Vegan Persian Fesenjan

Aww so glad it was enjoyed, Ju! And love the personal connection to it 🥰

Hey hey, Irča! Thanks for your interest in this one, and for the thoughtful question ☺️ The ice cube is a trick I learned from my momma! It's a method used in Persian cooking to slowly bloom saffron, the idea being that the cooler temp may help preserve some of its delicate aromas. Blooming it first also helps distribute its colour and flavour evenly throughout the dish. That said, it does get cooked later, so preserving those delicate aromas isn't really essential here 🤓. It's more just how we've always done it in my family. You can absolutely use water instead, though, warm or even hot, depending on how quickly you want to extract the colour and flavour. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you give it a try! Sending a big hug to Czechia! 🤗💕

Oh ok, thank you so much! I've never heard of that, and it's nice to look a little bit into your home kitchen 😊

Hey hey, Karlie! I wouldn't recommend it. Walnuts are really the main ingredient in Fesenjan and are what give the dish its signature texture and flavour. I can't think of another nut that would behave quite the same way (or taste similar). You could certainly experiment, but it would turn into a pretty different dish.

I tried with Pecan and without safran, tasted great.. But I don't know the original taste of the dish! So I have no idea if it tasted anywhere close to original recipe.. But I liked it a lot that way!

Hiiii Amrita 🤗 we tend to buy nuts from shops that have a high turnover, as this can help ensure they’re fresher. For example, here in the Netherlands there's a dedicated nut & seed webshop (de Notenshop) that always have fresh nuts considering it's what they specialize in. If I were in Canada, I'd consider buying the walnuts from a Persian store, as it's common in the cuisine and likely has a higher turnover than a regular grocery store. You could also look for walnuts that are stored in airtight packaging (just be sure to check the best-before date) rather than ones that have been sitting in open bulk bins for a while. Once opened, store them in an airtight container or even in the freezer also helps keep them fresh for longer if you don't use them very often 🙌 I hope you enjoy the recipe if you give it a try :)

That’s super helpful, thank you so much for the tips! I definitely will try the recipe, maybe even tomorrow if I can find the fresh walnuts 😅 Also would be super interested in more Persian inspired recipes, it’s a cuisine I would love to explore but find it tricky to get vegan options/recipes.

Hello, Tanja ☺️ Ohh thanks so much for your interest in this recipe and for the question! Seitan is indeed lower in lysine, although we now know that we don't need to combine complementary protein sources at every meal. As long as we eat a variety of protein-rich plant foods throughout the day, our bodies can get all the essential amino acids they need!

If you're interested in learning more, our article "Protein: An Uncomplicated Guide for Vegans" dives into this and similar topics in more detail 🧡

Hey hey Fosse! Ohh of course 🤗 we often enjoy this one with our "Salata - Afghan Salad" recipe. The recipe is available on both our website and in our app 🥗 I hope you enjoy it!

Hiiii Marijana, thanks so much for flagging this 🫶 You’re absolutely right, we share a new recipe in the app every weekday, and have done since the app launched 😄

This fesenjan recipe was originally shared a few weeks ago with people who pre-ordered the cookbook as part of their pre-order bundle, and we’ve now made it available to everyone in the app and online as a little sneak peek to build excitement for the cookbook launch. It’ll also be featured in tomorrow’s YouTube video, so stay tuned 👀

So while it’s newly available to everyone, I completely get that it may not feel “new” if you already received it through the pre-order bonus.

With that in mind, I’ve just published another new recipe as a little bonus: a Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Avocado Frosting, which is a personal favourite of mine 🍫🥹 I hope you love it!

Thanks again for taking the time to share your feedback, it always means a lot! 🤗

Thank you for explaining it 😊🌹

Eeeeek 🥰 this is such a big compliment, Sasha! Thanks for the lovely review and pomegranate molasses swap idea 🤗

Hiii Rudri 😊 oooh sure! Lentils would be a nice option here, especially green or brown lentils. You could also use crumbled or cubed tofu if you prefer. The texture will be different from the seitan, but both should work well with the walnut and pomegranate sauce. If using tofu, I’d recommend pan-frying it first for a little extra texture. And if the sauce feels a bit thin with the lentils, you can simply simmer the fesenjan uncovered for a few extra minutes to thicken it. Hope you enjoy it 🧡

Thanks a lot, Sadia for the detailed reply! We tried it with the tofu and pan-frying it was a great idea! We tried this with tamarind paste instead of pomegranate molasses since we didn't have that on hand, and it worked really well! We loved it and will definitely make again, also as a special meal when guests visit 😊

Eeeek 🥰 so excited to hear this, Jessica, thanks for welcoming us into your kitchen 💛