How to make Fesenjān (Fesenjoon) - A regal iranian Pomegranate and Walnut stew

[@MiddleEats]

Hope you like this Fesenjān recipe, we're super excited to dive into Persian cuisine! If you want to see more Iranian recipes on the channel, then leave us some suggestions and consider supporting us on patreon so we can buy some recipe books. www.patreon.com/MiddleEats

[@hannahmitchell87]

I'm loving your channel! I noticed you have some playlists & wanted to ask if you'd possibly consider collating your vegan recipes into one please? Some dishes are obvious but it would be helpful to know which of your lesser known recipes are vegan. No worries if this isn't doable but worth asking eh? ;) All the best

[@hannahmitchell87]

Oh what a muppet, you already have! I just didn't scroll down far enough!! XD THANK YOU!!!!!

[@buckaroobonsaitree7488]

First video of yours I've ever seen, you've earned a subscriber for life!

[@socionomic]

Gormeh Sabzi, please!

[@nau237]

Kubeeday

[@mariamrostami1200]

As a Iranian a tip for saffron use 1 or 2 ice cube instead of hot water this method preserve more aroma. also you can use meatballs instead of chicken.in north people like it very sour but in center mostly like it sweet&sour. Thank U very much.

[@Amaling]

so wait do you mean literally put in ice cubes while cooking or something else? Just want to clarify

[@mariamrostami1200]

@@Amaling no,for preparing saffron instead of adding hot water to saffron pot 2 small ice cube on saffron powder and wait until ice melted and you have very strong good color and better aroma saffron liquid that you can use for any food or bake or beverage.

[@Amaling]

@@mariamrostami1200 so what, do you put that in a bowl or something until it melts?

[@mariamrostami1200]

@@Amaling in a cup

[@Amaling]

@@mariamrostami1200 I see, thanks for the tip khanoom I'll definitely try it out some time

[@ouichtan]

Pomegranate, walnut and duck.... You have no IDEA how amazing it sounds to French people... Your channel is incredible, you're gonna big in no time mate.

[@MrSurvivalgecoLP]

As a German this made me chuckle. Yeah sounds about French

[@heyitsmebee]

I LOVE this dish! My husband is vegetarian, and we use brown lentils for the "meat", which made an amazing (cohesive) stew!

[@MiddleEats]

Interesting, is this an Iranian method or something you discovered? Sounds good

[@nfiles]

I've also had it with eggplant, can recommend

[@christopherbako]

Portobello mushrooms could add a meat texture.

[@tsukiji_wasabi3722]

@I I sounds lovely. Do you usually cook the cucumber, or is it added at the end as a garnish?

[@AdamOmidpanah]

Najmieh Batmanglij book Food of Life has many Persian recipes with vegetarian options, including fessenjan. Her recommendation is cubed butternut squash which tastes great in this stew.

[@hadipourkerman]

This is awesome, A secret tip for having a more beautiful darkish brown original sauce is to shock it with very cold water or ice during the simmering at least two to three times. try that and your fesenjoon sauce will look much more authentic and rich. It helps to bring the walnut oil out.

[@SasaBennett]

That sounds interesting. Can you elaborate more? How much cold water do you add?

[@hibiscusflower5911]

Hey hadi, how do you add the ice? Why would it make it darker?

[@hadipourkerman]

​@@hibiscusflower5911 it helps to bring out the walnut oil i guess, my mom's recipe ;) apparently the ice, creates kind of a shock that releases the oil! the other think is to divide your walnuts in half then for half grind it as fine as possible, the other half, not so fine but not big tho to have that texture in the stew

[@TacticalKiwi4862]

I ma so glad you posted your other recipe on reddit. Cause now you are one of my favorite YTers! Love this recipe!

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you Caleb, hope you try out and enjoy many of the dishes.

[@Maplenr]

My goodness this recipe is one of the prettiest ones I've seen, I love a hearty stew in this never-ending winter.

[@MiddleEats]

Thanks nick, definitely a great stew for winter.

