Best Iranian Foods
Kateh is one of the easiest and simplest techniques for preparing and serving rice, preferably long-grained because it absorbs water better than most other types of rice. The rice is washed, drained, and cooked in lightly salted and oiled water.
It is cooked slowly, over low heat, allowing the rice to absorb all of the liquid. The result is not your typical fluffy rice, but a dish with a dense texture and a clean, undisguised flavor of rice. Kateh is rarely eaten on its own and is mostly served as a side dish.
Since the preparation is not complicated, it is one of the most common side dishes in Iran.
Chelow kebab consists of fragrant, saffron-spiced rice, grilled tomatoes, and kebab, which can be prepared with minced or sliced meat. It is believed that the dish originated among the Caucasian people, who passed down the recipe to the Iranians.
The serving of chelow kebab is a unique experience: rice and tomatoes are served first, followed by meat, while the final touch is a dollop of butter that is placed on the top of saffron rice. The dish is commonly enriched with sumac, a spice native to the Middle Eastern area, and is best paired with doogh—Persian sour yogurt.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Kebab
MOST ICONIC Chelow kebab
Korma is a creamy meat stew (although it could also be made in a vegetarian version) with a mild flavor, made with saffron, yogurt, and various spices such as coriander, ginger, cumin seeds, chiles, and turmeric. It is believed that it originated in the royal kitchen of Akbar during the mid-1500s as a fusion of Persian and Indian cuisine.
The dish got its name after one of the tribes of the Rajputs, a warrior clan of western India. It is recommended to serve kormas with flatbreads such as chapati, paratha, or naan. There are three main bases of korma: North Indian korma with almonds, cashews and yogurt (there are two subgroups of this korma: Mughalai (with reduced milk) and Shahi (with cream)), korma Kashmir with almonds, cashews, yogurt, milk, and dried fruits, and South Indian korma with coconut, coconut milk, almonds, cayenne peppers, and fennel seeds.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Curry
The famous Iranian tahchin is a savory rice delicacy resembling a cake or a casserole. The dish is made with precooked rice which is spiced with saffron, layered in a pan, then baked. After it has been baked, this rice casserole is turned upside down and cut into pieces.
The dish is usually improved by the addition of meat or vegetables, which are layered between the rice. However, it can also be baked without any additional fillings. Numerous tahchin varieties can be found all over Iran in many traditional Iranian restaurants or at popular bazaars.
MOST ICONIC Tahchin
Nan-e barbari is an Iranian wheat-based, leavened flatbread. It is usually formed into a long oval shape that is traditionally brushed with roomal, a flour glaze which gives it a light golden crust, but keeps it light and airy on the inside.
Before it is baked in traditional tandoor ovens, the bread is usually sprinkled with poppy, nigella, or sesame seeds. The name barbari derives from the old disrespectful name used to refer to the Hazaras ethnic group. It is believed they were the ones who originally brought the tradition of preparing nan-e barbari to Tehran and other parts of Iran.
Biryani is a group of classic dishes dating back to the Mughal Empire. The main ingredients of biryani are rice (ideally basmati), spices, a base of meat, eggs, or vegetables, and numerous optional ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts, and yogurt.
It is believed that Mumtaz Mahal, Emperor Shah Jahan's queen inspired the dish in the 1600s. The word biryani is derived from the Persian word birian, meaning fried or roasted, and the dish made its way from Persia to India via groups of traders and immigrants.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Lavash is a traditional flatbread claimed by many food specialists to be Armenian in origin, but it is well-known and prepared throughout Western Asia (most noteably Iran and Türkiye) and the Caucasus (most noteably Azerbaijan). The dough consists of wheat flour, salt, and water leavened only with a sourdough starter.
Once the dough has risen, it is shaped into small lumps that are rolled flat and then slapped against the inside of a clay oven called tonir. Depending on the part or region of Armenia, these flatbreads can vary in thickness, size, shape, and the method of kneading.
Saffron rice pudding known as sholeh zard is an ancient Iranian dessert that was once served only on special occasions. The rice is cooked in water and then enriched with saffron and sugar, while common additions include slivered nuts and spices such as cardamom and cinnamon.
Sholeh zard is typically served in individual-sized portions and comes garnished with ground cinnamon, slivered almonds, or pistachios.
This Iranian classic couples rice and barberries (zereshk)—red, sour berries that are commonly used in Iranian cuisine. Zereshk polow is usually prepared with long-grained basmati rice which can be layered with barberries and then steamed, or the ingredients can be cooked and steamed separately.
This common side dish is usually served with chicken (morgh), and although it is often enjoyed as a simple, everyday meal, it is also a staple on various special occasions.
Ghormeh sabzi is an Iranian herb stew, commonly eaten everywhere in Iran and considered to be the national dish of the country. Although there are numerous ways to prepare the dish, the essential ingredient is a combination of fried herbs, usually made with chopped parsley, cilantro, and chives.
Other varieties occasionally include greens such as leeks, kale, or spinach, which give the dish its dark green color and rich, pungent flavors. These essential ingredients are incorporated with kidney beans and cubed meat (most commonly lamb) to create a rich and dense stew.
MOST ICONIC Ghormeh sabzi
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 79 Iranian Foods” list until March 05, 2025, 6,671 ratings were recorded, of which 4,152 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.