Born and raised in Tehran, Batmanglij credits her mother for both her culinary talent and her ambitious nature. "I wanted to be a cook, but my mother didn't want me in the kitchen," she recalls. "She would say, 'Get an education—you will have plenty of time to cook later in life.' And she was right. I earned my master's degree in education in the U.S., then returned to Iran, handed my diploma to my mom, and she allowed me into her kitchen." Batmanglij studied with her mother and aunts, soaking up kitchen wisdom and collecting every recipe she learned.
In 1979, Batmanglij and her husband fled the Islamic revolution to the south of France, where they settled in the village of St. Paul de Vence. "I was young, pregnant, had no job, and didn't know the language," she recalls. She decided to bridge the cultural gap by taking French lessons and cooking classes, but found that local chefs were more interested in learning about Persian food than teaching her French cooking. "I translated my recipes into French, and soon had a scrapbook of recipes and information about Persian ceremonies. One of our neighbors convinced me to turn it into a little book, and everyone in our village helped to make that a reality." The book was published in 1984 as Ma Cuisine d'Iran.
That same year, the couple moved again, this time to Washington, D.C., where they founded Mage Publishers, a small company dedicated to promoting Persian culture in the U.S.. Batmanglij translated her book into English, calling it Food of Life, and it garnered rave reviews in food publications across the country. She also continued teaching, first at home, and eventually at prestigious venues such as the Culinary Institute of America. "I love to share," she explains. "I teach about the foundations and philosophy of Persian cooking, which, like Chinese, is based on the balancing of elements such as hot and cold." Her most recent classes focus on Silk Road cooking, examining the links between the cuisines of China, India, Iran, and other countries connected by that ancient trade route.
We couldn't think of a better person to introduce the joys of Persian cuisine, so we asked Batmanglij to walk us through some of her recipes.
A Few Essential Persian Dishes
Fresh Herb Kuku
This thick, fluffy omelet may be eaten hot or cold and keeps well in the fridge. Kukus are traditionally made on the stovetop, but my oven version is much simpler. A fresh herb kuku such as this one is often served at Nowruz, the new year. The green herbs symbolize rebirth, and the eggs, fertility and happiness for the year to come.
Lamb Kabab
Pomegranate Khoresh
Saffron Steamed Rice
Key Terms
Chelow - This basic rice dish is served with nearly every Iranian meal. Fragrant, long-grained varieties (basmati makes a good substitute) are cooked with saffron, roghan (ghee, or clarified butter), and yogurt to produce a dome with a rich, golden crust. The crust, called the tahdig, is by far the most important part of the dish—so prized that it is often presented to guests as a token of hospitality. If chelow is not served at a meal, often its place will be taken by a polow, a more elaborate version in which the rice is layered with meats, vegetables, and fruits such as sour cherries. This dish has descendants across the globe, whose relationship can be traced through etymology: The medieval Persian pulaw became the Turkish pilav, the American pilaf, the Russian plov, the Indian pulao, and even, via Africa, the Caribbean perloo.