[@karenmorris2894]

Excellent procedural step by step instructions for the tastiest results ever! Thank you!

[@FlavorLab]

This recipe looks so freekin good. Great work on the video! So glad it was recommended by YT!

[@omid-nasi]

You are now my favorite and most respected food youtuber. The reason is because of your attention to detail and that you test things out before you tell us. And that you tell us how often you see ingredients in recipes (like the cinnamon) my first thought was I never saw cinnamon in Fesenjan 😃 great work!!!

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you Omid, that's very kind. I always want to represent the dishes in the best way possible and put out a 100% authentic recipe, that's why I mention it if I find some recipes do or don't contain certain ingredients. Hope you enjoy the recipes and try some of them!

[@omid-nasi]

Thank you so much for the reply. You made my day!

[@MiddleEats]

No problem Omid. Thank you for watching and your kind words.

[@emirmontazeri]

🤤 😋 YUM BTW, this version that you cooked (which is the original) that tastes quite sour (because of the pomegranate) is mostly cooked in the northern parts of Iran. But people from the southern part like it sweeter so they ignore pomegranate and add sugar. IMO, the sour ones taste muchhhhhhh better. P.S. if you want the walnuts to release more oil, you can put a plastic bag full of ice in the middle of boiling mixture.

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you, I hope this one was authentic. I forgot to mention the part about sugar, I had read that. But yeah this tasted amazing. Interesting, I think I read that somewhere. Is it the thermal shock which causes the oils to come out? I think there was plenty of oil in the final dish though

[@emirmontazeri]

@@MiddleEats yes man, this was authentic (as far as I know 🤷🏻‍♂️). Yes exactly, the thermal shock and the thermal contrast of hot crushed walnuts and ice filled bag causes the oils to be released. Oh brother, you should see the OIL this thing releases when you use ice bag. There was a shot of fully cooked pot at the beginning of the video showing that there is like a oil lake in middle of the duck and other stuff, when you use ice bag, expect a solid half inch (1 cm) layer of oil on that thing instead of that lake😄😅.

[@MiddleEats]

Oh wow, I will have to try that out sometime. Is the theory with this dish, the more oil the better?

[@emirmontazeri]

@@MiddleEats Yep. The more the oil, the better the dish. (A little secret 🤫: The more the oil, the better the cook 🧑🏻‍🍳 . But you have to know the ice trick because some people add olive oil 🤦🏻‍♂️ when they cant get the oils out of walnuts😁😂🤣.)

[@katayoun2960]

I was going to say the sweet version tastes a lot better haha

[@nilemg13]

Thanks for all the recipes1 keep up the good postings! greetings from Chile!

[@rustie115]

Yes!! been looking for a good middle eastern cooking channel. Immediate subscription lol

[@dylan_1884]

I've always wanted to try my hand at persian cuisine, and this looks like an amazing place to start! Just found your channel, you've got some really amazing content. Thank you for sharing!

[@IDDQDSound]

The northern variety adds garlic instead of the paste, and a mix of cashews and walnuts, very delish! There's so much variety on this dish and they are all delicious. You can even make your own. All you need is some type of nut paste (walnuts are popular but almonds, cashews, and even pistachios are all popular), pomegranate, and some type of meat (chicken, beef, duck are popular. I've been using Indian Paneer since I've gone vegetarian) and you got your own variation!

[@dtrocilo]

I've cooked fesenjoon before, it was fine. But this is the best recipe that I've seen so far, very detailed. My mouth is watering now and I will make sure to try this one asap!!

[@kzn2412]

This was hands down my fav food from Iran ❤️thanks for sharing

[@qaisismail1602]

I like your work buddy. Get to learn alot from your channel , carry on 🤙🏼

[@jameskeener7251]

I love seeing a big man eat good food. Thanks for this.

