighter version of koo koo sabzi?

Koo koo sabzi is traditionally deep fried in a lot of oil and contains several eggs.

• Bake vs fry
• Reduce the number of eggs or use egg whites

Resources and recipes from this episode:

All Modern Persian Food episodes can be found at: Episodes

Co-host Beata Nazem Kelley blog: BeatsEats – Persian Girl Desperately Addicted to Food!

Co-host Bita Arabian blog: Oven Hug - Healthy Persian Recipes | Modern Persian Recipes

Mast/Maast o Khiar recipe:

Bita’s recipe for Persian Cucumber Yogurt Dip | Mast o Khiar

Beata’s recipe for Persian Salads: Maast-o-Khiar with Shallot and Salad Shirazi

Tahdig:

Bita’s post on Persian Tahdig | Crispy Bottom of the Rice Pot

Beata’s post on Katte Persian Rice with Tahdig

Koo Koo Sabzi:

Bita’s recipe for Kookoo Sabzi | Quiche Muffins

Beata’s recipe for Persian Frittata Koo Koo Sabzi

Bita’s recipe for Naan Berenji Persian Rice Flour Cookies Recipe

Podcast production by Alvarez Audio