
Cooking Fesenjan is a popular Iranian food in Toronto and has been popular among Iranians since ancient times. Especially during the Qajar period, Fesenjan was considered a noble and royal food and it was mostly on the table of courtiers and wealthy families. You may not believe it, but Fesenjan also has a readable history and strange and interesting recipes that are mentioned in old books and manuscripts.
Fesenjan stew is one of the most popular stews among Iranians, which is prepared in a variety of ways. But the basic ingredients of this popular stew in most recipes are chicken breast or thigh, round kernels, pomegranate paste, onion, sugar, infused saffron, salt and black pepper, turmeric and a little oil.
Interestingly, cooking Fesenjan has been popular among Iranians since ancient times. Especially during the Qajar period, Fesenjan was considered a noble and royal food and it was mostly on the table of courtiers and wealthy families.
Fesenjan and Qajar
Fesenjan was one of the favorite dishes of Naseruddin Shah Qajar, and every cook who worked in the court had to cook this favorite dish of the king well. Mateen al-Dawlah, one of the king’s courtiers at that time, said in his historical notes:
“One day, I was passing by the council chamber. The king and his entourage were busy talking. I got curious and listened. I heard there was talk about Fesenjan and Qormah Sabzi and which one is more delicious and how to cook them well.
Fesenjan in books
In the book “Sofera Atameh” written by Mirza Ali Akbar Khan Kashani, the special cook of Naseruddin Shah Qajar, he mentions several types of Fesenjan stew. In some of them, instead of walnuts and almonds, cooked beans, fruits or carrots were used.
Of course, the use of Goya almonds in the pre-Qajar periods was also common in the composition of the raw materials of Fesenjan ; So that in Noorullah’s treatise – Cooking in the court of Shah Ismail Safavi – there is a mention of a food called “bakalmeh” or “bakalmeh pilaf”. This food was prepared from the combination of nardaneh, walnut kernels, almonds, pomegranate paste, black currants and koftereze; These raw materials show that the recipe is the same as our present-day Fesenjan .
The court chef of Shah Abbas II of Safavid also mentions “Sieh Plav” in “Karname Darb Bakakhi va Sanat An” which is prepared from peeled almonds, nardan, mutton and currants and these ingredients are also the same combination as Fesenjan in the past.
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