[@briananderson2219]

This looks incredible! Thank you so much for sharing. I enjoy foods from other cultures, and have never even heard of this. Good luck on future videos

[@emir1453_9]

Its great! I love it, and how you oresent iranian cuisine, Top cheff!🤙🏼

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you

[@mjremy2605]

You really have an amazing channel. These are fantastic recipes, many thanks! Much appreciated. Iran has a fine culinary tradition and so many exquisite recipes. Many Iranian dishes found their way to India too. One thing you should not do is to put turmeric powder into a dry pan. It will stick to the bottom and burn. Typically, this is how Indians treat the onions and turmeric: Brown onions by themselves as they have to caramelize. Sprinkle salt on onions halfway thru, so the juices are drawn out further and caramelized, so you reduced pungency and convert it to sugary caramelization. Mix turmeric with some water, and pour into pan to sizzle. This should be done when onions are cooked fully. The sizzling turmeric is cooked in the oily pan without burning. Add rest of ingredients as it is drying out but not fully dried out. No sticking on pan anymore. Always mix turmeric with water first unless adding to liquids. The finished nut thickened sauce reminds me of Mughal Dum cooking from India. It must have originated in Iran or Uzbekistan. This is such a fabulous recipe! Many thanks!! fyi - Your walnut allergy... try taking Enzymatic Therapy brand of Adrenergize. It is a raw adrenal extract that boosts your own adrenal glands function. Take this for a month and see if your allergies go down. Some 'allergies' are worsened by weak adrenal glands. Also, you need to take Vit B Complex 100 mg 2 x day but not at the same time as Adrenergize. This will boost the adrenals. A lot of sinus issues, allergies, tiredness is all due to adrenal gland fatigue.

[@persianprinz9254]

Great - I really like that you share all culture from northern Africa to the Middle East. You do a great job.

[@MariamSRE]

I absolutely love Persian food. This recipe looks beyond mouth watering. I’m going to make this this week. I have all the ingredients at home! What a gem of a recipe. I’m actually so excited for this one! 💎

[@MiddleEats]

Amazing, I hope it turns out great and you really enjoy it!

[@cookwithnazlimu5329]

Fisinjan Not only persian.And also Azerbaijanian food.

[@husseinafzal2335]

this is one the best meals i have had in my life. enjoy all those who have never tried this!

[@hammondnordland4822]

Oh this dish is to die for! I love it, sweet and sour, rich satisfying taste, paired perfectly with fluffy persian rice.

[@cleovenus3639]

Just found your channel and I’m waiting patiently for this to cook I tried the sauce before adding the stock and it was amazing the flavours just making everything come together thankyou for sharing will be making this dish again ❤

[@learnurduwithsara1068]

Such a distinct combination.

[@ferdous1215]

I am in the midst of cooking this, and the sauce tastes pretty delicious. I hope it will look and taste as good as what you have demonstrated. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

[@MountainDewNinja99]

bro you did such a great job. nice details, and great nod to a timeless recipe

[@emhetera]

You are very thorough and very clear in the information you provide! Just finished making the pomegranate molasses, in 2 days I'm making first Fesenjān. Thank you for providing the guidelines :)

[@TabbyAngel2]

Thank you for making our Iranian food ❤❤ fesenjan is the best 🥰🥰❤❤

[@sidsydney5328]

Excellent recipe and video easy to follow. Nailed it 👍 thank you

[@فاطمه-ت8ص4ج]

I'm Iranian, today cook fesenjan, it's so delicious

[@treizeheures]

this looks luxurious. can’t wait to try this!

[@MiddleEats]

Thanks, I'm sure you'd enjoy it!

[@aboohadid]

Love your channel 👍🏼

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you, hope you learn loads of great recipes from it.

[@aboohadid]

@@MiddleEats I do

[@DrakeLovett]

I made this tonight with my friend and oh my god. This was so incredibly good, it tasted just like at the restaurant, maybe a bit better. We used store bought stock and pomegranate molasses, and a whole chicken instead of duck (interested to try the duck version though as duck and dark fruit is amazing) I was a little surprised at the amount of walnut in the dish, but it ended up working out just fine, my almost 300g looked like WAY more than what you show in the video, but ends up correct. I did end up adding quite a bit more pomegranate molasses because it wasn't really coming through like how I remembered the dish tasting, probably another 30mL. Regardless, excellent recipe, and I'm looking forward to making it again!

