Tigers Experience of Iranian / Persian food By Nasrin Karimi

Persian food pop-up with Cafe Shiraz, an authentic Iranian restaurant in Chennai. Nasrin Karimi, the owner of Cafe Shiraz left Iran during the days of the revolution and settled in Chennai. She's a wonderful cook and has taken upon her to preserve her family's recipes............  Was a total delight to meet Nasrin, her lovely smile added to the food she cooked , what a pleasant lady who started by cooking from home , forced to go commercial by friends ,what could be better . And werent we lucky to experience her cooking , Yes Indeed , and am thankful to Olive to get her to meri dilli lol. for a Pop Up .

So thankful to The Moving Kitchen (The Outdoor Catering Wing of Olive) and Mohit to invite me to the Greenhouse at Olive to try Persian Home Cuisines . 

Iranian cuisine or Persian cuisine refers to the traditional and modern styles of cooking related to Iran. Situated in the Middle East, the Iranian culinary style is unique to Iran, though has historically both influenced and has been influenced by Iran's neighboring regions at various stages throughout its history. Persian cuisine also influenced that of Afghanistan, and has spread into all but the southernmost parts of India during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire

Eating at the Iranian pop was like a Moma calling you home for a meal . She is a one man army , fully hands on with the kitchen , the dishes and perfect timing . Superbly organised lady 

The Perfect Setting at Olive .By The Moving Kitchen (Outdoor Catering Div of Olive)

Aash- A hearty Persian Soup made in Yogurt,oats, Dill and Mint

Have had several variations of Aash - primarily Iranian and Afghan version of the same . It is a meal on its own -  healthy and delicious . The Iranian version was veg with chick peas , lentils , veggies ,herbs etc .. the other one i have had was the afghan version which had meat , noodles .. i guess they are all original in their won way and people do do soem fusion thongs to them their own way . My inlaws with their roots from peshawar have this every winter and trust me its heavy  - with yogurt and dumplings and tadaka of pudina.

Masto bademjan - Roast Eggplant blended with Kashak / Hummus with Lavoche

A very traditional Iranian or Persian Dip with a combination of egg plant and yogurt - very typical taste . The Hummus was well ground with a distinct flavor of garlic which i love 

Jojeh Kebab - Chargrilled Chicken marinated in a rich Saffron & Cream marinade

Jūjeh-kabāb is a popular dish in Iran that is rarely eaten alone. Rather, it is often served on/along a dish of cooked rice or between two layers of lavash bread, both of which are staples in the Persian diet.

Chelo Ctyle Saffron Pollow

This is famously served with kebabs at all local Iranian Restaurants . A simple science experiment of upside down dish ... the lovely colors of saffron ruled .

Typical Persian main dishes are combination of rice with meat, lamb, chicken, or fish and some onion, vegetables, nuts, and herbs. To achieve a balanced taste, characteristic Persian flavorings such as saffron, dried limes, cinnamon, and parsley are mixed delicately and used in some special dishes. Fresh green herbs are frequently used along with fruits .

They use a lot of Fresh Fruits in their Cuisine ,as plums, pomegranates, quince, prunes, apricots, and raisins.

Gormeh Sabzi - Mushroom and Kidney Bean slow cooked with celery,cilantro and spinach

The history of ghormeh sabzi goes back at least 500 to 1000 years.

Ghormeh means stewed and sabzi literally means greens that stands for herbs. The main ingredients are a mixture of sautéed herbs, consisting mainly of parsley, leeks or green onions, coriander, and spinach, seasoned with the key spice of "shambalileh" (dried fenugreek) leaves. The herb mixture has many variations; any dark bitter green on hand can be used successfully -kale, mustard greens, turnip greens

Fesenjan- Exquisite preparation of Iranian pomegranate puree and walnuts 

This dish was magic took three tastings for me to figure out what all went into it ... the sour tangy flavor with walnuts .. fab experiment .Believe they serve it with meats ,originally.

Shiraz Style Pollow with Orange Peels

This was my winner dish - Palao with sprouts , orange peels and fried onions for the crisp burnt flavor .

Fish cooked in a superb blend of Tarmind,coriander and kashak served with pollow

This actually reminded me of the very famous Goan dish - Cafreal - almost the same taste - coriander , sour and tangy . The fish was well cooked and the Herbs absorbed well to give the dish a robust flavor. 

Chicken Cooked in Delicious Persian syle with Plum gravy

What a combination.. when i heard the ingredients i was reluctant to try it but as i kept eating it the flavors just grew and merged beautifully.

Kid Lamb on the bone cooked in a robust gravy of red onions and tomato with eggplant

Another whacko dish meat and egg plant - like a baigan ka bharta with meat ..nah far from that hahahahaha - very different flavors with the bitterness of the eggplant to give distinct flavors .

Tigers Overall Experience : Splendid, opened my eyes and palate to a whole new world of flavors with distinct combinations . The fruits merged superbly with the meats , the use of dry fruits in ordinary dishes impressed me. The spirit of the lady was mind blowing , her courage to start a restaurant in South India  amazing . Her glowing skin - the logic was very clear why middle eastern people have such flawless skin - the veggies , the dry fruits and fresh meats .Well she asked why my skin glowed - i had only one simple answer - its called Love .. hahahahahah

You could see the passion behind each dish she made - apparently this was her own style of cooking the Persian Dishes and she sticks to her family recipes . It is really interesting to see normal how cooks enter the restaurant sphere and making a success of themselves .

Cant comment on the ambiance etc etc because it was a pop up show . But will definitely recommend Iranian food to people , will also recommend Shiraz in chennai .. i personally will pakka visit for the food and the ladies warmth.