In Episode #59, co-hosts Beata and Bita share ideas and inspiration to bring Persian flavors to the Thanksgiving table. The duo covers some of their favorite side dishes and desserts to enjoy along with the traditional Thanksgiving day turkey, gravy and stuffing.
Rice
- Plain rice as a gluten-free and vegan side dish offering
- Lubia Polo | Persian green beans and rice as a way to incorporate and blend Persian culture with an American cultural tradition (having green beans as a side dish on Thanksgiving)
- Zereshk Polo | Barberry Rice
- Modern cranberry zereshk polo
Side dishes
- Pomegranate apple salad
- Root vegetables seasoned with sumac
- Lentil butternut squash soup
- Roasted brussel sprouts or roasted butternut squash garnished with pomegranate seeds/arils
- Loobia polo as a “khorak” - just the seasoned and saucy green beans of loobia polo served separately from the rice and meat as a side dish
Table decor
- Bringing the beauty of nature and the outdoors in and onto the table
- Seasonal whole and fresh fruits such as pomegranate, persimmons, and pumpkins
- Succulent pumpkins as a centerpiece
- Fall leaves and branches
Note: Refer back to episode 7: Fall Flavors for more great content and ideas around celebrating a Persian American Thanksgiving
Desserts
- Pie - experiment with using quince and/or quince jam in a pie, perhaps mixed with apples
- Cheesecake drizzled with a delicious Persian fruit jam
- Sholeh zard - saffron rice pudding
Ask the Beats
Reza from Tehran wants to know, “how do you keep happy?”
- Keeping a gratitude journal and a list of 3 Good Things that happened that day; finding balance in order to take care of self and others; celebrating the little things; looking for the positives
Contact us at hello@modernpersianfood.com or Instagram
Resources and recipes from this episode:
Episode 58: Lubia Polo | Green Bean Rice
Episode 57: Zereshk Polo | Barberry Rice
Beata’s recipe links:
Bita’s recipe links:
Pomegranate Kale Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
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
Podcast production by Alvarez Audio