[@MiddleEats]

Thanks Drake! I'm happy to hear it came out good! I'll probably be doing the chicken one in the future just for the simplicity of it. Yeah the pomegranate molasses might need fine tuning according to the strength of the molasses you use. But adding a bit more is perfectly fine! Be sure to send us some photos if you took any!

[@kukulidouce2014]

WOW...!!! I have fallen in love again...!!! What an epicurean recipe...!!! It's beyond words... The depth of the aroma transcended the screen and knocked me over...!!! The look and taste calls to mind a couple of dishes originally from Peru, which is from where I come from... Aguadito de Pato and Ocopa de Camarones... I have subscribed of course, for I am passionate about this type of combinations, walnuts and pommegranates... who would have thought...? and am continuously in search of using any nut to prepare sauces for all kinds of meats and/or seafood, but especially if the item used is duck... Thank you, thank you, thank you...!!! You filled me with joy...!!!

[@alijoxxx]

I started to make your recipes for 2 months and it's all a good stuff 👌

[@graciastephan]

This looks sooooo delicious! I hope I can taste it one day. Thanks Obi!

[@MiddleEats]

Thanks Gracia, hope you do!

[@bertolfyn]

Tried this recipe last night. Have enjoyed it in restaurants. Delicious, thank you for sharing. Tastes as good as restaurant version.

[@gazzadazza8341]

Yummy, thank you for sharing this recipe. Regards from Australia.

[@MrTurkishb]

Can’t wait to make this! Looks absolutely insane. Thanks man

[@MiddleEats]

Thanks Brian, I'm sure you'll love it. Be sure to send us some photos.

[@tammam8776]

Thank you for sharing Obi! This dish has a lot of my favorite ingredients! Keep the good work dear! 😄

[@MiddleEats]

No problem, I hope you try this one out. It really tastes amazing!

[@aresthe1]

Luv fasanjoon. Seriously underrated dish..

[@RH-nk7eo]

I have tried fesenjoon everywhere and I haven't yet found one that's as good as what my mum used to make.

[@sanansa4567]

one of my favorite restaurants, a Persian restaurant in NYC closed down. the food was really good. I wish they had another one in my area close to my home (i don't live in NYC).

[@acolley2891]

I cooked this with lamb and pork and finished it in a slow cooker for 2 hours. It was absolutely delicious!

[@mephren]

Oh wow Fesenjan !!! I've been dreaming about it since i tried it in Iran... So tasty.

[@meghasheth]

Always enjoy watching your recipes! Could you share a recipe of Zeytoon Parvadeh and how to incorporate it in Vegetarian Dishes. Thanks!

[@jenniferogormanarafa8920]

Right on buddy. What a great informative video. So cool 😎

[@ShahStark]

One of my favorite dishes :)

[@gigteevee6118]

I made this tonight, absolutely incredible, thank you so much! I'm so happy I've got leftovers 😋

[@aminkeykha9658]

Thank you for presentation. Love from Iran

[@MiddleEats]

No problem at all, my wife did an amazing job styling it.

[@hollish196]

I love duck. This sounds wonderful.

[@mani1758]

I’m Iranian the ratio of walnut to pomegranate molasses is very important in this dish! You used more walnut & less pomegranate molasses. We use more pomegranate molasses . Also no need to use saffron. The delicate aroma of saffron disappears in this dish as you have walnut & pomegranate molasses that have strong flavours.

[@MiddleEats]

Hmm, it seems there are a few different variants. Most of the recipes I saw (on Iranian websites) stated between 300-400g of walnuts and they used 3-6 tablespoons of pomegranate. It definitely varied a lot in the recipes. There must be a version with a stronger taste of pomegranate too. Thanks

[@mani1758]

Unfortunately the google & on line recipes aren’t the best one! The best recipes are either from Iranian cookbooks & if you know an Iranian mum 😁

[@nyderiawoods6828]

Can you post your or your moms recipe I would love to compare

[@sunny-td7qg]

In the local recipes from northern iran(where this dish originally comes from)they also add plum molasses. That's what gives this stew more flavor and also gives it a beatiful dark almost black chocolaty color.

