Nowruz Recipes: Fresh Herb Platter, Rice with Favas and Dill and more

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Although in Los Angeles we can’t argue we’ve suffered a treacherous winter, it doesn’t mean we can’t eagerly await spring and the bountiful herbs and fresh vegetables it brings.

Nowruz, or Persian New Year, is a 3,000 year old 13 day celebration of spring that is Iran’s most important holiday. The food associated with the holiday is ample with symbols associated with fertility, spring, and plenty. A typical menu consists of rice with saffron and herbs, a fish dish, an herb omelette, and a soup with long noodles in it, which ” symbolize long life and a lucky year ahead,” says Louisa Shafia author of The New Persian Kitchen.

For those interested in making these recipes for a vegetarian palate, you’re in luck. “Persian food is actually super vegetarian friendly,” Louisa says. She recommends replacing fish with either beans or roasted or baked eggplant. Check out the four Nowruz recipes below, courtesy of Louisa Shafia.