Authentic Zeytoon parvardeh Recipe
Gilan Province, Iran
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We strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Typical of Iran's Gilan province, zeytoon parvardeh is a traditional Persian appetizer that is made with a mix of green olives, pomegranate molasses, walnuts, garlic, pomegranate juice, pomegranate seeds, blue eryngo, locally known as chochagh, angelica seeds, and salt. Olive oil can also be added, and some recipes will also include mint, coriander, and parsley. It is typically served as part of the mezze platter or as a side dish and cherished for its taste and health benefits, thanks to the antioxidants found in olives and pomegranate and the healthy fats in walnuts.
Cooking tips
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olives
Green olives are traditionally used, and pitted ones are preferred mainly for practical reasons. They can be left whole or crushed when mixing all the ingredients. Since they are cured, it's recommended to soak them in water to remove as much salt as possible. For that reason, salt should be added to zeytoon only at the end so it doesn't end up too salty. -
chochagh
Chochagh or blue eryngo is a herb that is a traditional ingredient in zeytoon parvardeh that grows in Iran's northern provinces. That said, it is even somewhat hard to get a hold of it in the rest of Iran, let alone if you live outside of Iran. For this reason, mint is often used as a substitute. -
method
All the ingredients, except olives, which are left whole or crushed, and walnuts, which are ground, need to be pulverized to a paste-like consistency. In Iran, they do it by grinding with a stone rock. -
garnish
Zeytoon parvardeh can be garnished with pomegranate arils and crushed or chopped walnuts.
Zeytoon parvardeh
PREP 20min
READY IN 20min
The following is the authentic zeytoon parvardeh recipe typical of Gilan province where pitted olives are mixed with pomagrante paste, seeds, and juice, together with walnuts, garlic, chochagh, angelica seeds, orange juice, and salt.
Ingredients
500g (1.1 lbs) pitted, cured, green olives
120g (4 oz) ground walnuts
1 garlic head, cleaned and grated to paste
1 tsp angelica seeds
1 tbsp chochag, crushed to a paste
1 tbsp pomegranate paste
60 ml (1/4 cup) pomegranate juice
3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
1 tbsp orange juice
salt, as needed
Preparation
Soak the olives in water for 10 to 30 minutes, depending on their saltiness, then drain in a strainer.
Combine all the specified ingredients except the olives and walnuts in a large mixing bowl. It's important to hold off on adding salt at this point, as the olives may already contain a sufficient amount.
After draining, toss the olives with the walnut powder into the prepared mixture.
Once mixed, transfer the olives into a sealed jar and refrigerate to preserve their freshness and flavor.
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