[@ZahraJ22]

I have an Iranian cookbook (Food of Life) and it definitely recommends saffron for this recipe.

[@roisinapplefinds6179]

looks scrumptious

[@George-lc1sd]

Loving your videos! The dish looks wonderful.

[@MiddleEats]

Thanks George, hope you try some recipes out!

[@ariank5046]

this is so well done!

[@sydiahg1891]

I am persian and it makes me so happy to see you sharing this meal on your channel :)

[@nlbhaduri]

I can’t wait to cook this! Can you give a suggestion on what to serve it with that is salad-y or green? You give some cooking gems in this video (ie: grinding the saffron in granite will leave the flavour in the bowl)…thanks again for making such easy to follow and informative videos! Cheers!

[@ThingsAnStuff]

This actually looks delicious, i'm so hungry now. Definitely gonna make this asap

[@lovecoffee8118]

I've had fessenjoon when I was a child I Iran with wild partridge. It is out of this world

[@kennethgray545]

I've made a similar recipe for "Persian" meatballs which uses soaked chopped dried apricots for a subtle layer of sweetness and texture.

[@cozzrock9231]

I have been looking forward to you doing a recipe with duck. This looks amazing. I can't wait to try it. I think your "Christ" comment speaks volume of how good it was hahaha

[@MiddleEats]

I love duck, sadly I don't get to cook it enough. Hope you enjoy it!

[@rowantharwat9195]

@@MiddleEats there's a famous recipe in domiat, egypt called "duck with morta" which is duck stuffed with onions and raisins but i don't know what they do to the onions

[@nc4764]

Loving you channel. So glad i found it. Can you please do gormeh sabzi

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you! I think that might be the next Iranian dish we work on, either that or Tahdig, so we'll definitely do it soon.

[@rosem6604]

This looks amazing. Must try once my pomegranate molasses arrives.

[@pennykafai4645]

One of my most favourite Persian foods. I haven’t had it for many years. I think I may need to try and source some pomegranate molasses! Thanks for sharing. Edit to say I have found some pomegranate purée and and currently making the dish! Can’t wait to eat some.

[@katehartley2333]

This is one of my favorite things to eat!

[@bulettenmitsauce]

Hey Obi, today I cooked this using your recipe (although I used chicken thighs instead of the duck). "Christ!" this was good!! My friends were also delighted! Thank you!

[@MiddleEats]

Oh that's amazing! Glad to hear that. If you took any photos, I'd love to see them! We're on Instagram @MiddleEatsYT

[@platoonmexx9278]

looks awesome, i will definetely try this greets from ger

[@TheTraveler2222]

What a hearty meal, well done!!!

[@libelldrian173]

The stew looks so rich! 😍

[@RagdyAndy]

this sounds awesome

[@aliafshar1366]

If you enjoyed this, i ll assure you you will love Khalal badam (almond) stew. And in northern parts of iran, the traditional way to make the Fesenjan darker was to heat up a ladle ( until it turned red) and put it into the stew.

[@kailadwinell5966]

Can't wait to try this!

[@nelumbonucifera7537]

Thanks for the inspiration, Obi.

[@MiddleEats]

No problem, hope you try it out!

[@juliencary881]

Amazing video! thank youu so much!

[@ikebanaJc]

I’ve cooked this before ..love it! But I’ve never done it duck and tomato paste so will add those this week. 👍

[@TheHappychickadee]

Wonderful channel!

