Nowruz (also known as Persian New Year) is the name of the Iranian New Year, which is celebrated on March 21 this year. Families from various countries—including Albania, Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, and Uzbekistan—gather each year to celebrate the holiday.

I only started celebrating Persian New Year, or Nowruz, about a year ago when I started the application to get my Iranian citizenship. My dad is from Iran, which is how I came by my eligibility to become a citizen of Iran. My mom’s side of the family is from Spain. I’ve been there many times—I even lived there for a year—but I’ve never visited the country where my dad grew up. There has always been some excuse, some reason not to trouble myself or my family with the piles of paperwork that would need to be processed in order for me to travel there. But about a year ago, through social media, I started connecting with my cousins, aunts, and uncles who still live there and I decided to move forward with the paperwork so I could make the pilgrimage.

I also started getting more familiar and acquainted with Iranian culture and practices in preparation for my trip—and that included celebrating Nowruz. I didn’t really grow up celebrating the Iranian holiday, but last year I cooked a very traditional Nowruz meal, set the Sofreh Haft-Seen (a table arrangement of seven symbolic items), and had a dinner party. Everyone had a great time!

Now that I have one successful Nowruz under my belt, I plan on mixing it up a bit and making a menu that is less traditional but just as yummy. I am making Potato and Eggplant Khoresh, one of my all-time favorite stews. I am also making it vegan so I can include my vegan and vegetarian friends in the festivities this year.

I created this recipe as a combination of two of my most favorite Persian stews: eggplant stew and French fry stew. You read that right! French fry stew. It’s a delicious, hearty stew topped with french fries. What’s not to love?!

For my khoresh recipe, I used eggplant to replace the lamb that you’d normally find in this dish, and it came out amazing. The original recipe also calls for frying the potatoes in oil, but I baked mine because it’s easier and healthier.

In addition to the stew, I will probably do a few more traditional dishes such as herbed rice, noodle soup, and rice pudding. I will also put out a lovely Sofreh Haft-Seen with all of the symbolic items that represent hopes and wishes for the new year. And the best part is, I get to share it all with the people I love. Happy New Year!

Eggplant & Potato Khoresh Recipe

Ingredients:
3 medium eggplants
1 Tbsp. orange zest
1 can diced tomatoes
2 large onions
2 russet potatoes
5-6 cups of vegetable stock or water
1/2 cup split peas
4 dried Persian limes
1 tsp. saffron, crushed and dissolved in 2 Tbsp. hot water
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon of Advieh, a Persian spice mix (or make your own: 1/8 tsp. cardamom, 1/8 tsp. cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. ground rose petals, 1/16 tsp. cumin)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450° F.
2. Scrub the potatoes then dry them off. Cut the potatoes into long french fry shapes and then coat in 1 teaspoon of saffron water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and enough oil to coat the potatoes. Toss the potatoes so that they are completely coated in the oil, salt, and saffron mixture. Lay in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. Place potatoes in a 450° oven for 20 minutes then turn the broiler on high and broil them for about five more minutes or until they are golden brown on top. Remove the potatoes from the oven.
3. While the potatoes are roasting, cut eggplants into 4-inch strips and then fry in oil until brown on all sides. You will probably have to do this in batches, adding more oil in between batches. Have a large plate or platter alongside the stove to put the eggplant in as you brown them.
4. In the pot you just browned the eggplant in, add 2 tablespoons oil and sauté the chopped onions until they are starting to brown and caramelize. Then add the dried Persian limes, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Cook until slightly reduced and thickened. Add 4 cups of veggie stock and a half a cup of yellow split peas and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on. Check and stir occasionally to make sure it is not sticking or burning to the bottom of the pot.
5. Add the cooked eggplants, orange zest, advieh, and saffron water along with one cup of stock or enough water to cover the eggplant. Cover and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pot or burning.
6. When the peas are all the way cooked through, add the french fries on top of the stew and put in a warm oven with the lid on until ready to serve.

Scheherezade Daftary is Delightful Table’s lead cooking instructor who offers unique, delicious, vegan, organic cooking classes that focus on zero waste and ecological and sustainable farming practices! You can find more of her vegan recipes at her website.