[@VideoNozoki]

Thank you!! As a non-rich person ((EVERYONE on the internet seems to be RICH where "Money is no object")). Thank you for explaining the recipe in a way that a NORMAL person can approach!!! ((I know it is SO popular to pretend that we are ALL the Kardashians -- but I (as MOST people) are juust everyday people living their normal lives.)) I really appreciate you explaining this for NORMAL people ((Gordon Ramsay, Martha Stewart, and EVERY internet KZbinr thinks they need to PRETEND that we are all millionaires)). Let's be REAL. 99.999999% of us are just regular people. We work hard -- we deserve the money we make -- we are NOT professional chefs -- we are just browsing KZbin so that we can make GOOD FOOD (the Best food we can make) for our loved families with the NORMAL money we make. I LOVE my family (they are all wonderful). I am NOT a professional chef (but I will do my best). I want my Spouse AND my CHILDREN to think, "Growing up, we didn't have much money, but I still think our HOMEMADE food was the best. BETTER than any restaurant or stranger has ever made for me." ------- i.e., "Home-Cooking has always been the best. I LOVE the effort my parents put into cooking. The older I get, the more I appreciate the LOVE they put into making food for me (instead of/On top of) knowing they didn't have any money." Middle Eat, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU!!! Thank you!!! (Keeping it "real".)

[@Hollis_has_questions]

❤❤❤😊

[@BlueJazzBoyNZ]

Thanks for expanding my flavour experience pomegranate molasses

[@bourbakis]

Seems tasty. The amounts of molasses & rice give my glucose a raise just by watching it

[@LastEarBender]

That looks fantastic

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you!

[@Mary87-qo1er]

I love Iranian food Iranian people Iranian culture ❤ Long live Iran without mullahs Long live king reza pahlavi ❤

[@8nansky528]

I ADORE READING

[@patavinity1262]

It's even better with tahdig!

[@MiddleEats]

I could imagine. I have to cook that soon!

[@wassiniyakitchen2271]

very nice recipe my dear...

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you

[@charlietudju8238]

This looks amazing !

[@MiddleEats]

Thank you, I hope you give it a try

[@charlietudju8238]

@@MiddleEats I 'm gonna have to wait for my pay before I can afford some saffron haha but I'll probably try it next month ! My housemate should also bring back some homegrown walnuts from his parents by then so it'll be perfect !

[@MiddleEats]

Hope that comes through soon. Half or 1g of saffron shouldn't be too expensive, but if you can't get it, then you can just leave it out I guess. Thanks

[@jeanniebrooks]

Man, get ready for this…this is a big project.

[@Ali.G6]

Bro there's iranians I know that can't make this dish as good as you just did, top marks!! only thing I'd mention is that sometimes we add a little sugar to balance the sweet/sour taste but this really depends on the quality of the pomegranate molasses you have..

[@vooveks]

Looks great - would it work with lamb? Seems like it should.

[@aliafshar1366]

I dont recommend it. Lamb will change the taste and .. it is kinda smelly compare to duck and chicken.

[@clairewright8153]

Yummm I know what I’m cooking this weekend

[@MiddleEats]

Hope it turns out great!

[@crouchingwombathiddenquoll5641]

Would love to visit Iran and check out the local food markets 👍🏼

[@turquoisesorcerer]

hey, persian here, so glad you're introducing our culture to the world :3 only criticism i'd have is using the pomegranate seeds for decoration, i get that its youtube but they get really annoying in the dish xd also, i think you should add Tahchin to your list of dishes to make videos about. its very unique and one of my 2 favorite dishes, fesenjun being the other one :p

[@kegmar]

So…. I have an Iranian restaurant a few miles from my place. I LOVE the food and vibe. Although they serve (what looks like) this exact dish as an entree, just brought to the table when arriving as an ‘appetiser’… is this a social thing? Or have I got the wrong recipe and vibe 👍🏻 Btw - Fessenjoon INCREDIBLE!! ❤

[@HFC786]

Please do abgoosht

[@mrj475]

This looks delicious..

[@danijelakelava6602]

So delicious.♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@robknob8437]

My Iranian in laws tell me you could have it more torsh (sour) or Shirin (sweet). I prefer mine on the sour side and it’s just a matter of using more pomegranate

[@MiddleEats]

Yes, I saw that people add sugar to it, to make it more sweet. Im sure it would be great with even more pomegranate. Thanks